I can't wait for tomorrow... I'm surprised by my thoughts on Sunday afternoon. It's not that I've had a tough day. Actually, today the kids I've babysat have been really sweet and exceptionally quiet, not that I have trouble with them in general. I'm pretty popular with kids; unfortunately, I can't say the same thing when they grow up... One of the reasons why I'm not usually really eager to go to high school.

However, tomorrow I'll see Alex to work on our project, and that's why I'm abnormally impatient for a Monday. I must admit that I kinda miss him. I know it's only been two days since our little zipline adventure, yet just thinking about meeting him makes eagerness flutter in my stomach. He always finds a way to make me feel good, even without trying. It's spontaneous with him; in a world where everything is planned ahead and our attitudes are calculated, it feels precious and surreal. I am relaxed... free... myself. Generally, I don't open up that easily and quickly with people, but with Alex, it's easy. It's as if with just one gaze, he pierces through my walls.

A raindrop tickles my cheek and brings me back to reality. We're still Sunday, and I'm still in the empty streets with the grey sky getting darker above my head. Suppressing a shiver because of the cold air contrasting with the warmth of my memories, I pick up my pace. Once again, I'm praying to get back home before ending up soaked because once again, I don't have my umbrella.

My rapid steps are stopped when I cross a street. My eyes catch sight of a figure that I can now recognize among a thousand: a strong back in a black leather jacket, leaning against his motorcycle.

I don't know how or why, but I take a turn in the dark alley, not caring about the gloomy surroundings, neither about the threatening weather, as all my attention is on Alex.

He is focused on his phone, his back facing me, so he doesn't see me. Yet I keep my resolute pace. For once, I don't think; I don't worry about what I'm gonna say. I guess this is the spontaneity I've talked about; I'm just myself.

When I finally get to him, he still doesn't seem to have noticed me coming, probably because I'm so used to be invisible that my feet are as silent as a shy cat in the night. So almost instinctively I tap on his shoulder, my heart still skipping a nervous beat in anticipation. Though what I'm not expecting is what he does next...

In a micro-second and a few swift moves of his, I'm spun around and thrown into his arms, one of his strong arms gripping mine behind my back and the other around my neck. My heart doesn't only miss one beat this time, it stops, or maybe it is bolting – I don't even know. I don't even have the time to understand what's happening and get scared.

"E-Elena?!" He realizes it's me and lets go of his hold as fast as he's got me in.

My mind is blank, and my body frozen; the only things moving are my wide eyes trying to blink. But his eyes are even wider, and his face has turned a shade paler, making his dark gaze standing out even more.

"Sorry, I-I didn't know it was you..." He rubs his neck, yet he still doesn't seem to regain color on his face.

"No, it's my fault... I-I shouldn't have..." I stutter, biting my lip.

All my spontaneity and confidence have vanished, and I'm back with a messy knot of nerves.

"Did I hurt you?" His eyebrows crease, deepening the intensity of his gaze as it glides to my wrists. "No, no, I'm fine." Following his eyes, I only notice now the red marks on my skin. It doesn't hurt though. Maybe I'm numbed by everything because his touch that always leaves me electrified, I haven't even felt it, even if this time it has left a real mark.

What I feel, however, is the silence weighing in the air and squeezing my lungs. He doesn't speak; I don't know what to say. I don't even know what to do anymore. I'm just standing there, like anchored to the uneven and collapsing tarmac, while Alex is glancing around.

A shiver runs down my spine, and I become hyper-aware of the cold awkwardness surrounding us.

"Oh... you're expecting someone? I didn't mean to–"

"No... It's..." He interrupts himself with a sigh after having cut me off.

I lower my head under his troubling and troubled gaze. I'm not focusing anywhere, my mind still dizzy, yet my gaze is attracted to a small detail, something white contrasting with all the darkness around. All my attention is drawn to the black bag near his feet, or more exactly the packets of something white as plaster or flour appearing through the slightly open zipper. It is barely visible, but my eyes can't see anything else anymore.

Something hits me in the chest, maybe realization, and then the words rush out of my lips. "Er... I should go... before the rain... er... gets worse..."

I don't let him time to reply, I turn around and leave, almost running away.

I don't look back as my heart is beating fast, but my feet are going faster.

In no time, I'm back home. I don't even know how. The walk is all a blur. I don't remember the streets I've followed; I just have a hazy memory of the concrete running under my feet. I haven't even felt the rain; I just know that I'm cold to the bone.

It's like I've been busy somewhere else during the whole journey. My mind has been blank, yet full of Moose's words, Lisa's words, everyone's words deafeningly echoing... 'He's a bad boy, he's a delinquent, a player, a criminal, a gang leader... a drug dealer... he's dangerous...'

***

'Hey Miss Clumsy Cookie :)

When do you want to meet up for the project?'

I sigh, putting my phone back in my bag without sending a reply. My fingers don't have the strength to type something, and my brain has no word coming.

It's been five days since I've bumped into Alex in that narrow alley, and I keep finding excuses to avoid him. On Monday, I've canceled our work session, and I've pretended to be busy with a lot of school work for the rest of the week.

Of course, he's also tried to talk to me during and between classes, yet there always has been something allowing me to evade. I've even done several U-turns and detours to not meet him in the hallways. In short, I've done a pretty good job at avoiding him the whole week. Though I know it's only temporary because we have to advance on our project, and I'll have to face him sooner or later.

When I walk out of the school front door, I realize it will be sooner than later...

I recognize his figure leaning against the wall, and I can't turn back as Alex rasps, "Hi Elena."

He approaches me with his typical chill gait, yet there is something different about him. I can glimpse a tensed line between his eyebrows, and as his intense eyes are searching for mine, he seems unsure.

"Er... hi..." I give him a shy smile, not daring to cross his penetrating gaze.

"Are you avoiding me?" he asks bluntly.

"W-what?!" I stutter, all the blood rushing to my face.

He raises an eyebrow. "We didn't work on our project once in the whole week, and I can't seem to talk to you more than 30 seconds before you have to go somewhere..."

I swallow, hearing it from his mouth makes it sound even lamer than when it has spun in my head.

"And you didn't even reply to my texts," he adds under his breath.

I'm roasting slowly under his 'I see through you' gaze, and as I'm trying to justify myself, the blood boiling in my cheeks is a painful reminder of how unconvincing I sound. "Er... no, I-I just have been really busy this week... It's... complicated..." I nibble on my lip, avoiding carefully his piercing eyes.

"I hope it's not because of Sunday... You almost ran away..."

I snap my head toward him. "No... it's–"

"I'm sorry... I didn't know it was you. I would never hurt you," he cuts me off. His voice is low, yet incredibly serious, and when I look in his eyes, I see something I'm not used to see in people's eyes: sincerity.

My heart leaps, and all my possible excuses and reasons why I've indeed shunned him evaporate.

"I was just a little on edge... It's..."

"Complicated," I say with a small smile.

He chuckles under his breath. "Yeah..." His penetrating eyes are fixing mine, trying to pierce through my soul, or maybe searching for something inside his own mind. "I don't want to scare you..."

"I'm not scared," I reply instantly, and this is not a lie...

I'm not scared of him. I feel – I know – he would never hurt me. It's what he is, what he does that terrorizes me. When I've been with him all this past month, I've just been with Alex. I've forgotten the world outside, and I've forgotten that he is Alex Carter, a bad boy, THE baddest bad boy. However, when I've seen him on Sunday, it has all hit me: he's dangerous. He lives dangerously. He breaks the law.

After I've chosen to ignore it, what everyone has been saying has come back straight in my face. It's like I've removed a blindfold before my eyes; I've been dazzled, disoriented, lost...I haven't known what to believe, who to believe... and I guess, the realization has scared me; it still scares me.

But when he looks at me like this, with his intense eyes full of hope and sincerity, I see the Alex I've got to know this past month, the one with whom I am naturally myself, the one who lights up a flame of confidence and boldness inside my chest. So I add, without thinking once more, "But could you teach me how to fight?"

His eyebrows rise up.

"That could be pretty useful." I think out loud.

He chuckles, his dark eyes now sparkling. "Yeah, gladly! We can start today if you want."

"Er... no, rather tomorrow... But, we can work on our project right now."

"Really?!" His eyebrows shot up again, though this time they're joined by a smile.

"Yes, since we've finished classes earlier, I mean, if you want..."

"Yeah, of course, let's go!"

For now, we'll work on the physics project, and I'll find back my bearings. But tomorrow... Why have I asked him to teach me how to fight?! What have I gotten myself into?!

After getting frightened of his bad boy lifestyle, I ask him to teach me a part of it?! Either it will reassure me or scare me more. Anyway, it will show me a little bit more of his life, of him...

Your thoughts on Alex's bad boy lifestyle? I thought it was time we saw a little bit more the bad boy! But don't worry there's still more to come... ;)

Should Elena be scared? And what do you think will happen during those fighting lessons? ;)

I hope you like this chapter! Please please let me know what you think in the comments, vote, add to your library...

I've got some really nice feedbacks lately, so I want to thank you. It means the world to me and it's really motivating! <3