4TH NOVEMBER.
ROSE-ST.CLAIRE VILLA:
APHRODITE'S ROOM.

THE PARTY WAS over. Aphrodite had stripped down her heavy ball gown and was wearing her white cupcake pajamas. She straightened her pillow and plopped on her soft bed. She played with the hem of her t-shirt, still thinking about Lex. They didn't get alone time again. She wasn't sure what to do next. Things were going to be awkward between them. It was her first time to be nervous after a kiss. Lex made her feel nervous. He gave her butterflies. What if things complicate between them? What if they give it a shot and it backfires? What if they end up like her past relationships?

She was snapped to reality when she heard footsteps coming towards her room. Karan knocked on the open door with West and Yumi lingering behind him. "Can we come in?" 

She nodded and the three of them rushed to her. Karan sat across from her, Yumi beside her and West sprang to sit cross legged in between. Each one had a wrapped gift in their hand. Karan grinned and handed her a dark box with a golden ribbon. Aphrodite chuckled and pulled it open to find a CD nuzzled between packing peanuts. She picked it up and looked at him.

"A CD?" 

"Not just any CD," Karan said. "It was the recordings of the game we played last weekend. It also has our banter recorded. I thought it would be nice to give you a piece of memory from the night where we all first bonded as friends." 

"It has everything we said that night?" She arched her eyebrow. "All jokes, banter and arguments?"

He smiled, giddy. "Everything."

Aphrodite threw her arms around him. "Karan, this was so thoughtful! Thank you." She kissed his cheek. He gave her a cheeky smile.

"Wait until you open mine," West said and handed a rectangular shaped thing wrapped with shiny golden wrapping paper. Aphrodite took it in her hands and ripped it open. She picked up the book in her hands and smelled the pages. It was Paper Towns by John Green. She scanned the pages to find annotations and markings on the pages. "I didn't know what to give you but I wanted to make sure it was thoughtful, like Karan's." West eyed Karan. "You had mentioned Margo when we went shopping so I decided to give you a copy and write all the things that I liked or have inside jokes with." 

"I've never read Paper Towns, only watched the movie and I love this." She hugged him too. 

Yumi was the last one to hand her the gift. It was the largest box amongst them. She pulled the carefully wrapped paper open to find a box. She opened and inside it was a white cloth with fake daisy on them. She pulled the cloth up to find a soft daisy dress against her fingers. 

"Oh, my God. You stitched it...for me?" Aphrodite embraced the dress. Yumi nodded, her lips curling upwards at Aphrodite's happiness. 

"Try it!" Yumi cheered. 

Aphrodite obliged. She jumped into her bathroom and wore the dress her best friend had stitched her. The soft fabric embraced her body perfectly. The net garment from below her waist had daisy scattered all around. She sauntered outside and spun in the dress. 

"It's beautiful, Yumi!" She looked at herself. "How did you get my measurements?" 

"Well, I sneaked into your closet and found a dress that you had worn recently." Aphrodite stared at Yumi with adoration. "So, tell us." Yumi leaned forward, curious for her to answer. "Whose gift was the best?" 

Aphrodite pinched her eyebrows. "I loved all of your gifts." 

"Oh, c'mon, girrrlll," Karan said in a phoney girly voice. "We have a bet going on here. It needs a winner. Whose gift did you like the best?" 

Aphrodite hummed and looked at the white ceiling, thinking. "If I really have to choose one, I'll choose, um...Yumi's." A bunch of boos echoed in her room. "I told you, everyone gave the nicest gifts but Yumi's probably was the most time consuming. Her time means the most to me." 

Yumi stuck a tongue out at Karan and West while Aphrodite laughed. 

•••

All three of them were finally gone when Lex entered Aphrodite's room. He leaned on the door frame as he watched her twirl in her new dress, oblivious to his presence. He knocked on the door once he realised that he was being a creep. She paused and blushed before asking him to come in. He stepped closer to her. She sat on the edge of her bed while Lex stood a few steps away from her. 

He was trying his best not to close the distance between them and feel her again. 

She had kissed him. 

At first when her soft lips grazed against her, he wanted to be respectful and forget it happened. He was afraid she kissed him because she was vulnerable at that moment. That it was a temporary spark that she felt. But then he saw her eyes and lost all control over his body and mind. He leaned in to kiss her hungrily. He couldn't get enough of her. Now, too, he could've walked in with Karan, West and Yumi to give her the gift but he wanted to be alone with her. 

Control yourself, Lex. He reminded himself. But the dress was short. And her hair was in a messy bun. And she was looking at him from a lower height with softness. 

"I couldn't find you earlier to give this along with everyone." 

Lies. 

He handed her a small red coloured box with pink ribbon. With a smile on her face, she rested the box on her lap and pulled the ribbon open and lifted the lid. Her eyes glistened as she picked up the frame. She put the box aside and stared at the frame. Her fingers traced the pictures inside the glass. She looked at Lex, her eyes widened.

"Lex…" she said. "Did you...did you click all these?" 

Lex nodded. 

She broke into a wider smile as she glanced back at the collage of the pictures he had clicked of hers when she wasn't paying attention, including a couple with Yumi, Karan, and West. "I...I don't know what to say. A thank you doesn't seem enough." 

She could kiss him, of course. But I'm sure she won't take my suggestion. 

"One thing is missing, though," she said. Lex frowned at her, wondering what he left off. "There's no picture of you or us." 

"Well, I'm sure you don't need a picture of me. I'm quite unforgettable," Lex joked. Aphrodite giggled and put the frame on her nightstand beside her desk. "Um, Aphy…"

"Didn't you take part in the bet because you would've likely won that." She smiled, unaware of what she had cut him from. 

"Um, nah. I don't make bets anymore." 

She frowned. "You don't pull pranks anymore willingly. You don't make bets. Who are you and what do you do then?" 

Well, I don't know anything else but I'm sure he'd love to do you, honey. 

He didn't answer. "Um, Aphy." He started. "About the kiss…" 

She cut him off. "Ah, don't worry about it. Let's not make a big deal about it, okay?"

His heart dropped.

"Wh…" He let out a shaky breath. "I was actually...thinking about asking you out. I thought...I'm sorry. Did I read things wrong between us?" 

"What things?" Aphrodite's smile faltered. 

"I…" Lex chewed the inside of his mouth. "I thought you liked me, didn't you? I mean, the hugs, the flirty smiles and…"

"Lex." She stepped towards him. She entangled her fingers around his arm. She locked her eyes with him. "I...you didn't read it wrong." She blew a breath out. "I like you. I really do." She licked her lips.

"...but?" His voice lowered, already guessing where this conversation was leading them to.

She extended her hand and straightened the collar of his shirt. He still hadn't changed from the tux. The white shirt was still on him. "We can't do this. We can't do us. It would complicate everything. It would make things awkward. And what if things don't go well? Let's stop the feelings before they get stronger." She buttoned the last button from his chest. 

"Why are you refusing to try it out before actually trying?" His voice was flat, indifferent. Angry, even. 

"Because." She bit her lips and rested her forehead on his chest. Lex wanted to hold her. He wanted to circle his arms around his waist and pull her closer but he was upset. Angry. Disappointed. So he clutched her arms and pulled her away from him.

"That is your reason? A simple...because?" 

She remained silent, not a tear shedding from her eyes. His heart clenched in pain. "All right," He muttered.

ALL RIGHT? Did he say ALL RIGHT? What the hell, Lex? I boated the...sorry. I shipped Lexodite.

"If that's what you want." His eyes went shallow as he glanced into her eyes before stepping out of her room.

The only thing worse than walking away from someone you like is when you walk away even when you both still have feelings for each other.

header image by Nina Mercado.

I hope you don't hate me...yet;)

the narrator who previously hated teen romance now ships Lexodite. if that isn't character development, I don't know what is.

[ don't forget to vote and comment]