Chapter 6: Next Time, Let it Ring

"You're literally insane," Oliver announced when I'd informed him of my actions yesterday. "Seriously, you're just as crazy as her."

"What were you thinking?" Sidney asked.

"Hopefully this breaks them up," Camilla remarked, gaining the attention of the rest of us.

"What?" Oliver asked her.

"Well, I don't see the harm in it," she said. "It'd be a totally different story if Victoria was nice and treated Axel right, but then again, Axel and Lex would still be friends if Victoria treated him right. Maybe he'll see how bad Victoria really is and decide to cut ties with her."

"But...but," Oliver trailed before sighing. "Yeah, maybe you're right. But you stooped down to her level, Lex."

"Oh, well," Camilla shrugged. "If that's what it takes to help Axel realize what is being done to him then so be it."

The bell suddenly rang and I made my way to class with Oliver at my side. "For a girl who made Victoria look like an idiot, you don't look very happy."

I just shrugged. That conversation made me feel horrible. Though Cam had a good point, I feel as if Oliver was right. I could've gone about it a different way, in fact I should've. Even if Axel wouldn't have listened to me I could've at least tried talking to him. I've just taken one step forward and two steps back. "I feel guilty for lying. And Victoria is probably going to be clingier than ever."

"Why do you say that?" Oliver inquired.

"She's probably going to delete my contact from Axel's phone, never let him come to my house ever again, make him change his schedule..." I trailed as we reached the classroom.

Axel was sitting in his assigned seat beside me and Oliver motioned towards him. "You're underestimating him."

I rolled my eyes at Oliver before walking towards my seat beside Axel, sitting down awkwardly. I reached into my bag to grab my textbook, listening as Axel tapped nervously on the table. "Can I say something?" he asked bluntly, pulling my attention from my textbook on my desk.

I refrained from saying, 'you just did,' and instead went for a more practical approach. "Yeah?" I asked him curiously.

"I'm sorry," he blurted. "I shouldn't have come at you so angrily like I did yesterday. I...I should have been a bit more realistic when Vic told me what you'd said. She's known to blow things out of proportion. I just got upset because we already have so many problems and what you said, or what I thought you said, just added into the mix."

I stared at Axel as he ranted. Another thing I appreciated about the boy sitting beside me was his ability to say that he's sorry. Not many people can do that, but he can, and he will. I haven't heard him say it many times in our friendship because we didn't get into arguments as often as others; when we did, we didn't let them get to the point where we stopped talking, aside from our most recent argument. But I felt guilt drip through me when I realized that I didn't deserve this apology. I didn't know what to say so I just nodded.

"I also want to apologize for anything she said, and for even suggesting that you two hang out. It was stupid. I know how she is," he continued and I sighed, turning to look at him.

"Stop apologizing," I told him. "Especially for Victoria, she's capable of apologizing for herself. I don't want to hear it from you."

He swallowed the rest of his words and simply stared at his text book.

+++

I was at my house that evening, sitting in the living room, watching television. I heard the front door open and I assumed it was my father, so I got up and approached the door. Instead, I saw Axel standing there and I quirked an eyebrow. "She actually let you come here?"

"She doesn't know I'm here," he told me and I wanted to frown. They have such an unhealthy relationship. "And I'd appreciate it if she didn't find out."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Because the first thing I plan to do is run upstairs and text your little girlfriend."

He looked at me and sighed. "Where are the guys?" he asked.

"In the attic, genius. Where do you think they are?" I responded. He gave me an annoyed look before entering the basement. I stared at the door as it shut behind him, wondering if Victoria knows that he doesn't believe her. Deciding not to worry about their relationship anymore, I headed upstairs to my room to text my friends.

The days rolled by and by the time Friday slid around, Axel was taking it upon himself to lie to Victoria by telling her he was home studying when he was at my house in the basement. But it's not my place to judge; I'd crave an escape if I was trapped in a relationship like theirs. But thankfully I'm not. Instead I'm sitting in my room on a daily basis, drowning myself in homework and thriller movies that I've watched twenty times over.

I was in the basement, watching a movie with my brother's friends because mine bailed on me. I was supposed to go see a movie with them but we decided not to test the highways with the heavy rainfall, so our plans were effectively cancelled. I was sitting in the corner of the couch, watching the comedy that played on the television when Axel's phone started ringing. Like the last five times, we paused the movie and went completely silent, listening as he answered the phone. The twins had to repress their urges to moan and loudly ask for someone to pass them drugs, which is what they do whenever anyone else is on the phone with someone of significance.

"Yes?" he inquired tiredly, letting his head fall back against the couch. "No, Victoria, I'm still at home. Yes, I'm alone. She's not here." He shot a glance at me and I waved at him, earning an eye roll in response. "Look, I got to go. I'm tired and I'm about to go to sleep." A few seconds later, he let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm going to sleep now, Alexis."

Every one of the guy's eyes widened as they realized his slip up. We could basically hear Victoria screeching at him. "Alexis? Is she there with you?!" He put his head in his hands as he sighed.

"No, she's not. I only said her name because you talk about her so much, you confuse me," Axel responded. "I know." About four minutes and a bunch of 'I'm going to sleep now's' later, he finally brought the conversation to an end. "I won't forget. I know it's at eight o'clock. I'll be there."

"What's at eight?" Isaac blurted from across the room once he hung up.

"I have a date with her," he explained as he dropped his phone back onto his lap shaking his head in irritation.

"At eight in the morning?" Colton piped, looking shocked. Axel nodded.

"Why so early?" Isaiah asked.

"Because she's crazy, that's why," Axel answered, providing a good explanation. He looked at his phone and blew air from his mouth. "Play the movie; I've got to start heading home once it ends."

+++

I woke up to a loud and annoying ringing. I rubbed my eyes, looking around. I was in the basement alongside the guys. The television was on the movie's home screen. "Answer the phone," a sleepy voice mumbled from one of the many sleeping bodies on the floor. It was too hard to tell who it was. I reached around on the carpet beneath me, in the general area where the ringing noise was coming from, and grabbed the only vibrating phone. It was attached to the charger so, assuming it was my phone that I decided to charge last night, I pulled the plug, struggling to answer it with my blurry vision.

"What do you want?" I answered groggily. Who could possibly be calling me this early in the morning? None of my friends wake up earlier than noon on the weekends.

"Who is this!?" a familiar voice screeched and I immediately sat up. "Alexis?! Is that you?!"

I got up from my spot on the couch, practically kicking Axel in the side to wake him up. He looked up at me and I shoved the phone into his hand. He looked at it and his eyes widened. He looked pale. "H-Hello?"

"Was that Alexis?! Are you serious, Axel?!" she screamed. He looked at me and I knew he was wondering why I answered his phone.

"I thought it was my phone," I hissed. There's no point in staying quiet now. The gigs up; she knows I'm here. Victoria continued to scream into his ear. I looked at the area where my phone was to see the device resting on the floor away from the charger. I guess Axel unplugged my phone to charge his last night. I picked up my phone, looking at the time. 12:43. Well, he definitely missed his date.

The guys, now getting up thanks to his girlfriend's screaming, threw pillows at Axel, complaining loudly. He got up and approached the stairs, talking in a hushed voice as he went. I waited ten minutes before going upstairs, but not to talk to Axel, but to get something to drink and some food. I wasn't the only one feeling hungry because as soon as I got up, I began getting requests of food and drinks to bring back downstairs.

I ignored the guys and ducked into the kitchen, looking around. I heard Axel's voice and I knew he was in the living room. I opened the fridge and snagged a few waters, grabbing some granola bars, too. I took a water bottle and a granola bar and approached the living room. Knowing that I was probably the last person Axel wanted to see, I quietly crept into the quiet room. I just wanted to make sure he was okay. I saw him sitting on the couch, telling Victoria that I just happened to be downstairs when the phone was ringing and that I didn't think twice before answering it. He was telling her that I didn't mean anything by picking it up, which was completely true. I handed him the snack and the drink and he nodded at me. I quickly made my way out of the living room, not intending to hear any more of their conversation.

I brought the snacks down to the basement, listening as the guys talked amongst themselves. I distributed the drinks and the snacks, taking a seat next to Isaac once I finished. He wiggled his eyebrows at me and I rolled my eyes. "What happened?" my older brother inquired as he looked at me.

"I answered his phone by accident," I told them.

"How?" Dylan inquired.

"I had my phone charging last night and I guess he unplugged it to charge his. I woke up and decided to see who was calling, so I reached down and felt the phone attached to the charger. I figured it was mine so I answered it. Turned out, it was Axel's phone and it was Victoria calling. She wasn't very happy, if you didn't catch on to that yet," I muttered.

"And he missed their date," Colton frowned. "He's in trouble."

"What they need to do is break-up already," Isaac blurted from beside me. "I'm not a relationship guru but she treats him like trash."

I repressed the urge to nod quickly, trying not to make the guys bring back my jealousy title. So instead, I remained quiet and listened to their opinions. "They should've broken up a while ago," Holden announced.

"I'm surprised she survived his vacation. I wonder how often she called him," Isaiah added in.

"They probably never got off the phone, even when they slept. She probably wanted to make sure Lex wasn't there," Demetri snorted, earning a laugh from the guys.

"He actually told me that she was a lot better when he was away," Dylan responded. "But you had a point about the Lex thing."

"She doesn't like me because she thinks I like Axel," I told the guys.

"But you like Holden," Miles piped, providing a tent of awkwardness to settle around us. I glanced at Holden to see that he was scrolling on his phone as he lay on the floor. This isn't new information to him, but every time it's mentioned around him, I feel like he's being told for the first time. And I usually feel like I'm being told again for the first time. It's kind of like: I like Holden? Oh, wait, I don't. They just think I do.

If it ended up that I had a crush on, say, Isaac, he'd probably take me aside and tell me that he's just not into me. I mean, I know he flirts with me like crazy, but that's only to annoy my older brother. I don't think he'd actually make a move on me.

If it was Isaiah, on the other hand, he'd probably be a bit shocked because he's usually the overlooked twin. When people mention the twins, they say things like 'Isaac and his brother," or the "funny one and the quiet one." I feel like Isaiah is just as good as Isaac, he's just a lot quieter. It balances the two out. If they were both loud in public, they'd be obnoxious. If they were both quiet...well they wouldn't be sitting with us if they were both quiet right? Though Isaiah can be rambunctious at times, he's quiet around people he doesn't really know. I guess he's just shy.

Colton would definitely be uncomfortable. He's awkward and wouldn't be able to take the teasing that Holden endures. He'd probably just tell me that he doesn't like me without preparing me. He won't beat around the bush. It's what he did to one of the girls that had a crush on him when he was a junior last year. He just told her how it was. It's kind of like Axel, but a little less considerate. It's not that Colton's mean, it's just how he is when people like him and he doesn't feel the same. In his eyes, it's better to tell you than lead you on.

Miles would probably have to be reminded by Dylan not to try anything with me. Miles doesn't have a crush on me or anything, but he's down to go on dates with anyone. He's the youngest of the group and, from what I know, the least experienced. He barely made it into school with his birthday, so he's about to be sixteen while the rest of the guys are turning seventeen in a few months, or they're already seventeen.

Demetrious already has a girlfriend, so I don't really know how he'd react.

And Axel, oh Axel. I'm not quite sure how he'd respond because he already thought I liked him. I'm not sure how long he thought I did. He only called me out when he thought I was jealous of Victoria. But if he thought I liked him since the beginning of our friendship, he did a great job at hiding it.

Speaking of Axel, I should probably go upstairs to see what he's doing. Just as that thought passed through my mind, the door to the basement opened and he came downstairs, looking at all of us as we stared at him. "What?" he asked.

"Well, did you break up with her?" Colton asked.

"No," he replied and I felt a small deflation in my stomach. Either that or the granola bar's digesting.

"Then what took you so long to talk about?" Miles asked.

"She ranted to me for a while before we rescheduled our date for later tonight," he responded.

"Did she find out that you've really been here these last few days?" Dylan inquired.

"No, she only found out about last night," Axel sighed as he dropped on the couch beside me.

"Well, I don't know about you guys but I'm hungry," Dylan announced as he stood up. The majority of the guys joined him but I remained on the couch, watching as they all walked up the steps.

I looked over at Axel. "Aren't you hungry?" I inquired.

"I'm too stressed to be hungry," he muttered as he lay on the couch, staring at the ceiling.

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

"Yeah," he muttered. "I'll live."

"I'm sorry for answering the phone," I told him.

"You didn't know," he replied as he gazed at the ceiling with his hands behind his head. I watched him, exhaling quietly.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I inquired.

"Well, I'm not dying," he told me. "So I think I'm pretty fine."

"Just because you're not dying doesn't mean you're fine," I informed him as I got up, walking to the opposite couch where he was sitting. I nudged his legs and he moved them, allowing me to sit down. Instead of keeping them crunched up, he extended them and dropped them on my lap. I was surprised that he was touching me because for the last few months, he's been avoiding my touch at all costs like I was diseased.

"In my book it does," he responded. "I'm just irritated."

"Why?" I asked for the sake of conversation. I know why he's irritated. He's dating Victoria, that's more than enough reason for irritation.

"She doesn't give me any space," he admitted.

"I've noticed," I muttered.

"She wants to know where I am, when I'm there, why I'm there, what I'm doing, who I'm with-it's suffocating," he informed me.

"I can see how that would be," I responded, trying my best not to insult to his girlfriend. If he's venting to me, and it seems like he is, I'm going to try my best not to pass judgment on his problems or give him biased advice.

"I just want to be able to spend time with my friends without having to worry about her freaking out," he responded. "Sometimes, it gets to be too much."

"I understand where you're coming from," I replied.

"The guys say that I should break up with her," he told me. "And sometimes, I think they're right. But I guess I like her. I mean, when we hang out together, it's sometimes fun. It's not always bad, but it seems like its bad most of the time." I didn't know what to say so I just let him continue speaking. "I just don't know what to do."

"You'll figure it out with time," I told him.

"What would you do?" he asked me as he sat up on his elbows, looking at me.

I stared at him, slightly confused as to why he's asking my opinion. If I say what I'd honestly do, he'd call me jealous. But if I was honestly in a relationship like his, I'd try and talk to my boyfriend, and if he keeps doing what he's doing, I'd have no choice but to break up with him. If it's making me feel bad all the time to the point where I can barely have a good time, I would have to break up with him. I sighed as I looked at the muted television. "You don't want my opinion."

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't want your opinion," he told me. This reminds me of when we were best friends and he'd come to me with a question and ask for my opinion and I'd always tell him what I honestly thought. And it was the same way around; he'd give me his opinions when I needed them.

"You want my opinion? Knowing that I don't like your girlfriend?" I asked him.

"Put that fact aside, I know you can," he responded.

"You sure you're not going to call me jealous?" I inquired.

"I promise I won't," he replied and I stared at him.

"If I had a boyfriend who was...like Victoria, I'd try and talk to him and tell him that I need space. If that didn't work, I'd break up with him. If he's keeping me from having a good time with my friends, and if he's always suspicious that I'm cheating on him, then I'd break up with him. It wouldn't be easy, that's for sure, but it'd have to be done, one way or another," I told him. "But that's just what I would do. It's your relationship. Do what you think you should."

"Thanks Alexis," he muttered.

"I know you probably don't value my opinion as much as you used to, but I think you should do whatever makes you happy, and if that's staying with her, then do it. But know that I'm here if you need to talk or you just need someone to listen, even if we aren't the best of friends any more, or friends at all for that matter. I won't judge you and I won't be biased. Just keep that in mind, Axel." I patted his legs and he moved, sitting up this time. I got up and walked towards the stairs, sighing tiredly as I pushed open the kitchen door.