Lex marches in, and Agatha whirls. “What do you think you’re doing? This is the ladies’ room!”
“This isn’t high school,” he states, his voice hard. He doesn’t even look at her as he makes his way to me. He hooks a finger beneath my chin, forcing my eyes to meet his, then in a fluid motion, he swipes my tear away with his thumb.
“High school?” Agatha’s tone pitches. “What does that have to do withcoming into the ladies’ restroom? I’ll scream.”
“Go ahead then.” Lex doesn’t show a modicum of care as his fingers find mine and wrap firmly around my hand. Finally casting Agatha a glance, he squeezes my hand and lifts his chin, pure insanity sparking through his gaze and bleeding into a dark smile. “It’d be refreshing to hear you scream. I can wait.” He licks his lips, and the tension in the room weighs on me, congesting in my lungs as Lex lifts a fingernail and drags it down Agatha’s cheek. “Or…if you prefer…I can help.”
In spite of the promise, Lex is moving us both out of there while Agatha fumbles for words. “You’re sick!” she finally manages to call at our backs, and the door closes off whatever else she may say.
My head is abuzz. Everything inside me is hot and dreadful, and the only thing I can do is stare at our joined hands.
“You okay?” Lex asks, back to himself and not whatever character he plucked to scare the life out of Agatha.
Warmth floods my stomach, unbidden, almost uncomfortable. “I think so.”
“What the heck is that girl’s problem?”
I wince. I’ve spent too long trying to figure that out myself. All throughout high school, she was a dark cloud following me. She championed every hateful note on my writing and gained countless accolades from the teacher for her perception. She excelled in every area I wanted to explore. She won every role I tried to apply for. Sang every lead. Danced every important part. She was the proof that no matter what I did I wasn’t good enough. She was the proof that no matter how hard I tried someone else still did whatever I fought for effortlessly. She’s whybrilliantis still a burden, even after I’ve separated my mother’s extreme expectations from the mix.
When you’re brilliant, you’re expected to compete with people likeher.
And before I was too exhausted to try,I always failed.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I let Lex lead me outside, let the wind and the symphony of evening calm my nerves. I whisper, “I don’t know.”
Lex grunts, and that really is the only way to describe whatever sound he just made. It was a grunt. A displeased sort of grunt. “It’s late,” he states the obvious, and I open my eyes again to find the moon climbing the darkening sky. “I’ll stay with you while you wait on the next bus.”
It won’t come for a while.
I just want to go home.
Squeezing his hand, I stop him, and he looks back at me, dropping his attention. His stern eyes widen, and he pulls away. “Sorry. What is it?”
My arm falls to my side, lonely and empty. Facing him is different than talking to his back. Even if he isn’t holding my hand now, it somehow seems…intimate. I swallow hard, wincing as I force my request out. “Would you mind…taking me home?”
His brows rise, then he smiles, open and warm. Like a child.Innocent and safe. “Is knowing where you live my reward for being your knight in shining armor?” he teases.
I roll my eyes. “As if,Alexander. Waltzing into the girls’ bathroom and pulling a villain role out of your behind isn’t what I’d call ‘knight in shining armor’ material.”
He snorts, leading the way to the parking lot beside the auditorium. Large enough to host enough cars to fill the endless seats inside, it stretches, largely vacant. And I won’t even attempt to pick out which of the cars is Lex’s today. “It’s the lead fromDownfall. We’re studying it in Acting Styles. If you were in Acting Styles like the she-witch, you’d have caught that immediately and absolutely would not at all think I’m just some creep with a portfolio of villain roles on call at all times.”
His faith in me is astonishing.
I shake my head. “I don’t think it was creepy. I readDownfall. He’s the kind of villain you so easily fall in love with, pity, understand.”
What am I saying?
“Even with the increasing insanity thing?”
“What girl isn’t a little bit insane? It’s a bonding point.” I shrug, forcing myself to be nonchalant.
Lex folds his arms, smirking at me as our feet hit the blacktop of the parking lot. “So, what you’re saying is, you thought it was hot.”
A trillion fluttering creatures ignite in my stomach, and my cheeks flare with heat. “How do you come to these conclusions?”
“If you don’t like me playing Kenneth for you, I can most definitely be your Hilgart.”
I sputter. “As if. What kind of a name even is Hilgart? Gag.”
