2112 Words
Point of View Change (Alexa)
We were two girls making the best board game ever. I didn't let go of her hand and I didn't plan on it, either. She might've thought that I was just trying to be her friend. I figured that she could think it was whatever she wanted. It wouldn't change the fact that there was a whole different reason. I wasn't an idiot, I've watched romantic movies loads of times with Kelly. I know exactly what I'm doing and what I'm doing is flirting the best way I know how. "So, what should it be?" Leah asked, looking up at me.
"The game? It should be all of us. I guess the obstacles could be everyone's' problems and you would either have to go back two spaces or roll a certain number."
Leah nodded, "Good idea. I'll make the characters and you can make the problem cards."
I nodded, "Ok."
"Let go?"
I shrugged, "If you want." She switched hands and held my left hand with her left hand. I started working on the problem cards and she worked on coloring the characters, starting with me.
She smiled, "Look at me. I need to know your eye color." I did and I tried my best to look at her in the eyes, but I had to look away. "Perfect, I have that exact color." I looked back at the floor, panicking in my head.
Then Nathan came out of his room, "What the heck? This is why I have to play football with dad? Because you two want to hold hands in the living room?"
"What? No. We're making a board game," I replied.
He squinted at us, "But you're still holding hands... Whatever, I'm gonna go."
"Ok, bye," I said, pretty annoyed at this point.
Leah laughed, "What was that?"
"What do you mean?" I asked, laughing now, too.
"You got so mad."
"Oh, I guess I did... Oops? I don't know."
"Ok... well, I finished my drawing of you. Look!" she exclaimed, holding up a little tiny version of me, "I glued a whole bunch of pieces of paper together so that it wouldn't bend."
"Awww, it's so cute! And, we have cardboard. If you wanna use that, you can."
She shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know, I've already made 50 duplicates of the same shape."
"How'd you cut the paper?" I asked, tilting my eyebrows.
"Skillz," she responded, grinning.
I laughed, "You are way too cute to be allowed in heaven." I immediately regretted saying that and I went back to writing the cards.
Then she laughed and responded, "I know."
"Heh," I responded, thankful that she probably thought it was a friend thing.
Point of View Change (Leah)
Definitely not a friend thing, definitely not a friend thing, I said in my head. I can't do this. I don't flirt with people and I'm gonna scream if I can't flirt with her good enough. "And, if I'm cute, that would make you beautiful. I mean, you're obviously better looking than I am."
Alexa laughed, "No way, don't lie."
"I'm not. I seriously think you're the cutest girl I've ever seen."
"Ok... I don't believe you, but I'll agree if it means you stop complimenting me," Alexa replied, laughing.
I gasped, "Then I'm gonna compliment you even more! Let's see... you're cute, you make me smile whenever we hang out, and I love that we became such good friends so fast. And... you have such a cute smile."
She looked at the ground awkwardly, "Well... you... you make everyone smile when you walk in the room. You make everything better."
"You should draw me. I did your little figure, so you should do mine," I said, handing her a glued together piece that was gonna be mine.
She smiled and took it, "Ok. Deal."
I laughed, "We didn't make a deal, but sure." I watched over her shoulder, slightly leaning my head on her. She so carefully colored in my blonde hair and blue eyes. Then she got to my skin color. She lifted up my hand and carefully picked a golden brown and colored in my skin color. Then she was done and she smiled up at me. "It's beautiful."
She smiled, "Just like you."
"Made by a beautiful artist."
Then Nathan and Bob walked into the kitchen as Bob was saying, "You just have to pay attention to where the ball is, not how fast it's gonna hit you in the face. Did your dad seriously never teach you how to play football?"
Then Alexa started putting everything away, "I think we're done, right?"
I thought for a moment to make sure my secret messages were safe and then nodded, "Yep. Let's go." We walked out the door and walked to the Cover household. We didn't talk much, but it was pretty awkward on the way there. When we got to the house, Alexa knocked on the door and soon after Loraine opened the door.
Upon seeing us, she laughed, "Alexa, you don't have to knock to come into your own house."
Alexa nervously laughed, "O-oh, ok. Sorry, habit."
"Is Nathan coming back soon? I heard he went to the Johnson house to play football. I'm pretty worried, he's not athletically inclined... at all."
"He's coming pretty soon. I don't know, he was talking to Bob in the kitchen when we left," I responded, trying not to laugh since it was a pretty serious situation, "Oh ya, we brought a board game. We thought we could have game night."
"Really? It looks so cool. Is it ok if Jessica joins us? She's here hanging out with Elizabeth."
Alexa nodded, "Sure."
Then I added, "I made sure to make one of everyone."
"Good," Loraine replied. Then she turned to the kitchen, "Dad, we're having game night, tell the kids."
"Ok," someone yelled back. Then Boyer came out of the kitchen and walked up the stairs. We set up the game up as everyone gradually came downstairs.
I smiled, all the figures in hand, "I made little versions of everyone. Here." I passed them out and they all looked at them for a moment.
Diya and Fatima frowned and Fatima asked, "Why do I look mad?"
I laughed nervously, "Oh, sorry, that ones Diya's."
She switched with Diya and Fatima looked happier, but Diya got confused, "I'm not sure which ones more offensive. Why do I look so... mad?"
"It's interpretative," Alexa replied quickly, "It's just how you look to her."
"Oh, ok, that makes sense. Can I just go ahead and win this game already?" Diya asked, getting hyped up. We played the game and, sure enough, Diya won.
"Ok," Loraine said, "Jessica, Leah, please go to your homes, it's time for bed... time."
Jessica frowned, "Can't I spend the night?"
"With your girlfriend? Nope. Goodnight, sweetie." Jessica reluctantly made her way to the door and so did I.
As we were walking, Jessica asked me, "Leah, do you believe in Fate and Destiny?"
I nodded, "Ya, of course I do, why do you ask?"
"I just think it's really weird that we both ended up going to the same sector in Heaven. I mean, they aren't the only three households on Earth. There's at least 60 of them and we both ended up in heaven... With those facts, I don't think I can say I don't think Fate and Destiny are real. What about you? Aren't you happy Alexa is here?"
"I-I guess. I'm happy there's so many people here that are my age now."
She laughed, "Oh, come on, Leah, don't tell me you can't tell how much you like her. You spend more time with her than you do your best friends."
I frowned as I stopped walking, "Really? Oh no, my friends must hate me now. Then Alexa will be my only friend."
"What? They aren't gonna dump you because you just need to get them to all be friends. If Alexa is friends with everyone else, you'll always be hanging out with your friends."
"Oh ya, ok," I replied, nodding, "Besides, I've been wanting this since day one."
Jessica nodded, "Do you ever feel like... you don't... deserve to be loved?"
"What? What do you mean?"
"Well, sometimes I think she won't like me because I'm the guardian of Greed. I mean, you were there when she said, 'Oh, so that's why you wanted an open relationship.' It was mortifying! And, she obviously deserves better."
"Oh, ya, I do understand that. Alexa is... so amazing, but she wants to be my friend anyway. She deserves so much, but she's happy with just... my friendship. Look, Elizabeth might deserve everything, but that's not what she wants, she wants you."
"Oh. Well, this is my house, goodnight," Jessica said, walking towards the door. I went back to walking, but when I realized Jessica wasn't around anymore I sprinted home. I quickly got into bed and tried my best to get to sleep as quick as possible.
In the morning, while we were getting ready, Azariah asked, "Why did you stay up so late?"
"Ya... just a second, what time did I wake up?" I asked, looking at my hands.
"A little bit ago. Why?"
"Darnit, I'm gonna be tired all day."
"Oh, that's not that bad... right?"
I shrugged my shoulders, "I don't know. I guess we'll find out."
Point of View Change (Alexa)
I drudgingly woke up, remembering the horrid events of last night. Everything was absolutely fine. Well, until Leah left and my dark heart started screaming in my ear. I remember what she said, too. She said, 'Love won't save you from your sins.' Then she... she screamed as loud as she could. Then my ears started bleeding and Loraine told everyone to fill up a bucket with water and she took me outside. In hindsight, I probably should've known that they would've dumped the water on my head. I looked up at Loraine like she just killed a bug and asked, 'What was that for?' She rolled her eyes and asked, 'Did it work?' Then I realized she was gone and Loraine said, 'Good, let's get you cleaned up.' That's when I passed out.
I walked down the stairs, "Oh, good morning, Alexa, do you need another book?" Loraine asked, smiling.
I nodded, "Thanks, by the way, for helping me yesterday."
"Well, everyone here has bad days. But I'm like seriously trained for this. I was gonna be a nurse when I grew up. But then I got something even better. Have a good day at school." I got to school and Leah looked seriously tired.
I laughed, "Are you ok? You look super tired."
"Oh, sorry, I didn't get my 12 hours. It's fine, we're just figuring out what's gonna happen as we go," Leah responded, referring to Azariah. But, Azariah was busy talking to Hosea.
I nodded slowly, "Ok... You're not gonna die, right?"
She shook her head, "No, I don't think so. I'm pretty sure I'm in it for the long haul."
I laughed, "Oh darnit." Then the bell rang and we walked to class. It was basically just a regular day except for Hosea and Joash being especially friendly. Then Leah started staring at nothing and I got confused, she never does that. "Leah?" I asked, poking her in the shoulder.
"What?" she asked, changing the spot she was staring at to the wall behind me.
"You're not making eye contact... Is something wrong?" I asked, trying to make her make eye contact with me.
She shook her head, "Sorry, I'm fine. I just can't focus right now."
"Fine, but you aren't making eye contact, which is very weird considering that's the only thing you ever do. Well, other than make my day... Make eye contact with me," I said, turning to her.
She tried to look me in the eyes, but turned away, shaking her head, "I can't do it. I'm sorry, Alexa, but I'm just too tired."
I squinted my eyes, "You surely understand that that's not a good excuse. Just do it, Leah." She looked me in the eyes and then started squinting, trying her best to not look away.
Then she tilted her eyebrows in frustration, "Can't I just... close my eyes? Forever? I mean, I just wanna look away."
"Nope," I replied, realizing I kind of like looking in her eyes. They were so blue, but they weren't the bright kind of blue. They were more sad and gray. I turned to face the front, ignoring any thought I had to look into the problem. I was only her friend, after all.