Standing outside in their normal clothes again, waiting for Alexis's mom to pick them up, there was an anxious silence. Was it exhaustion after the crazy emotions? Alexis wondered, hating the tension between them.
Isaac, meanwhile, was deep in considerations, completely oblivious to Alexis's furtive glances at the profile of his thoughtful face.
"You wanna go on a date?" Isaac said. Somehow, the talk in the bathroom had given him the courage, made it seem possible—a great idea, even. The question just popped out, and he felt certain of the answer he'd get.
Alexis immediately broke out into tears.
Well, that wasn't quite the one. Isaac was stunned. He stood there with his arms halfway up, not sure if he should put a comforting hand on her shoulder or step away. He'd known Alexis for years now and never seen her start randomly crying, unless she wanted something, that is. In that case, crying was more like a weapon, but right now? there was no request, no emotional ransom. How could he be friends with her for so long and still be baffled by her? Finally, at a loss of words but needing to say something, he stuttered, "I'm, I'm sorry!"
"No," Alexis sobbed, rubbing at her eyes with an arm, "don't be sorry. You did just what I wanted." She looked up at him, brown eyes shimmering with tears that didn't dampen the smile on her face at all.
Looking at her, Isaac's own eyes began to brim with tears. The two embraced one another, weeping and then laughing and wondering aloud why they were crying.
"But wait," Alexis said, voice squeezing from a tight throat. She pushed away from the hug. "Why me? I'm so plain, and you're so popular." It sounded too on-the-nose even for her, and she couldn't help but glance away with embarrassment. "I'm just. . . me," she muttered as if to herself.
"'Just' you?" Isaac shook his head reproachfully. "You're always down on yourself. Do you think I'd hang out with you all the time if I didn't think there was anything special about you?"
"What's special? I didn't even get chosen to be the drummer for that metal band in there."
Although the judges did say they were impressed when Alexis had told them she'd only been drumming for one month.
Isaac stared at her, wondering how she could not see in herself what he saw. "You always thought you were plain, but I never did. Your cute bangs, those artistic, intelligent brown eyes." He'd later think back on this speech and wish he'd said keen instead of artistic. "Your weird fashion sense," he went on, the words spilling out. "Your passionate attitude toward everything you try. You're both caring and thoughtless at the same time, and it's awesome. You know, I used to think of you like a little sister, but that changed somewhere between twelve and fifteen, but even then I. . . ." His voice trailed and he turned aside to wipe the prickling moisture from the edges of his eye. "You goof," he tittered.
Alexis couldn't believe what she was hearing. She loved it, but she just couldn't believe it, and a million excuses came immediately forth to build a barrier between her and heartbreak. "But what about—"
"Other girls?" Isaac predicted, cutting off her list of great reasons he should hate her.
Alexis averted her eyes in shame. "Am I that easy to read?"
Isaac put his hands on her shoulders, gently. "There are great people in this school. Wonderful girls. Gorgeous and intelligent and popular girls. I'd already decided who I wanted though, and if you didn't want me then I guess I'd have moved on, but not until I'd at least said something." After a moment, he added, "I'm glad I did."
Alexis continued to look at her shoes, but it was just so he wouldn't see her face scrunching up to squeeze the tears out. "Even," she started, but her shoulders shook and voice gave out. She tried again after many seconds of quiet sniffling. "Even though I'm not a metal drummer?" Her voice was small and pitiful.
Isaac, having been waiting patiently for her to say something profound, let out a burst of laughter and pulled her into another hug. "You'll always be a metal drummer in my heart."
Her shoulders began to shake again. Isaac though she was crying afresh but then he realized she was actually giggling. "What's so funny?" he said with a grin. Her laughter was infectious.
"You'll Always be a Metal Drummer in My Heart," she the tittered and sobbed at the same time. "Dibs on that title for a metal song."
When Alexis's mother, Alice, pulled up to the school with the whining of brakes that were in dire need of changing, she leaned toward the passenger-side window to get a better look at the two bundles of emotion standing on the pavement. Both of them were clearly trying to look innocent. The front and side doors opened and she said with some bemusement, "Are you two alright?"
Before getting in, Alexis and Isaac exchanged a look, a grin, a laugh. "Yep," they confirmed and plopped in.
"You have me worrying," Alice said, looking between the front and back-seat at these two conspiring hooligans. "You didn't get up to anything in there, did you?" When Alexis shook her head, Alice looked to the back. "Isaac?"
Isaac shrugged.
Alice gave each of them one more look that implied great punishment and shame if they were caught fibbing, then she put the car into drive and pulled away from the curb. She never did ask why they had been crying. Some things just aren't your business, even if you're a parent.