"Hey, Sarah, let's plan a date for later," Alex eyed his pencil case with a scowl, gripping his pen tightly. He took a deep breath, reminding himself that Sarah could handle the situation. Philip glanced at Alex and let out a soft chuckle, nudging Steve. Steve looked over at Alex and joined in the laughter, shaking his head.
"Looks like someone's whipped," Steve whispered.
Meanwhile, Sarah tried her best not to show her terror at the thought of spending time alone with Matthew. The idea alone horrified her. She fought back a grimace and forced a smile. "I'm sorry, Matthew, but I have the Newsletter Meeting later," she mumbled.
"Aww, why?" Matthew frowned. "We just started dating today, Sarah. We should go out. Skip your stupid meeting." He pushed his chair closer to hers, and Sarah subtly moved away.
At this point, Alex turned around, narrowing his eyes at Matthew. "She can't. We have important things to discuss today. Your date can wait," he asserted.
Matthew frowned, wondering why this guy was so eager to interrupt his moments with Sarah all the time. "She can make an exception for me, can't you, baby?" he said sweetly, smiling at Sarah.
Sarah stared at the table. "I'm sorry, Matthew, but Alex is right. The meeting later is really important," she said, biting her lip. "How about next time?" Alex couldn't contain his excitement and silently celebrated, grinning inwardly.
"But..." Matthew glanced at Alex and scowled, displeased that Sarah was siding with Alex. "How about Saturday then? I'll pick you up at nine in the morning from your house, and we can spend the whole day together. Just you and me," he said, squeezing her hand.
Alex's hand twitched, and he growled internally. Hours of you and her alone? No way, you'll eat her alive. Alex plastered the friendliest smile he could muster on his face and grinned at Matthew. "How about a double date?" he suggested amiably. "You, Deliah, Sarah, and I. It'll be fun—a double date with the sisters."
Sarah's face lit up, hesitant but relieved that she wouldn't have to spend time alone with Matthew. Matthew glanced at her, seeking her approval. "You're okay with it, babe?"
Sarah nodded, mustering a smile. "Yeah, that sounds fine."
"Great! We'll pick you girls up at nine on Saturday," Matthew said, winking at Sarah. He couldn't hide his excitement about spending time with two beautiful Johnson sisters. "My world, what a pleasure."
Alex couldn't help but chuckle to himself. Matthew had fallen for the plan too easily. He vowed to keep a close eye on them and prevent any inappropriate behavior.
Glancing at Sarah, Alex noticed her looking in his direction. She blushed and quickly averted her gaze, clearing her throat awkwardly. Alex grinned inwardly. Even though you're with Matthew now, Sarah, you still react to me.
"We're going on a date?" Deliah exclaimed, her eyes widening with excitement. "Oh, honey, this is wonderful!"
After school, Alex had sought out Deliah to inform her about the double date while Sarah had headed to the meeting room first. He felt a pang of guilt for involving Deliah, but there was no other way for him to be with Sarah and Matthew without raising suspicion.
However, as he observed Deliah's genuine happiness upon hearing the news, his guilt intensified. Was he being incredibly selfish by using her like this?
Rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, Alex muttered, "Uh, yeah. We'll be going on a double date with Sarah and Matthew McCall." That bastard, he added silently, seething with frustration.
"Oh, really?" Deliah's enthusiasm dimmed slightly. "I thought it was just the two of us, but it's still good." She smiled. "I'm glad to spend time with you, honey. And having sissy with us is great!" She beamed.
Alex nodded, relieved that she didn't mind. "Yeah, and we can also keep an eye on that bastard Matthew at the same time," he muttered under his breath.
Deliah caught what he said and snapped her gaze towards him, confused. Alex didn't notice and quickly muttered a rushed goodbye before jogging off to the meeting room to meet Sarah.
Deliah watched him go and clutched her skirt sadly. "Alex, did you ask me on a date because you genuinely wanted to, or is it because of Sarah?" she whispered.
Sarah took a deep breath as she examined herself in the mirror. Wow. Okay, wow. She was going on a date. With the Mot*herfuc*king Matthew McCall, no less. At least Alex would be there too.
Sarah realized her thoughts were straying and lightly knocked her own head, frowning. "Sarah Johnson, you're not supposed to think that way, remember?" she scolded herself. "Your boyfriend is Matthew," she cringed, "and even though you don't really like him, you can't entertain thoughts about Alex. No, no, no."
She wagged her finger at her reflection in the mirror. "Alex is just...a friend. Yeah, he's just your sister's boyfriend whom...you're in love with and can't stop thinking about, and he makes your heart race in a way that leaves you breathless and..." Sarah stopped herself and lightly knocked her head again.
"Dummy!" she whispered. "Brain, think positive thoughts. Positive thoughts."
She checked herself in the mirror and smoothed out her shirt. She didn't want to steal Deliah's spotlight that day, so she opted for a pair of beige high-waisted button-down shorts with a simple, flowy white tee instead of a skirt.
She didn't bother with any accessories since she wasn't into that kind of thing, and she completed her look with a small brown sling bag. She smiled at herself, liking her appearance. Being stuck with her old glasses and messy hair for so long felt suffocating.
"Sissy! Alex, and Matthew are here!"
Sarah's face brightened at the mention of Alex's name, and she unconsciously smiled, grabbing her bag. "Coming!" she called out, hurrying downstairs.
In the living room, two guys waited anxiously for their girlfriends to make an appearance. Well, one of them waited for his girlfriend, while the other...waited for someone else's girlfriend.
Deliah was the first to arrive, donning a cute dainty pink sundress and a straw hat that complemented her adorable appearance. Matthew's eyes scanned her from head to toe, a smirk playing on his lips. "Wow, Alex. You've got a stunning girlfriend."
Alex smiled at Deliah in a brotherly manner. "You look lovely," he nodded, not fully registering her outfit as his gaze wandered towards the doorway.
Blushing, Deliah sidled up to his side. "Thanks,honey," she bit her lip, trying to contain her smile.
At that moment, Sarah hurried out of the door, her hair slightly disheveled. Alex's face lit up, his smile brightening as he admired her attire. No matter what she wore, she always looked cute.
Matthew grinned in a sleazy manner and grabbed Sarah's hand. "You look great, baby," he praised. "But I would have preferred a skirt. Wear one next time, won't you?"
Alex frowned, subtly shaking his head at Sarah. She looked incredible regardless of what she wore. In his eyes, she was a fairy, no matter her appearance.
Understanding his silent message, Sarah glanced at her feet, blushing faintly. "Let's go then," she ushered them.
Deliah smiled and hooked her hands through Alex's arm as they headed towards his car. Deliah took the front seat while Sarah and Matthew settled in the back. Alex observed the two from the rearview mirror, narrowing his eyes at Matthew. That guy better not try anything funny.
"Oh, look at that!" Deliah giggled. "So adorable!" She pointed at the amusement park mascot and pulled Alex along. "Let's take a picture with it, honey!"
Alex allowed himself to be dragged, glancing back to ensure Sarah and Matthew were following. Deliah snapped countless pictures, capturing precious moments with Alex.
Matthew pulled out his phone and slung his arm around Sarah. "Let's take a selfie, baby." Sarah nodded awkwardly, standing stiffly beside him. Matthew positioned the camera and pressed his cheek against hers. "Say cheese~"
Alex flinched, emitting a deep growl. That should have been him.
Deliah tugged on his arm, and Alex looked away, taking a deep breath before smiling. "Yeah?" Deliah glanced at him and then at Sarah. "You were staring, Alex, honey."
Alex's gaze darted nervously around. "Nah, just... zoning out," he muttered quickly. "We should get the tickets now," he changed the subject. Deliah nodded, glancing back at Sarah and then at her boyfriend.
The group of four made their way to the ticket counter, joining the queue while chatting easily. Deliah's eyes lit up as she spotted another funny-looking mascot carrying helium-filled balloons for the kids. She couldn't contain her excitement.
"Omo, Hello Kitty! I've always loved Hello Kitty honey, let's go take pictures with it!" Deliah exclaimed.
Alex's gaze quickly shifted to the queue. "You can go, Deliah. I'll buy the tickets," he offered.
Deliah bit her lip and looked at her sister. "Sissy?" she pleaded.
Sarah chuckled softly and shook her head. "You go and have fun, Liah. You know I'm a little...scared of these mascots," she admitted. Alex smiled at her words, chuckling softly. Matthew frowned and chimed in, "What's there to be scared of? Alright then, Deliah, I'll go with you to take pictures."
"Baby, will you be okay here with Alex buying the tickets?" Matthew asked Sarah, sounding worried.
Sarah glanced at Alex, feeling her heart pound in her chest. "Yeah," she squeaked.
"I'll be right back." Matthew kissed her cheek and led Deliah away. As soon as Matthew turned away, Alex quickly reached out to wipe off the spot where Matthew had kissed Sarah. "Disgusting bastard," Alex muttered under his breath.
Sarah pushed his hands away and glanced over at Deliah and Matthew to make sure they weren't looking. "Alex, they're right there. Please behave yourself," she hissed.
Alex sighed and playfully poked her cheek. "I wouldn't be suffering so much if it weren't for you, Sarah Johnson," he murmured. "But you're worth every bit. I'll wait until the fateful day when you'll tell me you love me back." He grinned mischievously.
Sarah looked away, aware that her cheeks were flushed. Alex grinned, pulled out his phone, and turned on the camera. He glanced at Deliah and Matthew, making sure they were entertained by the mascot and the other kids, not noticing them. Then, he pulled Sarah closer to him, slung his arm around her waist, and positioned the camera in front of them. "Say cheese~" he said.
"Ale-" Sarah gasped in surprise as Alex clicked the shutter and pressed his lips against her cheek, on the same spot where Matthew had kissed her.
Sarah quickly glanced at Matthew and Deliah, feeling relieved that they hadn't witnessed anything. She turned to frown at Alex, but his dorky grinning face made it hard for her to be angry at him.
"Your expression needs some practice, Sarah," Alex teased, looking at her shocked expression in the photo. "You better practice because I'll be doing this a lot to you when we're dating in the future." He playfully tapped her nose.
Sarah blushed, causing Alex to smile. He let his fingers trail to the spot where he had kissed her and lightly caressed her cheek. "There. The awesome Alex James kiss has cleansed all remnants of germs from the Matthew germ. Sarah Johnson, you've just been saved from a life-threatening disease," Alex joked.
"Life-threatening?" Sarah nearly burst out laughing.
"Hm." Alex bumped shoulders with her. "My lips are the only ones allowed on you, no one else's. Remember that."