Alex arrived home after midnight, sporting a silly grin on his face. Mr. James was sitting on the couch, engrossed in a late-night documentary. He glanced up as Alex entered, a smile forming on his lips. "Hey, son. Did you have a nice birthday party?"
Alex beamed widely, his excitement barely contained. "Today has been the best birthday of my nineteen years on Earth," he whispered, his eyes shimmering with joy. "The absolute best."
Returning the smile, Alex added, "I'm going to head up to bed now, Dad. You should get some rest too. Goodnight." With that, he bounded up the stairs and disappeared from sight.
Mr. James watched his son with an intrigued smile. "It seems he spent his time with her," he mused. "And he must have received a positive reaction."
Alex changed into his pajamas and settled into bed, letting out a small sigh as he waited for his hair to dry. That silly grin remained plastered on his face, seemingly unshakeable. Thoughts of the past few hours—those precious moments with Sarah—flitted through his mind, causing his grin to widen.
"Damn it, girl, what have you done to me?" Alex whispered, running his fingers through his damp hair. He bit his lip and reached for his bag, retrieving his phone to send a quick message to Sarah.
To: Sarah
Are you asleep?
From: Alex
Lying on his back, Alex stared up at the ceiling impatiently, eagerly awaiting her response. It had been around forty-five minutes since he had seen her off, which should have been ample time for her to freshen up and head to bed. Sarah was never one to spend ages in the bathroom.
She wasn't asleep.
To: Alex
Nope. Why aren't you asleep, mister?
From: Sarah
Alex's grin widened even further, and he immediately sat up. He no longer bothered with texting; instead, he dialed her number, eager to hear her voice.
"Alex?" Her voice held a tinge of surprise.
"Hey." Alex's face lit up with a wide smile upon hearing her. "You're not asleep."
"No kidding." Sarah's playful tone could almost be visualized with an eye roll. "What's up? It's almost one now. You're no longer the birthday boy, so if it's not important, be ready for some teasing from me." She jokingly threatened.
"This is important." Alex retorted. "And besides, you wouldn't dare do anything to me." He whispered. "Because you love me."
Imagining Sarah blushing in that adorable way of hers, he heard her muttering under her breath. "I shouldn't have said that," she muttered.
"Don't take it back." Alex murmured. "It's the most important thing in my life right now, apart from you. Knowing that you love me, you have no idea how much I needed to hear it."
Sarah fell silent for a moment before speaking. Alex could almost hear the gears turning in her head. "Alex, even though I admitted it, you have to understand that I-"
"Will never enter into a relationship with me because of Deliah." Alex finished her sentence. "But now you realize that I'm never going to give up, right? Not ever. Now that I know you feel the same way, I can't let go. I'll wait, I'll do whatever it takes."
"Alex..." Sarah whispered.
"Anyway, I just wanted to say goodnight." Alex's voice carried a warm smile. "I had an incredibly wonderful night tonight. I'll never forget it."
"Me too." Sarah admitted. "Have a good rest, Alex. Don't stay up too... *yawn*... too late."
Alex chuckled softly. "You're tired. Go to bed. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? What's happening tomorrow?" Sarah's voice sounded drowsy. "Tomorrow's Sunday, there's no school."
"Yeah, but do you think I'm going to stay away just because it's Sunday?" Alex mused. "Go to bed, Sarah. You're already falling asleep. I love you, sweet dreams."
"Hmmmff-" The line was cut off.
Alex chuckled softly and set his phone down, a smile playing on his lips. His girl, his girl, his girl. Oh, man. Was this how Brad felt every day when he was with Nancy? Now he could understand why Brad complained even when they were separated for just a day. Right now, he wanted to be with Sarah. "I guess you should go to bed too. Wouldn't want to meet her with eye bags tomorrow," Alex mumbled to himself as he switched off his lights, settling into bed. He closed his eyes, waiting for sleep to claim him.
And he waited.
And waited.
Then, he opened his eyes. "Damn," he whispered. "How can I sleep tonight? It's impossible." He sat up again, flicking on his bedside lamp. Rubbing his eyes, he scanned the room, searching for something to occupy his restless mind.
"Ah, that new book Sarah lent me," he thought aloud, rolling onto his side and reaching for his bag. "Now, where is it? I remember putting it... wait, what's this?" He pulled out a weathered red leather-bound book, a few years old by the looks of it. Scratching his head, he opened it to the first page, surprised to find handwritten text. The handwriting looked strangely familiar.
"Dear Diary," he read aloud, his curiosity piqued. "I decided to start a diary since Mom said it's a good idea if I want to be a journalist in the future. So, yeah."
As he continued reading Sarah's diary entry, Alex couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and intrigue. It seemed she had quarreled with Deliah, and it was becoming a frequent occurrence. He wondered why their relationship had become strained. "We just don't click anymore, or rather, I don't get her," Sarah had written. "She's quiet sometimes, like she's lost in thought, and it's really weird. The Liah I know never shuts up, if I must say."
Alex paused, reflecting on his own experiences with Sarah. They had always gotten along so well, understanding each other effortlessly. But now, it seemed there was more to Sarah's past than he had realized. He continued reading, intrigued by her candidness.
"But well, I hope she returns to normal soon. I'm getting tired of always giving in and compromising because I don't like fighting with her. I mean, I have a life too, don't I? I don't live my life for her."
Sarah's words resonated with Alex. He admired her strength and determination, realizing that she had her own desires and aspirations outside of their relationship. She was her own person, and he respected that.
"So yeah, enough ranting," Sarah had concluded. "I can't wait for the first day of school next week. I'm finally a senior in Middle School! I can't wait to get into High School, actually. I heard there'll be a Newsletter Committee that I can join, and I'm definitely going for that."
So anyway, ciao.
Signed,
Sarah
21 February 2019
Alex stared at the book, his heart racing in his chest. This was... this was her diary. Sarah's diary.
"Shit, how did this get in my bag?" Alex muttered to himself. He racked his brain and recalled accidentally knocking into Sarah's things while he was in her room. The diary must have fallen into his bag during the commotion.
Alex swallowed hard and bit his lip. "This is her diary. People write everything in their diaries, right?" he murmured. "So, whatever secret she's hiding from me... it's in here."
He gripped the book tightly. Should he read it? But it felt wrong, an invasion of privacy. He shouldn't do it.
However, Alex found himself flipping to the next page without hesitation, fully aware of the wrongness of his actions. What was a breach of privacy compared to understanding the reasons behind Sarah's behavior?
He skipped to the entry on the first day of school as a senior in Middle School.
"Dear Diary," it began,
"Today was the first day of school. I got Miss Ryan as my language teacher again, thank goodness. She's the best teacher ever. Melissa said that Miss Ryan is dating Teacher Harmsworth, but I don't really care. She teaches well, and that's what matters, isn't it?
Today was Deliah's first day in Middle School too. I felt proud to see her in the same uniform as me, and she looks really cute. My dear sister is already thirteen. Maybe she'll find a boyfriend in the blink of an eye, eh? Hehe.
Anyway, I made a new friend today. He just transferred to our school from California, moving to Texas. His name is Liam Thompson, and... I can't believe I'm saying this. I'm Sarah Johnson. I don't care about boys. But...
Liam is really cute.
There, I said it. *hides*
I don't know why I find him handsome. Okay, maybe it's because he is. But not only is he handsome and cute, he's really nice too. I bumped into him in the hallway, and my books spilled on the floor. I was embarrassed to let him see the nerdy side of me, but instead, he just picked up one of my books and smiled. 'Hey, this one's good.' And then he helped me carry the books to class. I realized he had been transferred to my class, and he didn't hesitate to sit beside me. Throughout the lesson, I was trying not to blush whenever our eyes met or when Melissa and Devi wriggled their brows suggestively at me.
Liam even exchanged phone numbers with me afterward.
I was flustered beyond words, and I have no idea why. So many guys ask me for my number all the time, and I don't react, not even one bit. But him... I don't understand. Melissa and Devi say I have a crush on him. Quite nonsensical, isn't it? I've only known him for a day. This sounds like the type of thing Liah would do, not me. Keep calm and forget about him, Sarah Johnson. He's just a friend.
A really cute friend.
Signed, Sarah
2 March 2019"
Alex's throat tightened as he swallowed, his lips parched and in need of moisture. He mustered the courage to take a deep breath, aware that he was about to uncover the truth he had been desperately seeking. "Liam Thompson," he muttered with disdain, recalling the first person who had captured Sarah's attention. His Sarah's attention.
There was a nagging feeling within Alex that Liam Thompson was far from being a simple individual. This realization came before Sarah transformed from an ordinary sister to the most incredible sister in the world. Something must have occurred to bring about this change in Sarah's character. Gathering his resolve, Alex turned the page.