A month went by.
"Hey, did you catch this week's new newsletter?" exclaimed the students. "It's incredibly engaging! The argument in it is spot on."
"Absolutely," agreed their friends. "I wish I had the writing skills of Sarah and Alex. They're phenomenal."
Sarah suppressed a smile while Alex, leaning against her locker, struck a pose. "How about partnering for a news agency in the future, Mrs. James?" He teased, raising his brows.
Sarah chuckled inwardly. "We'll have to see. It all depends on whether Mr. James has enough funds to set up a company like that."
Amused, Alex took her hand and walked along, gently swaying it. "Funds?" He clicked his tongue. "Mrs. James, you do more of those cards, and I'll sell them online. Then, we'll invent a smartphone and beat Apple and Samsung. Done."
Sarah laughed, peeking at him. "That escalated quickly."
Bumping shoulders, Alex smiled. Sarah was slowly recovering from her trauma, still hesitant about intimate gestures, but Alex was content just holding her hand.
After Deliah's speech in the cafeteria, the student body became more accepting of them, greeting them politely in the hallway.
Months ago, a poll determined the cover boy and girl for the school poster. Alex and Deliah won as they were dating.
However, Deliah voluntarily stepped down, allowing her sister to take her place. No one opposed this decision, and as the poster flapped against the wall, it was evident the new pair matched well.
Passing the large poster on their way to Alex's car, he grinned. "Look at that." The image depicted them seated at a small table, Sarah pretending to read while Alex stood, engrossed. Above their heads, the captions read, "Greenville High: Nurturing Talents."
"Doesn't this remind you of our wedding photo?" Alex teased. "Our first official photoshoot, displayed for everyone."
Sarah chuckled and shook her head. "Alex, if that's what you envision for wedding photos, your perspective is way off."
Alex grinned and gently swayed their hands. "While others may opt for typical wedding photos, Mrs. James, ours will be refreshingly different. Trust me." He winked, enjoying the sight of her cheeks blushing a rosy pink while his smile widened.
"Hey, Alex! Sarah!" Philip rushed over. "Don't leave yet!"
Pausing, Alex and Sarah turned to face him. "What's up, Philip?" Alex pouted. "We're about to head out on a date."
"Alex!" Sarah whispered, feeling embarrassed.
Philip rolled his eyes. "Steve suggested we grab lunch together. It's the last day of school before spring break, so he thought it'd be nice. Deliah and her friends are joining too."
"Is that necessary?" Alex wrinkled his nose. "He's acting as if we won't see each other during the break. We all know we're going to hang out every day."
"Quit complaining; they're waiting," Sarah chuckled. "Let's go."
Playfully pretending to pout, Alex followed Sarah, secretly feeling immensely happy inside.
He thought her smile, despite everything she had gone through, was the most beautiful thing in the world.
"Why did you two take so long!" Henry complained. "I'm starving! Philip, did you stop for snacks before finding them?"
"It wasn't me!" Philip defended. "Alex was the one grumbling about going on a date with Sarah and all."
Sarah settled beside Deliah, Alex taking the seat next to her, surrendering with raised hands. "Guilty as charged."
"Whatever, let's order; I'm starving!" David waved for the waitress, prompting Joe to dive into the menu. "Yes, two plates of pasta and meatballs, with drinks and fruits. Also, an Ox bone soup, two large steaks - scratch that, make it four, four rolls of sushi, two grilled lemon fish fillets, barbecue chicken on stone, and one crispy grilled salmon." He beamed. "Oh, make that two."
"Double everything he said," David nodded, joining in Joe's excitement. The waitress struggled to keep up, hastily jotting down the order. "Is that all?"
"Nope, that's just for those two," Yvonne pointed out. "The rest of us are still here."
The waitress paled, swallowing nervously. "Um, can I have a minute? I need to grab a recorder to note it all down." She hurried off.
"If you eat that much, you'll balloon up, especially you, Joe," Irene cautioned. "Imagine a large chicken cutlet walking around."
"I have a great metabolism, thank you," Joe retorted. "I'll stay in shape effortlessly."
"He means he frequents the bathroom a lot," Steve muttered.
Sarah chuckled, unaware of Alex observing her intently, mirroring a contented smile on his face. Meanwhile, neither noticed a girl observing Alex watching Sarah.
Delilah let out a small sigh as she observed Alex and Sarah. *Delilah Johnson, were you blind? How could you miss something like this? He's so in love with her that he can't hide it, and yet you missed that. You might need to get your eyes checked or something.*
Lunch was its usual noisy affair, especially with the boys around, making it inescapably loud. Once they cleared the table, Steve tapped his fork against his glass, capturing everyone's attention. "Attention, everyone, the almighty has something to say."
He cleared his throat and shot a glance at Alex. "This past half-year has been quite eventful, with its share of highs and lows." He glanced at Sarah, who simply smiled back.
"That roller coaster ride, especially for that guy with the cheesy expression on his face... Damn it, Alex, could you please stop staring at Sarah for a moment and listen to me? She's not going anywhere!" Steve huffed.
Alex made a face and blushed. "Shut up." He reached for Sarah's hand, playing with her fingers under the table. "Go on."
"Yeah, as I was saying," Steve sighed, wondering why it was so hard to talk to this group. "It's been a challenging half-year but also quite memorable. We seniors will be taking our finals at the end of the next semester and heading off to college. Let's make the best of the upcoming time, shall we?"
He raised his cup. "Cheers!"
"Cheers!!!" Everyone raised their cups.
Sarah smiled as the boys started fooling around again. They were relentless, never stopping for a second.
Brad stood up and dragged Nancy with him. "Since that's settled, I'd like to take my girlfriend out on a date. Goodbye to all the single people!" He pranced off with Nancy.
Henry's jaw dropped. "Did he really just say that?"
"He did," Alex stood up. "Well, I guess we can leave too? Got a date, you know! Bye, single peeps!" He laughed as he pulled Sarah with him, dashing out of the restaurant.
"They didn't!" Henry shrieked.
"They did," Steve nodded. "Time for us to find girlfriends."
"And boyfriends," Irene and Sooni sighed together.
Deliah smiled and glanced in the direction her sister and Alex had gone. *It's time for you to forget, Liah. Forget.*
Sarah gasped for breath as they reached the riverside, laughing together throughout the run.
"Why are we running?" Sarah panted, trying to catch her breath. Glancing behind, she remarked, "It's not like the boys are chasing us."
"Don't know," Alex replied, grinning. "But it's fun."
He gently swayed their interlocked hands, strolling down the stretch of the small river, humming a cheerful tune.
Sarah smiled at him, her heart fluttering whenever he smiled at her. She felt like it would never stop.
"Alex," she halted suddenly.
Alex looked at her with curiosity. "Yeah?" He stopped as well.
Sarah bit her lip, blushing. "I just want to say thank you. Thank you for not giving up on us. Thank you for always being there for me. Thank you for not leaving when I needed you the most. Thank you. Just..."
She gazed at him. "Thank you for loving me."
Alex's expression softened, reaching out to tuck a stray curl behind her ear.
"And thank you for being you," he murmured. "You made me fall head over heels for this invisible(Shadow)girl."
He lightly kissed her fingers. "I love you."
Sarah hesitated. "I..." She paused for a moment, then tiptoed and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek. "I love you too," she whispered.
Alex was surprised, gaping at her. "Sarah, you can—"
Sarah blushed and licked her lips nervously. "Apparently."
Alex chuckled softly, pulling her closer, their hands still intertwined. "Do you think..."
"What?" Sarah feigned ignorance.
Alex chuckled and leaned forward, watching her reaction. As her eyes fluttered closed, he closed the gap and lightly kissed her lips.
A brief, light peck, he pulled back, watching her reaction. Her eyes opened curiously. "So fast?" she blurted out.
Alex chuckled softly and leaned in to capture her lips once more. He had waited so long for this moment, uncertain of when she'd be ready. He kissed her with tenderness, careful not to be too forceful. He knew he had to handle everything with her delicately, but the simple act of kissing her made every effort worthwhile.
Pulling back, he rested his forehead against hers, and they exchanged smiles, both looking utterly foolishly in love. With just their foreheads and hands touching, they felt like the happiest people alive.
"Since we've crossed the line with a kiss, think a hug would be okay?" Alex whispered, his hands itching to hold her close. "I've been dying to embrace you."
Sarah nodded, edging closer, her breath catching. It had been months since she had been this close to him. Nestling her head against his chest, she inhaled the familiar scent of his soap.
Alex tenderly wrapped his arms around her, feeling her relax against him. He smiled, burying his face in her hair. "I've missed you so much," he murmured. "This feeling."
Sarah nodded, closing her eyes.
"Do you think you could hold me like this a little longer?" she whispered, her voice trembling as tears welled in her eyes.
"As long as you want, Mrs. James," Alex replied softly. "I'll never let you go."