FIRST KISS

"Alex! what have you done?"

The unusual tempo in the voice was beyond the usual... Guess it was a fear. A crampy feeling that trample upon the solidity of the mind. This wasn't what both of them wished for; it was suppose to be a nice date... With the two love bird professing their newly found love.

Their love story had ended even before it started. The foundation in which they ought to build an everlasting love story had end up looking so feeble. With flames erupting from both sides. The foundation had been a thin layer concrete with a mansion ascending on it.

Drowning like the titanic was their story, turning into dust was the love. There hasn't been a happy beginning in their case. The whole love story had ended in tears.

"It happened so fast... I couldn't control myself... I was lost for a minute... The incident was just so blur—"

"Alex, you have killed her"

Alex took her lifeless body into his arms. He shakes it so vigorously— this was going to be a nightmare he couldn't think of having. Her death would scatter him... Their pretty little date under the moon light had turn into the vessel of darkness. The darkness that had overcome him...

"No! She can't be dead!" Alex screamed "Nooooooooooo!!!"

Fergus woke up instantly. This was the second time he had dreamt about Alex... Not just a regular dream, it was a revelation of what is to come. So he had to warn Alex. It wasn't as if they were in talking terms or was he ready to be friend with any of them, but he had no choice.. He had their secret buried deep down somewhere in his heart. A secret he must carry to the grave!

Their relationship was like the fire demon and the mighty mermaid. Nothing good was to come out of it, except for watching each other backs. So he got up from bed and prepare for school.

***

It was a new week, a fresh Monday morning... With remnants of the weekend being chewed in the students mouth. It was truly a disastrous weekend, seeing the downfall of the Hottest guy in school and his Queen Bee.

Rules were broken, disciplinary act was in the air... Three parties were involved but only two faced the consequence. Envelope of ignominy had began to fly down BayHorth High. Guess that was the price for the weekend trending video.

A SUV pulled over at the parking lot, with the usual white family alighting from the vehicle with no knowledge of what had happen. They had no license to a cell phone for they lived most of their lives like a criminal in the attic.

"At last— I'm out" Ingrid said, breathing some breathe of relief

"I must confess, this weekend looks longer than usual... You can't just imagine how I wish for this day to come" Derrick said, supporting Ingrid

"So you both are tired of the penthouse? The same penthouse you spent most of your life" Adam retorted

"Guess, that is the reason... The body needs change" Derrick protested

"Well, maybe.. But don't forget, the penthouse is home and there is no place like home"

"Do any of you notice any change?" Alex said, calling their attention to something bigger than them wishing they were out of the penthouse.

"What?" Cole asked

"The atmosphere is kind of different from the usual— can't you sense it"

"The only thing I smell is lemonade juice and fries... And it's coming from there" Derrick pointed to a detached building at the west wing of the school.

"Dick head" Adam said, as they enter through the hallway.

It was one of the unusual Monday mornings, it was like dipping a spud into a cappuccino. The uneasiness in the atmosphere can't be left unnoticed with some strange faces walking through the hallway.

"Something is wrong, I can feel it" Alex said

"They look like some disciplinary"

"Hopefully not from here" Cole said

They walked down the hall to their lockers before settling in to their class, but the uneasiness was so unsettling. The student was in a great disrupt and the peace in the school was lingering. The buzzing from the speaker in the hallway alerted the students. It was some kind of an emergency and it needs to be address instantly.

"Hel... He... Hello" the signal was static and it sent a huge interference that the ear needs to adjust to.

"This is Principal John McCarthy..." The voice came from the speaker with a lot of adjustment. "You all might have watch the video that trend all through the weekend"

Alex wonder what video could have trend all through the weekend that could have caused a lot of disrupt in the school. He just couldn't figure it out, so he was so eager to know what happened.

".... The good image of the school that we have built for years just got tarnished over the weekend..." The principal continue

It was like the whole school knew what was happening... They had put just him and his brothers in the dark but Alex was so determine to know what was happening.

"...the school have taken the right step... The students involved will definitely face the consequence. So you can all relax and return to class.. Work commence instantly"

The students began to rush to their respective classes at the sound of the buzzer. Alex instantly sighted Fergus running to class, so he drifted towards him in a seconds. He was quick and unnoticed, so he tapped Fergus by the shoulder.

"... Alex!" Fergus said, trembling.

Fear had began to gush through him and he found it so difficult to face Alex.

"Don't be scared... I won't hurt you" Alex said, assuring him. "I just needed some information from you"

Fergus wonder what kind of information Alex could need. Well, he also had something to tell him. He had to warn him about the dream he had before it was too late.

"What video went viral..."

Fergus instantly brought out his phone and played the video that has been causing a lot of commotion in the school. Alex was so shocked when he saw the video.

"What the fuck!" He exclaimed

It was the same video he recorded— The same video he deleted— how come the video went viral? A lot of unanswered question had began to run through Alex mind. He still didn't understand what happened— the human world seems so difficult for him to adjust to... He had questions but he wasn't sure of who had the right answers to those questions.

"How come? I deleted the video? How come it went viral?" Alex asked

"I uploaded it online"

Alex gave him a hard stare... He wondered how he did it.

"... But I deleted the video" Alex said

"Yes, you did but I found it"

"How?"

"When you gave me back my phone, I ransacked it to know what you did with it. So in the process, I saw the video that you deleted. I was shocked to see Rory and Suzy making out. Then I created an anonymous account and sent it to school website... Guess it went viral from there"

Alex relaxed a little, but his mind was still troubled. He just didn't know what to say... He was so short of words.

"But why did you upload it?"

"I have an unsettled business with Rory.... Right from junior school he had been picking on I and David, because of him my only friend got transferred from the school. Have been looking for a payback for years but when I saw this opportunity, I was so determine to grab it"

So it was a revenge! It never ends well. It keeps dangling in the heart of the recipient till he unleash the devil in him. Alex wasn't ready to get tangled in a revenge web, so he forego the issue but there is only one thing on his mind.... Heather!

"Have you seen Heather today?" Alex asked, instantly.

Fergus shook his head. Suddenly, the crazy little nightmare popped into his head. He wasn't sure who the girl was, but he knew Alex was involved.

"Do you like her?" He asked but Alex wasn't in the mood to answer any question.

"Do you know where she lives?" Alex asked, trying to dodge the question.

"Yes—"

Instantly, Alex asked for her home address and didn't even bother listening to what Fergus had to say. Fergus scribe her address into a paper and handed it over to Alex.

"I have something to tell you" Fergus said, but before he could blink... Alex was gone.

***

Not knowing the town to well was disastrous.

It took Alex about an hour to finally solve the puzzle of where Heather lives. He rallied down the Stroke Kent road for minutes before getting to her house. Alex stood in front of a ridge duplex with the garden so green and the flowers so emotionally lovely. It was the first time he would visit a human, so he didn't know what to do. He could feel that his presence had began to raise a lot of suspicion among her neighbors. Especially his pale face, and his grouchy look... That was something of scare.

Alex didn't want to cause any unnecessary alarm, everyone had think he was at school.. So being picked up by a cop would be very dangerous. Even though Alex knew he won't be caught, he just didn't want to create an ugly scene. So he walked down to her doorstep. Different thoughts had began to run on his mind, he didn't know what she might think of him, or whether she would be happy to see him, or was he good at comforting. Alex seriously didn't know what her actions and reactions would be.

So he thought of the whole thing again. It was his fault, he had caused it right from the beginning. Alex suddenly blame himself for recording the video... He hadn't blame himself before... He doesn't blame his actions... He doesn't regret his deeds... But after meeting her, he had changed. She was his weakness, and he knew it but he wasn't going to leave her. Alex was so determine to learn how to live with her being his weakness.

After about five minutes of deliberation, Alex pressed the alarm fitly installed by the left side of the door. He got no response the first time, so he decided to try it the second and hopefully the last time. So he pressed the alarm again— he waited for some seconds for a reply. So when he got none, he turned to leave... Alex could hear a heartbeat pounding from the building; he wasn't sure whose but Alex knew someone was in the house.

So as he was about to drift away from the compound, he heard a sweet voice calling him from behind. Alex couldn't hide the happiness that ran deep down his heart— instantly, Alex heart fluttered.

"Alexander, is that you?" The voice asked again.

Alex took a minute to hide his excitement before finally turning to meet her eye.

"Hello Heather" he said, beaming her a smile.

It took Alex a minute to finally figure out how she felt. He studied her reactions instantly— her lips were wet, she kept licking it; her fingers were clung together, like a princess looking for her Romeo; her heartbeat was racing, as if she was over the moon. Alex instantly settled in, for he knew she was excited to see him.

"... How did you know where I live?" She asked breaking the silence.

"I got your home address from Fergus, even though the address was so straightforward— your house was so difficult to locate"

"That's because its your first time here" Heather said, and Alex nodded. "It won't be so difficult next time"

Alex smiled for he knew she had just given him a free ticket to her house.

"Heather!" A voice called from the building next to theirs "you know that dude?"

"Yes... He is my classmate"

"Oh.. I thought he was a junkie— I was about to call the cops"

"Please don't, I know him"

"Alright, Heather... Be more careful. The town is now dangerous" her neighbor said "hey dude, what's your name?"

"Alex"

"Alright boy— don't go about loitering in peoples neighborhood"

"Thanks for the look out, Pa Eddie" Heather said

The town hasn't fallen into the Jericho state but the number of mysterious cases has increased drastically over the last seven month. Humans being killed mysteriously without a murder weapon being found, aside from the marks made by teeth gnashing on the victims body. Mostly the cause of death has always been from a bite mark. The humans most times believe the victim were killed by some cougar or mountain lion— but the truth was yet to be unfold.

"Lets go in.. My mom has gone to work and my dad is on a business trip" she said leading the way into the house.

Suddenly, there was a barrier— it was preventing Alex from entering inside the building. The force was too strong that it was repelling Alex from entering into the house.

"What's wrong?" Heather turned back, only to see Alex still at the doorstep. "There is no one home" she added.

Alex tried again but the force repelled him once more. He didn't know what to tell Heather; he didn't know what reason to give her; he had thought of bailing on her but he knew that would be all— for it would take a lot of explanations to get things right again.

"Why are you not coming in?" She asked, after noticing Alex was still at the doorstep "...you are free to come in"

Instantly, a barrier got lifted. The force of repulsion got replaced by a sudden force of attraction that pulled Alex towards the inner chamber of the house. Alex tried his luck one more time, but this time there was no force repelling him from entering the building. So he stretch forth his left arm; which entered without any barrier stopping it— so he placed his right leg and march pass the gate of uncertainty.

What just happened was something Alex couldn't figure out— so he thought of asking Michael when he gets back to the penthouse.

"Why didn't you want to enter?" Heather was so curious.

Alex immediately thought of what to say for he still hasn't gotten a theory to what just happened.

"I didn't want to trespass—" he manage to say, but was stopped halfway by a boisterous laughter from Heather. Alex wondered what was funny, because he didn't find what he said so funny.

"You call entering into the house trespassing... But you were standing by the doorway— our property, that is also trespassing" she said, and Alex immediately felt ashamed.

"Anyways, it's a good thing you are here— I seriously needed someone to talk to" she said with a smile but Alex could feel that something was wrong. She might need someone to talk to, someone to lean on.. But he wasn't sure if he was the person.

"How you feeling?" He manage to ask

"To be sincere, I'm not okay— I just can't believe Suzy could do that to me. Have known her since we were a kid"

Friends! Betrayal! Backstabbing!

Alex hadn't had much friends, but Adam and Cole had been with him since he could even remember. Betraying one another would be so disastrous— for he had never thought of betraying them both. They had always watch his back— stand beside him— comfort him in his weakest state... They know everything about him. So leaving them wasn't an option that had pop into his mind before.

"That's why am here" he said assuring her "I know you might be in need of a shoulder to lean on— just know that I'm here for you always and I will never betray you"

Heather was short of words, Alex had always been so nice to her. She doesn't even know what to believe anymore. Rory had been so nice to her at first— but all of a sudden, he changed when he became the team captain. His popularity increased massively amidst the students and he became a monster that she doesn't even know anymore. Even though he had helped increase her popularity and make her the Queen among the remaining girls in the school; she still wasn't happy. Her whole relationship became a charade just to keep their stance and popularity among the students... They were both not the Romeo and Juliet the students think they were.

"Thanks" that was the only word she could think of as she tries to change the topic. "Why don't you come see my room" she said, leading the way up the stairs.

The stairs lead to a spacious corridor with pictures fitly arranged on the wall. It was like a family tree— different pictures of her ancestors down to father was hanged on the wall with the names written beneath each picture frames. It was something beautiful that Alex never had. He never knew his father nor did he know his mother except for the picture of her holding unto him when he was a baby. Alex wished he had memories of any of his families... Even Michael— Alex suddenly realize they never shared any pictures together.

"What you have here is lovely" he said, softly.

"Thanks" was the only reply she gave as she opened a door after the pictures. "This is my room" she added.

Alex stood at the corridor looking into her neatly arranged room. The room which was painted pink with dolls littering the room in a fashionable style.

"It's beautiful" Alex said

"Thanks"

But Alex wasn't ready to let the complimentary end just like that. So he gave her a shocker.

"...but you are more beautiful" his voice was as soft as it could possible be.

Heather couldn't hide the blush that had began to sprung up on her face— she hadn't expected it cause no one except him had told her that in a very long time.

"I know this might not be the right time to be all romantic— but I would jump at every opportunity I get to tell you how I feel about you and how your beauty mesmerize me"

Heather felt a numbness in her feet— with the little time she had spent with him, she felt so free and her heart flutters when she sees him. It was just something she found so difficult to admit but it was the truth.

"I just need you to give me a chance, and I—"

She stopped him with a kiss.

"You have gotten your opportunity" she said, and gave him a deep kiss which took Alex about a minute to figure out if he wasn't dreaming. When he came back to his senses, he discovered this was far from a dream. They were actually kissing— It was Alex first kiss, so he decided to follow her steps and trend carefully as she led him to paradise.