Chapter thirty-two: Pancake mix (Alex's POV)

"Are you okay?" I pulled away, brushing her hair away while my hands held her face, my thumbs wiping her tears. 

She looked at me, waiting for me to realize what she said. 

"I heard you," I whispered before pulling her back into a hug. 

"I'm so sorry," she sniffed. 

"Faith, it's okay," I ran my fingers through her hair. 

"But you were so upset," she pulled away and wiped her cheeks dry. 

"I was upset at the fact that you didn't say it back but I wasn't upset with you. I mean, no one likes it when someone doesn't say it back but I knew you'd come around," I tried to make her feel better. I heard her groan while Cody continued to bang on the door. 

"Do you wanna bore him out?" she asked. 

"I wanna punch him but we don't always get what we want," I shrugged. 

She chuckled before sighing and pushing her hair back and up into a bun. "Do you want ice cream?" she offered while opening her freezer. She pulled out a tub of chocolate ice cream and two bowls. She put us both two scoops each and handed me one bowl with a spoon. She walked over and sat down on the couch, me sitting beside her. She turned on the TV and skimmed through Netflix. She played Clueless. 

Clueless. 

I sighed but watched nonetheless because she wanted to. If she wants to watch it then I don't mind sitting through it. I mean yeah, it's not an ideal movie that I would watch, but I'm sure it's not that bad. 

x-X-x 

"That's her stepbrother!" I screamed when they kissed. 

"Ex- stepbrother!" she argued. 

"Oh yeah, that makes it so much better," I scoffed. 

"They're not related," Faith huffed. 

"They were!" I argued. 

"Never by blood," she gave me a pointed look. "Plus, look at Paul Rudd," she shrugged while placing the now empty bowl on the coffee table. "Can you believe he's fifty now and he still looks the same? I hope I age that beautifully," she stood up while grabbing the bowls, heading to the sink. 

I stayed there and watched the movie and she quickly washed the bowls and came back. 

x-X-x 

"Bye," I smiled. 

"Bye." She said bye but she didn't let go of my arm. 

"Bye, Faith," I chuckled. Not that I tried to pull away. 

"Bye, Alex," she said in an almost taunting tone. 

"You have to let me go after you say bye," I chuckled. 

"Right," she nodded. 

"Faith, you have to-" 

She cut me off when she dangled her arms in my face. 

"I wasn't holding on that time," she smirked before turning on her heels and heading up to her room. 

I leaned my head against her door before sighing and following her up. 

"I thought you were leaving," she grabbed her pajamas and placed them in the bathroom. She came back out and let her hair down, placing the scrunchie on the dresser. 

"I thought I was too," I flopped onto her bed while she went to take a shower. I took this time to go and shower myself. I was done way before she was so I came into her room and hung out there, waiting for her. Before she could come out, the doorbell rang. 

"Alex?" she called out while the shower turned off. 

"Yeah?" I asked. 

"Can you get the door? It might be my parents!" she yelled. 

"Okay!" I replied before heading downstairs. I opened the door to see Amber. 

Her eyes looked like she had just cried and the mascara smeared around confirmed that. 

"Is Faith here?" she sniffled. 

"Yeah, she's upstairs." I stepped aside and let her in. "I'll go get her," I went upstairs as Faith came into her room while drying her hair. "Amber's here. She wants to see you," I informed her. 

Her eyebrows knitted in confusion before she followed me back downstairs. "Hi," Faith said softly. 

"Can I please talk to you? Alone?" Amber pleaded. 

"Yeah, sure." Faith took her up to her room while I stayed down here. 

I waited about thirty minutes before they came back down. 

Faith looked angry and Amber was still crying. Faith sighed while leading her out. 

"Thank you," Amber turned around. 

"No problem," Faith smiled. Amber latched onto Faith, hugging her tightly before pulling away and running out. 

"What happened?" I asked. 

"He told her he cheated on her," she sighed. "With me." 

My eyes widened, "What?" I asked in confusion. 

"He wanted her to come here all angry and hateful towards me and he wanted you to be here so you'd overhear and so we would break up," she sighed while running her hands over her eyes. "But he didn't tell her that. So she came here all upset. She was asking me how I felt when I found out and she kept apologizing and asking me what she should do," she huffed. 

"What did you say?" I questioned. 

"I told her I didn't know. I don't. I wouldn't have gotten through it if it wasn't for you. She doesn't have anyone to do that for her." 

Was this another trick? 

"Are you gonna help her?" I asked. I don't think that would be a good idea because Amber may be hurt and come off as the victim, but she turns the table in the blink of an eye. 

"No, I don't know if she's being honest yet. It could just be another trick," Faith replied. "I just told her to talk to her friends about it and uh- talk things out with Cody." 

I sighed in relief. 

If Faith agreed to help Amber then that would allow Amber to figure out everything going on between Faith and me and for all we know, she could go and tell Cody and he'll just ruin everything. 

"Who was the other girl?" I questioned. If there really was another girl, then she must have told Faith. 

"She couldn't see her face." Faith and I looked at each other knowingly. 

"So it is another trick," I nodded. 

"It's likely to be one. Her eyes weren't even red or puffy. Who doesn't ugly cry over heartbreak?" Faith's nose scrunched up while she ordered Taco Bell for dinner. 

x-X-x 

I woke up in the middle of the night to see Faith gone. I rubbed my eyes and stumbled out of bed, quietly opening her bedroom door. 

"It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now," she sang to herself. 

I just stood there and observed for a moment. 

She's making pancakes at one in the morning? 

"Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now," she continued before flipping the pancake. 

I cleared my throat while making my way over to her and she gasped, spinning around to face me. 

"Oh, you scared me," she chuckled. 

"What on earth are you doing?" My voice came out hoarse while I walked over to her. 

"Making a pancake," she shrugged. "Want one half?" she offered while placing the pancake onto her plate, cutting it in half. 

"Sure," I shrugged while sitting on a barstool, slightly squinting at the bright light. "Faith?" 

She hummed while licking the pancake mix off her finger. 

"You have pancake mix on your face." I gave her a pointed look. 

"I do?" She wiped her face with the back of her hand, only smearing it more. 

I clicked my tongue before grabbing a tissue and wiping her cheek clean. "There you go," I tossed it in the trash. 

"P-pancake?" she held up my plate while stuttering and blushing. 

"Thank you very much," I smirked while taking it. Who would've thought I'd be here at one in the morning, with the girl I love, eating pancakes that she decided to make while dancing around the kitchen? Not me. Yet here I am. 

Once we finished eating, we sat around and talked for a little bit, until I noticed her eyes getting droopy. "You wanna head on back to bed little miss Pancake?" I asked while walking over to her. 

She nodded absentmindedly and I picked her up, taking her up to her room. I lay her down on her side of the bed but by the time I got to mine, she had crawled over to my side. 

I shifted her while chuckling before lying back down before she rested her head on my chest. 

x-X-x 

I woke up when the doorbell rang a couple of times. I went downstairs, throwing a shirt on and greeting her parents. 

"Morning!" Mrs. Hughes smiled. 

It's too early for such cheeriness. 

"Morning," I rubbed my eyes. 

"Oh no, did we wake you up?" she asked. 

"Honey, we were ringing the doorbell repeatedly." Mr. Hughes gave her a pointed look. 

"Sorry, you can go back to bed," she waved me off. 

"Oh, it's fine, I would have woken up in a minute anyway," I sat down on the barstool. 

"Will you get Faith for me?" Mr. Hughes requested. 

"Sure." 

Can't wait to wake up the devil. The thing is, Faith does not like being woken up. At all and messing with her sleep is literally like poking the bear.

-

-

-

-

-