Revelations by Susan Evelyn (recommended ebook reader .TXT) 📖

this development? Somehow I feel the time will never be right to let them in on this secret.


Day 11
Dear Diary,
Today is our gym day. I wonder if Lexie will be there. I wonder if I will ever see him again.

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Keeping a watch on the far end of the gym was preventing me focus on my workout; sufficiently enough for the others to ask if there was a problem. I shook my head and used yesterday’s headache excuse to account for my lack of concentration.

Thinking it was better to stay earthbound than get distracted in the middle of a routine, I made do with an extended stretch program. My feelings were mixed when the door opened and a figure was silhouetted in the sudden stream of sunlight. Holding my breath I waited for the shape to move inside and be recognised.

Lexie! He had come after all. He waved in our general direction before entering the change rooms. Then he kept to himself at the far end of the gym, moving smoothly through his exercise program without giving any sign of approaching us. It was time for me to take the course of events into my hands.

I was waiting for him when he emerged from the change room once he had finished. He flinched a little to see me there.

“You’ve grown up a lot, Lexie,” I said before he could think about making an escape. I moved between him and the door, taking in a deep breath of his scent heightened after the exercise. He also breathed in then visually swept the area to check for my friends.

“They are getting changed,” I provided. “We are alone for a bit. Long enough for me to invite you to lunch with us.”

He was about to argue against it but stopped abruptly as my eyes narrowed sharply on him. I explained it was later than the mad rush at the canteen, the ladies there knew us and allowed us to take up a table while they closed down the rest of the canteen. Mostly, though, I emphasised his need to socialise, become one of the “pack” and stop singling himself out as a loner. Finally he nodded and allowed a sly smile to escape the corner of his lips.

When the others emerged, I introduced them all. There were then four sets of eyes burning into my back as I led the way to the canteen.


He was not going to order any food, but I insisted and got him a meatloaf sandwich from the leftover ‘special of the day’. One of the canteen ladies knows how I like it, smothered in tomato sauce.

“You need it after exercising,” I told him setting the plate in front of him and allowing no argument.

It was painful in the beginning, but slowly we were able to draw him out and finished our short meal break in friendly banter. Without prying too much, we established he had been travelling with his father in remote areas of wilderness while his father completed research. There had been no education facilities available and he had completed as much as possible for a remote student. Although he was several years older than us, the university had insisted he complete some basic requisites before they would consider placing him amongst his peers and thus the reason he shared a few classes with me, and Jem.

His eyes sparkled with a cool blue like the clear waters of a mountain lake. He smiled charmingly at everyone and his attitude appeared open, friendly and honest. Only I was aware there were careful omissions in the information he volunteered. We exchanged glances, and I knew he knew I knew. He winked at me and my heart skipped a beat.

We parted ways after extracting a promise he would join us for lunch again. On the way to our various different classes, my best’ies gave their seal of approval with broad grins and comments like “So that’s Alex” and “He’s nice”. Now it would be easier to re-develop the former relationship if I wanted. And right now, I want.


Day 12
Dear Diary,
Friday! I must talk to the girls at lunch and work out what we are going to do this weekend. There’s a special feature on at the movies tonight I wouldn’t mind seeing.

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I did not see any of my mates until lunchtime. When I walked into the canteen, it was quite a surprise to see Vada and Alex chatting and laughing. Well, Vada was laughing and Lexie was grinning but when he saw me approach his eyes seemed to light up. His smile is so engaging it makes me feel warm inside and a little self conscious.

Vada said she had spotted him crossing the quadrangle and insisted he join us. I echoed the invitation and when the other two arrived, they were also pleased to see him there.

Turning as I sat at the table, I took the opportunity to see if there was any reaction among the other canteen occupants. There was no doubting they had noticed the new boy was sitting with us. There was a lot of intense whispering and sidelong glances from the all-girl tables, and a few measuring looks from the boys. The seniors took a long hard look before deciding there was nothing amiss and returning to whatever it is older boys find so enormously important.

Alex declined to eat although I talked him into trying a milkshake. The chatter was inconsequential, mostly comparing observations on fellow classmates and lecturers. Then we finally got to the important subject for the day – plans for the weekend.

The only time we were all going to be available at the same time was tonight. So the cinema was the obvious first choice.

The special “Fright Night Friday” feature at the cinema tonight is the cult classic “Rocky Horror Picture Show”. We all know the call back lines and it is usually a hoot. It will also lessen any tension after the screening of the latest horror film which precedes it.

Nan was worried. We leaned in a little closer, dropping our voices. “What about last time?” she asked the burning question on all our minds. No-one had told their parents about the incident and there had been no more during the week. Vada finally voiced the assumption most of us had reached, saying at last, “I don’t think they are in any shape to be a bother for a long while.”

Was it my imagination or did Lexie look a little smug? When I raised an eyebrow in his direction, he lowered his eyes to focus on the table but could not disguise the sly smile. I am beginning to think 2 plus 2 may add up to more than 4 because of a hidden factor, a factor getting a little clearer with each passing day.

Jen broke our little huddle when she leaned back in her chair and casually asked if Alex was going to join us. Much as I would like more social contact with him, I was about to say no to preserve our girls’ night out when Vada spoke up and pleaded with him to say yes. She admitted an ulterior motivation as she would like to invite one of the senior boys but he would not consider it if there were only girls in the group.

Lexie has this marvellous way of looking coy and innocent at the same time (and he looks so cute when he does it!). It did not take too much coaxing from Vada for him to agree, pretending reluctance but sending me a very pleased look and the hint of a wink. If I could blush I would have been bright red about then.

After a few minutes anxious texting, we had permission from our parents to stay out for the late session at the movies. Nan’s mother had insisted she drive her daughter there and back and offered me a lift which helped get the OK from Dad. Jem’s parents had also insisted on taking her but had added they preferred someone older accompany us as well. Alex and Vada’s friend, Manny, were able to fill their condition.

It’s a good thing we are all control freaks and like to be early; probably one of many things keeping us together since grade school. We agreed to meet in the cinema foyer a half hour before the first movie just in case someone was running late. All eyes turned to Vada who protested, “Once! And no-one lets me forget it.”

Now I am trying to work out what to wear; something nice without being too girly while being flirty but not slutty. Decisions! Decisions!

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Oh! What a night!

I don’t think I will ever get over it.

Sublime!

We converged on the cinema at the agreed time. Vada introduced Manny who seems very nice. He was quite imposing, taller than Alex and reasonably solid without being muscle-bound. However, his bright blue eyes, tousled blond hair and easy smile made him a friendly giant. He and Alex seemed to hit it off which was my major concern.

Tickets in hand and an armload of candy bar goodies, our party of six headed the queue waiting for seating to begin for our session.

We are not a rowdy bunch, but with four girls talking at once it did get a little noisy. The attendant at front-of-house knew us and indulged our natural enthusiasm. Our two boys exchanged glances over the top of our heads and put on their best “hard done by” expressions just in case somebody saw them with us.

Inside, we all sat together in the centre of the row. To onlookers the two boys appeared to be like book-ends, however, I am sure they just did not fancy sitting between two girls during a horror movie. Vada was at one end with Manny leaving me and Lexie at the other end.

As we sat down Lexie had looked at the armrest between us. Every second one in this cinema can be pivoted up to the backrest and I was happy to remove the one between us as I know the seat pads are narrow for today’s menfolk.

The first movie was good. I laughed, jumped, and even shed a tear or two but don’t ask me much about it as I had other things on my mind.

Once the houselights went down completely for the movie, Lexie slipped his arm around my waist. He didn’t ask but it felt natural so I did not protest. It was also much more comfortable than the clumsy resting of the arm across the back and ‘accidentally’ slipping down to my shoulders.

Gently but firmly, he pulled me closer to rest against him. I was tingling all over from the contact; my temperature rose. My rapid pulse thumped against my eardrums but at the same time I could feel his steady heart beat reverberate through my shoulder where I rested against his chest. The contact was familiar but also quite exciting. I felt like there were two people fighting for dominance inside me. One was a typical teenager on her first date with a boy; the other had been going steady for as long as she remembered. He was very respectful and did nothing more than rest his hand lightly on my hip.

There was a scary moment in the film when the sudden movement on screen made me jump along with half the audience. Instinctively I turned my head