"That girl is cute. How come we never see her when she's a member of the varsity team?" I glanced at the girl Lizzie's been eyeing.

"Since when are you into younger ones?" 

"That's not it! I just think she's cool, even if she doesn't smile." 

"Sports have hard trainings, who would've smile with that. Come on we have band practice, they're waiting." I pulled her already.

"So.. Alexis, are you a transferee or you've been studying here and we're just blind?" Lizzie asked, she's been really astonished by the girl we met last week.

"I'm a student here, like since 1st grade." Alexis answered. Her voice sounds shy but also confident, I don't know how to explain that.

"Really?" Danny faced us. "Are we that focused only to ourselves?" He exclaimed.

"But I know few players of our volleyball team, I would've known you too." Lizzie said.

"Ah, I just joined the team a few months ago." 

"You know you could always ignore Lizzie's stubbornness on forcing you to hangout with us, right?" I said while tuning the guitar.

"It's fine. It's been fun being with you guys." She said chuckling. 

"Back then I thought you're a scary kid, you barely glance at people, only when they talk to you. You rarely smile too." 

"Am I? Do I look arrogant?" 

"No, you just look mysterious." I handed her the guitar. 

Alexis does make people curious about her. I wonder what's on her mind. It's fascinating that she hangs out with us even if my friends are loud. But I don't think she's the type of person who judge, she just needs someone to approach her.

"Let me guess, you're staring because you're amazed that I'm actually great at this." 

"Yeah, I'm actually scared that you might replace me in my position." We laughed.

"Why are you being like this?"

"Like what?"

"You've been distant. Is it still about what happened? Sam, I told you that time was a misunderstanding." Is it? Does she think I'm stupid?

I scoffed. "Then why are you still meeting up with them?" I asked.

How could I trust her, how would I believe that it was nothing when she keeps on telling me that she's meeting Hailey when in fact the guy is also there.

"What? Who told you that? Is it Alexis?" My ears perked on that.

"Why drag my friend into this? She doesn't have anything to do with our problem." I'm getting pissed off. 

"I'm getting tired of saving your name from them, my friends don't even meddle with this. For the record, Lizzie is the one who saw you this time." I walked out on her.

"What's up with you? Shouldn't you be happy? We just completed our final requirements, and the graduation is near." Ethan said.

"Nothing, I'm just tired." I leaned my back on the couch and closed my eyes.

"Tired of these things or tired of your insensitive girlfriend." He asked.

"I don't know... maybe both." I sighed.

"Why are you even holding onto this?" 

"Because... because she's my bestfriend, I've known her my whole life. I can't lose her like this.. I just can't."

Is this the consequence of falling for your friend? She changed to a different person, like someone I don't know. 

"We can do this, Az. I'll be better, I promise." She cupped my cheeks.

"I'll visit when I can okay? I love you." She kissed me goodbye.

"Why do you keep on accusing me? I don't have someone else." I defeatedly said on the phone.

"You're always with Ethan. You tell him everything, he knows you more than I do now." 

"Jules, come on! He's like a brother to me." 

"Why don't you tell things to me? I'm just a call away." 

"Like you have time. Look, I'm not saying this to make you feel bad. You've been busy Jules, you're saying that I can talk to you but we rarely even do these past few weeks." 

"You know how busy it is in college..." 

"Right, so you get to hangout with your new friends and I can't?" She didn't talk. That's right I know. "I'm not socially inactive Ju, I see pictures. I'm not even stopping you from doing things. Let's just talk when you're less agitated." I ended the call.

"Thank god the week is over!" Danny slumped at the couch. We just finished our exams and requirements.

"I miss Alex, should we call her to hang out?" Lizzie said.

"She still has classes until afternoon." Noah said. I miss her too we rarely meet at the condo, I hope she's doing fine in her senior year. 

"What the hell?" Lizzie exclaimed. Ethan peeked at her phone and looked at me sadly. Hailey accidentally posted a snap of Jules looking drunk hugging a girl in her lap.

I just closed my eyes and massage my temples, luckily I just finished the important things I have to do.

Me: I can't do this anymore Jules. Let's break up.

Jules: What? What the hell! What's wrong with you?

Me: You know what's wrong, you know what you're doing. You don't have the right to get angry this time. 

Jules: I'm sorry Sam. Please...

Me: Just let this go. 

I heard a knock on my door, it's still early. 

"Hi! Here." Alex handed me a coffee and a sandwich.

"Thanks, Alex. Do you need a ride?" I asked

"No, I got it. Gotta go!" She smiled.

"Okay, take care!" 

The next day I heard a knock again.

"Good morning!" I stared at the smiling Alex. "You look like you haven't slept yet. You can heat that up later."

She's right, I was finishing a paper. I thanked her and waved goodbye.

She kept on doing that even if I told her she didn't have to. She even alternates coffee and tea because she thinks drinking coffee everyday is bad. 

"You don't look that bad for someone who just had a breakup." Ethan said

"It's been a few months, and it's not like it was a long term relationship."

"It is. You've been friends for long."

"We already talked. She insisted on keeping the friends title. I just agreed with it." 

"Alex is almost graduating. I heard from Liz that she's leaving Berkeley."

"She said that to me too."

"Don't you think she would agree if we ask her to stay?"

"Why?"

"Just.. isn't it more fun to spend college with friends than to start new again to an unfamiliar place." 

"What are you doing here? I thought you're in LA!" Lizzie said.

"Uhh, surprise?" Alex entered the room.

"Oh my god! You enrolled here?" Danny said. 

I leaned on the table smiling over them hovering Alex. They look so happy that she's here. Alex glanced at me and flashed a smile.

"How's the campus so far?" I asked her.

"Warm and homey. I feel great." 

"That's good then. I heard the volleyball team are open for tryouts, you should go for it." 

"Marcus invited me too. He's also trying out for basketball. You think I can handle it along with my studies?"

Alex is actually the persistent type, she doesn't get discourage fast. She's also always determined on what she wants. 

"I know you can." I reassured her.

Ethan and I walked out of the room after our class and went straight to hq. 

"I'm hungry. I hope everyone's available." He groaned.

"I think Alex has training." 

The first thing I saw in the room when Ethan opened the door are Danny and Liz killing each other, as usual. And Alex with a bandage on her hand.

"What happened to you?" I frowned and went closer to alex. 

"Nothing serious, I just slipped and fell during training." She grinned and waved her hand. "This is battle scar."

I chuckled and ruffled her hair. 

"Or you're just clumsy. You should always take precaution, injuries are scary. I'll drive us home later."

"Wanna go to a group date with me?" Lizzie asked. 

"No, that's childish."

"Psh. It's not! It's been.. what like a year. Don't you think it's time to have fun?" 

"I am having fun. Why need to date?" 

"Because you know you need..." She made kissing sounds. I threw a pillow on her.

"Unless you haven't moved on." 

"I am a 101% totally moved on, stop being ridiculous." I glared at her.

I can hear a commotion as I was opening the door to hq.

"How did you even ended up on a group date? That's so not you lexi." I heard Danny said.

"Stupid Marcus dragged me into it."

"Here's the funny thing, she got sick at the moment and called me to pick her up." Ethan said.

"Why? Are the girls not pretty that it got you sick?" Danny laughed.

Girls? I didn't know Alex was also into girls. I sat beside her and pour myself a juice.

"I don't even remember their faces and names. And I was already not feeling well that day. I just agreed for free food for a week." She said, I smiled, typical alex.

"How about you Sam? Didn't Lizzie also dragged you into a group date?" Ethan said.

"No, I refused her offer."

I walked towards Alex when I saw her sleeping on a bench under the tree, her head is flopped down the table. I giggled at the sight, she must've felt sleepy after solving problems. 

I answered her unifinished ones, I'll just teach her that later when she wakes up. I took out my sketchbook and drew her sleeping figure, she looks like a kid.

"How long have you been here?" She mumbled, eyes still closed.

"Do you know who I am?" 

"Yes, Samantha, I know your scent," She frowned. "That sounded weird." She sat up straight and stretched her arms.

"It's not." I chuckled.

"What are you doing?" I immediately closed my sketchbook.

"Nothing, here I'll teach you an easier way for these formulas." 

"Really? Thanks!"