[Alex's POV - Saturday morning 8:45 ]

  I startle awake the very second my old fashioned alarm clock starts blaring. I groan as I realise what the terrible sound is and roll over in my bed to slam my hand onto the snooze button with just a bit more force than necessary.

  I try to open my eyes, but squeeze them closed again when an abnormal large amount of light assaults them. Why is it so bright? I carefully crack one eye open, only to be greeted by an offensive shaft of sunlight slicing through my closed curtains.

  Wait… sunlight? It’s never this bright when I get ready for school...

  My brain sluggishly starts to connect the dots and I fearfully sneak a glance at my alarm clock.

  8:45?!

  “Crap! I’m late!” I shout, bolting upright. Adrenaline floods my veins as I hastily pull off my pajama and fumble for a pair of jeans. I am fully in the process of putting on my pants when somebody knocks on my bedroom door. I freeze, not expecting anyone to be home at this hour.

  “Yes?” I call out cautiously. The door opens to reveal my dad, dressed in a floor-length pastel-purple bathrobe.

  "What's all the ruckus about?" he asks with a yawn and rakes a hand sleepily through his loose mob of bed hair.

  "Dad!" I exclaim, unable to hide my surprise. "Why aren't you at work?"

  “But it is Saturday,” he says with a mischievous smile on his lips, leaning against the doorframe.

  Saturday?

  My gaze snaps to my paper calendar on the wall. It is still set to the day before; Friday. "Oh, for crying out loud!"

  Dad chuckles.

  "Well, now that we're both awake, I guess I'll go set the table," he says, clearly still not completely awake, and turns to leave slowly, closing the door behind him.

  As the door clicks shut, my panic dissipates and a groggy haze takes its place. My pulse slows, and I allow myself to yawn, rubbing my face. Why did I set my alarm for a Saturday?

  Yesterday's raid with Jasper had taken a lot longer than planned, but it really isn't like me to forget turning off my alarm.

  Then it hits me: shopping with Otto!

  I groan again, louder this time. “Jessy played me like a fiddle, didn't she?”

  "Good morning, dad," I say as I join my dad at the breakfast table and grab a big slice of bread and the strawberry jam.

  "Hmm, good morning," Dad mumbles, taking a bite of his croissant before lifting his coffee mug for a sip, but halts mid motion to stare at me over the edge. "Why are you up so early?"

  “I lost a bet,” I grumble as I paste a thick layer of jam on my bread. “Now I have to spend my Saturday going shopping with a girl that hates me."

  Dad chuckles amusedly. "A girl that can't stand you? Impossible!"

  “Very funny,” I deadpan, rolling my eyes. “She’s been avoiding me for months. I don’t know what Jessy was thinking, setting us up like this. Today is going to be so awkward.”

  “Mindset is everything,” Dad says. "Nothing has been set in stone, but if you go on your date with that mindset, nothing is going to change."

  "Date?!" I sputter in surprise, almost choking on my bread. "Don't make yourself illusions, there's nothing romantic about this date. It's more like an agreement. She needs new clothes, and you need new T-shirts, so I thought I'd combine the two."

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  "Is that so?" Dad asks as he narrows his eyes at me. He doesn't sound very convinced, but it doesn't seem to matter because he follows up with the question: "Do you still have my credit card?"

  I nod while chewing my bread. Dad hums in acknowledgement.

  "What time did you agree to meet?" he continues while checking the kitchen clock.

  "Ten."

  "Ten?! That's nearly an hour from now. You never need that much time to get ready."

  "Can't be late for a date, can I?" I say as I feel a grin pull at my cheeks and Dad smiles in return.

  "That's my boy."

  [Otto's POV - Saturday 9:45 ]

  I close the front door behind me at a quarter before ten and start walking. I am not looking forward to this "date" that my best friend has so kindly set me up with. But here I am, going anyway. Not letting my "mindset" prevent me from "broadening my world". If this whole thing ends up blowing up into my face, it will not be because I didn't show up.

  For the umpteenth time today, I self-consciously pull at the knit cardigan underneath my coat and curse the stupid thing.

  Yesterday evening, Jessy took it upon herself to help me select a "date worthy outfit". She came over to my place after school, made me spread out all my clothes on the floor, made me fit at least half of them in more than fifty different combinations, and after lots of fitting and comparing, (and after my mom had a fit because of the royal mess my room had become,) we agreed on the outfit that I am wearing right now.

  The only downside? It barely fits me anymore. I've had the pieces for years and since my growth spurt earlier this year, I'm nearly bursting out of them.

  I've been mentally arguing with myself all morning to go and put on some better fitting clothes, even if they have to come out of the dirty laundry, but then I'd probably be equally self-aware because of other reasons.

  No, I just have to endure this. I might not get along with Alex, but he wouldn't purposefully hurt me, would he?

  My mind shows me a scene where Alex scolds Jasper, closely followed by the time we fought after he'd saved me from Thomas. And yet, that thought is closely followed by the one where he'd helped me up, after I'd pulled him into a shrub and asked me twice if he'd hurt me.

  We'd been so close that day.

  A shiver runs down my spine as the full weight of that situation suddenly crushes me.

  He'd literally lain on top of me for a full fifteen minutes. I feel my cheeks heat up.

  O, Lord! Why does my brain have to chose this exact moment to make me realise how embarrassing it truly was?!

  Back when Alex had saved me from Thomas, I never would have allowed him to come that close. I'd been so certain that he was trying to manipulate me into doing… whatever it was he wanted from me. I had expected him to keep bothering me as his latest conquest until he could add me to some sort of record. But instead of smothering me with unwanted attention, he became close friends with Jasper and granted me the breathing space I needed to get used to him.

  Still ten minutes early, I arrive at the end of my street where Alex is already waiting for me.

  [ Continues in the next chapter ]