Chapter 85 Chapter 5: Elva

Chapter 85 Chapter 5: Elva
Elva:

Today is the project day and for some unknown reason, I fear that I am the only one who’s taking this with such great seriousness. Like Nixie and Anna are so calm, they both have their presentation ready and since they were paired together, it makes it easier for them.

Meanwhile I am a nervous wreckball, however I am looking forward to seeing Alex’s presentation. What is he going to draw?

“Is your poem ready?” Nixie whispers to me in the dining hall, I can’t bring myself to eat so I just order crackers and herbal tea, even the sight of it is making me nauseous. Meanwhile, Anna is digging into her lamb chops like someone that hasn’t eaten in days.

“I finally got it right.” I say, it took me hours to get the poem well, I didn’t sleep until three in the morning, just so I can get the final pieces in order. “I think I can pull this off.”

“You’ve got this, darling.” Anna looks up from her food, giving me a thumb up before focusing back on her food. My eyes search for a particular someone, but Alex isn’t here, won’t he eat breakfast today?

“Girls, if we don’t end up getting asked to the ball. I say we go as the sexy trios.” Nixie suggests, smirking. Out of us all, Nixie is the daring one, the one that shuts you up with just a glance, and in the days we have been in the academy, she has been voted ‘most pretty student’ in the school website for two weeks now.

At least five guys have asked her to the ball, they even went big on it, doing these prom-posal stuff but she rejected them immediately.

“Sexy trios?” Anna chuckles, drinking tea from the mug. “No way, Nixie. I am pretty sure that Elva is going to be asked to the ball.” They both look at me with twinkling eyes and it’s way obvious they are fishing for answers.

Sighing, I say. “Girls, I think I am in trouble.”

“Tell us more,” Anna urges us.

“I think I kind of like Alex.” It slips out of me. “I don’t even know if this is just a crush, it seems like it’s more than a crush. I think I love him or something.”

“Oh my goodness!” Nixie squeals so loud that she invites a few eyes across our table. “Tell him how you feel, it’s way obvious that he wants you to. Do you see the way he even looks at you?”

I know how he looks at me and that is what scares me, what if we don’t end up working out?

“It might feel scary at first, but if you both commit, it’s going to end up well.” Nixie says, like all of sudden, she has become a relationship manager.

The electric bell jolts everyone from their chattering and now, it’s time to get to class. I rub my sweaty palms against each other and draw my blazer to myself. When we step into the class, half of the students are already present and Professor Callista is sipping coffee from a mug.

“Elva?” she asks me as I go to my seat. “Did you end up agreeing with your partner?”

I nod my head, smiling a bit. I take my seat, ten minutes later, students are trooping into the classroom but there’s no sight of Alex yet.

Professor Callista shuffles with some paper on the desk. “Okay, shall we start with Alex Vale and Elva Costa?”

I swallow down the lump in my throat as everyone’s eyes turn towards me. Nixie and Anna cheer me up. Where in the hell is Alex? Grabbing my notepad, I walk to the front, my hands trembling. Why does my anxiety have to manifest now?

The door opens and Alex walks in, pulling his canvas into the room, our eyes meet and I hurriedly avert my face before he catches me blushing.

“Alex, do you want to start first?” Professor Callista looks at us calmly, and Alex nods, turning the painting around, the whole class gasps including Professor Callista.

It’s a painting of a wolf bound in silver chains; the chains are digging into its body- throat, ribs, legs. And the eyes, oh goddess, the eyes aren’t burning with rage, it is burning with something else- fear and vulnerability.

I stare at the painting, understanding what he means even without him saying a word, his eyes find mine again, startled yet filled with so much vulnerability that I want to hug him so tight.

Professor Callista clears her throat, clearly amused with how far Alex has taken the project. “Can you tell us what this means? The wolf in silver chains, what does it represent?”

“It’s me,” he says and the whole class goes silent. “The wolf is who I am or who I am supposed to be. People think that when you’re strong, you are in control, but it actually means being caged.”

Everyone pays solid attention including me. My chest is heavy as I watch him reveal this side of him.

“The chains are the rules, the pressure, the anxiety, the depression that holds us back. I walk around with people thinking I am dangerous...but the truth is just that they don’t see the struggle, the self doubt I have to face every day. The truth is I can break out of these chains if I want to, but then again, who will I be if I am free? How will I identify my purpose?” Alex looks at everyone dead in the eye. “Thank you.”

A round of applause roars throughout the whole classroom, I am clapping too with tears in my eyes, same as everyone.

“Thank you very much, Alex.” The professor says, dabbing the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief she brought out from her pocket. “Elva Costa, your partner is Alex.”

“Right.” I step forward as Alex makes space for me. I stare at the notebook in my hands, feeling Anna’s and Nixie’s encouraging smile. I clear my throat and start reading.

“I grew up with love and fate, warm hands, soft laughter.” My voice is steady enough, “But life changed it. Love became leaving and silence. Then you came- not loud, just real.” The tension of the room shifts and I can’t dare look up because I know his gaze is burning on me. “And slowly, you reminded me that love can still be kind, still be safe, still be true.”

The silence that follows is much heavier as I round off the poem, but then a round of applause. I go to my seat as quietly as I can, the rest of the people conclude with their projects and after the class, the Professor says how impressed she is with our project and that she will start grading the results as soon as possible.

As everyone troops out of the class, I try searching for Alex. He isn’t in the hallway; I realized something in class today at that moment when our eyes met. This isn’t just some stupid crush or affection, this is real. I feel something, something so deep for Alex Vale.

After changing into a sundress and a coat, I try Alex’s room, knocking. The door opens and a brunette haired guy stares at me, his eyes boring into mine like he wants to get rid of me as quickly as possible.

“Have you seen Alex?” I ask, because I am pretty sure this is his roommate who is never around.

“You are talking about Vale?” His voice is husky, “Yeah, haven’t seen him.” He replies lamely.

Before I can say one more word, he slams the door in my face, leaving me standing there, dumbfounded.

I bring out my phone and open the family group chat as I come down the stairs. 

Me: I think I’ve finally found the one for me!

Before my phone can explode with any more messages, I go to my locker, enter the pin and open it. There’s a paper almost falling down, picking it up, I hurriedly unfold it, my breath catching as I read the first line.

‘Maybe we’re all looking for someone who won’t flinch when we show them our monsters.’- Your favourite book, page 237.

My chest tightens, I have memorized every single quote of the book, it’s from ‘The last Alpha’ I still read on.

‘Meet me in the courtyard.’- A.V

I know the initials are for Alex Vale, my heart is filled with so much excitement that I take off, weaving through the throng of students just so I can get to Alex. I open the back door of the school and step into the courtyard, the trees, the fountain and then I see him.

He’s standing beside an oak tree, hands tucked into his pockets with a tiny smile playing on his lips. But I swear, that smile? It sets my whole heart on fire.

I run across the courtyard and throw my arms around him with full-force, burying my face into his chest. He hugs me back instantly, arms wrapping around me.

“I got your note,” I mumble to him, laughing so hard. “I didn’t know you were such a romantic.”

“Ugh.” He rolls his eyes, “I would do anything for you. That poem you read in class, was it about me?” I pull back just enough to look up at me even though I am still in his arms.

“I am not good at saying things but I am pretty good at writing them.” I hope the words I read out in class are enough for him. “I think I-”

He tips my chin, staring into my eyes. “I love you, Elva. I know this is too soon, but ever since that day, I just can’t stop thinking about you. You make me want to tear through my chains, your eyes challenge him. I don’t know what love is, but I know that what we have is more than love.”

My heart races a million times as I stare at him, this guy who has drawn such a masterpiece. “I think I love you.” I don’t want to rush things, what I feel for Alex is very real, but I want to take things slowly, experience my own emotions and all.

“We can do everything at your-” Alex is saying but I cut him off with an impatient groan.

“Isn’t this the part where we kiss?” I ask.

“Oh right, princess.” He leans in and captures his lips on mine.

\--

Three weeks later,

Alex and I have grown so close since the past three weeks, we do mostly everything together and even when we’re apart, we message each other, sometimes he sends not so funny memes, and I respond with a bunch of emojis. Throughout the past three weeks, I have come to know all the sides of Alex that he really doesn’t show to people. The funny Alex, the serious and studious Alex, the kind and caring Alex.

My Alex.

My knight in ordinary clothes.

It’s almost five in the evening and I am standing outside the arts studio, Alex’s masterpiece has gone viral that the school board decides to upgrade the arts studio, and now, it’s always filled to the brim with students who come to the two hours program every Saturday hosted by my sister, Irene and Linda. 

I am bursting with excitement as I wait for Alex. I can’t wait to tell him the good news. Ever since the upgrading of the arts studio, I have been sending a lot of letters to the school board for the upgrading of the library and finally, after two weeks. It got approved! The library is going to be filled with tons of books now, categorized by different genres. Maybe then students will be passionate about books.

The electric bell goes off and soon, students walk out, discussing arts. When I see Alex, my whole face goes bright.

“Over here!” I call over to him and Alex looks my way, smiling.

“Hey you.” He approaches me, before leaning down to kiss my temples. These past three weeks have been the best spending it with Alex, sometimes I sneak over to his room whenever Nixie and Anna are blasting loud retro music, since his roommate is never around, it’s a win-win on both our ends.

“Hi.” I am breathless, “Let’s get out of here before Irene and Linda come out and start bombarding me with different questions.” My whole family knows about Alex, well they have heard a lot about him from me but they haven’t seen him yet except for Irene and Linda. Alex’s father and elder brother also know about us. We are planning on spending Christmas with my family and New Years with Alex’s family; it is very surprising how things are moving so fast.

“Alright.” Alex laughs, outstretching his arm. We hold hands as we walk down the hallway, literally everyone in the whole school knows that we are dating. I like the fact that Alex shows me off to his guys. He takes me everywhere- football games, nightout with his bros, well except I sit in the sidelines tucked in with my book.

“I have two exciting news.” I say as we reach Alex’s room.

“Oh really?” He shoves his key into the hole and pushes the door open. Again, his roommate is nowhere to be seen. How does that guy even survive on campus?

“First of all.” I plop on the bed. I have grown so comfortable around Alex and his room that I don’t ever have to worry about saying the wrong thing.

“Let it slip, princess.” Alex says, sitting on the bed and lifting me on his laps. I have come to like this position a lot.

“They approved the library upgrade!” I say with so much happiness, my cheeks are flushing. “It seemed like they couldn’t ignore my constant letters. They finally gave in.”

Alex’s smile is enough to make my heart go galloping. “Really? That’s really amazing.” There’s so much excitement and love in his voice, I don’t know if I should cry or kiss him badly. Alex is always happy whenever I make progress, even after three weeks of being together; his smile still gives me butterflies.

“Fuck, that’s awesome.” Alex says, grinning. He tugs at my waist, drawing me closer to him. Our forehead touches and we both grin at each other, this has become our thing.

Sometimes, whenever I want to go to sleep, I wonder what it will be like to be mated to Alex Vale; the mating ball is in the next few months and Alex and I are going to go as a couple. I have been praying to the moon goddess that she should make us mates, if Alex isn’t my mate, I am sure I’ll break down.

Please let our wolves link together. I am also excited about the fact that I am going to get my wolf; I really hope she gets attracted to Alex’s wolf.

“What is the second news?” Alex asks, staring at me patiently.

Oh right. The second news.

“I love you.” I say, looking at him with confidence. “There’s no guesses, no doubt, no nothing. You are everything I want and I want to spend my life with you. I obsess over you, Alex Vale.”

He stares at me in surprise, before bursting into laughter.

“What?” I pat his arm, laughing too.

“Sorry...That wasn’t how I was supposed to react, the neurons in my body just zapped, let me try again.” Alex laughs, hands around my waist. “I love you too, Elva Costa and no matter how many times you want me to say it. I will. You’re my woman, you are my everything.”

This is just our beginning. And whenever I am beside him, I have everything I need.