A/N: Aagh so so so sorry it's late > Anyway I mentally promised all you guys a chapter by today, so here it is. I promise the next chapter will be out in the next two weeks. (This is The Brain.)

Chapter 5

Alexis

The gossip filtered into our ears as we walked tothe chemistry lab.

"She's not even that pretty."

"Look at her. She's so ugly. What could Josh ever see in her?"

"I thought he only liked blondes." (I snorted. This coming from one of them.)

"She's pretty hot. Too bad about Gavin, though."

"Gavin's pretty hot himself." I baulked when I realised that the last voice was male.

"I thought Alexis was going out with Kevin Jones."

"Who's Kevin Jones?"

I glanced at Kevin. His face was cold and expressionless. I tugged on his arm. "Are you okay?" I asked.

Kevin glanced down at me fleetingly. "Yeah. Sure." I blanched, feeling as if I had just been punched. His smile was fake, his lips tightly drawn over his teeth,with his eyes hollow and cold. He had never acted like this with me before.

I nudged him. "Ignore them. Let's hurry. We're going to be late- "

He turned on me, eyes blazing with fury. "Why are you going out with him? I thought you hated him!"

"But Kevin...you don't understand..." I bit my lip, feeling a sharp prickling behind my eyelids, a lump rising in my throat. Why was he so angry?

"I understand perfectly! You've fallen for that jerk, haven't you?" His voice rose menacingly.

"Kevin...I..." I dropped my head, sniffling a little.

Kevin sighed. "Forget it. I'm sorry, Lexie. Let's go." I nodded silently and followed him to the lab.

Kevin

"Lexie..." I began. She looked up questioningly from the beakers she suddenly had problems transferring the solution to. "No, nothing." I muttered, not meeting her gaze.

Her shoulders sagged. I cursed myself inwardly.Why was I so afraid about telling her how I felt? I watched as she turned to talk to Ashley with a bright smile on her face. I could tell that it was fake. She had to still be bothered by my outburst.

I could help it. I knew I shouldn't have got angry like that. But what if Alexis really did like Josh? How would I ever make her feel the same way about me as I felt about her? It was so obvious, right from the start. Alexis had liked Josh all along- always had- never me. And of course he's bemore attractive to her- he had the mysterious, cool, handsome bad boy appeal. And where was I in comparison to him? Nothingbut her best friend, only the boy next door. To her, to everyone else,I wouldalwaysbe "just Kevin Jones", no one special, no one significant-just the wallflower. But I didn't want that, never wanted that- it was something so much more- not her friendship, but her love.

I watched her fumble again with the beakers and sighed. "Come, let me," I smiled at her, taking the beaker gently from her hands. She looked at me, obviously afraid that I'd flare up again. I carefully poured the solution into a boiling tube and handed it to her. She took it with trembling hands. "I- I'm sorry about just just now- it's just that I don't think Josh is a really good guy to be with. He already has a girlfriend, you know."

She looked up into my eyes. "Kevin..." Tears began to well up in her hazel eyes.

I hugged her, knowing this was the closest I would ever get to showing her how much I felt for her. "Don't cry," Iawkwardly stroked her hair.

"Hey look! Jones and Jansen are showing PDA!" Some jerk-off yelled. Just as I was about to flip him off behind Alexis' back, Ashley hissed viciously, "Shut up, Tom, you asshole." Her tone dripped with venom. I recoiled involuntarily. Why was she so angry? Her eyes met mine for an instant. Their jade green depths burned furiously into me...she was angry with me?

A/N: That was a particularly emotional chapter, I think.

Replies to dear dear dear lovely reviewers

SolisLuna Yes Gavin is quite a loser (: I love your signature (is it your signature?) Well even if it's not your signature it's cool anyway.

SimplySweetnSour Thank you dear (: The American GPA system sounds really interesting. I'dlike to visit an American school sometime, just to see what it's like.

Daydreamer-angel I feel really sorry for Kevin. He is kind of a wallflower and he's such an easily disposable character.

bex17 I love you (: Who, pikachu? Hah, I should let you talk to one of my friends. She's nuts about pokemon. I think Bubbles is just alittle too...bubbly. And they (the Powerpuffs) should really grow up. They make me feel inadequate.

Grace hello Grace, say hi to Liyana for me. Last year i got 3.66 too (or 3.65). Your angel did not write to you because she is just plain lazy.

aprilmoon92 but on Fictionpress you have to upload your documents. (oh yes you don't have to get me sunglasses anymore because I realised I asked multiple people for sunglasses)

JOY Yep, here's your update! (Do I know you?)