Chapter 10: Sunday Afternoon, 12:26PM

“I’m really sorry, Will,” she said, giving him a worried look through her glasses as they got into the car. “I really did just lose control.” Fuck, fuck, fuck! Why did I do that!

“Alaina, for the last time, I’m not mad, okay?” Will said from his seat. “I was just surprised. Good surprised, though.”

“You smacked your forehead into the door so hard, though!” Alaina reached over and brushed a finger over a spot just above his right eyebrow. “Oh no, I think it’s starting to bruise...”

He jerked away from her fingers, wincing. “It’s fine, really.”

She sighed. It’s obviously not fine...

Will started backing out of the driveway. “Alright, if you’re really going to beat yourself up about this, why don’t you make it up to me by filling me in on the details from last night. I didn’t expect any of that to happen the way it did.” He pulled out onto the road and started to drive. “But since you packed a set of overnight clothes, I’m assuming you did.”

“Um...” Alaina eyed him cautiously. Is he mad about that, too? She didn’t speak further.

“Alaina, you’re kind of driving me crazy since we left Kay’s,” he said, breathing out a deep breath. “Yesterday you were so free with everything, but today it feels like there’s a big wall that keeps coming between us.”

That’s because I don’t want to mess things up again! She fidgeted. Her phone buzzed In the pocket of her hoodie, but she ignored it. What am I supposed to say to him? If I apologize again he’ll just get even more upset...

“I’m not...” He gave her a pained look as they came to a stop sign. “I care about you, Alaina, and I don’t want this hanging over us. Is it something you’re too embarrassed to talk about?”

She felt herself blush. Of course it’s embarrassing! How am I already having this much fucking trouble being in a relationship! She looked out the window and nodded.

“Give me your hand.”

She tentatively held her left hand out, and she felt him snatch it up with his.

“Here’s what we’re going to do,” Will continued. “We’re going to play a variation on twenty questions. If the answer is yes, squeeze my hand. If it’s no, don’t squeeze. If I figure out what you’re upset about in five questions or less, you promise to talk to me about it. If I can’t, I’ll just accept that you want space for a while and won’t ask again. Deal?”

Ugh, there’s no way he’ll guess this, it’s so stupid! She squeezed her hand.

Will fell silent for a moment while he drove. “Is it related to something that happened after karaoke last night?”

I knew it, he has no idea. This is so humiliating. She didn’t squeeze her hand.

He was silent again while his thumb gently stroked her hand.

That does feel nice, though.

“Is it something related to your family?”

She sighed.

A minute passed.

“Is it related to your Class?”

She frowned, still looking out the window. Maybe he doesn’t know me as well as I thought ... I’m ... Yeah, I’m just too moody, I guess. And stupid. Ugh, why can’t I be more normal!

“Is it something I did?”

No, you’ve been amazing. Yesterday was so much fun! And last night was one of the best nights I’ve ever had. But now I’ve already started messing up, and you’re just... you. I want to be a good girlfriend, but I—

“Alright, let’s see if I’ve got this right,” he said as they rolled to a stop at a light. “Last night when that prank with Kay went wrong, you started over-thinking everything and getting too caught up in your own head. You got distracted by Kay for the rest of the night, and then when we left her place you started over-analyzing everything again, and you think me having a little bruise on my forehead is somehow the culminating proof that you’re not good at being in relationships, and you refuse to believe me when I say I don’t mind because you’re too caught up in thinking you messed up.”

Alaina blinked, and her head slowly swiveled to meet his questioning look as her eyes widened.

“How did I do?”

“How?” she whispered, staring at her boyfriend in amazement. He understands me?

“Er, does that mean I’m right, or...”

She pulled his hand over quickly and hugged it to her face with both hands. He really understands me?!

“Glad I’m not losing my touch, at least,” he said. “You’re, uh ... You’re a perfectionist, Alaina. In your head, you’re probably thinking of this as being something you get graded on, where you need to maintain that straight-A average, and every little thing that happens is an exam that you can’t mess up.”

He signaled and made a turn. “But in a relationship, if you have to think about it that way, I’m the only one who can give you a grade, Alaina. Some self-grading can maybe be good once in a while, but if you can’t trust me when I say that right now I think you’re even more amazing than I did yesterday, how could you ever really trust me with anything at all?”

She frowned, releasing his hand. There’s no way he’s not at least a little mad about all this stuff. His whole forehead is probably going to be purple by tonight! “If you really feel that way, why don’t you just use your Skill so I know you do?”

“I could,” he said, looking over at her with an expression she couldn’t place. “I could keep using it any time we have a fight, or any time you need reassuring. It would work. But think about this: what happens if I actually get upset at you for something? Wouldn’t you feel jealous that you didn’t have a similar Skill to fix everything for you? Wouldn’t that make you resent me, eventually, when you had to talk things through instead of letting a Skill fix it for you? And what if I couldn’t use my Skill anymore on a given day? I can only use it five times each day now; would you eventually start to think I was lying if I said I couldn’t use it? Would you stop trusting me any time I said anything when I wasn’t using my Skill?”

Her frown deepened. That’s ... I really would get upset at him for that, wouldn’t I? And I was already starting to get annoyed that he could fix things just by using a Skill instead of working through it like I would.

“I don’t want you to stop over-thinking everything,” he continued. “That’s part of who you are, and I like who you are. Except when you’re assuming you know how I feel about you instead of believing me when I tell you.” He pulled into a spot in front of the pizza place. “Do you want some help carrying the pizzas?”

Alaina hesitated. “Um ... I think ... Can I just have a few minutes to ... Y’know...”

Will squeezed her hand. “Take your time. I have nothing planned today except judging some lobster mac and cheese later.”

She smiled a little. “I thought you said you had other food judging obligations this afternoon?”

He grinned. “I got a better offer.”

She hugged his hand. “I’ll be right back,” she said softly. Then she got out of the car and started walking over towards the entrance.

So I’m just supposed to believe him if he says nothing’s wrong even after I screw up? But ... how? If he screwed up, I’d... She froze for a moment as her hand grabbed the door handle. Oh. I’m not going to get that upset if he screws up a little bit, am I. And he’d believe me if I said nothing was wrong and wasn’t obviously freaking out like I am now. Ugh, why is this so hard for me?

She pulled open the door and stepped inside of the familiar, tiny pizza shop. As usual, there was nobody at the counter. She leaned over it and looked around. “Hello?” she called.

“Yeah, just a sec,” a man called from out of view.

She pulled out her phone to check the message she’d gotten.

Kay: Sorry I hung up, must have hit it by accident :)

Kay: Can’t believe I just did that!

Kay: You really wanna come over this week sometime?

Kay: Toby misses you :)

Kay: Sorry, that’s a lot of messages...

Oh no, she must think I’m ignoring her! Alaina frantically started typing a message. I miss both of you already! Maybe Thursday-ish at your place if you aren’t too busy? Hope taxes are going well! She paused. Do I use a smiley on this? I don’t normally, but ... I’ll use one because she did. She hit the send button.

Her phone buzzed almost immediately.

Kay: Thursday when? I can do Thursday!

It buzzed again.

Kay: I’ll wash your clothes too! :)

That’s so sweet of her! Alaina’s smile widened. I could be at your place by 2:30 if you’re around? She hit send.

Her phone buzzed.

Kay: 2:30 then. It’s a date!

It buzzed again.

Kay: I mean, not a DATE date since you’re just picking up clothes, but if you wanna stay for a while and maybe hang out for a bit I’ll be around!

It buzzed a third time.

Kay: If you’re busy that’s cool though, I’ve got work anyway.

Alaina giggled. She’s like a girl with a crush. Her eyes widened. Oh fuck.

“Hey, I gotcha right here,” said a gruff voice that drew nearer as it spoke.

She looked up, already halfway to panicking.

“One large: ‘roni and sausage. One large: everything.” A pair of cardboard boxes, the smaller one on top, thumped down on the fold-up section of the counter. “Careful, it’s heavy,” said the pot-bellied, hunched man with a five o’clock shadow.

She handed over her expenses credit card. “Thanks.”

He grunted. “Dunno if I should, but I take it as a compliment that somebody’ll eat that as long as I’m the one makin’ it.”

“Mom never gets pizza anywhere else,” Alaina said absently, her mind churning.

“I gotta believe It if you’re still comin’ by my place for that monster,” he said, passing her card back. “You need a receipt?”

“No, thanks.” She put the card back into her wallet and stowed it into her hoodie’s pocket.

“Keep both arms under it when you carry it. Yeah, just like that.”

She held the boxes aloft with both arms under them like a forklift, struggling to keep them up. What the fuck, this is so heavy! She staggered over to the door, turning around to push it open with her back before stepping out.

As Alaina approached the car, Will got out and rushed around to meet her. “Thanks,” she said as he took the boxes.

“What the hell, did they make the dough out of bricks or something?” Will said. He walked carefully over to the rear passenger door and placed the pizzas gently on the seat when Alaina pulled open the door for him.

“I’m feeling better about my pizza choice,” he said when he stood back up, mopping his brow theatrically. He closed the door.

Alaina stepped closer, then wrapped her arms around him. “Sorry,” she said, her words slightly muffled where she pressed the side of her mouth into his sweater.

Her boyfriend stroked the back of her head and ran his hand down along her hair onto her back. “You alright now?”

She nodded. “Yeah, I think so.” She squeezed her arms a little. “Thanks, Will. I’m glad you didn’t let me just dwell on things.”

“I’ve spent enough time doing that to know it’s not worth it,” he said.

She tilted her head up, and he kissed her. It was a testing, tentative kiss on her end, as though checking to make sure nothing had changed. But everything was just as she remembered it, and she lost track of time for a moment as she reacquainted herself with every nook and cranny of his mouth.

“Mmm, we should probably get going,” Will said after he pulled his lips away. “I—mmf!”

Alaina pulled him back, giving a kiss that felt more like her and left him gasping for breath as they parted the second time. “Yeah, don’t want Mom’s pizza getting cold,” she said, smirking when she spotted the telltale outline in his jeans.

“Uh, yeah. That.” He blinked and wandered back towards the driver’s door on unsteady legs, clipping himself on the front fender and nearly falling over.

She giggled. Yeah, this definitely feels better.

They took their seats and started on their way towards the hospital.

Alaina held her left hand up on the center armrest, and Will gave her his right. She locked her fingers between his and grinned over at him, finding that he was grinning back. Her other hand brushed against her hoodie pocket, and she felt her panic rising again.

“Will, um ... I think I might have another problem?” she said. “I’m not really sure what to do, but I think you probably can help?” She pulled her phone out.

“Sure, what’s going on? Nothing serious, I hope?”

“Well...” She hesitated, looking over at him. “I think ... I think Kay has a crush on me?”

Will pursed his lips. “Yeah, that makes sense. What’s the problem?”

Alaina paused. “Well, I think she might just like me because of my Quirk, and this is kind of taking it a little too far, isn’t it”

He chuckled. “Kay told me she’s bisexual last week. You didn’t need a Quirk for her to like you.”

“Oh.” She blinked.

“I thought you said your Quirk doesn’t work that way, anyway?”

“Um ... I guess that’s true? But I have you. And she knows we’re going out. Isn’t that, I don’t know, sort of weird?”

The car turned onto a highway onramp. Will remained silent for a minute, his brow furrowed in deep thought. “I think maybe it makes more sense if you know a little more about her history. After last night, I think she’d probably be okay with it if I told you.

“The short of it is, she was going out with that guy Trevor for a few years, and then he started cheating on her with Jenna. Kay thought Jenna was cute, and it kind of broke her when she found out that her boyfriend was cheating with a girl she was attracted to, like her boyfriend got stolen from her. She was furious and kicked him out, and she’s been a bit of a wreck since then.”

“Ugh, that guy was such a creep!” Alaina exclaimed. Just thinking about how he was staring at Kay’s boobs makes my skin crawl.

“Yeah, a true asshole. Anyway, I think yesterday her first reaction when I talked to her was that she thought the same thing might be happening again, where a guy she liked was being taken away by another girl. She, uh, sort of hung up on me the first time I called her after I mentioned having you two meet. And she wasn’t in great shape when she called back.”

Poor Kay! “But you two weren’t dating or anything, right? She’d really get that upset over a fling?”

“I think it was just the similarity of the situation? We really connected last week, and she was extra happy to have found a guy she could trust a little bit.”

“And then I came into the picture...”

“Yeah, and I messed up my pitch when I asked her, which didn’t help. Also, what was the deal with those outfits? How did you even know she had anything like that?”

“Did it turn you on?” Alaina asked, stroking her thumb on his hand. “Imagining you were taking two hot schoolgirls back to a dorm room afterwards?”

“I have to confess that I was too distracted by how good Kay tasted after that little sample she gave me. But both of you looked incredible.”

“Which one of us looked sexier?” she grinned mischievously.

Will shifted uncomfortably. “Uh...”

“Personally, I think Kay wore it better.”

“It was the nose stud, right?” he blurted. “Er...” he blushed slightly.

“It absolutely was the nose stud,” Alaina said, remembering how provocative the scarlet-haired temptress had looked. “I was already horny from teasing you in the car, but it was so much worse after we picked her up.”

“So then, the reason you picked the outfits was so you could see how hot she’d look in it?”

“Not exactly. I spotted the skirt on the floor in the background of one of her photos, and I guessed she’d have the rest. I figured you wouldn’t be bringing me to meet her unless you cared about her, so I came up with the idea of wearing identical outfits. It can’t seem like a competition if we’re both wearing exactly the same thing, right? And the reason I picked that was because it was just as embarrassing for me to wear, so I hoped she’d see that I was more like a fellow sufferer than someone trying to compete with her.”