Talk to Me (Zander)

[Alexandra Thompson]

Alexandra glanced down the corridor, her blue eyes searching for the room number of her history class. She sighed softly; she had been at Ashford for several months now, and she still had no idea where she was going. She let out a soft sigh and started to walk down the hallway, trying to avoid the people rushing around her. She slipped her phone out of her pocket, glancing at the time. She still had time to get to the class, which was a relief. What was not, though, was nearly getting hit by a classroom door. She barely managed to dodge the heavy, wooden object in time. She bolted down the hallway, startled by the event that had just occurred. She looked at the room numbers once more, her face brightening when she found the one she was looking for. She opened the door and quickly darted inside, taking her usual seat toward the back of the class, which she noticed was rather talkative that day. This was unusual, seeing as the teacher was usually very strict and did not allow talking in her class.

After sitting idly for a few moments, she pulled out her phone, checking her messages again. She probably should not have taken the blonde’s phone number while she was “working”, but she just could not help herself. He had just seemed so interesting, and the fact that he hummed along with one of her favorite songs as he left had been a huge plus. She was curious about his music tastes as well as his personality, since his attitude toward her had seemed to turn around after a few minutes. He had seemed grumpy and distant at first and did not seem to trust her very much. After a little persuasion of the flirting variety, though, he seemed to come around. He had even given her his phone number, which had surprised her greatly, but she did not seem to mind. She had contacted him first, and they had been texting ever since. They had not really talked about much; just duties and how boring things at the school were. She had even flirted with him a little, and she was almost sure he had flirted back, which made her even more confident. She loved the feeling of having someone’s attention; it was like she was good at something other than healing and science.

She noticed the time in the corner of the screen of her phone. It was almost 10 minutes after the period was supposed to start. She wondered where the teacher was and asked the girl sitting aside her about it. The young woman informed her that the teacher was sick and that she would not be coming in that day. She had left an assignment and they were to complete it for homework and “do something productive” with their free period. Alexandra nodded to the young woman in thanks and looked around the room. There was really nothing for her to do, except stare off into space, read, or try to talk to the person in front of her. It was only when she noticed a familiar red duster jacket that she realized the young man who usually sat in front of her was absent. She scratched her cheek, wondering how exactly she had missed the fact that Shale had been sitting right in front of her. Of course, she was not going to complain, especially since she was interested in talking with him. She lightly tapped his shoulder with her index finger and leaned up to whisper lightly in his ear in a light and slightly teasing voice.

“Hey there, cutie. What are you up to?”

[Zander Shale]

        The morning bells rang out as the first classes finished for the day, their screech more a cry of freedom to most than anything else. To Zander, though, it was a sign of the end of his own freedom. Already walking down the halls as the bell sounded, he grumbled slightly to himself, voice a low mutter only he and those with the magical power to listen in on his irritation could hear. He couldn't just do his job and work on his powers, could he? No way José: He had to attend history class today. Was there really any reason he needed to go to this class? Honestly, he was better off running patrols or overseeing one of the events that the school was constantly running. Even power training classes would be better, though there's been some signs that his powers were incapable of advancing. That little tidbit only reinforced Zander's ego, making him think that he'd already mastered his power.

        Of course, as swiftly as he walked, it didn't take him long to reach the classroom, though a few students were already here. He did pick up, however, that the teacher for history had called in sick, instead having an in-class assignment left to be worked on. You know, if they're gonna waste my time, the least they could do is make it productive. This is such a pain, he thought with a somewhat irritated expression. However, orders were orders, so he went to one of the open seats closer to the back, noting the kid wasn't there like usual and taking the opportunity to be not so close to the front. He preferred being able to see most of the others, especially so he could keep an eye out for troublemakers.

        As more students filed in, more and more murmurs, whispers, and light voices could be heard. Still, the room got nowhere near full, so it was much less than it could have been. And, of course, the assignment was so simple, it didn't take but a few minutes to finish, yet they were told to wait in here until their class' normal end time. Zander took this time to yank out his phone and look things over. He had some calendar alerts for Prefect events that he should probably review, but didn't feel like it. He could always listen to music, but he forgot his headphones. And, in the midst of deciding on things, he wandered into his texts, the most prominent of which were his texts to Alexandra. Boy, did they text a lot. Nothing important really, mostly complaining to each other about duties, the excitement (or lack thereof) at the school, and a couple times about music. There was even a bit of flirting in there, the thought of which made him grin. She was obviously very pretty, she seemed to have a good taste in music, and to top it off, she had a pretty nice personality. Of course he'd flirt with her, especially when she flirted back. That just made the interaction more fun.

        Of course, after a while, he shoved the phone into its pocket after turning up nothing to do, but fate worked out in his favor. Almost immediately after, he had felt a small tapping on his shoulder and, right after that, a light voice he instantly recognized. The moment she spoke, his grin came right back. Even now, the slight teasing tone that accented her voice gave him a small tickle inside. She sure did like to flirt when she did so. Not missing a beat, he shifted slightly to throw his arm over the back of the chair, turning to face her as he winked back before responding to her question in a playful tone, winking back as he did so.

        "Oh, you know: sitting here wasting away. I'm sure our teacher would just love to see me talking to a sweet thing like you. It's good thing you're here, too. Now I won't die of boredom."

[Alexandra Thompson]

In the back of her mind, Alexandra wondered just what about Zander made her so bold. Maybe, it was his slightly cocky attitude that she tried to look up to, in a way. She had been through a lot of things that had plummeted her self-confidence and she supposed being friends with Zander might help her gain back what she had lost. Sure, she could heal people and was a great help to the nurses at Ashford, but that did not change the fact that she was scarred in many ways. A small frown crossed her face at the thought, but she shook it away. There was no need to dwell on the sadness of the past when there was hope and joy in the present. Of course, the past would still come up in her mind and she would never forget what happened, but she could not wallow in sorrow for the rest of her life. She had to smile and go through life, grateful for the gift of life that she still possessed. She had decided to make as many friends as she could and stay as positive as she could, even in such a dismal place. Some people in her situation might have chosen to join Battle Front out of spite, but she had decided to stay neutral, for the sake of the students who did not want to get caught in the crossfire. After all, they needed a healer too. She would not turn anyone away, however. If a prefect or battle front member came to her needing help, she would give it, no questions asked.

Normally, Alexandra would have been surprised if someone paid attention to her, but, in this case, she was not. After all, they had been flirting over text for several weeks after their initial meeting, so it made sense that he would turn around to talk to her. His response caused a soft giggle to bubble up in her mouth and be released between her thin, pink lips. She had to admit, he was a much better smooth-talker in person, though the double winks made her snicker quietly. She leaned back a little in her seat, rolling her shoulders back a little. She knew they were tense, and she had to remind herself to rub her shoulders to get the kinks out later. She was not sure why she was tense, though; she did not feel stressed. The assignment for the class period had been an absolute joke, and she finished it within ten minutes of receiving it. She idly wondered why they had to stay the whole class period, especially since part of class had not even bothered to come. Before meeting Zander’s golden eyes, Alexandra’s blue ones settled on the pen sitting on the flat surface of the desk. She picked it up and started to twirl it between her fingers, a small smirk playing on her lips as she thought of a response to his statement.

“She would hate it if she was here, but she isn’t, so I guess we’re lucky, hm? Heh, same here. I’d rather talk to you than get lost in my own thoughts. Talking to you is more fun than talking to myself.”

As she spoke, Alexandra leaned forward, placing her left elbow on her desk and resting her chin on her outstretched palm. In the other hand, she continued to idly twirl the pen between her fingers. The young woman always seemed to be doing something with her hands, whether it was playing with a pen or flipping through a textbook. She let out a soft sigh of boredom before looking around the room to identify possible springboards for conversation. She was an intelligent young lady, but her social skills were not particularly good, so she had a hard time conversing, even with people that interested her. She lightly drummed her fingers on her cheek before remembering something they had in common from their text messages: music. A small smile crossed her face before she spoke to him again, her tone indicating that she was actually quite interested in the answer to her question.

“You know, I didn’t peg you as a general music fan. For some reason, I thought you would be a fan of country, or maybe metal. The latter is really stereotypical, though… Anyway, any reason for variations in genres, or is that just how it is?”

[Zander Shale]

        This day felt like it was dragging on indefinitely, which was only because he had to attend this stupid class. Did they honestly think he'd learn something here he could google later on, and did he really need to know anything about how the Huns pretty much wiped out Asia on a bloody rampage to Italy and the rest of Europe? How in the world was that supposed to help him when he was busy dodging thrown icicles, bolts of lightning, and fists from hooligans with enough strength to bend steel without breaking a sweat? The only thing that was initially making the wait in the classroom worthwhile was that the teacher wasn't there blabbing on. He didn't wish the woman to be sick, but he really had gotten tired of how she spoke.

        And as the day wore on, it turned out to become even better. The assignment was really easy, so it was quickly finished, and this meant Zander, while having to stay in the room, was pretty much free to do whatever. Of course, he still kept an eye out for trouble. Being a student didn't stop him from being a Prefect, so he had to always be ready for whether or not someone was causing a ruckus. Of course, as time went on, his day got to be even better as soon as Alexandra happened upon him. The more he thought on anything about her, the more he liked pretty much everything. She had a very nice, soft voice, she was quite pretty, and she had a very spunky but modest attitude. It's like the greatest parts of the universe came together to make her, and he enjoyed any time he was talking with her. And now, he could definitely say he preferred talking to her in person than over texts.

        Even now, their small flirts were more enjoyable than most anything he'd done before, which was saying a lot. He took a moment to look her over, carefully watching how she busied her hands with the pen. Damn, she looked cute when she was lounging around, but he needed to focus, since she obviously just asked him a question. Music was one of his favorite things in life. It gave him a distraction from some of the harder things in his life, and even now, offered him a moment of respite during those tough days. Deciding to take a break from being an uptight Prefect, he spun himself around, straddling the chair as he gave a very small smile to her, speaking somewhat softly, but loud enough so she could hear clearly.

        "It's funny. I sorta just drifted into them. I always seemed to like music as it was. And, yes: I do like Metal and Country, just so ya know."

        His last words come off slightly teasingly, which is what he was going for, but in all honesty, he was telling the truth. He pretty much liked whatever music that was playing, though he didn't go bonkers over it. But now, he was curious about her. Granted, he was curious about a lot of things when it came to her, but right now, Zander was interested in what music she liked. He brought his arm against the back of the chair and rested his chin on it, a relaxed smile on his features as he spoke up again.

        "Now, you just know I have to ask, just what do you like when it comes to music? Classics, obviously, and a bit of Contemporary Rock, but is there anything else that.... tickles your fancy?"

        His last words come off a bit playful, his smile turning into a slightly goofy grin. He couldn't help it. He was enjoying his time far too much, and he wasn't going to let anything get him down. At least, he hoped nothing could get him down.

[Alexandra Thompson]

Alexandra was really happy to find out Zander was in her class. Of course, she should have known; they were around the same age, so it would make sense that they would have the same classes. Now that she was equipped with this knowledge, she made a mental note to keep an eye out for him in other classes. Maybe she could get away with glancing at him every once in a while. She had to admit, those broad, strong shoulders looked really nice on him... She shook her head a little; what the hell was she thinking?! Sure, they had been flirting over text, but that did not give her the right to be thinking like she was! A blush crossed her cheeks and she ducked her head so her hair covered her face. She was not going to let him know she had been thinking about him like that. Physical appearance aside, though, he did seem to be genuinely kind and a lot of fun, despite his prefect status. Sure, he wanted people to follow the rules, but she bet that, if she asked him to have an ice cream fight with her, he would accept without hesitation. The thought made her giggle a little.

As she twirled her pen idly, she felt his eyes boring into her. She glanced up at him, her sapphire eyes meeting his rich, yellow ones. There was just something about them that reminded her of gold. Yes! His irises were like liquid gold. She blinked a little, feeling her cheeks flush again. What the hell was she on about, anyway? Once she was able to shake herself from her embarrassing thoughts, she noticed him trying to refocus himself as he turned himself around. She let a soft giggle slip from between her lips; maybe they both got lost in their own thoughts. His response drew a small smile from her. They had a lot in common, and she quite enjoyed that. It had been a long time since she had talked to someone so much, and especially someone she had so much in common with.

"I had a suspicion. You said you 'seemed to like music as it was', so... "

Alexandra smiled a little as he leaned forward. Damn, he just looked so cute like that... Her cheeks flared pink again and busied herself with examining her hair. Once she felt calmer, she returned the soft smile and rested her chin on her palms, leaning forward a little. His question made her tilt her head a little bit. She let out a soft hum, thinking to herself a little. Her music tastes were... eclectic, she supposed. She liked both newer and older songs, and would pretty much give anything a try, at least once. She hummed once more before answering him in a soft, but cheery voice. Her last statement was more teasing than serious.

"I'll give anything a shot once. I do like classics, and contemporary rock, but I also like a little pop music, too. 'Love Me Harder' is one of my favorites, currently. As for tickling my fancy, you have to buy me dinner first, at the very least."

[Zander Shale]

        If Zander were to describe how he felt when he saw Alex, it would be something akin to a slightly warm, fuzzy tingle down his spine. He didn't know quite what that feeling would be called, but he sure did enjoy it, as well as his time talking. Her voice was really soothing, almost like a musician's with a soft tone. And just as he thought that, another one came to mind: Why did he take so much effort to think that? It wasn't something he did about people he had just met. Then again, she was quite a bit of fun to be around. Maybe that's why he thought for so long on how her voice sounded.

        He found it wonderful that Alexandra was in his class. It also occurred to him that she could be in any of the other classes he was forced to attend, assuming she was the same grade as him. That meant he actually had a reason to go to those classes. He really didn't want to go there in the first place, but now, classes didn't seem so bad. However, he couldn't help but notice her distracting herself regularly. Was there something important she was thinking about, or did he say something off? He wouldn't normally care about something like that, but she was a nice person, so that changed things slightly. Only slightly, though. It's not like they were more than friends or anything. The flirting was no indication otherwise, either. 'Not at all' he kept telling himself. Her response gave him enough of a distraction, though, to focus again. That's quite a boast, but one that didn't surprise him. And yet again, that teasing statement at the end made him the tiniest bit more excited to talk to her. Something about her just made him feel more bold than usual, and he liked that. As casually as she spoke to him, he responded to her back, a light smirk now gracing his lips.

        "Hmm... Sounds like you and I have more in common than we thought. Now, I don't know about dinner, but~... I might be able to scrounge up a nice lunch when we get done here. Assuming, you know, you aren't against sitting with a big, bad Prefect like me."

        Once again, he teased back to her, and yet, he was surprised: Did he honestly just ask her to have lunch with him? Even he was shocked by the idea. Still, though, he enjoyed the idea that she might take up his offer, so he simply decided to sit and gaze at her lightly as he idly twirled a lock of his hair around.

[Alexandra Thompson]

Alexandra was usually a very shy young woman. She was the bookworm who was always reading some kind of book. She was the dreamer who, when she was not reading or in class, was listening to music while daydreaming about her wishes and fantasies. She was not the type of girl that went outside of her room much, forget purposely flirting with someone she thought was cute. There was just something about Zander that had managed to pull her out of her shell and caused her to be so openly flirtatious around him. Even if things did not work out in her favor, she was going to keep him around as a friend for sure. He was kind, fun to talk to, and, most of all, interested in some of the same things she was. He would probably joke with her that she was a nerd, especially when he got to know her better and spent more time with her, but she would not mind it much. She felt like the jabs would be more lighthearted, something along the lines of a light tone that accompanied the word “nerd” or a comment that she read a lot more than he had originally thought. Of course, she did much more than read, though it was one of her favorite things to do. A small smile crossed her lips; yes, she could get used to calling Zander a friend. After all, he piqued her interest and caused her to go out of her comfort zone, which were the two things a good friend was supposed to do.

Alexandra’s thoughts confused her, so she was trying to distract herself from them. She did not want to let on to the fact that she might or might not think he was cute. She distracted herself constantly so that she did not get stuck in those thoughts, which would cause her cheeks to turn pink. Her fair skin let her body give away many emotional states, but mainly embarrassment. The rosy color of her cheeks and the bridge of her nose had to take time to wear off, which was why she tried to avoid embarrassing situations in the first place. Her blue eyes settled on his face and she noticed the slight look of confusion on it. She tilted her head in curiosity, blinking a little before smiling shyly at him and biting her lower lip lightly. It seemed that the mention of her (current) favorite song brought his curiosity back around to her and she chuckles silently to herself. The smirk that danced across his lips made her heart beat slightly faster, and in combination with those slightly smug, and yet somehow sincere words just made her want to swoon. She blinked a little, trying to make it out to be surprise, even though it was more to prevent her mind from continuing in the direction that it had been going in earlier. A smirk once again graced her lips as she responded in a sweet, yet somehow sultry tone. The middle of her statement was puncuated by a cute giggle.

“Ooh~ That sounds lovely, hun. And no, I’m not really scared. I bet under that big, bad, persona, you’re a teddy bear. Or at least, that’s the impression I get.”

In all honesty, Alexandra hoped she was right. He did seem like a very nice and fun young man. Unfortunately, he had to put on a front because of his job. She was almost sure of this because, just from their interaction that day, she could tell that he was more easy-going than he let on. That was not even including the fact that he was sexy as hell, especially when he looked at her the way he was while doing something idly. She smiled shyly again, biting her lower lip slightly as she did. She internally hoped she looked cute and attractive as opposed to awkward and not so attractive. She propped her elbows on the desk, lacing her fingers together and lightly placing her chin on them. After a few minutes, she spoke again, falling back into her shy smile and lip-biting combination afterward.

“Well we’ve established that you like music. Do you happen to play any instruments or sing?”

[Zander Shale]

        Zander was surprised about Alexandra. That day they met at the nurses' office gave him the initial impression that she was simply a workaholic; She only seemed like she wanted to patch him up and get him on his way again. And yet, in those few short moments, she showed him enough of her true self to completely change his train of thought about her. That actually made her even more interesting to him. It meant she was full of surprises, and he liked that about her. In fact, he was learning about her choice in music just now, and was ecstatic over the revelation. Geez, if he had some kind off tail, it'd probably be wagging at a hundred miles an hour, and he was thankful he didn't have one.

        The entire time they talked, Zander couldn't keep his eyes off her. It felt almost physically impossible to do so. She just looked amazing. Granted, looks weren't everything to him, especially having been pretty short for his age until just recently, but man, did she seem amazing. Her blonde hair was just a shade or two away from matching his, her eyes were the most beautiful blue color he could imagine, and her figure would make lesser men drool. And her mannerism were just plain alluring, sometimes, especially her lip-biting. He didn't realize something like that could make someone look cute, adorable, and seductive all at the same time. Whether or not that was her intention, it still had that effect. He also couldn't just out and say that to her, even though part of him really wanted to. Again, he decided to focus on her words, though her giggling distracted him slightly. Dammit, it's like they were having a contest of wills and she was using everything he was weak to, intentionally or not. And worse, her tone of voice carried a sultry demeanor with it. He could almost melt in place at this point, but he powered through the emotion. He had just enough focus to realize what she asked, and as it turned out, he was actually pretty good with guitars, both classic and electric styles, and only slightly handy with a piano. He shifted his elbows onto the back of the seat and cupped his chin with both hands as he spoke back, his tone slightly teasing and alluring at the same time.

        "You keep using that tone of voice on me and you may just find out how much of a teddy-bear I am~. Believe it or not, I actually am pretty good with a guitar. Piano... ehh, I know there's 13 keys for a reason, but that's it. Of course, I could always show you later, if you're interested~."

[Alexandra Thompson]

It was true that Alexandra took her work in the Nurse’s Office seriously. She did not normally talk with her clients after she patched them up, much less flirted with them or gave them her phone number. Outside of the office, though, she was a genuinely nice young lady. She was usually shy, and did not talk to people much. This was exacerbated by the fact that she was one of the newer students at the school, even if it felt like she had under governmental control for eons. She sighed internally; she tried not to think too much about what had happened to her in the past. She pulled at the sleeves of her blazer out of habit, still keeping her chin balanced on her hands. The small, shy smile crossed her face once more as her off-white teeth embedded themselves in her lower lip once more. She seriously wondered if her sweet and shy facial expression was actually more embarrassing than sexy. Of course, she was not necessarily trying to act a part; she was really just acting like her awkward self. After some time, she shifted one arm out from under her chin and started twirling a lock of hair around her finger idly, only noticing that he was staring directly at her when she looked him directly in the eyes.

Alexandra had not thought much about the type of guys she liked, mainly because she was too busy fighting for her life and the lives of others. In that moment, though, she thought about it very briefly. In her fantasies, the guys usually had dark hair, but some form of light eyes. She was not going to complain, though. His gold-spun locks in reality were much more appealing than any of the dark hair in her dreams. And those eyes… Mmm, they were gorgeous, especially when paired with that confident smirk. Not to mention the broad shoulders and surely gorgeous body beneath the uniform. It was like someone had read her mind and thrown all of the traits that she had daydreamed about into one person, who just happened to be real. To say that she was trying her hardest not to swoon was the understatement of the day. It was curious as to why he did not react much to her actions, whether it was the shy smiles or the cute giggling, but she thought maybe he had not noticed. Her sapphire eyes glanced at the clock for a split second, just to check the time. She was not sure how much time was left in the period, even after being at the school for several months at that point. It may have also given her an excuse to look back at him with another shy smile and piercing, blue gaze. She leaned forward slightly when he mentioned the fact that he played guitar in that wonderful, alluring tone of his. The fact that he played not just the guitar, but also the piano confirmed that someone, somewhere had read her mind and fated them to meet. A smirk crawled across her face as she spoke again.

“Ooh, that sounds like a challenge~ I like it. Are you now? Since you brought it up, the least you can do is show me. Well, when we have more time, that is. If I’m interested? Hun, you can play the guitar. You’re miles ahead of me already. The best thing I can do is sing, and even then, I mainly do it in the shower.”

[Zander Shale]

        Zander was never one to hold appearances highly. He had a strict philosophy that could be summed up by the well-known phrase "Never judge a book by its cover." What people show on the outside, more likely than not, is much different from who that person really is. Take him, for example. He's brash, sure, and is more concrened about following the heart of the law, not so much the letter of it. Yet, how was he amongst most people? Serious, level-headed, and almost a stickler for the rules. Why? Cause it was his job. He could care less if two students were making out in the girls dorms after curfew. If nobody was being hurt, it shouldn't matter. Hell, Alexandra is the first person he's acted naturally around for the most part, save for his odd tendencies to get absorbed in looking at her, though he mused that he could do so all day without being bored.

        That thought reminded Zander of something: How is it that someone like Alexandra would make it here of all places? Granted, her having powers of her own gave a great deal of help in causing this, but besides that, how is it that someone so amazing could manage to find herself here at the same time as him? It's not like someone read his mind and went "Yeah, she's a great match for him. Let's just drop her here." For one thing, nobody cares that much about Zander. For another, if they did, he'd be weirded out by the thought. And lastly, it's not like Anyone knew he had a thing for beautiful, blonde-haired musicians with amazingly deep blue eyes. Hell, he didn't even know that, and yet, he was sure that was the best part.

        And again, he found himself distracted. Sure, he caught all of her words, but her smirk shot through his focus like it was made of glass. And this time, he showed it, what with the deep breaths and quickening heartrate. And as soon as reality snapped back to him, his face actually showed a small tint of red that he immediately shook off. He had worked hard not to get worked up over her, and he failed miserably, but in that moment, he wondered if it was ok to show that part of him. Just maybe, but not in front of everyone he mused. However, he gave his own smirk back to her when he refocused, speaking lightly and softly so only she could hear, with more playfulness than ever, and still soaked in the alluring tone from before.

        "Mmm... Maybe it was a challenge~ As for more time, we could always take our lunch breaks together and up to the music room down the hall. Heh, I gonna have to hear that singing voice of yours more, by the way. Loved it before. Seems your far too gifted in all the right ways~"

[Alexandra Thompson]

Alexandra never really judged someone by their external appearance or demeanor; rather, she used it as a first impression of sorts. In all honesty, she had thought Zander was a little pushy when he initially entered the office that fateful day. As she talked to him a little more, she saw that he was just in a rush because a commander had berated him. She had figured that he was not as abrasive or unkind as he had sounded. She was grateful to find out, after all the fuss, that he really was a nice guy who simply did his job properly. She shrugged a little; it really did not matter at that point. He was sweet, and he flirted back and forth with her, so, honestly, she could not complain. Not many people showed as much interest in her in her life, especially when she was in the system, so someone paying her attention was greeted with great enthusiasm and kindness, though the latter was just part of her nature. Even if she was looking out for herself, Alexandra would still make sure that the other people around her were okay, even if she could only talk with them for a brief time. In fact, one of the girls from the lab had written her a note that told her how wonderful of a person she was and how one day, she would do great things. She kept the note hidden in the depths of her backpack where no one would find it. She would look out it on bad days and remind herself that people cared. Having someone who payed attention to her did not necessarily negate the notes contents, but, it did help her believe them a little more. She could not help but notice he kept looking at her, but, honestly, she was not really bothered by it. Normally, she would have thought it was a little creepy, but, since they had gotten to know each other a little bit, it was not as bad. Besides, what girl would complain about a cute guy being distracted by her? No girl that she had met at Ashford, or anywhere else for that matter.

Alexandra tilted her head a little, a sudden thought coming into her head. How had he gotten here? Surely, someone so naturally laid back would have been able to keep his powers a secret. Then again, she really did not know what had happened in his life. Maybe, someone attacked his family and he flipped out, causing his powers to be revealed. Maybe he just lost control and ended up getting caught. All she knew was that she was simply watched like a hawk and, without warning, found herself in a government lab. All she had been doing was healing the cuts and bruises of the little kids who came to the house. Maybe it was her uncanny ability to make them stop crying that tipped off the directors. Whatever it was, she suddenly found herself in captivity, essentially, and was promptly sliced up for experimentation purposes. The thought sent an uncomfortable shiver through her body, but she tried not to let her feelings show on her face, since no one else knew. She did not trust him to that extent; at least, not yet. Maybe one day, she would be able to tell her story. For that moment, though, she kept a small smile on her face, her teeth still lightly pressed into her lower lip.

Alexandra noticed that Zander’s heart rate and breathing rate spiked when she mentioned she only sung in the shower. The red blush across his cheeks only confirmed what she thought was happening. She was no mind reader, but she guessed he probably thinking about her in the shower. Honestly, it was no surprise that he had reacted like he did, but the thought of anyone thinking of her like that made her cheeks flush pink slightly. Her blue eyes met his gold ones as he spoke again. His voice was soft and low, and drew her attention with the slightly sensuality lacing his words. Her teeth dug further into her lower lip. That voice of his was going to be her undoing, she knew it. Despite her distracted mind, she still paid close attention to his words, giggling cutely. She leaned forward more, pressing her abdomen against the desk and grinning as she spoke sweetly and seductively.

“Mm, I like challenges~ Hm? I didn’t know we had one. Well, that sounds like a lovely idea. Aww, thank you, hun. If I may say, it seems like you are too.”

[Zander Shale]

        The days here at Ashford seemed to drag on longer and longer the more time he spent here. Granted, he knew that was impossible; the laws of physics, especially time and space, don't just magically change just because some place is boring to hell and back again. Thankfully, the past few weeks hadn't been like that overall, and it was all thanks to Alexandra. The girl had a knack for keeping him distracted and preoccupied as opposed to uninterested and unamused.What surprised him, though, is that she had an honest interest in him at all. Sure, he was pretty awesome overall, but even he knew that not everyone would like him for that. In fact, the scrape he got into the day he met her could just as easily been caused by that, though the frantic shouting to "Kill the Prefect" did partially reinforce the obvious. Honestly, had he not grown up getting into brawls with other kids on the streets, he probably wouldn't be where he is now, or alive for that matter. Those fights kept him on his toes and gave him enough experience to get by in life.

        And yet, for the life of him, he still wasn't very good at talking to girls. At least, not without the occasional goof-up. He knew better than to daydream about how pretty they might be laid back in a chair and singing to their heart's content, and just like that, he was at it again. He wanted nothing more than to have a normal conversation without his baser instincts to drool over the pretty lady taking over, but obviously, he was making no progress in that regards. And plainly before him was the reason: Whether out of nervousness or as a bid to appear cute, the shy lip-biting made her look adorable, precious even. And then came that forgiving giggle of hers. Every time she used it, he'd feel a small warmth tingle all over, relaxing his usually tense body. This girl was special, and more than because she had "gifts". Her words elicited a grin from him back to her, his body leaning forward slightly as well. At this point, they were so close that she was practically the only thing in sight, especially her deep, intoxicating blue eyes. With great enthusiasm, he spoke softly and lowly so only she could hear, his tone inviting and seductive s well.

        "Mmm... That's good to know. And yup, it's pretty nice in there. Aww, you didn't have to say that about little old me. There are /far/ more interesting things I'd love to hear you say about me~"

        Zander was really getting into the swing of things when a sound loud ringing echoed through the school. Just like that, their class period ended and, almost instantly, kids were filing out of the room with all haste. As Zander snapped his head around, he had a small tinge of regret go through him: Him and Alex's time was up. It made him sad that she'd probably be leaving very soon. He didn't like that and, quite frankly, wasn't going to let it happen that easily. He did just offer to have lunch with her, and it was time for lunch, so why not make a habit of it now rather than later? He took a stand from his seat, fishing the book from the desk behind him, before turning to her and smirking, offering her his free hand and speaking to her in a lightly lilting voice, still just as casually sensual as before.

        "Darn... looks like we can't waste anymore classtime. Whadaya say we ditch this place and get that lunch? Besides, we can have infinitely more fun together if I may say so~"