Welcome to New Haven (40 page)

Holly opened the translator app and then showed it to Dev.
 

“Has that translated correctly?”
 

Dev laughed as she nodded her head ‘yes’

H: Dev me ha enseñado algunas palabras de colores. Los encuentro muy útil.
 

A: Like what?

“He wants to know what.” Holly said as she smiled to Dev.

“Let’s see what we can say then.” Dev said as she thought for a moment.
 
“I’ve thought of something…” She said with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. “…Send this. ‘Me gustaría lamer su estómago'."
 

“What does it mean?” Holly asked.
 
She wasn’t about to send Alex a message if she had no idea what it meant.
 
It could be anything, and knowing Dev, it would be.
 

“Um…it means ‘I want to punch you in the stomach.” Dev pulled her bottom lip into her mouth to stop herself laughing.
 

“I can’t say that, Dev.
 
He might take it personally.”
 

“He won’t” Dev assured her.
 
“It’s what
I’ve
taught you.”
 

“What does it mean, Dev?” Holly asked, raising an eyebrow and warning in her tone.
 

“He’ll like it.
 
I promise.”
 

Holly did
not
trust Dev as she was almost bursting with trying to hold back her laugh.
 

“I’ll just use my app.”
 

“You’re no fun.” Dev said, pouting.
 

“I would like to lick your stomach?
 
Really Dev?” Said Holly as she translated and Dev burst out laughing.
 

“Oh, Hol.
 
Just imagine his face if you sent that! It would be awesome!” Dev continued to giggle as Holly shook her head at her friend.
 

“I wouldn’t be able to show my face again!”
 

“Well, I’ve taught you that sentence, haven’t I? Say it out loud to prove it. Then, you can safely say ‘Dev taught me…’”
 

“I don’t think he’ll buy that Dev.”
 

“Oh just say it. Let me hear you.” Dev just stared and waited for Holly to repeat the sentence.
 

“Fine.” Holly repeated and Dev giggled again.
 

“That was great! Just send it Holly. Please?”

Holly thought for a moment.
 
Could she do it? Could she make a comment like that?
 

He must know by know that I like him.

“I don’t know.” Holly said after a few seconds thought.
 
“I think I’ll just say what you taught me.”
 

“Boooooo!”
 

Holly replied to Alex.

H: Dev taught me - Vete a la mierda, perra, puta,

 
gilipollas.

A: Well well! At least they can be useful at times. :D

What the hell!
Holly thought, and she typed out ‘Me gustaría lamer su estómago’.
 

Then instantly changed her mind.
 

“
Oh shit
!"
 

“What?” Asked Dev.
 

“I just sent it.” Holly said with a hand over her mouth. Dev threw her head back and laughed…hard.
 

“I was going to press ‘cancel’, but I pressed ‘send’ by mistake."

Holly’s heart felt as though it was going to jump in her throat as Dev tried to stop her laughter as she started to get some annoyed looks from other people there.
 
Holly’s phone beeped again, and she was afraid to look.
 

A: ?!! I just spat water everywhere!

“What did he say?” asked Dev as she looked over at Holly’s phone. She chuckled. “Just tell him I told you, which I did.”
 
She said.

Alex was busy clearing the water up that he’d spat all over the table.
 

“What did she say?” asked Ben as he reached for Alex’s phone.
 

“Hey!” Said Alex as he grabbed for it. Ben was quicker.
 

“Oh my God dude!” He said in surprise. “My Spanish isn’t perfect, but does that say she would like to lick your stomach?!” Ben was laughing at that point.
 

“Dev probably had something to do with it.” Said Alex.
 

“What if she didn’t? Asked Ben.
 

“You know how Holly gets when we talk face-to-face. I doubt she would say that.”
 

His phone beeped.

H: Sorry. Dev told me that, today, and thought it would be

 
funny to send it to you. I wasn’t going to, but I pressed

 
send instead of cancel.

“Told you.” He said and showed Ben his message.
 
Ben was holding his stomach from laughing and Alex wanted to punch him in it instead.
 

“The look on your face man.
 
You look, what’s the word Emily used…oh yeah…devo’ed!”
 

As Ben was having a fit, Alex wondered what to reply.
 
He wanted to say something like ‘I might have guessed’ or ‘figures,’ but he decided ‘
to hell with it
’ and to just say something about how he felt about it. He smirked, mischievously, at Ben.
 

“I know that look.
 
That means you’re up to something.”

Alex typed out his message and clicked ‘send.
 

“What did you say?” asked Ben.
 
Alex smiled and put his phone in his pocket.
 
“Aw, come on! I thought we were friends?!” Ben whined.
 

“Friends don’t share everything, Ben”

“You’re an ass.” Ben said with a scowl.
 

“You’re a girl.”

“Why? Because I want the details?”

“Yep.”
 

“Ass.” Ben said as he sulked.
 

Alex rolled his eyes.
 

“Don’t repeat this to
anyone
.”
 

“Cool.” Said Ben as he instantly came out of his tantrum.
 

Alex shook his head and showed him the message.
 
Ben looked surprised as he read.
 

“Who are you, and what have you done with Alex?” Alex grinned.

Holly’s phone beeped.
 
She didn’t want to read it incase she’d hurt Alex’s feelings.
 
She would feel awful.
 
Holly nervously checked her phone and saw that the message was in Spanish.
 
She quickly translated it and her eyes opened wide and her hand flew to her mouth as she gasped in utter shock.

“Holly, what’s wrong?” asked Dev, concerned. “What did he say?”
 
Holly couldn’t speak as her face grew hotter.
 

“Oh my goodness.” She whispered, and she turned the phone to Dev.

A: Eres no serio? Eso es una vergüenza.

“You didn’t mean it? That’s a shame!” Dev translated as she read the message out.
 
“Oh my God!” Said Dev and she sucked her bottom lip in to stop her grin.
 

Holly looked at the message again, just to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
 
She was still frozen with her hand over her mouth as she thought of actually running her tongue over Alex’s hard, tight abs.
 

“Are you ok?” Dev asked as she placed her hand on Holly’s arm.
 

“Um…yeah.” She said. Blinking to bring her eyes into focus.
 
“What do I say to that?” She asked Dev, nervously.
 

“How about ‘who says I didn’t?” Said Dev.
 

“I’m not saying that!” Holly almost shouted.
 

“Whoa. Calm down, Hol. I was just kidding. Tell you what. I’ll text Alex and tell him it was my fault, which it was.”

“No it’s ok. I know what to say now.”
 

Holly typed out her message, and hit ‘send’.

H: I don’t know what to say to that. :/

Holly showed Dev the message, and she nodded.
 

“It’s the truth. I have no words.” Said Holly.
 

“I think the ball might have been given a swift push here.” Said Dev.
 

“Riss and Ryan have that to be thanked for.” Said Holly.
 
“Riss invited us over, Alex got my number, Ryan threw me in the water and Alex came to my rescue.” Holly explained.
 

“Good point.” Said Dev.
 
“Speaking of Ryan. What did he want you for?”
 

“He asked me for my help with something.” Said Holly.
 
Dev looked at Holly to carry on. “I can’t say at the moment, sorry, but it’s good.
Really
good.” Smiled Holly.
 

“Is this a ‘thank you’ from you?”
 

“You could say it is, yeah” Said Holly.
 

A couple of minutes had passed, and Alex hadn’t texted back and Holly was getting worried that he was upset with her.

Alex looked at his phone, Ben looking over his shoulder.

H: I don’t know what to say to that. :/

“What are you going to say?” asked Ben.
 

“I’m not sure.
 
I don’t know whether I’ve just scared her off.”
 

Alex was worried that he’s made a mistake with his cheeky reply.
 
Holly was nervous around him and now…had he made it worse?
 
He could kick himself for it.
 

“Ask her. Just say ‘I haven’t scared you off have I?’” Said Ben as he shoved a handful of popcorn into his mouth.
 

“That’s actually pretty good.” Alex typed out his message to Holly.
 
His fingers were shaking with nerves.

A: I haven’t scared you away, have I?

Alex waited for her reply and chewed on a thumbnail. Ben snorted a laugh as he watched.
 

“What does it say?” Ben asked when Alex’s phone beeped.
 

“I haven’t looked at it, yet,
Jeez
!” Said Alex.

H: Why would I be scared?

“Ooooh.” Said Ben as if this was juicy news.
 
“You
have
to reply to that."
 

Definitely.
 
She didn’t answer me.

A: You answered a question with a question.

H: So it would seem :)

Alex chuckled and Ben was leaning over trying to read, when he got a text from Dev.

D: I’m trying to teach Holly Spanish. Quit distracting her!

A: Sorry. :(

D: Hmmmmm
 

A: I’ve just been told off by my sister.

H: Me too. She’s so bossy!

A: XD Text you later?

H: Yeah.

A: Cool. X

H: X

Alex felt like doing a happy dance.
 
He added a kiss and wondered if Holly would too.
 
She did, and his chest warmed.
 

“I’m happy for you man.” Ben said when Alex showed him his messages.
 
“Seriously.
 
I’m glad things are starting to look up.”
 

“Thanks, Me too.”

Me too.
 
Definitely.

“Hey” Dev said as she walked in the hangout room.
 
Alex and Ben both turned to her.
 

“Hey, how’d it go?" Alex asked.
 
He was anxious to hear what had been discussed between the girls.
 
He wasn’t sure Ben should hear it but, as they were best friends, he’d probably end up telling him anyway.
 

“It went really well.
 
When we
eventually
got started.” Dev said as she narrowed her eyes at Alex.
 

“Sorry.” He smirked. “I couldn’t help myself.”
 

“Yeah well, I thought you had broken her, earlier.”
   

“Broken her?”
 

“She was frozen in shock for a while.
 
I’d wondered what you’d said to her.
 
She looked like this…” Dev made a face of shock with her hand over her mouth. “…She was like that for a little while.”
 

“Was she pissed?” asked Ben.
 

“No, not at all.” Said Dev and Alex saw that she only sideways glanced at him as she spoke.
 

Alex was relieved as he’d wondered what Holly was thinking when he sent the
 
text saying ‘that’s a shame’. At first, he’d thought he’d screwed up things by being playfully forward.
 

“She was fine actually. Why?” Dev asked, but looked at Alex.
 

“I thought I may have upset her with my text. I was just trying to make fun.” He said.
 

“Shocked, not upset.” Said Dev.
 
“Especially when you asked whether it scared her off.” She smiled.
 

“Yeah.
 
What did she say? Besides what she replied.”

“Nothing, actually.”
 

“Nothing?”

“Yep.
 
She just smiled and answered your text."

Alex was glad.
 
He wanted things to go forward with Holly, and he was happy he hadn’t set them back.
 

“Well that’s good then.” Said Ben, as he was watching Dev.
 
“Alex, let’s get back to destroying the bad guys.”
 

“Graçias.” Alex mouthed to Dev and went back to playing his game.

As soon as dinner was over, Alex went up to his room to text Holly in private.
 
He hoped she was free so they could chat without being disturbed.