to be or not to be {axel}

[JULIAN SORENSEN]

How on earth was he supposed to react to this? What was he supposed to say? He should have just let the subject rest when he had the chance instead of pressing like he'd been...how stupid had that been? What if he was completely dashing all chances of even an acquaintanceship with this beautiful and intelligent girl?

No, no, no, that wasn't an option. He didn't just go about ruining things like that, he was Axel Vestergaard, and he was far better than that.

"No! I mean, I'm sorry. It wasn't you fault. It was me. I shouldn't have brought it up."

"Well, it was rather on topic," he noted with a wry smile, looking down at his shoes and then back up into her face. "Really, though, do not be too concerned about it...I mean. Honest mistake or...something of that nature...wait, no, nevermind." He felt his cheeks color slightly as he blundered rather awkwardly with his words, something he very rarely did at all.

"Uh, yeah, me too. I..guess?"

"Right, ah, right. Let's just. Stop talking about this, then." He offered her a small and sheepish smile, running a hand through his hair as he tried to get himself back together. Okay, come on, Axel. This is not a big deal. You have talked to many pretty women in your time, you can most definitely handle this conversation.

"So, uhm. What do you do... in your free time?"

Axel smirked a little bit. Certainly an abrupt subject change, but he wasn't about to complain at this point.

"Well, um...I like to read. And I like listening to music...fencing...I do a great deal of fencing in my spare time. I'm quite good at it, not to brag." He glanced over at her and smiled encouragingly, trying to relay to her that the sudden change of subject was most welcomed and appreciated. "How about you?"

[MARLENA CARTWRIGHT]

"Well, it was rather on topic."

Marlena nearly forgot to breath when he looked at her, wryness aside. She was pretty sure that that was just how he was by now, and honestly she didn't mind.

"Really, though, do not be too concerned about it...I mean. Honest mistake or...something of that nature...wait, no, nevermind."

She laughed as he stumbled over his words, her cheeks going a little red herself. She wasn't laughing at him, just a little giggle that anyone else would have guessed was kind of a flirty thing. Not that Marlena meant to do that, of course.

It was funny because he didn't seem like the type to stumble and stutter the way he just did. Perhaps she should have pretended she didn't notice, but it was too late for that now. Instantly she felt a bit guilty, but pushed that away.

"Right, ah, right. Let's just. Stop talking about this, then."

She definitely blushed when he smiled sheepishly and ran his hand through his dark hair. Funny, she never really made a guy kind of lose it before. Well, she never really noticed before. They really didn't matter, those boys she had liked before. This one was different. Definitely.

"Well, um...I like to read. And I like listening to music...fencing...I do a great deal of fencing in my spare time. I'm quite good at it, not to brag."

"I love reading," she said, and it was true. Though something was off about learning that he like fencing. Something made her a little... afraid? No, more concerned. Like he could get hurt.

That was ridiculous. Fencing was perfectly safe and she had no reason to believe otherwise. Somehow, she also thought of her brother. Okay, this was weird.

"How about you?"

"Well, I like to swim..." Had she mentioned that in the chat last night? She wasn't sure. "And I'm considering joining drama club."