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Alec Evans

Quiet, geeky dork who happens to have an obsession with Rubik's cubes. What's not to love?

0 · 484 views · located in Pontius

a character in “Pontius”, as played by Luv-is-a-Bug

Description

Image

Alec is tall, but not exceptionally so, standing just a hair below 6'. He’s not particularly muscular, sports having never been his strong suit, but he’s fit, and therefore satisfied.
His eyes are brown, looking darker against his fair skin, and he has dark, naturally arching brows that give him a questioning, quizzical look. His face is all sharp angles- a long nose, cutting cheek bones, a slightly pointed chin. The nature of his face directly opposes his very sweet and very quiet personality, giving him the look of someone much more aggressive than himself.
He's attempted to shed his dorky image by growing out his chocolate brown locks, which, until recently, have been meticulously maintained to project a polished and professional look. The result of his style change is a piece-y, side-swept 'do that he has heavily debated cutting back, although he looks darn sexy with his new, shaggier style.
Alec's wardrobe consists primarily of slacks, polo’s, and button-up shirts. Somewhere around fifth grade he decided to "dress to impress", and has sported his future-business-man-of-America look all through high school and into college. Oddly, it works on him, perhaps because he has the bookish personality to match. It's not that he doesn't own casual clothes, he just prefers the comfort of discomfort.

Personality

Full Name: Alec Benjamin Evans
Nick Name: Just Alec will suit him fine. He'd prefer you not call him "The Bionic Dork", "Mr. Rubik", or anything like that
Age: 20
Gender: Alec is of the male persuasion. Testosterone and all that jazz.

Alec is the type of kid who's always working on something, the seemingly introverted nerd with supposedly no social life. Though his head is often buried in whatever reading material he can find, he's generally approachable and easy to talk to. He's an empathetic soul, able to sympathize with just about anyone, and a surprisingly good listener. Honestly, he's a pretty nice guy, having never mastered the art of the words "no" or "fuck off". Of course, this means he's been taken advantage of in the past, as nice, dorky guys often are, but he's moved past it, for the most part.
Analytical by nature, Alec is cautious in new situations, often taking time to explore possible outcomes and scrutinize the details many fail to notice. Besides reading, he loves solving puzzles and mysteries, any number of brain teasers he can get his hands on. He has a Rubik's cube on his person at all times, usually stashed in his coat pocket, and sometimes a crossword puzzle or Sudoku. It's sort of a distraction, a therapeutic way to calm his nerves when things get too stressful. Because he is very prone to stress. VERY.

Equipment

- A Rubik's cube, almost always with him. What? You don't care around 70's memorabilia in your pocket?

History

Alec had a very proper upbringing. Born to a very wealthy family in Pennsylvania, he spent his early childhood roving the large house, appeasing his insatiable curiosity and inquisitive mind with the many rooms and passages of the mansion. His mother and father were never much around, but he was instilled with good manners at a young age, groomed and trained to take over the family business when he came of age.
But Alec wasn't interested. He didn't like the idea of presiding over board meetings, presenting in front of huge groups of people and being the one in charge. He saw what a bitter and angry man his father was and balked at the idea of following in his footsteps. His parents never showed him much affection, and being that he was an only child; he spent lots of time by himself. This, of course, is where his interest in puzzles and mechanics come from; he's always felt a need to figure things out and see how they work.
At the end of his senior year, Alec was poised to attend Stanford, taking the prestigious path his family had always followed. He was certainly smart enough, certainly well-mannered enough. Certainly a lot of things, really. And then he surprised everyone by heading off to community college to get a degree in computer science. As you can imagine, his parents were livid, and he really does feel guilty about betraying them this way. Okay, maybe not that guilty.

So begins...

Alec Evans's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Alec Evans Character Portrait: Destinie "Destin" Whittaker
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"To take the edge off." That's exactly what everyone needed. And, of course, "everyone" is really only applied to Destin and Alec. It was most likely that they were the only people on the property of this mansion that weren't under the influence of alcohol. Sure, they were capable of making rational decisions and good judgements, but where was the fun in that? Parties were for letting your hair down and forgetting about the bastards that dumped you to go off and sleep with random hookers. (On a side note, Destin did explicitly express that she hoped Sean got an STD from those Las Vegas prostitutes.) Parties were for throwing those thinking caps of yours up high into the air, forgetting about them as they floated away. Parties were for making mistakes that caused you to wake up in the morning regretting it. Well, wait.... Hating yourself and holding regret for doing something at a party didn't really sound very fun. Then again, she felt she wouldn't regret a thing if Alec was involved. Regret flew out the window when he was near; he was fun to be around. Yes, Alec is fun. We get it, Destin. She mercilessly chided herself for thinking that exact phrase roundabouts 800 times that night.

Destin watched his eyes glare at the beer can oh, so daringly. He was like an alpha lion prepared to take on any challenger; he was prepared for battle. Budweiser wasn't necessarily that large of a threat, but it was humorous how Alec handled the situation like it was. Alongside the tackle, Alec mentioned that the party was an experiment - a term she wasn't surprised a scientist like Alec would use. She laughed for the umpteenth time that night - because of Alec - and pulled a hand from its comfortable perch behind her. She gestured to the can, tilting her head and raising her eyebrows as if doubting he would willingly finish it. However, she watched excitedly, hoping he would give a memorable reaction. "Don't worry, I have trouble trying things out too, so I know where you're coming from. That beer, though..." Destin smiled, lowering her arm and just letting it hang there. "it helps if you just chug it down. Don't stop. I honestly didn't like it that much either."

That was the truth. The beer tasted like barf times the taste of the smell of a spoiled diaper. ...Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but still. Destin definitely had better alcohol than that. It was a given that one would taste better alcohol in her lifetime if she was roommates with Carrie. Carrie, a go-hard partier, brought home various drinks every weekend. It wasn't Destin's fault if the vodka, whiskey, beer, or wine was just sitting there on her desk, taunting her, in the midst of stressing to study for her classes.

"But, hey, it takes the edge off." Destin brought us full-circle by quoting Alec. She was mentally excusing her behavior for drinking late at night instead of studying, but - at the same time - she was trying to reassure Alec. What he said wasn't too crazy; it made sense. Maybe acknowledging and approving something of his would help him relax and just live life inhibition-free. Well, maybe not life, maybe just live through the party. Alec was too cute with his inhibitions for her to want him to rid of them forever. Alcohol was just the temporary fix she felt he needed to become more comfortable talking to her. I mean, come on. Even Stevie Wonder could see that the wild and a-little-over-the-top surroundings of the party were making him shy and reserved. Those times in the library where the two were alone brought out some of the best moments she had with him; if the beer didn't help him come out of his shell, then she didn't know what would.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Alec Evans Character Portrait: Destinie "Destin" Whittaker
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Once upon a time, Destin was a bad girl.
Okay, maybe she wasn’t bad, but she definitely wasn’t the best behaving person either. In her high school days, she spent her socializing time with the so-called "wrong crowd". The majority of her friends were the preppy, popular people that obviously focused on certain types of intimacy and illegal substances rather than school. Granted, she was no stranger to sex and drugs, but that did not mean she was worse than specific people (*cough* Carrie). Ever since her softball team won their first game her freshman year, she was a regular partygoer. However, she forced herself to dedicate time to her schoolwork. This was the whole reason why Alec and Destin came to meet, the reason why their paths crossed in their fateful lives. After all, her coach was strict about the “if-you-are-failing-any-classes-then-you’re-off-the-team” rule. Destin was sad to see many a good softball player leave the team because of this very rule. Nothing stopped her, obviously; otherwise, she wouldn’t have been on a full-ride athletic scholarship to a college. ON TOP OF THAT, this wasn't just any college; this was the college that Alec went to as well!

How exciting was that?!

Anyway, absolutely none of her party-going memories surfaced while being here with Alec. Instead, he was writing on a new page of Destin’s book of memories (though it was technically in the same chapter of the Dalec-y goodness). His virginity for alcohol was broken, and Destin felt glad to be there to see it. Not that that sounded weird
. Besides, Alec was a strange one, too; I mean, what was with all that Latin (was it even Latin?)? Whatever it was, it was one of those
 nerdilicious things he did. Destin’s redundancy made itself known as she thought (for the thousand-millionth time) that he was cute and funny and funny and cute. The difference this time, though, was that she dared to say it aloud. “You’re cute, Alec.” She accompanied her words with a laugh, clapping once for an excited effect.

“Now that you finally made that conquest of yours, what say you we get out of here? I can totally tell parties aren’t your thing and – honestly – I just want to get away from Carrie. It's like I can feel her eyes burning into me.” Without waiting another beat, Destin leaned forward to take Alec’s hand. Yes, she purposefully took his lovely, soft, perfect hands so she could hold them again. Excitedly, she gave a slight skip before pulling him along with her toward the parked cars. “I’ll drive, seeing as I’m not freshly buzzed.” She giggled, walking to her car with Alec’s hand still intertwined with hers. Her free hand dug around in her pockets for her car keys, pulling them out and pushing the automatic unlock button as they neared the silver Ford Focus.

It was a beautiful sight to see. If not to anyone, then at least to Carrie it would be. Let’s paint a picture. Destin is smiling, laughing, and holding Alec’s hand while heading to the cars. Not only was Destin leading Alec to her car, but they looked like they had serious chemistry. Anyone in the whole world could just feel the romantic tension leaking from the two. It was like they were ready to pounce on each other, with a shout of, “will you please go out with me already?!” If only one of them had the courage to actually do something about it.

Well... if you want to count Destin’s brave remark. about how they should leave, “the next step up” in their relationship, then sure
. Congrats to the lovely couple, what’s the name of their firstborn?

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Alec Evans Character Portrait: Destinie "Destin" Whittaker
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This is about how Alec had expected his evening to go:
1. Arrive at mansion at approximately 10 PM (which was neither unreasonably early nor fashionably late. Actually, it was right in the middle of when 90% of people were arriving, so he could be sure he would blend in with the masses swarming the party)
2. Refuse to consume alcohol, though he was sure it would be offered
3. Stand awkwardly against the wall and/or wander aimlessly through the house, depending on whether his legs needed stretching
4. Continue to refuse to consume alcohol
5. Eventually run into a person he knew and strike up a 2-5 minute conversation consisting of mindless chatter, drunken slurs (not on his part, of course) and numerous awkward pauses
6. Part ways with temporary party companion and find his way to some dark corner of the house, where he would bide his time by solving his Rubik's cube
7. Realize it was getting rather late (*le gasp!* Five minutes after midnight!)
8. Slip out of party, still refusing to consume alcohol
9. Return home to celebrate minor achievement of attending party by reading a good book and/or watching re-runs of "Big Bang Theory"

He believed this to be a solid plan, and had intended to follow it to the letter. He was somewhere between steps 2 and 3 when he bumped into Destin, and the night had gotten considerably better since she'd crumpled up his plan and tossed it into the metaphorical waste basket. This girl...she was just...so awesome. Like, if he were to classify her via Latin terms, she would be: Homo sapiens awesomesis. All the repressed feelings of puppy love resurfaced, demanding to be shared, and Alec literally bit his tongue to keep them down. BUT THEN!

She called him cute. Ohmygodshehadcomplimentedhim! And she had laughed! Oh. Oh wow. He felt his blush returning and ducked his head until the flushing subsided, hoping the tops of his ears weren't as red as his cheeks. But wait! It gets better. Could it really get better? She suggested that they leave the party...together. Destin and Alec. Alec and Destin. Leaving zeh parteh. Because college parties are like, so overrated and shiz. Driving off with your wifey-to-be is where it's at. (Shhh, don't tell Alec that last part; he doesn't know.)

Her hand was in his hand again. Is it wrong that he wanted to give a rather girl-ish "Eep!" as this happened? I'm sorry, but Alec is not particularly well-versed in the field of courting/wooing/impressing women, unless spelling bees, Mathletes, and long games of chess happen to be turn-ons for them. He allowed himself to be pulled along, stumbling through this glorious haze of good things. At that moment, Alec would have shot right up to the moon if Destin had asked him to. He vaguely recalled something called inhibitions...he used to have those. But not anymore! He was a CHANGED MAN (or a lovesick boy, depending on your viewpoint.) And our changed man was not at all concerned with the practicalities of real life. (For instance, what he was supposed to do with HIS car, or where he and Destin were going, or if he was dressed properly for the occasion). Hell, he had his Rubik's cube in his pocket and the love of his life (or at least of his high school) on his arm- he could conquer the world!

Just now finding his tongue, Alec scrambled to throw out something that would communicate the joy/happiness/OMG-ness of the moment. "Areyousure? I mean, yeah, let’s go! Let’s
wow. Wow.” He fumbled all over himself, as usual, and paused to take a breath. “I mean, I’d love to get out of here.” He didn’t ask where they were going. It was a continuation of the experiment, you see. He was going to go with it. He was going to ride this amazing train as far as it went and see where it ended up
hopefully it’d be somewhere good.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Alec Evans Character Portrait: Destinie "Destin" Whittaker
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Destin stopped in front of the left side of her car, letting Alec hop in the passenger side. She waited until he walked all the way around him and until her arm was outstretched before she let go of him. She giggled foolishly, as if slightly embarrassed that she wouldn't have let go of his hand. "Alright. We're going." Her words were definite; there was no going back now. All it took was for her to walk over to the car door she would enter and to turn the car on before the couple would zoom away. Far, far away. As Nellie Veitenheimer sings in her song, Lights, "Six-seventy-one million miles an hour we'll run." AmIrightoramIright? Excitedly, Destin skipped around to her side of the car and hopped in. "We are. Going." Destin clarified, in case any of the passengers in her car were unsure of if they would leave or not. Being a responsible driver, Destin buckled herself in and started the ignition, glancing over at Alec.

Woah, woah, woah. Was this deja vu?

The last time Alec got in her car, she drove him home. His car broke down in the school parking lot and she willingly gave him a ride. She could remember how stressed he looked. Walking out of the school building with a group of friends, Destin noticed that, five cars down from hers, Alec's vehicle's hood was up and there was poor Alec, trying to figure out what was wrong. Someone in her group pointed him out, "Hey, look, the nerd's got car trouble. Wonder if his street smarts are as good as his book smarts." Though that comment got several giggles, Destin felt the anger boiling up inside her. How dare one of her so-called friends mock Alec? Though the group was obviously out of earshot from Alec, she still wondered if he ever heard her when she stood up for him. "Right, Shayla, because being an auto-mechanic is all the rage. Oh, wait, I just can't see you doing that because wouldn't the oil mess up your manicure?" Promptly, Destin walked away from the group and up toward Alec to save his day. At least, she hoped she made it better.

Back in the present, Destin gave him a wide smile. "You have an idea where we should go or should I just drive?" At the last word, drive, Destin pushed on the gas, letting her car roll forward onto the winding driveway. Her eyes shifted back to watch where she was driving, though her smile lingered longer. Alec was in her car again, why shouldn't she smile?

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Alec Evans Character Portrait: Destinie "Destin" Whittaker
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Her hand was still holding his as they stopped at the car, and she waited until the last possible second before letting go. Even after her fingers had disentwined from his, he could still feel hers where they had been, like an imprint, or a promise. She giggled, which made him giggle (except giggling is what girls do, so his was more a masculine chuckle. JK, it was definitely a giggle), and then she told him that they were going. She announced it, stated it, proclaimed it- she gave the words a sort of meaningful finality that released a flood of adrenaline into Alec's already fidgety body. He got into the car and looked across at her, sitting confidently in the driver's seat, ready to pilot them on their great adventure.

Holy crap. Was that his heart making that loud, pounding sound? It sounded like it was trying to hack its way out of his chest with a freakin' pick ax. That couldn't possibly be healthy. He wondered if she remembered the last time they'd been in a car together...

That had sucked. Not the driving with Destin part, but the oh-noes-my-car-is-broken-and-smoke-is-coming-from-under-the-hood-and-I-am-really-worried-it-is-going-to-explode part. His parents had offered to get him a nicer car (and by nice we're talking in the $20,000 range. That was when he was still planning on going to Stanford and they still liked him), but he had insisted on buying himself a car, which is how he gotten Wilma. Wilma was a beat-up grey Chevy with mysteriously stained backseats, a permanent pine air freshner-mixed-with-fish guts odor, and a habit of breaking. A lot. Wilma also had a way of breaking down in very crowded, very public places, because the cranky old vehicle seemed to have a special fondness for humiliating him amongst his peers. Luckily, Destin was there to save our gentleman in distress, and he had called a tow truck for Wilma.

Destin's question brought him back to the present. Driving. They were driving, and she had asked him where they should go. The world was their oyster! "Just drive," he said, trying to sound confident and suave. A chill wind came in through the cracked windows, brushing against Alec's cheek. Behind them lay the party, and before them lay a dark and infinite world that brimmed and bubbled and practically boiled over with possibility. Because tonight was going to be a good night. Oh yes, tonight was going to be a good, good night. XD

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Alec Evans Character Portrait: Destinie "Destin" Whittaker
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"Yes, sir." Destin chirped, happily applying a bit more gas to the car as it rolled down the driveway. Her car carted her and Alec away from the pounding mansion and toward whatever was to come. She donned a smile, turning down her radio further so that the station wasn't an irritable background rabble. She wanted to hear Alec's charming voice. It was smoother than music to her, and, quite honestly, she could listen to him talk about anything all the merry day long. His voice had that charm that could make even Organic Chemisty sound interesting.

As her car quietly (and somewhat slowly) rumbled down the gravelly driveway, she glanced over at her passenger, curiously examining his expression. "So, Alec, do you like anything from that diner up on thirty-third street? I was thinking we could pig out on late-night pancakes as we caught up on our latest happenings. It's like IHOP, but a trillion times better. They give you extra sausage links." As she spoke, she glanced back to the road and sped up slightly, maneuvering around the winding passageway impatiently. It seemed to take longer leaving the property than it did when she arrived. Although, soon enough, the road came into view and she slowed to a stop at the edge. Being a responsible driver, she looked both ways and pulled onto the road. It was official; Alec and her were away. She quickly sped up to the speed limit, 35, and drove down the lonely street.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Alec Evans Character Portrait: Destinie "Destin" Whittaker
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It was safe to say this was one of the more epic and idyllic parts of Alec's teenage life. Because this is how it's supposed to work, right? The boy gets the girl and they drive into the sunset- er, moonlight- and all is well. (Beyond well, actually, more like...magnificent? Sensational? One could debate the proper choice of adjective for hours.) Except that Destin was the one who had gotten Alec, and they had not quite embarked on the fantastical journey that (hopefully) ends in kisses and whispered "Iloveyou"s. But they were well on their way, and that was good enough for Alec.

He looked over at her- a shy, stolen glance- and he could not help but feel an aching want in his chest. Maybe it was a puppy love- the sad, desperate sort that is never quite requited- but he did hope that she looked at him and saw more than an awkward boy in a grey tweed coat. He wanted to be so much more than that. Not just for Destin, but for himself. He didn't want to be his parents' Stanford superstar or the football team's punching bag or the nerdy kid everyone takes advantage of or the friend who is never more than a friend...he wanted to be...special. People had always told him it was his brain that made him special, but it seemed his brain had done more harm than good. He'd gladly have traded in his awards and honors medals for a solid group of friends, but that was all just wishful thinking. He was who he was. However, there was good news, and the good news was this: Destin actually seemed like him for, well, him. He wasn't really sure why, but at this moment it didn't particularly matter.

His weird, Alec-y thoughts were (thankfully) interrupted by Destin, and he couldn't help but smile as she spoke. It didn't even occur to him that getting food together (especially at 11 something at night) was sort of a date; his dorky little brain wouldn't let him get that far. They were just two friends who happened to be driving together to enjoy a delicious plate of pancakes and catch up on the latest events in each other's lives (which might pose a problem, as Alec's life had been largely uninteresting since leaving high school, but he would cross that bridge when he came to it.) "Right, I've heard of that place. Pigging out sounds good to me; I'm starved" (which was very true. No one ate at college parties...the beer was plenty filling, but as we know, our Alec is alcoholically challenged). And then, because he is Alec, he added "did you know that the largest pancake ever cooked was over 3 tons and contained 2 million calories?" He blushed as he said it, unable to help himself from spouting another useless fact. But hey, if you're going to share a pointless bit of trivia, you can't go wrong in talking about a beloved American breakfast food.

They turned onto the main road, which was deserted, and Alec looked over his shoulder a final time. This felt like a step in the right direction.

Setting

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Character Portrait: Alec Evans Character Portrait: Destinie "Destin" Whittaker
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Destin's laughter flooded the silence in her car as if it became the air and gave it enlightening life. The silence that seemed to linger in the background (which was probably due more to the fact that the road was so lonely in the middle of the night) didn't seem so stifling now. I suppose that intertwines hand-in-hand with the awkwardness of how Destin and Alec just met for the first time in a year or so and, well, are experiencing that initial "we ran out of things to talk about, so, um, yeah..." feeling. However, Alec's quirky chirp lightened the mood considerably.

"I've gained ten pounds just listening to that!" Destin leaned back in her seat, glancing over at Alec. She gave him a relaxed smile, one that clearly showed how comfortable she felt around him. "I suppose it doesn't really matter that much, though, I've gotten so out of shape this summer. I feel bad; my body is going to kill me once I start working out again for softball. Seriously, the only exercising I've really done this summer was sleeping with my--"

Way to go, Destin. She bit her lips together, locking her eyes on the road. Whatever excitement was in the air vanished; it was left behind at the street sign they passed a few seconds ago. She inhaled sharply and felt it necessary to clear things up, "...with my ex. Oh, geez, I'm sorry. I just made life totally awkward. I didn't really mean to say that, Alec."

Way to ruin any chances you have with him, Destin. Momentarily, she glanced over at the poor guy sitting next to her. She didn't doubt that he may feel shockingly friend-zoned after what she just said. After all, what girl goes around telling guys about her life with other guys unless they're friend-zoned? Destin felt hopeless, locking her eyes back on the road and slowing down to turn onto the infamous 33-rd street with the pancake house.

Way to make the rest of the night extremely awkward, Destin. With a sigh, Destin sped up to the speed limit on the busier road. And, impatiently, she agonizingly waited for Alec's response.

Setting

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Character Portrait: Alec Evans Character Portrait: Destinie "Destin" Whittaker
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Alec gave an internal fist pump as his pancake remark prompted the next bit of conversation. Generally these random facts and blurbs had the adverse effect (that is, they tended to create very long, unbroken stretches of uncomfortable silence), but for once he was with someone who could take his awkwardness in stride. He listened with a sort of ridiculous grin on his face as she went on about softball and getting in shape, thinking to himself that she did not need to lose one single pound because she possessed the sort of perfect beauty that really should not be fucked with in any way.

In fact, he was so distracted thinking about the all-around loveliness of his driving companion and fellow party escapee that he nearly missed the part where she mentioned having sex with her boyfriend. Unfortunately, he was Alec Benjamin Evans, and he could not have missed a word she said even if he'd wanted to. As she was apologizing, his illusion was shattering. It happened internally with very little outward evidence, but it happened all the same. You see, while most people suffer from violent explosions of emotion that are very easily seen by those around them, Alec had an arguably more terrible affliction, which was a sort of crumbling implosion where in everything inside him collapsed inwardly, as though sucked in by some all-consuming black hole of doom.

The fact that she'd labeled him as an "ex" made very little difference in Alec's mind. To him, all relationships had a sort of permanence, and the fact that she'd mentioned this ex seemed to suggest she had not yet moved past whatever intimacy they had shared. This sense of disappointment was made worse by the embarrassing (and slightly troubling) fact that he himself was still a virgin. It wasn't that he hadn't tried to...well...you know...it was just that in addition to the inward implosions of emotion, crippling awkwardness, and several other social diseases, he also suffered from chronic virgin-itis. The closest he had come to losing his "v-card" (you know, as the kids call it...) was at the start of the summer with Kathy Grundell, an old flame from the high school chess team.

They had reconnected at a local chess tournament and gone out for dinner afterwards, which had brought them back to Kathy's apartment. She had had two wine spritzers with dinner and he had had a beer (yes, ONE WHOLE BOTTLE of beer) and they were both feeling a little frisky. Unfortunately, their unpracticed fumblings had amounted to nothing (he had even managed to break her glasses), and after the hazy glow of alcohol had worn off and they were both fairly drowning in their shared awkwardness they decided to diffuse the tension in the only way two nerds know how...they watched four episodes of "Dr. Who" and played a game of chess.

Anyway, as Alec was thinking of Kathy Grundell and as they were turning onto 33rd Street and as Destin's last words were hanging in the air, it occurred to him that he really ought to say something. He looked to her and gave her what he hoped was a confident, "hey, it's okay!" smile and said "Oh, hey, yeah, no worries. I mean...everyone needs...exercise...in some form." He brightened as some random factoid appeared in his head. "You know, men who exercise vigorously are only one third as likely to experience erectile dysfunction as men who exercise very little or not at all," he said, before he fully realized what he was saying. When it did register, he turned several shades of red, experienced further inward implosion, and briefly considering tucking and rolling out of the car. Good God, was the awkwardness of what she'd shared really not enough? Did he really have to add to it with a comment about ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION?! OHMYGODNOWONDERHEWASSTILLAVIRGIN!

"Oh. Wow. I...I really didn't mean to say that. You just surprised me and I didn't know what to say and for some reason I came up with... that." Finally they pulled up to the pancake house, and Alec made one last, desperate attempt to set things right. "So... you still hungry?"

Setting

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Character Portrait: Alec Evans Character Portrait: Destinie "Destin" Whittaker
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The agony of the silence gnawed at Destin’s self-confidence and entire being. The words replayed over and over in her head: “I really didn’t mean to say that, Alec.” Her hands gripped the steering wheel like no tomorrow; stressing out was evident. Not only did she make herself utterly embarrassed, but Alec probably was disgusted with her. After all, what potential dating partner wants to hear about previous sexual escapades? Granted, Destin never went into gruesome, steamy details, but the discomfited feelings she experienced made it feel like each and every aspect of her “getting laid” had spilled out into the open air for all to hear. The flashbacks haunted her.

Sean, her ex (the very one that dumped her for Vegas prostitutes), liked to be in control and would take advantage of each adventure in the bedroom for some light dominating. He still cared for Destin and would never put her into a situation where she felt uncomfortable and therefore was satisfied with having being on top be his method of control. On special occasions like Valentine’s Day or her birthday he’d let her be on top if she wanted. However, that’s beside the point. All Destin could see now was a dim apartment room, Sean’s face, and sweaty (unmoisturized) skin. More or less, she was watching a new Saw trailer play in her mind. Every memory she had with Sean now scared her. Then again, who wants to remember the heartache that came with past flames?

In fact, her fear for thinking of Sean but being lost in thought regardless scared her to the point that when Alec spoke, she jumped ever so slightly. Her heartbeat picked up and she rapidly blinked her “deer-in-headlights” glare away at the reassuring “Oh.” With a deep exhale, Destin forced her hands to relax as she focused on Alex’s words.

“
only as one-third as likely to experience erectile dysfunction as men who exercise very little or not at all.”

Blink. Blink.

Blink.

Destin tilted her head to the side, her ponytail cascading toward gravity (wouldn’t Alec’s physics-y mind be proud—we incorporated physics!), as she took in the little blurb Alec used to provide comfort. Her mind took a minute to register, finding it necessary to repeat a small tid-bit of what he said. Let’s join Destin’s mind: “
experience erectile dysfunction as men
.” This is the point where Destin’s smile reemerged from what seemed like endless suffering within her mortification. Visions and thoughts of Sean faded out and Alec appeared with a handful of the type of strange humor he possessed that assuredly made her laugh. Her burst of amusement started with small fits of giggles before it erupted into full-blown laughter.

Destin led her small car into a parking space, put it into park, and turned it off as she rest her forehead on the top of the steering wheel. Perhaps resting her head was a tool for balance, for it was undoubtedly true that Destin would have fallen over due to her giggling; but regardless, Destin shed all of her stress as she laughed like she had so many times back in the ol’ library.

With a relaxing sigh this time, Destin rolled her head along the steering wheel to look at her study buddy. She donned a wide smile, and waited a moment before finally speaking, “Thanks for being awkward along with me, Alec. It makes it so we’re even now.” She lifted her head up and moved to step out of her car. She then had a thought, because why not, and stood leaning her front against the frame of her car-–with her head rested against the hood. At that point, she waited until Alec exited the car as well before blurting on top of her smile,

“And, well
 then is it fair to say you’re exercising vigorously?”