(Exactly 2 weeks later)
"Lexy Lexy you so fine! You so fine you blow my mind hey lexy, hey hey, hey LEXY!"
Alex hit her brother with a pillow, HARD. Then covered her face with it and plopped back on the bed. "Get off me NOW! SCOTT!!!!! MOOOOMMMM!"
"Scott, stop bothering your sister." Alex's mother's voice came from the downstairs.
"Come on, Alex! You said we would play basketball. Come on, it's already 11:30!" Scott whined.
Alex took the pillow off her face and look out the window. "It's 11:30? Damn the freakin' Arctic Circle and the Sun."
"What wrong with you, sis?" Scott asked sitting Indian style on her bed and looking at her odd.
"Nothing, Scott. Just let me sleep. I'll be ready to play once the sun comes up. Does it even come up, today?"
Scott nudged her. "Yeah, a little after lunch. Lex, what's wrong? You KNOW you can tell me. We tell each other everything. Come on."
"Scott, go call one of your girlfriends." Alex groaned.
"FINE!" He yelled and jumped off her bed and went to her door. He turned abruptly. "Ya know? I get to see you like 4 times a year. It would be NICE if you would at least PRETEND you care about me and mom and dad. I know Andrew isn't here anymore. I know he was your favorite, but, dammit Alex, I'm your brother TOO!" His voice cracked and he left her stunned with a slam of the door.
Alex stared at the ceiling and threw the covers off her and shuffled to the door. She swung it open and prepared to step out, but took a step back. Scott stood there and stared at the floor.
"Sorry." He mumbled.
"Oh, Scott." She sighed and pulled him into a hug. "I'm the one who should be sorry. God, I'm SOOO sorry, Scott." Alex cringed and mumbled, "Damn, I sound like Justin."
"Who's Justin?" Scott pulled away. Alex looked him in the eye and turned away. "You are BLUSHING! OK, SPILL IT!" Scott yelled, leading her over to the bed and sitting down.
"He's just Jon, the kid I babysit's, brother."
"Oh the popstar!!!"
"Yeah, the popstar." Alex smiled.
"Lexy's got a crushhhhhhhhh." Scott tried to be as annoying as possible. Then Alex pushed him and he fell backwards on her bed. "Hey, doesn't he date FINE Miss Spears."
"Yes, he does. And I DONT have a crush." Alex spoke firmly.
"Yeah YA DO! You've NEVER blushed when I said something about a guy before. Come on, so is he all that all my girlfriends crack him up to be."
Alex gave him a look with wide eyes. "You don't tell them that your sister knows him, do you? Ya know that's a lame way to get girls."
"I would never- OK, so I did once. But she already had a boyfriend, a very SERIOUS boyfriend. So, it didn't really work." Scott shrugged.
"Scott, I don't know what to do!" Alex groaned and lay back on the bed.
"So, tell me about him. I miss our girltalk." Scott paused. "OK, that didn't sound right." They both laughed.
"Well, he- He's different, Scott. He's annoying and gets under my skin and is so incredibly CUTE! My God, and he is FOREVER licking his lips, and it drives me insane!!! And his brother, I love his brother more than anything, and he is sooo good with him. They are like just PERFECT together." Alex sighed. "His lips are so soft too, and his hair so enchanting, and he is so romantic, and when he kisses-"
"YOU'VE KISSED HIM!? Alexandria! He has a girlfriend." Scott's eyes were huge and he was talking with his hands, wildly.
"Don't you think I know that? I mean God, I'm reminded of it EVERYDAY!"
"When did he kiss you?" Scott sounded a little disgusted.
Alex smiled faintly and sighed. "Two weeks ago. It was the last time I saw him. I don't want to talk about this."
"Alex you need to. You seem confused. Talking always helps you figure things out."
"Can we just go play basketball now and let me forget it." She pleaded with him.
"Sure, I'll meet ya outside." Scott stood up and walked to her door. He opened it and turned around. "If it makes you feel any better, If I weren't your brother, OK, this is going to sound gross, but if I weren't, I'd dump Britney for you in a matter of seconds." He smiled and left her to think about what he just said.
(5 o'clock that evening)
Alex raced her brother to their back deck.
"No FAIR!" She screamed when he pushed her down. He just turned and stuck his tongue out and ran into the house.
Her father stuck his head out from behind the big grill that he was cooking hamburgers on. "Troubles Ally Cat?"
Alex pushed herself off the ground and walked towards the deck. She stepped up the 3 steps onto the wooden porch and went to go sit on the picnic table beside the grill. "You could say that."
He smiled at her and put some of the raw meat on the grill. "It's good to have you home, Alex. We miss you around here. It's not the same."
"I'm sorry dad. I wish I could say I missed it, but I don't. I love you guys, I miss yall, but not Alaska."
"Did you say yall? You have become a southerner."
"Yeah." Alex sighed. She looked out over the backyard that was sprinkled with spots of snow, not the normal sheet of ice she was use to up there. "I'm surprised there isn't much snow yet."
"I know, they say it's been the warmest winter in years here, but ya know we still got the coldest months ahead."
"That's the only problem with Florida. It's always sunny. Never much variety in weather. But they do have thunderstorms like crazy. It's SOOO cool, dad."
Her father smiled at her. "Speaking of weather, I'm proud at you for taking that internship. Have you decided if you are going to quit baby-sitting or bartending yet? Cause you KNOW how I don't really like you working underage, even if it IS for your uncle."
"I know daddy. I just know I'm NOT quitting baby-sitting. I LOVE that job. I want you to come down sometime and meet Jon. He is so adorable."
"Me and Mom have been thinking." He flipped one of the burgers. "We might come down there for a week later on in January."
"REALLY?" Alex beamed.
"Yeah, and Scott is staying until school starts back up for him, right?"
"Yeah, until the 8th, I think. I'm really happy he is coming back with me. I think he will have fun."
"Oh, I bet he will."
Alex smiled. Her and her father sat there for a while. The only sound came from the popping embers and sizzling meat of the grill.
He cleared his throat. "Alex, I want to open up an account for you. A bank account that me and mom can put money in for you whenever we want."
"Dad-"
"Just listen to me Alexandria. We don't like it, you being across the continent and we don't even know if you have enough money to eat or not. And with this new internship thing you wont have time to take 2 jobs. Please, just let us do this for you."
"But I want to be independent of you guys. I've had you for support for 18 years. Please, I don't want to be a burden."
"ALEXANDRIA! You will NEVER be a burden to this family. NEVER!" Her father stared at her eyes. She lowered her head in disappointment. "Alex, Andrew is gone. He has been for almost 10 years now. None of us will ever be able to forget him, but you've GOT to move on. You are our first kid to go to college. Let us do this for you." He laughed slightly. "See, now you even got me confused and rambling!"
She chuckled at her dad's statement. "OK, but I'm paying to get a new car or at least the Chevy fixed. I hope it can be fixed."
"Ally, we are doing that for you, and THAT'S final."
"Ugh, dadddd..." She whined.
"Alex, go inside and get a shower. You and your brother have spent all day outside playing like 5 year olds. Tell your mother the burgers will be ready shortly."
"Yes sir." She stood up and walked to the door. She stopped and smiled at her faint reflection in the glass. She turned around and ran to her father and wrapped her arms around him from the back. "I love you daddy."
He smiled brightly. "I love you too, my ally cat."
She pulled away and walked to the door. "And don't think you can get away from me too easily, girl. Me and you, one on one, tomorrow. You are going DOWN!"
She laughed. "You WISH!"
--------------
(3 days later)
"Hey Alex, will I be needing a bathing suit?" Scott called from his room across the hallway.
Alex responded packing her bags from her own room. "Nahhh." She thought. "Well, yeah. The Harless's have a heated pool and we might swim one day. I don't know. Just bring one in case."
"All right."
"Here is your clean laundry, honey." Her mom came in and placed a basket of clean clothing on her bed.
"Thanks mom!" Alex said genuinely.
Her mom walked over to the door and closed it. She came back and sat down on Alex's bed. Alex packed her bags as her mother watched her. Finally she got fed up. She sighed and looked at her mom, tiredly. "Spit it out, mom."
"At-ti-tude!" Her mother giggled. Alex rolled her eyes. "I want to know what his name is."
"Excuse me?" Alex laughed confused.
Her mom looked at her with serious eyes. "You've met someone, haven't you?"
"I don't know WHAT you are talking about." Alex continued packing her luggage. Her mom picked up an unframed photograph that was lying on her nightstand. "This Jon?"
Alex looked at the photo and smiled. "Yup. Mom, he is amazing. I swear I love that boy to death."
"Yeah, I bet. But he isn't the one I'm talking about Alex. Don't you dare lie to me. I've been waiting 19 years to see that look in my daughter eyes and that knowing smile. Don't deny me the pleasure in knowing who the boy is, Alexandria."
"Mom, I swear. I'm not dating anyone."
"I never said you had to date someone to be in love with them."
"LOVE? Mom, are you OK?" Alex asked dramatically, putting a hand on her mother's forehead.
"His name is Justin, he is Jon's big brother. He is the pop singer, MOM!!" Scott said from the door.
"Scott!!!" Alex yelled at him.
Her mother pointed to him. "Scott LEAVE! Close the door, too!"
Scott smiled sweetly. "Sure thang, ladies." He did as he was told.
"Justin, eh? Jon's brother. Hmmmm." Her mother said in thought
"Mom, no. Just, No. OK?"
"Well, then why would Scott say anything?"
Alex sighed and stuffed some jeans in her almost full bag. "OK." She looked at her mother and started her story. "So I'm baby-sitting Jon for the weekend and he comes back home from being on tour and I meet him for the first time. OK? I don't really get to know him until one day he and Jon come over. They helped me clean the apartment."
"I like this boy already."
"Yeah, and he said he liked your painting on my ceiling."
"No, I love this boy. And why aren't you together?" Her mom smiled amused.
"He has a girlfriend. I know you aren't into today's music, but he dates Britney Spears."
"Was she the one who wore that, umm, outfit on the awards show?" She asked cautiously.
"The flesh colored, diamond, halter top and thong thingy? Yeah, that's her." Alex watched as her mom's eyes got wide and she made a motherly face. "Anyways, so I realize he isn't this stuck up celebrity I thought he was. I thought he was wrong for leaving his brother and everything. I realized this week I'm just like him." Alex sighed and plopped down on the bed after putting her packed bag on the floor. She laid her head in her mother's lap.
"What else?"
"We went to the beach. I took him and Jon. And we got into an argument."
"About what?" Her mother ran her fingers through her daughter's silky black hair.
"Me being lonely." She responded quietly.
"Well, are you sweetie?" Alex turned and looked up at her mother. A tear fell from her eye as she nodded.
"I saw him at the Christmas pageant Jon was in and afterwards we went to get coffee."
"Oh, that's nice." Her mom softly brushed the lone tear away.
"It was open mic night at the coffee house. He got me to sing, momma. In front of a crowd. And you know about how I get with crowds."
"Wow. Alex, you are falling fast, babe." Alex nodded knowingly.
"Then my truck wouldn't start and he took me home. Mom, guess what type of car he has?"
"Do I even want to know?"
"A BMW Roadster."
"Oh my gosh, he is your soulmate." Her mother exclaimed chuckling.
"It's blue."
Her mother's jaw dropped. "Have you told your father."
"No. He would FLIP!" That car was her father's dream car. Seriously, DREAM car. A metallic blue BMW convertible Roadster.
"Yeah, so, we get back to my apartment and he insisted on walking me to my door. Yeah, I was very suspicious. You know how I am." Her mom nodded. "And he said I was special. He said I was a mystery that he wanted to solve."
"Oh my." Her mother's eyes were wide and astonished.
"And we said goodbye."
"That's it?" Her mother asked disappointed.
"No. He told me to wait and I opened the door back and it just happened."
"What, babe? Don't leave your momma hanging."
"He leaned in and said he shouldn't be doing this, and he kissed me. Mom, he even cupped my cheek. Do you know how much I adore that?" Alex closed her eyes groaning at the thought of it.
"I know, I go weak whenever your father does it, still!" They both laughed.
"I didn't respond at first, and then I couldn't help it, and I kissed him back. Mom, I've never felt ANYTHING that magical in my life. EVER! Cole's kisses don't even COMPARE to this. And me and Cole dated all our junior and senior year."
Her mom sighed. "Well, my girl is all grown up and in love."
Alex sat up and gave her mom an unbelievable look and shook her head. "Mom, this isn't love. I mean, I had to pull away."
"And then what?"
"I went inside my apartment and cried."
"YOU CRIED?" Her mother asked shocked.
"Yeah, sorry. I mean, mom, if you had been there..." Alex trailed off
"Well, if you cried you MUST be in love, baby, you hardly EVER cry."
"I know. And so, I had to talk to him, so I opened the door back up and he was gone. I haven't seen or spoken to him since. Not even when Lynn and Jon drove me to the airport."
"You don't realize it, but, you DO love him."
"MOM! I barely know the guy. I mean, yeah he's hot and mister cool. But, no, mom, not love. Maybe attraction, nothing more."
"Sure. OK. Whatever you say." Her mother rolled her eyes. "But thanks for sharing this with me. It's good to know we can still have our girltalk."
"Yeah."
"OK babe, you got a flight this evening, finish packing." She got up and walked to the door and opened it.
"Hey mom! Thanks."
"Tell me that in a few months." Her mom smiled and closed the door.