This is my first ever attempt to write any story with a TV show character, an original character. It's also my first time trying to write anything based off a TV show or featuring anything from the real world. So I'm a bit nervous, but I'm really excited and am trying hard to make it work.
Warning: Spike (Mike Scarlatti) is slightly out of character near the beginning.
Disclaimer: I do not own or make any profit from the Scarlatti's, Spike, Star Wars, the Simpisons, or East Side Mario's. I only own Alexis and Mika.
Alright, with all my ramblin done--ENJOY!
Alexis Whalen smiled as she pushed the doorbell to the Scarlatti's house. She had be busy lately and unable to free herself up to come visit her friend. But she'd finally made time to come by and visit Mrs. Scarlatti today.
The sound of the door opening startled Alexis out of her thoughts and by the time she had regained herself, Mrs. Scarlatti had tugged Alexis inside the house. "Alexis! It's wonderful to see you!" she exclaimed, pulling her younger friend into a tight tug.
Alexis hugged back her one and only good friend, smiling through lack of air. "Same here, Mrs. Scarlatti. I've missed you." She admitted, softening as she remembered her grandparent's deaths.
Mrs. Scarlatti smiled reassuringly at her friend, attempting to think of how hard it must be to survive, knowing that the only relatives you had ever really known and had taken care of you since you were eight would be difficult. "Well, come in! I can't stay long, but you must promise me that you will stay for supper!" she told Alexis, clapping her hands as she lead Alexis into the kitchen.
Alexis nodded and followed Mrs. Scarlatti into the kitchen before the middle part of that statement caught up with her. "Wait a minute...you can't stay long?" her green eyes watched Mrs. Scarlatti as she walked to the fridge. "What do you mean?"
Mrs. Scarlatti answered Alexis as she pulled an apple from the fridge. "Exactly what I said! I have an appointment with my doctor, but you will stay for supper." She leaned forward to grasp Alexis's hands, eyes hardening in that old hard-headed Italian way. "You will stay for supper." She reiterated.
Alexis nodded, having given up as soon as Mrs. Scarlatti's eyes hardened, knowing it was impossible to stop the Italian woman once she had an idea. "I'll stay. But do you really want me to stay here alone?" she asked, slightly curious.
"You won't be staying alone, Alexis." Mrs. Scarlatti told her, eyes lightening as she smiled. "Mike is downstairs."
Alexis shook her head, sending her brown ponytail flying. "Not a chance. No way in..." she trailed off miserably, seeing Mrs. Scarlatti's hard look. "Fine..." she murmured, hanging her head.
Mrs. Scarlatti pulled back triumphantly. "See, was that so hard? Now go downstairs and eat this apple. Shoo! Shoo!" She pressed an apple into Alexis's hands before shooing her downstairs.
Alexis followed her hostess's instructions, slightly nervous. Mike Scarlatti had never really liked her from the first time they had met at age eight. However, though she was loathed ever admitting it, the feeling wasn't mutual. She had always thought he was cute and funny; even though she had refused to allow her feelings to go much further. She paused halfway down the stairs to the basement, calling out to make sure he was down there. "Mike?"
From his position on his couch, Mike Scarlatti jumped slightly at the sound of a woman's voice. A woman who was not his mother or anyone else he recognized. "Who is it?" he replied, a slightly harsh tone to his voice.
Alexis took a couple more steps down the stairs as she called down to him. "It's just Alexis, Alexis Whalen. Your mom is making me stay for supper and she has to go for a doctor's appointment, so I'm stuck down here." She waited patiently for his response on the step.
Mike relaxed slightly before letting out a mental sigh. He didn't really like her, though his mother had cared for her since she had moved in at age eight. He forced down the harsh tone in his voice as he spoke. "Fine, come on down." From his view of her feet as she flinched, he could tell he hadn't done a very good job. He patted the spot next to him as she descended the stairs, apple in her hand, before turning his attention back to the TV.
"What are you watching? It looks like the Simpsons." she asked, startling him as she settled down on the other side of the couch, leaning on the arm. He turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow. "Hey! I like my technology!" she protested, holding up her hands in surrender jokingly. She held in a breath, hoping he would take the bait and loosen up; he looked tense.
His eyes widened momentarily as his brain took a moment to process this new, sudden information. 'She has a sense of humour. Maybe she's not so bad after all.'
At his expression, Alexis let a smirk show on her face. "What, did you think I was a little technology challenged girl?"
To this he replied with a smirk of his own. "Maybe..."
At this she laughed, freeing her face of its smirk and replacing it with a smile. He smiled back easier than he thought he would in Alexis's company. "You're mean, you know that?" she told him jokingly.
Mike laughed, making his smile wider and eyes more vibrant. "Yup, that's me! Meanest guy you'll ever meet!"
Alexis fought down surprise, thinking to herself 'He just joked with me...he's never done that before!' Having thought through this new information, she smiled and bantered back. "If you're the meanest guy out there, then I have nothing to fear from the world." Her green eyes twinkled as she spoke, her tone full of laughter though her thoughts were talking her back to her early childhood years and a man much meaner than Mike. She took a small bite of her apple to distract herself.
Mike laughed, but something in the way she said that made him wonder... "And if there was anyone meaner than me, I'll protect you!" he declared, striking a slight pose.
Alexis laughed easily as she shook her head. "No way, Mi-"
Mike interrupted her in mid word. "Call me Spike." He told her, wondering if maybe this wasn't a good idea. After all, he wasn't really a friend of hers, and usually only friends called each other by nicknames.
Alexis blinked rapidly, cocking her head to the side. "Call you Spike? Why? You don't have spiky hair, that's for sure!" she joked, leaning forward as she raised one hand to ruffle his brown hair, marvelling at how soft it was before pulling back to her original spot.
Mike blinked slightly as she ruffled his hair before answering her question. "It's what they call me at work."
"Alright, but tell me: where do you work?" she asked, curious. Mrs. Scarlatti had refused to tell her where her son worked, simply changing the subject whenever they came close. She'd only ever hinted at something about keeping people safe.
"The SRU." He replied, having now shut off the TV while they chatted. Surprisingly, Spike actually felt comfortable talking to her.
"SRU? Please don't make me guess what that stands for; I suck at guessing games." She told him honestly, taking another bite of her apple as she waited for a response.
"Now you're kidding me. You don't know what SRU stands for?" he looked at her strangely as she shook her head. "SRU stands for Strategic Response Unit." He explained.
Alexis took another bite of her apple before replying. "Sounds more interesting then working as a cook. But it must be risky."
He nodded, turning to face her. "Yah, we face a lot of danger every day. But hey, we're tough!" he joked, flexing his muscles, which brought an even wider smile to both of their faces. "But enough about me. You're a cook?" He leaned forward unconsciously, focusing his eyes on her.
She nodded, sending her brown ponytail bouncing. "Yup. Over at East Side Mario's. It's nice and Italian there. Even though I'm only half-Italian, I still love cooking." She took a last bite of her apple, and threw it at the garbage can near the stairs, missing it by mere millimetres.
Her company laughed, and called to her. "You should have let me throw it!"
Laughing, she pushed herself to her feet to throw the apple into the can. "Maybe next time!" she joked as she headed back to the couch, sticking out her tongue at the momma's boy still on there. As she sat down, her phone began to ring to the music of Star Wars. Fishing her phone out of her pocket, she pressed a button and spoke into it. "Hey, Alexis here...Hey Mika...you're sick? You poor thing...I guess...no, don't worry. It's fine. Get better soon!"
Spike watched Alexis' face fall as she closed her phone, and felt his spirits droop slightly. "What's up?"
"My friend from work is sick so I'm filling in for her. Tell your mom I'm sorry about dinner. We'll just have to do it another time." She stood up again, slightly surprised when Mi- no, Spike, she mentally corrected herself, stood up as well.
"Oh well, more food for me!" He joked as they made their way to the bottom of the stairs. "Want me to walk you out?" he asked as she took the first step up. Strangely enough, he didn't really want to stop talking to her. She made keeping the conversation alive easier now then she had only five years ago. Not that he'd given her much chance five years ago; he'd bluntly ignored her back then.
"You'd better, Spike. I don't want to leave your door unlocked." She smiled as he followed her upstairs, chuckling under his breath.
When they reached the door, she turned to face him. "You know what?" she asked him, a mischievous glint in her green eyes.
He shrugged before replying. "I guess I'll play your game. What?" His brown eyes were twinkling and his hair still showed signs of her running her hand through it.
"You're not half-bad, Spikey." She reached over to poke his nose before opening the door to leave. "See you around!" she called over her shoulder, waving as she began the short walk to her house a block away.
Spike watched her walk away, waving back while a smile lit up his face more than it normally did. When she was out of sight and the door was locked, he reached up touch his nose, and let his fingers rest there while he murmured "Spikey" under his breath. Alexis Whalen wasn't as boring as he first thought.