Summer 2006

"DREA!" I shout as I run into the house.

Andrea looks at me from around the corner. "What's up, Lexi?"

I smile at her as I hold out my hands to her. She lets out a gasp. "ALEXA ANN STEWART! Where did you get backstage passes to a Maroon 5 concert?!"

I laugh at my friend. "I have my sources. I used to live in LA remember?" She glares at me, knowing I'm not giving her a straight answer. "Look, if you want to find out how I got the passes, you're gonna have to come to the concert with me."

"When is it?"

"Tonight." I laugh as I watch her run around getting ready.

"Are you going to go home and change?" I shake my head. I knew she'd say yes, so I got ready before I came over here. "The passes include a meet and greet with the band, right?" I nod, trying not to give anything away. Drea looks oblivious though, and gets a dreamy look on her face. "I wonder what Adam's like." I glare at her, but fortunately she doesn't notice. She doesn't know that Adam's been my best friend for my whole life or that he's the one that sent me the passes so I could see him for the first time since I was sixteen.

As she continues to babble and get dressed, I look down at my watch. "We have to leave soon if we want to get there in enough time to meet them before the show."

Drea nods at me. "I'm ready when you are."

With that said, we leave and head downtown to the arena. As we approach the back gate Drea says, "Lexi, I think we're supposed to go around front to get in."

I shake my head and hold out her pass to her. "I got specific instructions to go to the back gate."

"Ok," she says.

I roll my eyes and approach the security guard. "Excuse me, but you're not supposed to be back here."

"Told you," I hear Drea mubble.

I roll my eyes again and show my pass to the guard. After looking at it he says, "My apologies, miss. Go through that door and make a right. There should be someone there to tell you where to go."

Drea follows me, open mouthed. I just laugh and follow the guard's instructions. After showing the passes to two more people, we wind up outside the lounge where Maroon 5 is relaxing before the show. "How do I look, Lexi?"

I smile nervously at Drea. "You look great. What about me?"

"You look as amazing as I remember, Lex." Drea and I jump and gasp as we turn around to see Adam Levine standing behind us, smirking at me.

"Oh. My. God." Drea is standing there, about to go full fangirl. "Your...Your…"

"Drea, breath." I smile at my friend, knowing she's going to have a major panic attack in a few minutes. I look back at Adam, glaring at him. "Adam!"

"What?!" he says defensively. "I sent you the passes as soon as I knew we were going to be coming here!"

"You're giving my best friend a panic attack!" I say, knowing that will push his buttons. I've always considered him my best friend and he knows it.

He pouts at me as Drea continues to stare. "Lex, baby, I thought I was your best friend?"

I sigh and smile at him. "Don't you baby me. You know you are you knucklehead." I hold out my arms. "Come here."

As we wrap our arms around each other, Drea finds her voice. "Lexi, did Adam Levine just call you Lex?"

I turn to look at her with a smile. "I told you about my best friend in LA that was the only person allowed to call me Lex."

She nods. "Yeah you told me a lot of things about him, but you never said it was HIM!" She points at Adam who smiles and holds out his hand to her.

"Hi, I'm Adam."

I roll my eyes at him. "I think she knows that you dork." He just smiles and kisses my forehead.

"Why don't you guys follow me? We can talk in here for a little bit before the show." He leads us into the lounge.

"Hey, Adam, man, what took you so long?" Jesse turns to look at the door, and sees Drea and I coming in with Adam. "Lexi! Wow long time no see!" He walks over and gives me a hug.

"Hey, Jesse, good to see you." Look over at the other guys. "Mickey." I smile. Then I turn to see Drea standing near the door in shock. "Yeah, I know, I have A LOT of explaining to do."

"What's with your friend there?"

I shake my head. "She's just a little overwhelmed."

"A little?!" Drea squeaks, "You never told me you knew Maroon 5!"

"I only know Adam, Jesse, and Mickey." Drea glares at me. "I've known Adam practically my whole life." I turn to Adam and smile.

He smiles back at me and wraps his arms back around me. I reach up and give him a quick kiss.

"Alexa Ann Stewart! You...you...Ugh!" Drea cries in exasperation. I smile at her as I lean my head on Adam's shoulder.

"I what, Dre?" I say sweetly.

"You…" she tries again. "You just... kissed Adam Levine! I've never seen you kiss anyone before!"

Adam and I laugh. "Well I hope my girl hasn't kissed anyone else." I roll my eyes and look at him.

"Only you, knucklehead."

I hear Jesse laugh and we all look over at him. He looks at us then at Drea. "These two have been crazy for each other since they were kids. This is actually the happiest I've seen him since Lexa moved away."

I smile at Jesse.

Flashback

Fall 1996

I cry as I run out of the house and run down the street. I stop on the corner and look around before I sit down.

"Hey, Lex, what's wrong?"

Without looking up I know Adam is standing over me. I start to sob again at the thought of leaving my best friend. He kneels down and puts his arm around me. "Come on Lex, this isn't a safe place to be sitting. Why don't I take you home and-"

"NO!" I yell, startling him. "I don't want to go back there right now!"

He gives me a gentle smile. "Then at least come with me." I give him a suspicious look. "I won't take you home, but I don't want my girl sitting in the middle of the street."

I give him a teary smile when he calls me his girl. I nod and let him help me up. As we start walking, I realize he's taking me to his house. I let out a sigh. I like his mom. Adam puts his arm around me and looks down at me. "What's going on, Lex?"

I lean my head into him as we continue to walk. "I just got the worst news in the world. We're moving."

"What, like to a new house?"

"No," I say, shaking my head, unable to keep the sorrow from my voice, "to Ohio."

Adam gets silent for a minute, but I know this is hurting him too. I feel his arm tighten around my shoulders as we walk up to his mom's house.

Adam's mom is the kind of mom everyone wants. She never frowns on the fact that Adam is five years older than me, while we get judgemental looks all over the neighborhood. When she sees me walk into the house with the look of grief on my face, she immediately comes over and wraps me in a big hug. "Alexa, honey, what happened?"

I look up at her, but I can't get the words out as I break out in an uncontrollable sob. I know in the back of my mind she won't call my parents. If I'm not at home, I'm always here. I hear Adam talking, so she must have asked him what happened. "They're moving to Ohio." That was it. I'm being forced to leave the only person in the world I care about the most. The next thing I know, Adam's carrying me to his room. I wrap my arms around his neck and rest my head on his shoulder.

He sits down on the bed, still holding me in his arms. "This is so unfair," I hear him whisper. I look up at him to see him staring at me. I blush and try to look away. He takes my chin in his hand and turns my head towards him. "I'm gonna miss you so much Lex." I feel another tear fall.

"I hate this." I lean back on his shoulder. "I don't want to leave my best friend." I glance back up at him to see him smiling at me. "What?"

He blushes. "I was just thinking about everything we're gonna miss." I move off him to look him straight in the eyes. "Lex, when I call you my girl, I mean it. I've always pictured doing all the relationship stuff with you. Why do you think I've never had a girlfriend?"

I smile at him. Then I have an idea. I'm old enough to have a first kiss that counts for something. I wrap my arms around his neck with a mischievous grin. "Uh...Lex, what are you doing?"

Without a word, I lean in slowly, and gently brush my lips against his. He sits there wide eyed for a minute when I pull back slightly. As I start to back away, he grabs my shoulders and presses his lips against mine, harder than before. I melt into his arms and his kiss. As we pull away from each other, out of breath, I move to sit next to him, and lay against him as he wraps his arms around me.

"You won't forget about me will you?" I look up at him and he smiles.

"I don't think anyone ever forgets the one they share their first kiss with. When we're older, I'll come find you."

"I'll write to you as much as I can. Don't you dare forget me when you're a famous rock star." We both laugh.

Adam leans over and kisses my forehead. "I promise."

End Flashback