AUTHOR'S NOTE: For those of you reading, if any left, I humbly express the deepest of gratitude for your patience. Since beginning this story, I've graduated from college, moved into my 1st apartment, and taken on a full-time and a part-time job. More work/play juggling anticipated in the future, but hopefully I will take you on a ride worth staying on regardless of the bumps along the way. Endless love to you all 3

DISCLAIMER: Sadly, I own nothing related to Wizards of Waverly Place. If I did, it'd go a little something like this...

When the clock struck 1:15, Alex was officially freaked out. For as flighty and flaky as Harper could be, she was never late and never canceled plans without a legitimate reason.

The quinceñera had come and gone, Alex and Theresa had switched back, and one of them was still plagued by silent thoughts while the other remained completely clueless. Theresa had yet to mention to Alex what happened, barely having wrapped her head around the situation let alone knowing how she was going to bring everything up or what she was going to say.

As far as Theresa knew, her daughter had always been boy crazy… or she liked boys anyway. The more she thought about it, the more red flags began to surface that Theresa had completely overlooked: Alex never wanting to be alone with boys, being reluctant to kiss boys, having trouble admitting feelings for boys -- everything that Alex did as far as the opposite sex was concerned seemed to be more as an attempt to be normal or acceptable rather than any genuine feelings. Her categorical contempt for anything feminine didn't help, either.

Suddenly, this was something Theresa couldn't deny or justify as something other than what it obviously was -- her daughter was in a romantic relationship with another girl, and Theresa had no idea how to feel or what to do.

Meanwhile, Alex was pacing her bedroom, becoming more and more anxious each time Harper's cell went to voicemail. At first, she thought something was seriously wrong, and in an attempt to calm herself down, rationalized that even though it was unlikely, maybe Harper had forgotten about their plans to go to a movie. After all, they hadn't gotten a chance to talk during or after the quinceñera. Then it occurred to Alex that she didn't' remember seeing Harper at all at the quinceñera after she helped her get ready. Was Harper mad at her? She racked her brain for something she may have inadvertently said or done to upset Harper, and she did admit that she was being really cranky and short before she and her mom made the switch. Maybe that's why Harper wouldn't return her calls.

Against Alex's better judgment, she called Harper's house phone against constant reminders from Harper not to do so. Part of the reason the two girls had become so close and spent so much time together was because Harper's home was a less than supportive and loving environment to say the least. Her parents were both alcoholics who fought constantly, and even though Harper had dared to tell them about she and Alex, they responded to the news with a hostile indifference, which in the grand scheme of things didn't change things much since that's how her parents had always been. Still, it had been a big deal since Harper risked a lot more than just indifference from her always angry parents, and even though Alex knew that Harper's parents weren't her biggest fans, she needed to know what was going on.

"Yeah?" Harper's mom answered.

"Hi, Mrs. Finkle, it's Alex. Is Harper home? We had plans to see a movie, and Harper was going to meet me here 20 minutes ago. I'm worried about her," Alex spat out nervously.

Mrs. Finkle's response was bitter and aggravated. "Well, don't go organizing any search parties, Harper is here with us. And I'm pretty sure that her not taking your calls wasn't a cue to try and reach her on the house phone. So, don't call again!"

Alex's heart plunged at an alarming rate into her gut as the fear of losing her girlfriend and best friend sunk in. Not even a full second passed before she hit the "End" button on her phone, and all judgment was lost. She immediately began composing a new text message, desperate to get Harper to tell her what was wrong.

"why wont u talk 2 me??? u had me wrried sick & now u wont even tell me whats wrong!" Alex frantically typed in and sent.

5 or so minutes passed before Alex finally received a reply from Harper. "U just thot I would forget abt yesterday and evrything would be fine? I can't do this anymore, esp if u can act like my feelings mean nothing."

Upon opening the text message, all other words blurred out of focus except "I can't do this anymore" and Alex panicked as she re-read the text message in its entirety.

"no babe pls don't do this, i dont even knw what i did wrong! just tell me & i will fix it, was it bcuz i was in a bad mood b4 the party? i'm so sry, i cant lose u." Alex replied, anxious to reason with the girl who meant everything to her.

"So evry time ur in a bad mood, its ok for u to push me off when i try 2 kiss u? Or is it b'cuz your rents knowing that we're 2gether would be the worst thing in the world? I can't be ur secret anymore. It hurts 2 much."

Now more confused than ever, Alex was wondering if she had gone crazy. She had only gotten to see Harper for a grand total of 5 or so minutes before the quinceñera, and they hadn't gotten a chance to kiss. Unless... wait.

As the realization began to hit her, Alex's face turned a ghastly shade of white, and only one thought resonated in her head:

..

Her mom... Harper... oh God, kiss?!

After dropping her phone, Alex scrambled to pick it up again, reopening the text message to make sure she read right.

Wait, wait. TRY to kiss you, she read to herself, emphasizing "try."

The teenager's head began to spin as she realized that she truly had no idea of exactly what happened. She couldn't respond to Harper if she didn't know what to say, but not texting back would look even worse. All she could really do was bide her time until she had a better idea of what happened -- if that would ever come to pass.

"look pls just come over l8er whenev u want. let me make it up 2 u, i promise i'll make things better & i do care abt the way u feel. it'll be diffrnt i promise."

A few moments later, the reply text came back. "Fine. But this is ur last chance, Alex. I rly can't get hurt anymore."

Alex breathed a sigh that was a mixture of relief and contempt. Her next step was a little less thought out, and she had no choice but to consider the gravity of Harper not responding well to her pleas for them to stay together.

She walked downstairs to the sub station where her mom was preparing orders to go out. She looked at her mother, knowing all the plans she had always made clear for her daughter -- how she'd dress, what she'd become, who she'd marry -- all characteristics that did not line up with who Alex inherently was. She knew that if Harper had made it clear that they were involved romantically, her mom wouldn't have been able to resist flying off the handle. At least so she thought.

"Hey, Mom, how's it going?" Alex attempted at cheer.

Likewise, Theresa internally surveyed her daughter's behavior. "I'm great," she feigned oblivion, but noticed how sad Alex's eyes were under the pretend happiness. "What about you, Honey? You look upset, is everything okay?"

A little more water testing. "Yeah. Just kind of in a fight with Harper."

Theresa used everything in her to retain her guise, knowing very well that she likely caused the fight Alex spoke of. Still, she remained quiet, knowing that Alex was too emotive and rebellious to keep to herself had she known that Theresa caused this fight. At least so she thought. "A fight? You guys gonna be okay?"

"Yeah," Alex breathed deeply, trying to push the envelope further for some sort of revealing reaction. "Just... stupid stuff about.. boys."

Even more than before, Theresa willed herself to grasp hold of that composure before blurting out what she knew and delving into territory not yet explored. "I know you two will work things out. You always do."

Alex managed a grin. "I hope so."

As Theresa watched Alex walk upstairs, her troubled thoughts no longer centered around the clash of the desired and actual life paths that her daughter walked, but instead the fact that her own child couldn't go to her -- couldn't trust her -- even in times of immense pain, self-discovery, and confusion. Theresa knew she wasn't perfect, but she had always consoled herself with the supposed fact that her children could always tell her anything, no matter what. Clearly, this proved to be false, and it was a harder pill to swallow than anything had ever been. The focus now needed to move toward not hindering, but helping, Alex, starting with her relationship with Harper.

Or was it too late?

Reviews? Please? More to come soon (hopefully!) XOXO