It's been a month since Beast Boy and Alex had run into each other, and they've always met for lunch everyday since then, and they even explored some parts of the city on Alex's longer breaks. The weekends were free for the two to explore either the University campus or specific parts of the city, and this weekend, Beast Boy had actually asked Alex to accompany him to the park. It wasn't too surprising since spring was beginning to give way to summer-a good sign that his spring classes would be ending shortly, allowing him and Beast Boy to be out and about more often and later than usual. As Alex makes his way out of his dorm building, he runs into Patricia-one of his close friends on campus.
"Oh, hey Alex," Patricia greets gleefully,
"Hey Patty," Alex greet back, "You seem chipper,"
"Yeah, my Jazz appreciation class is going on a trip to a Jazz festival in a New Orleans next week, I'm so excited." Patricia squeals,
"Well, glad to hear that," Alex chuckles,
Patricia notices Alex's attire just then, "Um, what's with the outfit? You going somewhere?" She curiously asks,
"Yeah, I'm meeting up with BB again," Alex answers,
"Oh yeah, that boy you've told me about," Patricia sighs, "So...you think he's the one?"
"I'm not sure," Alex shrugs, "He might be like the rest of the guys I've met...but only time can really tell,"
"Well, good luck Alex," Patricia wishes, giving Alex a quick hug. "I gotta go and pack, I'll call you when I get to our hotel."
"Alright, just promise to bring me back something nice from there," Alex says,
"Will do," Patricia says, taking off for the dorms. "Cya Alex!"
Alex chuckles and hurries along to meet up with Beast Boy, who was waiting at the main entrance to the campus as always.
"Hey Beast Boy," Alex greets and he approaches the said green-toned boy,
"Hey Alex, you set to go?" Beast Boy asks,
"Would I have walked all this way if I wasn't?" Alex asks,
"Right," Beast Boy chuckles,
The two take off for the park, arriving in just an hour before they find a spot to settle down at, giving Alex a minute to feel his feet again.
"Man, I might mostly walk to my classes, but this is ridiculous." Alex chuckles, rubbing his ankle. "I should be used to this much walking by now,"
"Well, you tell me you spend most of your weekends stuck in your dorm," Beast
Boy chuckles, "Could that be the problem?"
"Maybe," Alex says, "My own fault I guess,"
"Nah, you got a lot of classes of focus on, can't blame ya if you want some private time between classes and projects." Beast Boy reassures,
"Not that I need it, working on my projects is enough private time," Alex says, "My roommate is the real life of the campus, or at least part of it, always going to all the clubs and parties around the city-kinda makes me jealous actually."
"Well, she does sound pretty fun-but I'm not much into party girls since they're all over the place." Beast Boy says,
"Right," Alex chuckles,
He hadn't really told Beast Boy about the mistaken gender thing, but he decided to wing it this time, thinking this might be his only chance at what he thinks is love. He'd have to endure being referred to as a girl, but it would be worth it in the end.
"So Alex, do you have any family in the city?" Beast Boy asks,
"Yeah, my mom," Alex answers, "She's practically raised me since I was lil',"
"What about your dad?" Beast Boy asks,
"He left," Alex sadly responds, "A few months after I was born, he left my mom and went to live across the country-Boston or somewhere like that. I only know what he looks like from a few pictures my mom kept, but I hardly know the man."
"So it was basically just you and your mom?" Beast Boy asks,
"Yeah," Alex says, "But she's the best role model I know-she's so strong to raise me and live a life all at once. I'm proud to actually know her like I do...but I'd love to know more than anything the reason my dad left her, especially after I was born."
"You'll find out eventually," Beast Boy says, laying a hand on Alex's shoulder.
"I hope so," Alex sighs, "But enough with that," He says, straightening himself out, "The past is the past, and there's no changing it now,"
"Hehe right," Beast Boy chuckles,
"C'mon," Alex says as he stands, "We got a lot of ground to cover,"
With that, the two boys take off again, only half way through the park, the two stumble upon trouble. It was Mammoth and Gizmo, seeming to high tail it with two large sacks of goodies. The two criminals clash with the young men, causing the sacks to go flying a good distance away as the four recover from the collision.
"Crud! Not you! This was supposed to be a undistrubed steal!" Gizmo exclaims,
"You two never give up, do you?" Beast Boy says as he and Alex climb to their feet,
"We might not have Jinx anymore, but that doesn't mean we can't keep doing what we do best!" Mammoth says,
"Which is nothing?" Beast Boy comments, causing Alex to giggle.
"Shut it snotbrain!" Gizmo snaps, activating his backpack's spider legs.
"Oh boy, so you have bionic spider legs coming from a locomotive device in your backpack," Alex sighs, "That's SO scary,"
"Shut your mouth prissy!" Gizmo snaps,
"Seriously, I'm more afraid of the big gunned armagedon over here than of a 5 year old being held up by spider legs that I could smack down with a pinata stick." Alex says,
Gizmo approaches Alex and lowers himself to Alex's eye level,
"How about you say that to my face snotface?" Gizmo growls,
"No, I was thinking more this," Alex says before roundhouse kicking Gizmo to the side, sending him flying into a nearby tree.
"Whoa, you know how to fight?" Beast Boy asks,
"Yeah, now wanna help me take care of Mr. Armagedon here?" Alex asks,
"I got him," Beast Boy says, transforming into a rhino and charging at Mammoth, who holds him back as he's barely pushed back by the force of the charge.
"Ha, you really think a puny lil' rhino while stop me?" Mammoth bellows,
"Not without some help," Alex says, jumping onto Beast Boy's back, running up then axe kicks Mammoth across the face.
Mammoth flinches, casuing his muscles to spazz and giving Beast Boy hte opening to charge Mammoth through a few trees. Alex lands then turns to Gizmo, who recovers as his short circuting spider legs twitched and sparked.
"You really think you stand a chance, don't you?" Gizmo chuckles, "Well, you're wrong there snotface!"
Gizmo charges and tries attacking with his spider legs, Alex avoids every attack and leaps above Gizmo, landing on Gizmo's back.
"Hey, get off of me!" Gizmo whines, trying to shake Alex off.
"Just give me a sec," Alex says before curb stomping Gizmo's pack then jumping off as the spider legs retract, causing Gizmo to fall into Alex's knee. "Maybe now you'll stop playing with grown-up toys,"
Alex waits for the cops to arrive after Beast boy returns as an elephant, carrying Mammoth with his trunk. After the cops take off and the stolen merchandise is returned, the two boys continue along their way.
"Alex, how'd you know how to fight?" Beast Boy asks,
"Well, when I'm not studying, I take kick boxing classes during the summer and winter." Alex answers, "How else do you think I spend my time away from campus AND stay in this shape when I don't have classes?"
"Right," Beast Boy nervous chuckles,
The two continue along until Beast Boy walks Alex back to his dorm just before curfew but Alex stops Beast Boy before he leaves.
"What is it Alex?" Beast Boy asks,
"Well, my classes are gonna be ending in about a week or two before summer rings in. I was wondering if you'd wanna go to the Summer Blowout at the docks?" Alex asks, "It starts the weekend I get out of classes,"
"Oh, sure," Beast Boy agrees,
"Alright, can't wait," Alex says,
Beast Boy takes off as Alex quickly returns to his dorm room, sighing dreamily. To think, his first probably legitamite date with Beast Boy was just a few weeks away. It would seem like an eternity before the day arrived, but he could wait it out from his moment of truth to shine-whether it turns out how he wants it or not.