A/N: I wanted to throw this on here quick since I'll be going out of town the next couple weeks for the holiday and there isn't any wifi at my cabin. On the downside that means I probably won't be updating this again till I get back unless I wanna use my data to proofread and post it. Upside is there is no internet to distract me from writing so hopefully I'll get a lot more done. Okay, about this chapter.. It is very short, and ends pretty randomly. It became one of those things where I had the main ideas for the chapter, but I got too lazy to add any filler to it. Anyways, let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Norma and Alex had fallen into a nice little groove, it was crazy to say but they had actually become good friends. On the days neither of them were out with their friends they would come home from school and work then spend the rest of the day together. It wasn't just cooking and homework anymore. They would talk, play card games together, or watch movies. Alex was still insistent on her not doing any of his housework, but she did manage to sneak a few loads of his laundry in every now and then, much to his displeasure.

"The hail wake you up too?" Norma asked Alex as he walked into the kitchen, joining her and David at the kitchen table.

"Yes." Alex said, sitting back in his chair. "It's like someone's chucking a thousand little rocks at my window all at once, and constantly." He said in annoyance.

"Hey just be happy you don't really get thunderstorms here. Back in Ohio we got them like crazy in the summer months, and statistically more people died from the winds and lightning than from tornadoes."

"I'm sure we have beat record deaths too with all the idiots out there who can't handle driving in storms and end up putting their car in a ditch."

"Oh." Norma said, looking at David. "Should I be worried that you are driving me to school?"

"Forty-four years here without any accidents, you're in good hands."

"How are you going to pick her up, don't you have that meeting today?" Alex asked.

"I told him I'd brave the way home." Norma said. "It's after school anyways so I don't have to worry about sitting through class with sopping wet clothes and disastrous hair."

"You don't have to walk home in the rain, I can pick you up."

"You got your car all finished?"

"Yeah, last night. Turns out I didn't need a new alternator like I thought I would, it started up just fine."

"Aren't you busy with your own stuff though?"

"I get off work at three, and your school is basically on the way home anyways."

"If you really don't mind."

"Not at all."

"Thank you." Norma said, smiling at him as she stood up. "I should get ready for school." She said then looked over at the coffee pot. "Oh, it looks like the coffee is done. Did either of you want a cup."

"I'm good with my leftovers." David said, holding up his cup of warmed up coffee from the day before.

"I can get my own." Alex said, ready to stand up.

"Nonsense, I'm already up." Norma said, going into the cupboard and grabbing out a mug. She filled it to the rim then walked over and set it in front of Alex, the both of them smiling at each other.

"Thank you." Alex said to her before she left the room.

"That was very kind of you to offer her a ride home." David said, looking over at his son.

"It's no big deal."

"Don't think I haven't noticed the two of you getting closer." David said, making Alex tense up. "I like that you are developing a good friendship with her. It was a little surprising to me you were able to do it."

"You think it's that hard for me to make friends with someone?"

"I'm not saying you don't know how to be friendly with people, the situation with her is different. She is another kid I brought in and have been looking after, you are an only child and sometimes that causes problems."

"Well I'm in my twenties, not eight years old so the whole jealousy factor doesn't really play here. And it's not like I'm not already used to being second favorite to your job."

"Alex." His father said, rubbing his forehead in annoyance. "Why does it always have to come to this?"

"You brought it here."

"I did not, I was trying to thank you."

"Then say that. Don't bring up how it shocked you that I could make friends with someone, like I was a child who couldn't handle my dad hanging around with another kid."

"Okay." David said with a nod. "Thank you for looking after Norma. She always needed a big brother figure, I'm glad she has you now."

"No problem." Alex said, grimacing a little at being referred to as a brother to her.

That afternoon Alex got out of his car and propped up against the hood while he waited for Norma to get out of school. The rain was taking its first break off and with the grey clouds rolling in he wanted to enjoy it while it lasted. The bell must have gone off before he pulled up because the front of the school and the parking lot were already littered with students. Alex had never been so happy that he was out of high school as he watched them running around and pulling their cars out far too fast, horns honking every minute. He exhaled and looked at his watch, wondering what was taking her so long.

"Alex Romero, as I live and breathe." A voice from beside him said, getting his attention.

"Rebecca." He said, looking over at the red head.

"Well that is no way to greet someone after three years. I don't even get a hug?"

"I'm all sweaty from work."

"I don't mind." She said, smiling at him.

"Maybe another time."

Rebecca laughed lightly and looked him over. "Man the Marines really did you good. Although you were already the hottest high school boy, you really didn't want to give the other guys a chance coming back with those muscles." She said, waiting for him to say something back. "Are you going to tell me I look good?"

"Yeah Rebecca, you look good." He said dryly.

"Wow Alex, you might want to tone down some of that charm." She joked.

"We've been down this road before, you know my answer."

"Well I thought with my eighteenth birthday coming up next month that you might have changed your mind. Maybe you could stop by and give me a present."

"I'll pass."

"Three years later and you are still exactly the same. Aren't you ever going to let yourself be happy?" Rebecca said and Alex didn't even hear her as he stood up straight, his attention going to Norma as she walked out onto the front steps of the school with a boy walking right beside her. She followed his glare over and saw what he was staring at. "You've got to be kidding me?"

"What?" Alex asked, not looking away from Norma.

"Doesn't seem like age is an issue with your dads stray pet."

Alex glanced over at her but only for a second. "What are you talking about?"

"You're into her, she's only seventeen." She said, gesturing toward Norma.

"I'm not into Norma."

"Yeah right, that's why you got all tense when you saw her walk out with mister handsome over there."

"You think I'm jealous of Bob? When I was in little league with him he was the kid in the dugout who couldn't keep his finger out of his nose."

"He's not that nerdy little boy anymore. His family is filthy rich now, and I'm sure by the end of the school year he will have been with half the girls in our grade."

"Surely you will be apart of that."

"I already have been, twice." She said with a smirk. "He told me I was the best yet."

"And you think he hasn't said that to every other girl he's been with?"

"I'm sure he has, but I know he meant it with me." She said while Alex watched as Norma broke away from Bob and started walking toward them.

When Norma got near them her expression dropped as she noticed Rebecca standing far too close to Alex. She walked straight up to him, only looking his way. "You ready to go?"

"I don't get a hello?" Rebecca asked, giving her a fake smile.

"Hello Rebecca." Norma said, looking at her for a quick second before going right back to Alex. "You ready?" She asked again.

"Yeah." Alex said, turning and walking toward the driver side door. Normally he would have done the gentlemanly thing and opened Norma's door for her, but he wasn't about to give Rebecca more ammo.

"Give me a call if you want to find out whether he was telling the truth or not, I'm sure you won't be disappointed." Rebecca called out to Alex and he ignored her comment, getting inside the car.

After they took off and started heading home Alex looked over at Norma, noticing she looked upset about something. "Is something wrong?"

"Why would you think that?" Norma said, avoiding eye contact with him.

"Because you haven't said a word to me since we got in the car."

"I don't like chit chatting after I get off school, this is usually when I'm walking home."

"Okay." Alex said, keeping quiet.

"You know Rebecca Hamilton?" Norma said, breaking the silence after a minute.

"Kinda. She always showed up at all the high school parties back when I went."

"You guys just let a middle schooler show up to your parties?"

"They were never my parties. I only ever went to get out of the house, not because I actually wanted to be there. The other guys would let her in because she was an early bloomer and experienced."

"That's sick." Norma said, grimacing at the thought.

"Well high school boys are pigs." Alex said, glancing over at her a second then back at the road. "Speaking of which, I saw you walking around with Bob Paris. I'd watch out for him."

"You don't think I can handle myself?"

"I'm sure you can, but I still don't trust him. I don't even understand why you would want to be friends with him, he doesn't really seem like the type of person you would hang out with."

"Well maybe I should let you pick my choice of friends. I mean you got a great track record with your ex wife who you drove off, and the middle school tramp."

"Rebecca is not my friend, she flirted with me constantly and I ignored it. Before you walked up she was already trying it again and I shut it down." Alex said, pausing a moment before quietly saying the rest. "And I didn't drive off my wife, she cheated on me."

Norma turned to him wide eyed, wondering if she had heard him correctly. "Did you say, she cheated?" She asked and he nodded yes. "Why did you lie and tell me you caused the divorce?"

"I thought about telling you, but you told me you didn't care about my business. And I lied in the first place because it's embarrassing. Would you want to tell someone that you were so desperate not to be alone that you stayed with someone you knew was the wrong person and then they went off and screwed someone else, because you apparently weren't enough for them?"

"No, I guess not. " Norma said, glancing over at him awkwardly. She stayed quiet a few more moments before she spoke again. "Bob isn't my friend, he's my assigned partner for a project we are doing in economics class. And trust me, I already know he's a douche." She said and Alex smiled to himself. "I'm sorry Jennifer cheated on you."

"It's okay, we never would've worked out anyways."

"Still, she's an idiot to cheat on a guy like you." Norma said then Alex looked over and stared at her a moment, turning back to look at the road as he held back a smile.