After a short wait, I finally got chapter 11 up. With luck, I'll be able to post chapter 12 later today. Anyway enjoy. =)
"No Alex. You aren't supposed to do that if you see a butterfly. Don't chase it and leave Cody hanging." Amy said.
"Sorry. I guess we have to start again." Alex said, blushing and heading back over to Amy and the other girls.
After the success of finding Alex the perfect things for her date with Cody Saturday Monday, the girls decided to spend all of Tuesday having practice dates with Alex. And so far, things were not going well. It seemed like with each girl, including Candice, Alex always seemed to find some way to get wound up and let her nerves take over. Whether it was something as simple as receiving a compliment from her practice Cody or happening to see an animal like a butterfly or even a cat, Alex had managed to become a stuttering, distracted mess.
"Guys, I'm really sorry I keep getting distracted. Maybe we could try a few more times." Alex said, a pleading look in her eyes.
"You'd better be lucky none of us have built up an immunity to that sad puppy look you have." Amy said, after taking a deep breath.
The girls had to spend some time mulling over different ways that they could set up another practice date when Matt and Jeff happened to come over to where their group was gathered outside.
"This is the cutest thing ever. All of our girlfriends in a group, outside, on a glorious sunny day." Matt said, going to hug Amy.
"It sure is Matty. What are you girls talking about anyway Ria? Movies or something?" Jeff asked, giving Maria a peck on the forehead.
"Well, if you both really must know, Alex has a date coming up soon. And all of today, we've been helping her practice, but we keep hitting dead ends with everything that we've been doing." Ashley said, laying down on the ground.
"Really? Lexi, you got a date with somebody?" Matt asked.
"Yeah Matty. I have a date Saturday and Candice and the others have been giving me practice dates all day. But so far, I keep managing to screw each one up." Alex said, smiling nervously and blushing.
"That's so awesome. Who's the lucky guy that you're going to date?" Jeff asked.
"I'm going to be going on a date with Cody Rhodes. That's why my practice dates have been so disastrous." Alex said, blushing more.
"Ooohhhh. That would explain why you seem so nervous about the practice dates. It must be nerve-wracking considering you're gonna be dating somebody that you looovvveeee." Matt said, drawing the word out.
"Wha? That's not true. I don't love Cody." Alex said, blushing even more.
"Yeah. We can totally tell from the way you've turned into a human cherry that you don't love Cody. But really sis, me and Matt are happy for you right now. You must be feeling so happy right now since the guy you've been crushing on since middle school finally asked you out." Jeff said, hugging his younger sister.
"I am. In fact, I'm happier than a girl that just got proposed to right now. But the whole 'I'm going a date' thing is still new to me. Maybe you guys could have a fake date right now and show me how things are done." Alex said, looking at Matt and Jeff with her sad puppy look.
After just looking at Alex for a few seconds, Matt and Jeff immediately decided to lend their help to the girls.
"OK Alex. One of the most important things that a girl can do on a date is show an interest in what the other person is saying. Don't make the whole night revolve around you because that's a major turn-off to a lot of guys. Since you and Cody are like mirror doubles of each other, it shouldn't be all that big of a problem for you two to keep a conversation going." Matt said.
After several more minutes of getting advice from Matt, Jeff, and the other girls and seeing Matt and Amy have a fake date of their own, Alex slowly started to feel like she would be willing to have another practice date.
"OK. I think I'm ready to try the dating part again. I just need a willing person to play Cody." Alex said, looking around at her friends. She noticed that each of them looked tired and was about to ask either Matt or Jeff when Kaitlyn offered to be the practice Cody.
"So I guess we start from when Cody comes to get me." Alex said.
"OK. Hey there Alex. You look so cute in that dress and those flats. Are you ready to go?" Kaitlyn said.
"I sure am Cody. And may I say that you look rather dashing yourself tonight." Alex said smiling.
"Why thank you. Now what would you like to do tonight? Would you like to go eat somewhere or go catch a movie?"
"If it's fine with you, I'd really like to go to the movies. 'The Avengers' just premiered last weekend and I haven't had the chance to see it yet."
"That sounds fine to me. I haven't really been able to see it yet myself, so we can go see it."
After pretending to actually watch a movie and eat somewhere, Kaitlyn and Alex made it to the part in their practice date where Cody would have to bring Alex back home.
"I had a lot of fun tonight Cody. I hope that we can do something like this again in the future."
"I had fun tonight too Alex. I would love to go on another date with you soon."
And just to play up the practice date, Kaitlyn and Alex leaned in and kissed each other on the lips. Once they pulled away, they looked around and saw their friends all staring in awe over how well the practice date went.
"That was so cute Alex." Amy said.
"It sure was. Why couldn't you have been this cute with our other practice dates?" Trish said.
"I guess having Matt and Jeff here sort of helped loosen me up a little. The funny thing is before now, they didn't even know I had a date earlier, so I guess having them know now just helped me loosen up." Alex said, smiling and nervously rubbing the back of her head.
"Well, as long as you use some of that cuteness on your date with Cody and be yourself, things will be fine." Mickie said smiling.
"Thanks you guys. Thanks for helping me with this and being patient with me while I was a nervous mess during the other practice dates." Alex said, hugging each of her friends and her brothers.
"No problem Alex. Just know that whatever you need help with, you can always come to us." Ashley said, smiling.
"I'll be sure to do that Ash. Now let's all head inside. I'm feeling a bit tired." Alex said around a yawn.
As soon as all of the friends were inside, they decided to watch a movie until it was time for everyone to head home. The movie they all unanimously voted for was 'The Lion King'. Halfway through all of the singing and dancing to the songs in the movie, Alex's phone started to ring. Jeff, who happened to have the remote, paused the movie long enough for Alex to take the call.
'Who's calling you?' Melina whispered.
'It's Cody.' Alex whispered back, a slight blush already creeping onto her face.
Stepping out of the living room, Alex answered the phone a little out of breath. "Hi Cody."
"Hey Alex. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"
"No, not at all. I was just watching 'The Lion King' with my brothers and the other girls. What's up?"
"Umm, I was wondering if, maybe, you'd like to meet up with me in the morning at school? Ted and Dustin really want to meet you, seeing as how they've been teasing me non-stop about me asking you out."
"Uhh, sure. Just try not to be alarmed if you see all of my friends and my brothers coming with me. They just want to make sure that I'll be fine. What with me being the youngest out of all of us and the one with seemingly the shortest attention span too."
"I'll be sure to let Dustin and Ted know so that way they won't be in their fight-or-flight modes. They're sorta the same way with me too."
"I guess there's a reason right there as to why we have this date. We're both kinda ditzy and we've got really cool and protective friends."
"I guess you're right. I should probably let you get back to everyone. I'll see you tomorrow Alex."
"OK. See you then Cody."
Alex ended the call and soon after she started to sing a few words from the famous Lion King song 'Hakuna Matata' before heading back into the living room. As soon as she got in there, she happened to notice that everyone in there was smiling widely at her.
"OK. I'm not sure whether to think you guys are all happy zombies or body doubles from 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers'. Why are you guys smiling so hard?" Alex asked.
"Because we just heard you agree to meet up with Cody tomorrow. It's almost as if you two have a date tomorrow morning." Candice said.
"I-It's not even like that. He just wants me to meet his friends tomorrow. That's all it is." Alex said, blushing.
"No need to blush Alex. Save that cuteness for Cody tomorrow. We'll be right there with you, just in case you need to be pulled out if things get awkward." Candice said.
"Thanks. I just hope that at least tomorrow I won't be a stuttering heap in front of Cody's friends." Alex said.
"Don't worry. These are Cody's friends, right? I'm sure that as soon as they start talking about video games or comic books you'll be chatting up a storm." Candice said smiling.
"I hope so. I just want to make a good impression on them. That's all. Now let's get back to the movie." Alex said.
By the time the movie finished, the girls decided to leave. After the girls had all left, Alex had decided to head upstairs to shower and go to sleep. Before she could make it to the top of the staircase, she was stopped by Matt and Jeff.
"Alex, we just want to say again that we're really happy for you. Just know that we'll be there for you if things go bad. But knowing you two, they won't." Matt said, climbing the stairs to hug his sister.
"Yeah. We three are always gonna be there for each other no matter what. So just know that if this one date between you and Cody leads to a wedding in the future, we'll gladly be in it." Jeff said, smiling.
"Thanks you guys. And really Jeff, you think just one little date will lead to a wedding? I'm leaning more towards you or Matt getting married before me." Alex said laughing.
As soon as Alex took her shower and was getting ready to go to sleep, she got her rabbit, Jack, and snuggled under her bedsheets. 'Hmm. Mrs. Alexis Hardy-Rhodes. I quite like the ring of that name. It'll be the name of a girl that has stood the test of time and happily married the guy she loves. It's perfect. Just perfect.' Alex thought before she went to sleep, a smile etched on her face.
Read and review. Now that Alex has gotten over the hurdles of the practice dates, she's heading towards Saturday with a good feeling about her impending date with her crush. All she has to do now is meet Cody's friends at school. Stay tuned for chapter 12. =)
A huge shout-out to foldintothenight, fuckyeahvodkaandchocolates, RebelInMind13, and fuckyeahimadiva. You guys are all seriously some of the most awesome writers on this site and the best people to talk to. If you're reading my story right now, stop and please go check out their stories. Each story is so freakin awesome & they show that the authors put a lot of time and effort into writing their stories. Again thanks you guys & to those of you reading, check out their stories NOW! You'll love what you read. =)
