Alex had noticed the absence of Teresa; she hadn't even come down for her shift.

"Dad" Alex rested on the door frame and waiting until Jerry bothered to turn. "Dad" she spoke again and this time he grunted to show his was listening. "Where's Mom?"

Jerry sighed and turned fully to Alex.

"She's gone away for the weekend Alex, you didn't exactly care to insure she had a good one"

Alex looked away for a brief second, she knew she shouldn't feel angry, but it was hard not to when nobody would drop it.

"She told me to tell you before she went, she's disgusted with you and your not allowed to go out until... well she didn't say" Jerry scratched at his balding head. "It's been bugging me. Why did you do it?"

"You said before you didn't want to know" Alex tugged the bobble from her hair and let it fall to her shoulders. She wasn't really in the mood to tell him.

"Never mind, I just want to know" his voice was level, like an adult speaking to another, he was no longer speaking to her like 'his little girl'.

Alex felt a lie break through the ready truth, saving her from more possible trouble.

"I got carried away"

"To right" Jerry scoffed his eyes fell to the floor. Alex chewed her inner cheek.

"See you" Alex knocked on the door frame and left for the comfort of her room and maybe a coffee.

Returning up to her room, Alex bumped into Justin, who was leaving with his helmet clutched in his hands.

"Alex" he caught her arm. Alex stopped and gave him an irritated glare.

"What?" she'd been looking forward to making a coffee in peace, now Justin had to ruin it.

"Harper wants to speak to you and also, I think that was pretty stupid what you did"

"I think your face is pretty stupid"

"This is serious Alex" Justin's voice was harsh on her.

"And I am too" Alex pushed past him and spotted Harper sitting on the patio.

As she opened the large glass door, the evening air blew into the house. Harper looked back at her with a small, worried smile.

"You okay?" Alex sat down next to her and saw she was cupping a cup of coffee in her hands. The steam rose in swirls from the yellow mug.

"I was about to ask you the same question" Harper sipped at the coffee then handed it over to Alex.

Alex took a large gulp, not caring as it burned the sensitive skin of her mouth.

"Yeah, I'm... kinda okay"

"Me too" Harper looked away then turned back in a sudden explosion. "Why the hell did you do that Alex! It was... it... it was so, so moronic! I know you have this crush on Stevie and getting drunk is not the way to get her or, or... get rid of the feelings you have for her! Heck, I don't care if your lesbian! I still love you as a slightly dysfunctional sister! Never do that again Alex, you hear me!" Harper was panting by the end of it.

Alex rubbed the side of her ear.

"You done yet?" Alex's voice seemed tiny after Harper's outburst.

"Not really, give me the coffee" Alex handed her the mug and Harper drank it in long gulps then spat half of it across the patio.

"Damn that's hot" she was still screaming her words, but silenced as Alex broke into a rusty giggle.

"Harper..."

"No, never touch alcohol again!" Harper thrust her pinky finger at Alex. "Pinky it" her voice dropped into a threatening tone.

"Pinky" Alex felt rushed to speak so latched her pinky around Harper's and shook it.

As soon as the rush of Harper's outburst began it soon settled again.

Alex set the cup of coffee down and looked at Harper, she was dressed in a parrot t-shirt and bird pants. Despite the clothing, Alex pursued the matters that Harper had mentioned.

"I'm not a lesbian Harper, it's just Stevie and besides, I don't like her any more"

"Why?" Harper was taken back by Alex's bipolar relationship with Stevie.

"She embarrassed me in front of her friends last night, then kissed me thinking it would make me feel better, it made me feel a fuck load worse"

"You swore" Harper's eyes widened.

"Sorry" Alex knew about Harper's swear jar and took a dollar from her pocket then handed it to her.

"How did she embarrass you?"

"Poured water over my head when I was... lets say a little out of it, in front of her band"

"What a utter..." Harper must have been thinking of hundreds of crass terms, but settled with "gank"

"Yeah, then thinking I would forget, I got drunk and other things" Alex leant back on the wall and looked at Harper, who was pouting in thought. "I'm sorry" Alex knew it was time to stop being childish about the world, well only for a while until things blew over.

Harper hugged her tightly.

"I forgave you from the moment you came back home"