Chapter 21

"So what've you got going on this week?" Alex asked in one of their typical late night phone calls.

"Pretty much the same old; working Tuesday through Friday nights and Saturday we got an exhibition at this new skate park. But I also have to fit in signing up for classes at Santa Monica City College sometime," Stacy answered, plotting out his week. "How 'bout you?"

"Working Wednesday through Saturday; hoping to screw the hell out of my boyfriend sometime during the week…you know same old."

"Oh, you're killing me here girl! My Mom already accuses me of not living here since she says I never come home at night anymore," Stacy laughed.

"Tell her you've become a vampire," Alex suggested. Gees, she was getting a little too sleepy and comfortable lying in bed talking.

"You wanna leave some bite marks on my neck next time?"

"Now you're killing me boy; leaving me alone here to think about where I'd like to leave bite marks."

"Phone sex-its great-leaves no marks," Stacy quipped. "Goodnight babe, I'll see you tomorrow."

Alex was walking in the morning sunshine, noticing that even in California you could sense when fall was coming. Out really to run some errands she found herself heading for the beach, near what the boys called the cove. She saw a group of about a dozen or so surfers bobbing on their boards. At this distance it was hard to distinguish who they were, but it sure was interesting watching them weave their way through the broken pilings and debris. She plopped herself down on the sand and took in the free entertainment.

Her concentration was broken by a squeaky young boy's voice trying to do his best imitation of a hard ass; "You know you can't surf here right, it's locals only."

Alex turned her head toward the boy and lowered her aviator sunglasses slightly on her nose to look him up and down slowly, considering what his problem might be.

The scrawny blonde kid pressed on; "You hear me, yeah, you're not supposed to be here, only locals can surf this beach," he said belligerently, hands on hips.

"Boy, does it look even remotely possible to you that I'm about to throw myself in that water?" Alex stood up and towered over the kid, gesturing to her Chuck Taylors, jeans and tan leather jacket. "Do you think I have a surfboard in my back pocket? Not only did I not come here to surf, I didn't come here to baby sit either; now go piss off back to your pail and shovel before your mommy misses you."

As the kid was busy sputtering with indignation and thinking up a comeback, some of the surfers approached unnoticed from the water. "What's happenin' dudes? There gonna be a fight?" came the unmistakable taunting tones of Tony Alva.

The boy looked from the approaching surfers back to Alex with a look on his face like now you're gonna get it. "Hey TA, I was just telling this bitch she don't belong here and she's giving me nothing but attitude."

"Ooh if there is gonna be a fight, my moneys on Alex. Sorry Baby Paul, just calling it as I see it," smirked Jay joining the group on the beach.

"Alex, who is Alex?" 'Baby Paul' as they called him looked confused.

"Bitch? Who are you calling a bitch? Baby...whoever," Alex said dismissively.

"Ok, ok, can't we all just get along?" Tony shook his head with mock sadness, sending droplets of sea water off his curls and over both combatants. "Alex meet Baby Paul Cullen, Baby Paul meet Alex Boylan."

"Alex? That's a guys' name," huffed Baby Paul.

"You'll be able to tell the difference between girls and guys when you grow up," retorted Alex.

"Baby Paul's got real promise as skater and a surfer; he's up here on beach patrol earning his way into the water like we all had to," Jay explained to Alex. "Alex here is cool, even though she's Peralta's chick," he turned and offered as explanation to the boy.

"And dude, beach patrol is really more about keeping Vals out of our cove, you can lighten up on trying to scare away hot girls," Tony threw a playful punch at the young boy, "Now, Baby Paul, where's that joint you were keeping dry for me?"

Maybe it was the explanation or maybe it was Tony's medication, but soon everybody was just sort of chilling on the beach. Alex felt a little silly for fighting with a young kid who seemed pretty amiable – just trying to get the respect of the older boys. "Sorry Paul about giving you a hassle, I didn't know you had a job to do," she said.

"No problem, sorry I didn't know you were Stacy's chick, but I shoulda let you slide cause of your hotness," he grinned cheekily at her. The older guys laughed and high-fived him.

"Oh man, you're gonna get along just fine with this crew," she laughed back to Paul. "But the rest of you lot are gonna end up in jail for corrupting a minor."

"No, we're gonna end up at your pool, Alex, the waves have blown out for the day," Jay opined blowing out his own cloud of smoke.

"That sounds OK, in fact I'll even bake some brownies," she mumbled thoughtfully, a sudden case of munchies overtaking her. "But I got one thing I need your help with though; you see there is this couch…."

"Uh-oh, Peralta's not taking care of his chick, Tony, she needs our help on her couch," Jay leered playfully at Alex.

"Down, perv, I was about to say I need help getting a couch from that second-hand store near my house, see I thought we could use your skateboards as dollies to roll it," Alex looked pleased with what she thought was an ingenious plan.

"Girl, we do not refer to our skates as dollies, and we ain't a freaking moving company," Tony was clearly less thrilled with her idea.

"Come on please," Alex said in her best girly, wheedling voice; "I got the pool, I'll make the brownies and I'll even stop and get some beer, please?"

"Alright, tell ya what, Jayboy you go home and get a good handful of weed to throw in the brownies, Alex you go stock up on beer and Baby Paul you get ready to do some heavy lifting," Tony directed. "We meet back at the second-hand store in a half hour."

"What's your part in this plan?" Jay asked suspiciously.

"I'm the brains of the operation," Tony smiled smugly; "I'm gonna go change and then call Peralta – tell him his chick is bugging us to move furniture and he should get his ass and his car in gear and meet us in a half hour. Which is what you would have done chica, if you were the brains of the operation," he grinned at Alex. "You're never gonna get your boy whipped if you don't keep asking for shit."

"Thanks for the education, Tony, I'll be sure to share it with Blanca next time I see her," Alex shot back.

Tony rolled his eyes; "Tell her something she hasn't tried before, in fact tell her about the brownies and beer bribe."