*AN: Merci beaucoup to Christie for helping me, and writing this chapter.
She did a really good job, doncha think? The basic dialogue was hers, but
I did a little tweaking.*
Blake and Simon were kissing on the back porch of the Camdens, sitting on the swing. Neither of them were focusing on the matter at hand.
Willow decided it was time to break up 'Love fest 2002' and get to work. "Guys? Guys! GUYS! Come on! You're supposed to be helping Cory, Jack, Matt and I with the romantic scenery thing..."
"Romantic...scenery?" Simon asked, tearing himself away from Blake.
"Yes...for the date for Eric and Alexa?" Willow tapped her foot.
"I have to agree with Willow, here..." Cory nodded. "Can't you guys wait about twenty minutes? I mean, I'm going without Rachel..."
"Oh, alright!" Blake waveringly pulled herself away from Simon, and sighed. "So, what is it?"
"Someone...someONE needs to go get some candles. I'm afraid if you BOTH go, you'll get lost in the living room..." Matt glowered at his younger brother.
"Candles? Isn't that a little much?" Jack asked.
"Nah, if anyone knows Alexa, it's me..." Willow nodded. "And Simon. We came up with that idea together, so yeah, candles are good."
"Ok," Jack nodded. "Simon, go get the candles..."
"Ok, I'll be back..." Simon ran into the house.
Blake walked over to Cory, and helped him set up the icicle Christmas lights on the lattice fencing. "Why Christmas lights? Won't the candles set the mood properly?"
"Nah, you know how Eric is about Christmas lights...he'll freak." Cory told Blake.
"This is true..." Blake nodded.
"Hey, Will...will you help me with this?" Jack called his girlfriend to help him set up a white lace tablecloth over the picnic table. "Pull this over to the other side, if you will..."
"We need to trap them in here..." Blake suggested. "Like lab-rats!"
"Eric more than Alexa, that is..." Willow nodded.
"I think we should set up a couple at the exit, so they don't get out..." Blake looked at the door of the canopy. "Like..."
"You say 'me and Simon' I smack you..." Willow nodded.
"Rachel and Matt...after they get the food, they can wait by the door," Blake got defensive, and stuck her tongue out at Willow.
"Did someone say something to me?" Simon asked, carrying the candles from the house.
No one said anything, but Willow let out a quick snicker, and helped Jack fix the tablecloth.
"Now, my friends and family are talking about me behind my back..." Simon scoffed. "This is the life, I tell ya..." he handed the candles to Blake.
"Poor Simon..." Blake took the candles from him, and set them on the freshly set up picnic table.
"Matt...why are you being so quiet? Frankly, it's giving me the creeps..." Willow looked over at Matt, who was surveying the project.
"Rachel!" Matt whined, sounding like Eric, when he thought that Rachel was the one.
"She'll be here later..." Jack comforted his friend, rolling his eyes.
"She's trying to help Alyssa convince Alexa to get changed. It's no easy task..." Willow explained. "Plus, they have to do her hair, and getting that girl to sit still is like getting Cory to be normal..."
"Hey! I'm telling Alyssa..." Cory whined.
"Oh, waah..." Willow poked fun.
"I know..." Matt nodded. "When she was eleven, I sat through mom braiding her hair once, and she acted like a Britney Spears dance...jiggling all over the place, looking like an idiot..." he explained.
Willow laughed. "I know how that is." she set the candles on the table.
~~
"Try this on!" Alyssa demanded, throwing a white peasant skirt at Alexa. "And take your hair down."
"Then turn around three times, clap your hands and spit nickels out of your nose..." Rachel made fun of Alyssa.
"No, actually..." Alyssa narrowed her eyes at her friend. "Sit down in this chair, and let us fix your hair after..."
"Yes sir, ma'am!" Alexa saluted Alyssa. "What are you guys doing? Are we having a seven-year-overdue makeover day?"
"No, nothing..." Rachel grinned. "What makes you think we have to have some secret plan to want to give you a makeover?"
"Because we're all over twelve?" Alexa shook her head. "Now what's going on?"
"Do we ALWAYS have to have a hidden agenda?" Alyssa asked.
"When you're being so sarcastic, and all secretive about it, yes..." Alexa nodded, studying the skirt.
"Just change!" Rachel demanded. "And make it quick!"
"Ok, ok! Just give me a half a second!" Alexa ran into the bathroom. After she changed, she came out of the bathroom, examining herself. "Does this make me look..."
"Gorgeous!" Rachel nodded. "Absolutely glowing!"
"Right..." Alexa was unsure. "I'll take your word about that..."
"Ok, now sit." Alyssa shoved Alexa into the chair, and started tweaking her hair.
"Ok, but why am I doing all this? I'd like to know..." Alexa inquired.
"You'll figure it out...you're not that dumb..." Rachel explained. "Just be patient..."
"Why am I always the last one to know about what's going on in MY life?" Alexa whined.
"Should we go with the braid right here, and then a little blue dye?" Rachel asked.
"Dye? No...no dye!" Alexa pleaded.
"I like the braid idea, then we can..." Alyssa was interrupted.
"HOLD UP!" Alexa stood up. "Are you...fixing me up on a blind date?"
"Of sorts..." Rachel nodded.
"I can't go tonight...ironically, I have to get my left leg tested for radon..." Alexa used the first excuse that came to mind.
"Nice one...I'll use that for Feeny's test next week..." Alyssa grinned. "But sit down!"
"Just let me do my OWN hair, then..." Alexa shoved the probing hands of Alyssa and Rachel away from her, and started to twist little pieces of hair. She ended up pulling it back into a half-ponytail, and letting pieces of her bangs hang down. "So, is this guy hot?"
"I'm keeping my mouth shut!" Alyssa nodded.
"Do I know him?" Alexa asked.
"Not saying another word..." Rachel grinned.
"I'm hungry..." Rachel looked at her stomach.
"Me too," Alyssa added. "Grab me something too, would ya?"
"No, you'll get food on the date." Alyssa wished she could take that back.
"Just answer this one..." Alexa was interrupted.
"No!" Rachel exclaimed, glaring at Alyssa.
~~
Eric answered the phone, thankful that someone called, because he was getting bored. "Hello?" he asked.
"Hey, it's Jack. I'm just calling to tell you that you need to get dressed semi-formally. All the stuff you do before a date..." Jack explained.
"What date? Jack? You're asking me out?" Eric was laughing. "I'm truly flattered! But what will Willow say?"
"I hate to disappoint you, but it's not with me..." Jack rolled his eyes. "It's with a GIRL. Just be at the Camden's in an hour, ok?"
"Are you setting me up with..."
"See ya!" Jack hung up.
Eric still finished his sentence, even though the only thing on the other line was the dial tone. "Alexa?" He ran around the house getting ready as quickly as he could.
Blake and Simon were kissing on the back porch of the Camdens, sitting on the swing. Neither of them were focusing on the matter at hand.
Willow decided it was time to break up 'Love fest 2002' and get to work. "Guys? Guys! GUYS! Come on! You're supposed to be helping Cory, Jack, Matt and I with the romantic scenery thing..."
"Romantic...scenery?" Simon asked, tearing himself away from Blake.
"Yes...for the date for Eric and Alexa?" Willow tapped her foot.
"I have to agree with Willow, here..." Cory nodded. "Can't you guys wait about twenty minutes? I mean, I'm going without Rachel..."
"Oh, alright!" Blake waveringly pulled herself away from Simon, and sighed. "So, what is it?"
"Someone...someONE needs to go get some candles. I'm afraid if you BOTH go, you'll get lost in the living room..." Matt glowered at his younger brother.
"Candles? Isn't that a little much?" Jack asked.
"Nah, if anyone knows Alexa, it's me..." Willow nodded. "And Simon. We came up with that idea together, so yeah, candles are good."
"Ok," Jack nodded. "Simon, go get the candles..."
"Ok, I'll be back..." Simon ran into the house.
Blake walked over to Cory, and helped him set up the icicle Christmas lights on the lattice fencing. "Why Christmas lights? Won't the candles set the mood properly?"
"Nah, you know how Eric is about Christmas lights...he'll freak." Cory told Blake.
"This is true..." Blake nodded.
"Hey, Will...will you help me with this?" Jack called his girlfriend to help him set up a white lace tablecloth over the picnic table. "Pull this over to the other side, if you will..."
"We need to trap them in here..." Blake suggested. "Like lab-rats!"
"Eric more than Alexa, that is..." Willow nodded.
"I think we should set up a couple at the exit, so they don't get out..." Blake looked at the door of the canopy. "Like..."
"You say 'me and Simon' I smack you..." Willow nodded.
"Rachel and Matt...after they get the food, they can wait by the door," Blake got defensive, and stuck her tongue out at Willow.
"Did someone say something to me?" Simon asked, carrying the candles from the house.
No one said anything, but Willow let out a quick snicker, and helped Jack fix the tablecloth.
"Now, my friends and family are talking about me behind my back..." Simon scoffed. "This is the life, I tell ya..." he handed the candles to Blake.
"Poor Simon..." Blake took the candles from him, and set them on the freshly set up picnic table.
"Matt...why are you being so quiet? Frankly, it's giving me the creeps..." Willow looked over at Matt, who was surveying the project.
"Rachel!" Matt whined, sounding like Eric, when he thought that Rachel was the one.
"She'll be here later..." Jack comforted his friend, rolling his eyes.
"She's trying to help Alyssa convince Alexa to get changed. It's no easy task..." Willow explained. "Plus, they have to do her hair, and getting that girl to sit still is like getting Cory to be normal..."
"Hey! I'm telling Alyssa..." Cory whined.
"Oh, waah..." Willow poked fun.
"I know..." Matt nodded. "When she was eleven, I sat through mom braiding her hair once, and she acted like a Britney Spears dance...jiggling all over the place, looking like an idiot..." he explained.
Willow laughed. "I know how that is." she set the candles on the table.
~~
"Try this on!" Alyssa demanded, throwing a white peasant skirt at Alexa. "And take your hair down."
"Then turn around three times, clap your hands and spit nickels out of your nose..." Rachel made fun of Alyssa.
"No, actually..." Alyssa narrowed her eyes at her friend. "Sit down in this chair, and let us fix your hair after..."
"Yes sir, ma'am!" Alexa saluted Alyssa. "What are you guys doing? Are we having a seven-year-overdue makeover day?"
"No, nothing..." Rachel grinned. "What makes you think we have to have some secret plan to want to give you a makeover?"
"Because we're all over twelve?" Alexa shook her head. "Now what's going on?"
"Do we ALWAYS have to have a hidden agenda?" Alyssa asked.
"When you're being so sarcastic, and all secretive about it, yes..." Alexa nodded, studying the skirt.
"Just change!" Rachel demanded. "And make it quick!"
"Ok, ok! Just give me a half a second!" Alexa ran into the bathroom. After she changed, she came out of the bathroom, examining herself. "Does this make me look..."
"Gorgeous!" Rachel nodded. "Absolutely glowing!"
"Right..." Alexa was unsure. "I'll take your word about that..."
"Ok, now sit." Alyssa shoved Alexa into the chair, and started tweaking her hair.
"Ok, but why am I doing all this? I'd like to know..." Alexa inquired.
"You'll figure it out...you're not that dumb..." Rachel explained. "Just be patient..."
"Why am I always the last one to know about what's going on in MY life?" Alexa whined.
"Should we go with the braid right here, and then a little blue dye?" Rachel asked.
"Dye? No...no dye!" Alexa pleaded.
"I like the braid idea, then we can..." Alyssa was interrupted.
"HOLD UP!" Alexa stood up. "Are you...fixing me up on a blind date?"
"Of sorts..." Rachel nodded.
"I can't go tonight...ironically, I have to get my left leg tested for radon..." Alexa used the first excuse that came to mind.
"Nice one...I'll use that for Feeny's test next week..." Alyssa grinned. "But sit down!"
"Just let me do my OWN hair, then..." Alexa shoved the probing hands of Alyssa and Rachel away from her, and started to twist little pieces of hair. She ended up pulling it back into a half-ponytail, and letting pieces of her bangs hang down. "So, is this guy hot?"
"I'm keeping my mouth shut!" Alyssa nodded.
"Do I know him?" Alexa asked.
"Not saying another word..." Rachel grinned.
"I'm hungry..." Rachel looked at her stomach.
"Me too," Alyssa added. "Grab me something too, would ya?"
"No, you'll get food on the date." Alyssa wished she could take that back.
"Just answer this one..." Alexa was interrupted.
"No!" Rachel exclaimed, glaring at Alyssa.
~~
Eric answered the phone, thankful that someone called, because he was getting bored. "Hello?" he asked.
"Hey, it's Jack. I'm just calling to tell you that you need to get dressed semi-formally. All the stuff you do before a date..." Jack explained.
"What date? Jack? You're asking me out?" Eric was laughing. "I'm truly flattered! But what will Willow say?"
"I hate to disappoint you, but it's not with me..." Jack rolled his eyes. "It's with a GIRL. Just be at the Camden's in an hour, ok?"
"Are you setting me up with..."
"See ya!" Jack hung up.
Eric still finished his sentence, even though the only thing on the other line was the dial tone. "Alexa?" He ran around the house getting ready as quickly as he could.