Chapter 12: Memories and Dr. Pepper

Summary: Alex invites some friends over and a small party ensues.

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Stephanie Johnson made her way up the stairs of the Ashley House apartments.

The smell of barbecue wafted down on her from a balcony and the wind lifted her blond hair. Her friend's tennis shoes echoed and squeaked on the concrete. The throbbing of her heart filled her ears. At the door she tried to shrink into the shadows as her friend Cody knocked. Music played and the sound of dishes bumping each into other came from behind it.

Cody looked back at Stephanie and smiled, her long blond hair struggled out of the pony tail. The door swung open and the music grew louder. A tall young man with brown hair and eyes stepped halfway out of the apartment and grinned.

Alex.


"What's up ladies? Come on in."


Stephanie followed them and continued to try and hide behind Cody. Smells of Pizza and cookies thickly coated the room. Pictures hung from the walls and a grandfather clock ticked over in the corner.


"This is Dakota." Stephanie heard Alex saying.


She scooted in to get a better look. Her eyes widened. Dakota looked like a teenage heart throb. Blond hair, perfect tan skin, muscular arms. And then his eyes. Amazing eyes; lavender. Her mouth hung open as she stared.


"This is Cordilia," Alex said sliding his arm around the short blond.


The girl punched Alex in the ribs. "It's Cody."


Dakota took her hand and smiled. "Hi."


"And this is Stephanie."


Those lavender eyes fell on her. The whole room seemed to focus on her. Her ears grew hot and she wished that she could crawl under the coffee table. But then he smiled and her pounding heart relaxed. "Hi, it's nice to finally meet you." Stephanie asked extending a hand.


"You too."


"So what grade are you in?" Cody asked.


"I graduated last year, actually." Dakota replied. Beautiful, he thought, his eyes still on Stephanie. Her blue eyes tugged at him. He could barely hear her voice above the music Alex had cranked up, but none the less the voice soothed him. "So Stephanie, when did you move here?"


"About a year ago, maybe." She replied. "I didn't really meet anyone at first, in fact I just met Cody a few months ago. I'm a little shy, hid in the corners too often."


They all drifted to the center of the living room. "Yup, we had to drag her out of her shell," Cody said.


"Oh yeah, where'd you move from Stephanie?"


"New York, before that I lived in Maine, and before that I lived in Colorado, army brat," Stephanie laughed. "So I have to ask, why aren't you going to college?"


"Honestly, I just need a break... Alex's mom just feels that it would be a good idea for me to rest," Dakota shrugged.


"Alex's mom? What about yours?" Stephanie asked.


"Oh, I didn't tell you...my parents died, just a few months ago."

Their eyes locked again for a moment, then Dakota looked away. For a moment, they all stood with their mouths shut. The music was the only noise that penetrated the silence.


Alex broke the pause. "So, you guys want something to drink?"


Stephanie and Dakota declined but Cody was thirsty so she walked with Alex to the kitchen.

Alex filled a red, plastic cup with ice.

Cody reached for the two-liter of Dr. Pepper and unscrewed the top.

Alex leaned closer to her and inhaled. Her perfume filled his nose and he shut his eyes moving away.

Cody looked up.


"Is something wrong Alex?" She whispered.


Alex smiled as he filled his own glass with tap water. "Doing great, how 'bout you?"
Cody shook her head, grinned and took a sip of her drink. "You are different." She commented.


"What, me? Well let's see, the last time we saw each other you were still wearing pigtails and I still liked Power Rangers, so yeah, I guess we both have changed." He set his cup down and leaned against the counter. For a moment they did not speak. The memories that rushed through their minds made the whole world seem to stop. It made them wonder; if Alex had never moved how would it be now?

Cody looked at Alex's face to search for some answers. He had changed, but not in the way he thought she meant. He had something to hide, but his face gave no indication as to what it was.

A fist pounding on the door broke the trance.

Alex made a dash to open it making some excuse about beating Dakota to it. But Cody knew he was only making an attempt to avoid her questions.


Alex flung the door open to reveal two new faces; one ebony and the other a chocolate brown. He introduced them to Dakota as Danny and Brandy.


Danny and Dakota shook hands. A wide smile spread across his exuberant face. "Hey Dakota, Alex's told me tons of stuff about you!"


Dakota returned the smile. "Alex, what'd you tell him?"


"We better not talk about it around the ladies, you know what I'm sayin'?" Alex said giving Dakota a little crooked grin.


Dakota grabbed him and hit him in the arm. The girls shook their heads and complained about boys always trying to kill each other.

But then, Cody decided to join in the fun and went for Alex's weakness, messing up his perfectly spiked hair.

Alex yelled and grabbed her ponytail, then it was on.

Nearly paralyzed with laughter Cody was hoisted over Alex's shoulder with the two other girls making useless attempts at getting her down. Dakota and Danny pulled them away and eventually the whole group ended up on the floor in a big pile, laughing hysterically.

Dakota rubbed his sore cheeks, it felt good to laugh again. He had not laughed his hard in a long time.

Not since Julia died.

He felt the pain hit again and scooted away from the hysterical group. The difference he felt from them overwhelmed him like a dense fog. Danny and Brandy, Cody and Alex all wrestled on the floor, but then, Stephanie popped her head out of the pile, her face bright pink with laughter, and something hit Dakota again. Something about her touched him.

Was it her face?

Her laugh?

Her mere presence?

He shook his head. Ridiculous, he said to himself. You've known her for five minutes, ridiculous.