A/N: This chapter, as well as the next few, will have alot of flashbacks. Sorry, but they are necessary.
**********
True to his word, Randy showed up around noon. He snuck up behind Alex and wrapped his good arm around her from behind. She was about to yell when she recognized his cologne. Randy was the only person who had ever smelled like that. She turned and gave him a hug. "It is so good to see you, Randy."
"It's even better to see you. You haven't changed a bit." She really hadn't. She stood at about five foot four, with dark brown hair and vivid green eyes, and she had an athletic build.
She eyed him critically before laughing. "Well, your hair is a bit longer. That's about all that's different." She pointed to his arm. "And that sling. How long?"
"The sling for about three weeks. Total rehab time is looking like four months."
"Wow. That sucks."
He nodded. "Oh yes it does. But on to better things. Feel like helping me shop?" He extended his good arm for her to take.
"Of course," she replied, taking his arm. She smiled to herself as they walked towards the back of the store. She was so glad that there was no akwardness in their relationship, especially after what had happened between them. Of course she was keeping a huge secret from him, but other than that she thought everything was okay. They stopped in front of the jean walls, and Alex looked up at Randy. "Light or dark?"
"Light." She grabbed a couple pair for him to try and set them on the table next to them. "Next?"
"Shirts of course. Long sleeve, maybe a few short sleeve." They each picked out a few, and walked back up to the counter. There was no one else in the store, so they chatted while Korinne rang up his stuff. Alex had her back to the front of the store, so was a bit confused when Randy looked past her and smiled warmly. He walked past her and she turned in time to see him greeting his sister...who happened to have RJ in her arms.
"Hey Becks, what are you doing here already? And who is this?" he said, pointing to RJ.
Becky bit her lip and looked at Alex, who nodded. "This is Ryan, better known as RJ."
"Hi there RJ. My name's Randy." RJ shook his head and buried his face in the crook of Becky's neck. Randy looked confused, so Alex spoke up as she walked over and took RJ from Becky.
"You're very tall, Randy, he's not used to that. He gets a little scared around new people."
"How would you..." he stopped for a moment, looking over both RJ and Alex, noticing the similarities. "He's your son?"
"Yes, he is."
"Why didn't you ever tell me you had a kid Al?"
Alex sighed and handed RJ back to Becky, who took him to the other side of the store. "When did we really have a chance to talk, Randy?"
"Oh gee, Al, every time I call you?"
"Like I wanted to say that over the phone. 'By the way, Randy, I had a son the other day.' No, I don't think so."
Randy held his hand up. "OK, ok. Don't get defensive. It's just another part of your life that I need to learn about. Are you with his dad?"
"Um, no, actually."
"That sucks Al. What kind of guy would leave his pregnant girlfriend, or not want to be with his child?"
Alex started looking everywhere but at Randy. "It's probably not that hard when he doesn't know." Randy noticed the beginnings of tears in her eyes, so he hugged her with his good arm.
"Since when did you start crying?"
"Since RJ was born, I think."
"I didn't mean to upset you, or to pry."
She laughed. "You meant to pry."
"Well maybe." They were both silent for a moment. "If Becky hadn't brought him here, which I'm still waiting on an explanation for, would you have told me about him?" He could already see the answer in her eyes, but he wanted to hear her say it.
"I...I really don't know Randy." He grabbed his bags and started walking towards the entrance.
"OK, Al. But I mean it. I want to hear everything later."
She sighed as he walked out. "No you don't Randy. You really don't."
**********
Alex sat in the back of her biology lecture waiting for the class to start. She finished getting settled, and her thoughts drifted to what she would tell Randy after class. Becky had come up and apologized, but Alex waved her off. It was crazy to think he would never know that she had a kid, and she knew that. Becky took RJ to see a movie at the mall's theater, and came back at 5 to switch places with Alex, as she was the store's associate manager. Alex finished up her last half hour, and then took RJ to his nana's, who was Randy's mother. She was brought out of her thoughts by the professor starting class. 'Right,' she thought to herself. 'Like I can concentrate.' It was going to be a long hour and a half.
**********
Alex walked into Starbucks at 8:30 on the dot to find Randy sitting on a couch in the corner. He already had her favorite- hot chocolate- waiting for her. She sat down with a huff. Randy smiled and handed her the cup. "Rough class?"
She wrinkled her nose. "Biology."
"Yuck. What are you majoring in?"
"International finance." She took a sip of her drink.
"And you're taking bio because?"
"General Ed requirements."
He nodded. "Gotcha. So how much longer do you have?"
"About two years. When I found out I was pregnant with RJ, I deferred my admission and took a couple years off." Randy was glad that Alex had brought up RJ, because he just wasn't sure how to.
"When did you find that out? About RJ, I mean."
She looked down at her hands. "Shortly after you left." In a weird sort of way, she hoped he would figure it out. But a larger part of her didn't want that.
"Oh." An akward silence came as they both remembered what had happened between them.
I A 17 year old Alex twirled around in front of her mirror and looked at her best friend. "OK, Stace, what do you think? Will Steve like it?" The girls were both in Alex's room getting ready for their senior prom.
Stacey planted a fake smile in her face. "I'm sure." Alex looked back confused, but didn't ask.
"I know Randy will think you look great."
"Again, I'm sure." Alex opened her mouth, but before she could speak the doorbell sounded from downstairs.
"Here goes." Alex said excitedly, and Stacey just rolled her eyes. The group suffered through pictures and sniffles from all of the parents before finally escaping to the waiting limo. Prom went well, until the court was announced. Alex and Randy won king and queen, which left Steve and Stacey alone on the floor. While they were dancing their "official" dance, Alex saw Steve kissing Stacey. She nudged Randy, and tried to keep her composure. Randy looked over.
"What the hell are they doing?" Even though he obviously knew, and had actually suspected it for awhile.
"Playing bingo." He sighed and looked down at her. Sarcasm had always been Alex's best defense, but occassionally he saw through it. Occassionaly, as in now.
"Al, we can totally skip this if you want. Maybe go talk somewhere." She nodded before answering.
"Yeah, but why aren't you more upset?" He grabbed her hand and they walked off the floor.
"I had suspicions. We should have just came together, you know."
"I know. Next time we make a pact, let's stick to it, k?" Alex and Randy had said when they were freshman that they would go to their senior prom together no matter what.
"K." Randy found the limo driver, and got him to take them back to his house. His dad was still up when they got there, but he said a quick goodnite when he saw that Alex was upset. Randy handed her a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants for her to change into, and she went into the bathroom. She came back out and Randy couldn't help but laugh. The shirt wnt down to her knees, and the pants were way too long. "Cute."
"Gee thanks." He leaned back on the bed and opened his arms. Alex snuggled up next to him wordlessly. The silence lasted a few minutes before Randy broke it.
"Steve is a jerk anyways, Al."
"And Stacey's a bitch."
"Yeah."
"Yeah." A few moments later Randy felt a wetness in his chest.
"Are you crying, Al?" She quickly wiped at her face.
"No."
"You are." He pulled her hands away. "Don't cry over him."
"Can't help it." She looked so vulnerable, Randy wasn't sure what to do. So he kissed her. Alex pulled back shocked. "Why did you do that?"
His voice was barely a whisper. "Couldn't help it." She looked in his eyes for a moment before kissing him back. It got a little more intense, and Randy started running his hands up her side. He stopped for a second. "Al, I don't want to mess anything up."
She put her hand behind his neck and pulled his head down for another kiss. She then mumbled against his lips. "You won't." /I
"Alex?" She shook her head and looked up. It was a friend from class.
"Hey Alisa. How are you?"
"Good, thanks, how are you doing?"
"Fine thanks."
"Good. I just wanted to say hi. See you in class!"
"Bye Lis." She turned back to Randy. "Sorry, I sort of spaced there for a sec."
"Me too. So, where is RJ now?"
"With your mom actually."
"Really?"
"Yep." Randy and Alex had known each other their entire lives thanks to their moms, who had been best friends since high school. "You know she has always been a second mother to me, and she totally adopted RJ."
He smiled. "If that makes her happy."
"I guess it does."
"I hope he can get over how tall I am." Alex looked surprised at that, and Randy took notice. "What, you want him to always be afraid of me?"
"No, that's not what I was expecting."
"Al, I may have let you get away before, but you are stuck with me now."
**********
A/N: There will be more to explain their past relationship in the next couple of chapters, but I didn't want to make this chapter entirely flashbacks. Please R&R, I love reading your comments! :)
Lisa
**********
True to his word, Randy showed up around noon. He snuck up behind Alex and wrapped his good arm around her from behind. She was about to yell when she recognized his cologne. Randy was the only person who had ever smelled like that. She turned and gave him a hug. "It is so good to see you, Randy."
"It's even better to see you. You haven't changed a bit." She really hadn't. She stood at about five foot four, with dark brown hair and vivid green eyes, and she had an athletic build.
She eyed him critically before laughing. "Well, your hair is a bit longer. That's about all that's different." She pointed to his arm. "And that sling. How long?"
"The sling for about three weeks. Total rehab time is looking like four months."
"Wow. That sucks."
He nodded. "Oh yes it does. But on to better things. Feel like helping me shop?" He extended his good arm for her to take.
"Of course," she replied, taking his arm. She smiled to herself as they walked towards the back of the store. She was so glad that there was no akwardness in their relationship, especially after what had happened between them. Of course she was keeping a huge secret from him, but other than that she thought everything was okay. They stopped in front of the jean walls, and Alex looked up at Randy. "Light or dark?"
"Light." She grabbed a couple pair for him to try and set them on the table next to them. "Next?"
"Shirts of course. Long sleeve, maybe a few short sleeve." They each picked out a few, and walked back up to the counter. There was no one else in the store, so they chatted while Korinne rang up his stuff. Alex had her back to the front of the store, so was a bit confused when Randy looked past her and smiled warmly. He walked past her and she turned in time to see him greeting his sister...who happened to have RJ in her arms.
"Hey Becks, what are you doing here already? And who is this?" he said, pointing to RJ.
Becky bit her lip and looked at Alex, who nodded. "This is Ryan, better known as RJ."
"Hi there RJ. My name's Randy." RJ shook his head and buried his face in the crook of Becky's neck. Randy looked confused, so Alex spoke up as she walked over and took RJ from Becky.
"You're very tall, Randy, he's not used to that. He gets a little scared around new people."
"How would you..." he stopped for a moment, looking over both RJ and Alex, noticing the similarities. "He's your son?"
"Yes, he is."
"Why didn't you ever tell me you had a kid Al?"
Alex sighed and handed RJ back to Becky, who took him to the other side of the store. "When did we really have a chance to talk, Randy?"
"Oh gee, Al, every time I call you?"
"Like I wanted to say that over the phone. 'By the way, Randy, I had a son the other day.' No, I don't think so."
Randy held his hand up. "OK, ok. Don't get defensive. It's just another part of your life that I need to learn about. Are you with his dad?"
"Um, no, actually."
"That sucks Al. What kind of guy would leave his pregnant girlfriend, or not want to be with his child?"
Alex started looking everywhere but at Randy. "It's probably not that hard when he doesn't know." Randy noticed the beginnings of tears in her eyes, so he hugged her with his good arm.
"Since when did you start crying?"
"Since RJ was born, I think."
"I didn't mean to upset you, or to pry."
She laughed. "You meant to pry."
"Well maybe." They were both silent for a moment. "If Becky hadn't brought him here, which I'm still waiting on an explanation for, would you have told me about him?" He could already see the answer in her eyes, but he wanted to hear her say it.
"I...I really don't know Randy." He grabbed his bags and started walking towards the entrance.
"OK, Al. But I mean it. I want to hear everything later."
She sighed as he walked out. "No you don't Randy. You really don't."
**********
Alex sat in the back of her biology lecture waiting for the class to start. She finished getting settled, and her thoughts drifted to what she would tell Randy after class. Becky had come up and apologized, but Alex waved her off. It was crazy to think he would never know that she had a kid, and she knew that. Becky took RJ to see a movie at the mall's theater, and came back at 5 to switch places with Alex, as she was the store's associate manager. Alex finished up her last half hour, and then took RJ to his nana's, who was Randy's mother. She was brought out of her thoughts by the professor starting class. 'Right,' she thought to herself. 'Like I can concentrate.' It was going to be a long hour and a half.
**********
Alex walked into Starbucks at 8:30 on the dot to find Randy sitting on a couch in the corner. He already had her favorite- hot chocolate- waiting for her. She sat down with a huff. Randy smiled and handed her the cup. "Rough class?"
She wrinkled her nose. "Biology."
"Yuck. What are you majoring in?"
"International finance." She took a sip of her drink.
"And you're taking bio because?"
"General Ed requirements."
He nodded. "Gotcha. So how much longer do you have?"
"About two years. When I found out I was pregnant with RJ, I deferred my admission and took a couple years off." Randy was glad that Alex had brought up RJ, because he just wasn't sure how to.
"When did you find that out? About RJ, I mean."
She looked down at her hands. "Shortly after you left." In a weird sort of way, she hoped he would figure it out. But a larger part of her didn't want that.
"Oh." An akward silence came as they both remembered what had happened between them.
I A 17 year old Alex twirled around in front of her mirror and looked at her best friend. "OK, Stace, what do you think? Will Steve like it?" The girls were both in Alex's room getting ready for their senior prom.
Stacey planted a fake smile in her face. "I'm sure." Alex looked back confused, but didn't ask.
"I know Randy will think you look great."
"Again, I'm sure." Alex opened her mouth, but before she could speak the doorbell sounded from downstairs.
"Here goes." Alex said excitedly, and Stacey just rolled her eyes. The group suffered through pictures and sniffles from all of the parents before finally escaping to the waiting limo. Prom went well, until the court was announced. Alex and Randy won king and queen, which left Steve and Stacey alone on the floor. While they were dancing their "official" dance, Alex saw Steve kissing Stacey. She nudged Randy, and tried to keep her composure. Randy looked over.
"What the hell are they doing?" Even though he obviously knew, and had actually suspected it for awhile.
"Playing bingo." He sighed and looked down at her. Sarcasm had always been Alex's best defense, but occassionally he saw through it. Occassionaly, as in now.
"Al, we can totally skip this if you want. Maybe go talk somewhere." She nodded before answering.
"Yeah, but why aren't you more upset?" He grabbed her hand and they walked off the floor.
"I had suspicions. We should have just came together, you know."
"I know. Next time we make a pact, let's stick to it, k?" Alex and Randy had said when they were freshman that they would go to their senior prom together no matter what.
"K." Randy found the limo driver, and got him to take them back to his house. His dad was still up when they got there, but he said a quick goodnite when he saw that Alex was upset. Randy handed her a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants for her to change into, and she went into the bathroom. She came back out and Randy couldn't help but laugh. The shirt wnt down to her knees, and the pants were way too long. "Cute."
"Gee thanks." He leaned back on the bed and opened his arms. Alex snuggled up next to him wordlessly. The silence lasted a few minutes before Randy broke it.
"Steve is a jerk anyways, Al."
"And Stacey's a bitch."
"Yeah."
"Yeah." A few moments later Randy felt a wetness in his chest.
"Are you crying, Al?" She quickly wiped at her face.
"No."
"You are." He pulled her hands away. "Don't cry over him."
"Can't help it." She looked so vulnerable, Randy wasn't sure what to do. So he kissed her. Alex pulled back shocked. "Why did you do that?"
His voice was barely a whisper. "Couldn't help it." She looked in his eyes for a moment before kissing him back. It got a little more intense, and Randy started running his hands up her side. He stopped for a second. "Al, I don't want to mess anything up."
She put her hand behind his neck and pulled his head down for another kiss. She then mumbled against his lips. "You won't." /I
"Alex?" She shook her head and looked up. It was a friend from class.
"Hey Alisa. How are you?"
"Good, thanks, how are you doing?"
"Fine thanks."
"Good. I just wanted to say hi. See you in class!"
"Bye Lis." She turned back to Randy. "Sorry, I sort of spaced there for a sec."
"Me too. So, where is RJ now?"
"With your mom actually."
"Really?"
"Yep." Randy and Alex had known each other their entire lives thanks to their moms, who had been best friends since high school. "You know she has always been a second mother to me, and she totally adopted RJ."
He smiled. "If that makes her happy."
"I guess it does."
"I hope he can get over how tall I am." Alex looked surprised at that, and Randy took notice. "What, you want him to always be afraid of me?"
"No, that's not what I was expecting."
"Al, I may have let you get away before, but you are stuck with me now."
**********
A/N: There will be more to explain their past relationship in the next couple of chapters, but I didn't want to make this chapter entirely flashbacks. Please R&R, I love reading your comments! :)
Lisa