thank you for the feedbacks.
ashleythemute - they are in boston. alex and marissa are in harvard. :)
Part XV: Learning To Feel
Alex was on her way to class when she saw Marissa down the hall. She was about to greet her girlfriend when she found Julie right behind her. Julie doesn't know their relationship yet. And it only had been two weeks since they started to see each other. Alex smiled. She thought of leaving Marissa alone with her mom for now. She'll just give her a ring after class.
"Hey Alex wait up!"
Alex turned around. It was Summer.
"What time are you going to Marissa's today? Can I hitch a ride with you?" Summer asked panting a little bit.
"I have homework. I can't drop by Marissa's today." Alex smiled in reply.
"Aren't you going to the party?" Summer furrowed her brows.
"What party?" Alex got confused.
"Shit…" Summer mumbled.
She would have thought Marissa would invite Alex to Julie's birthday party. After all, Alex was her girlfriend.
"Excuse me?" Alex asked as she held tightly to the straps of her backpack.
"Oh nothing… I'll uh… see you later! BYE!" Summer hurriedly walked away from Alex.
Alex stood there for a while looking as Summer disappeared in a corner.
"What party?"
----
Kirsten was still in Alex's apartment that week. She decided to stay put for a while. She hasn't talked to her daughter yet. She didn't have the opportunity. She did want to make sure there were no unsupervised sleepovers. If Alex and Marissa were dating, sleepovers are dangerous.
"Alex! Kirsten!" Someone yelled behind the door.
It was Sandy.
"Sandy, you were supposed to arrive next week. You should have called… I'll fix more. I don't think the food will be enough." Kirsten pouted as she let Sandy in.
"It's ok dear. Where's our baby girl?"
Sandy sat down on the couch and stretched.
"She's on her way home. She just checked if she was listed down to join the invitational games next year."
"I see. Well, the reason why I'm here is because Caleb called me. I think it's his wife's birthday. He invited us to go."
"Oh… I think I don't have anything to wear…" Kirsten crossed her arms.
"You look good in anything dear." Sandy stood up and gave Kirsten a kiss on the forehead.
"Ew! At it already?" Alex barged into the room then gave Sandy a hug.
Still hugging his daughter,
"How are you baby? Shot any hoops lately? I just got your grades, they're excellent." Sandy gave Alex a kiss on the forehead too.
"I'm good dad. I still practice in the morning. Bianca helps me." Alex smiled.
"I'll go fix dinner ok? You two catch up." Kirsten left the room.
"So what are you doing here dad? You're supposed to go here well… next week? What gives?"
"You remember Caleb? Your mother mentioned you're friends with his daughter. His wife's birthday is today. He invited me and your mother. There's a party tonight. You should come with us." Sandy smiled.
Alex was silent. Marissa never mentioned anything about a party since Monday. She didn't know the reason why she wouldn't either. She was still lost in her thoughts.
"Honey, are you going to attend the party too?" Sandy asked looking at his daughter.
"Oh… No. I have homework dad." Alex smiled.
"That's my girl. But it would have been nice if you could join your mother and me. I want to show you off." Sandy grinned.
"No need dad. I'll go help mom ok? You rest."
"Ok honey." Sandy smiled and turned the TV on.
----
"Marissa! Do you have hair pins?" Lindsay asked her sister as she entered into Marissa's room.
"No. I don't. What do you need them for?" Marissa was staring at herself on the mirror.
"I'll just ask mom. Is Alex coming? I saw Summer downstairs already."
"Um… No… She's… busy... Homework..." Marissa answered in a nervous tone.
Lindsay noticed the tone but shrugged it off.
"MOM!" Lindsay yelled across the hall.
----
"So why did you invite us again?" Ryan asked.
Ryan and Jodie were stuck with Alex for the last 3 hours watching reruns of the Justice League. Alex didn't want to be alone.
"Because mom and dad are in a party, it's a Friday and I don't want to be alone." Alex replied not looking at her peers.
"Where's Marissa?" Jodie asked casually.
"They have a party at home. That's where my mom and my dad are."
"Why aren't you there?" Ryan scratched his head.
"No one invited me." Alex gave a smile to her friends, and then took her attention back to the TV.
----
Sandy and Kirsten arrived at the Cooper's and were met by Caleb.
"How are you old timer?" Sandy gave Caleb a pat at the back.
"Doing well. Where's your daughter?"
"She had homework to finish." Kirsten replied.
"Come in. Come in. I'll introduce you to my family"
They walked through the living room then outside where the pool is.
Marissa was chatting with Summer when Lindsay dragged her to where their father us.
"Hurry, important people."
"So this is my wife Julie…" Caleb started to introduce the members of his family.
"That's Lindsay and Marissa."
"Oh... she's the one my little girl is talking about. She said she goes to class with your daughter." Sandy smiled.
"Really? Where is she?" Julie looked around to find Alex.
"She didn't come. She said she had homework to do." Kirsten replied turning her eyes to meet Marissa's.
Marissa felt frazzled.
"I see I would have wanted to meet her." Julie genuinely smiled.
"So Marissa, Kirsten told me Alex is seeing someone… Any idea who he is?" Sandy asked.
Marissa froze. This isn't how she imagined the night would be. Lindsay gave her sister a slight nudge to bring her back to her senses.
"Uh… No… Not really." Marissa struggled to make sentences.
"Well our Marissa… has this wonderful suitor… Luke. He was helping us out this morning to give out the invitations to their professors." Julie said proudly.
"Really?" Kirsten tried not to sound sarcastic.
She gave Marissa the "you-better-not-hurt-my-daughter-if-you-wanna-live" look.
Marissa wanted to disappear. Lindsay just sighed at the exchange.