Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, just play with 'em.
Author's Notes: Thanks for the wonderful reviews! It's so great to know there are people out there reading!
Alex walked outside and climbed into the limo a tall man wearing a dark suit held open for her. She smiled her thanks and slid in. "Took you awhile," a tall woman said from the seat across from her.
"It took me awhile to find the director," she said. It amazed her that the woman hadn't detected a difference between the two girls. "What's for dinner?"
"Chili," the agent replied, "And no, you're father didn't cook it."
"Great," Alex said, pretending to be relieved. She hadn't paid attention for most of the ride and just noticed that they were riding through tall wrought iron gates.
"Oh shit," she muttered under her breath. Her eyes were wide as she saw them driving towards the big white house.
"What's wrong," Gina asked.
"Uh…nothing," Alex stammered, "Just remembered something I have to do." The stopped at the overhang and Alex moved to climb out, stopped by Gina, who got out first.
"Your parents are in the dining room," Gina said as they walked through the front doors.
Alex barely acknowledged her as they walked down the hall. She had seen it on TVs, but could hardly believe she was here, in the White House. It was larger than she imagined and she felt out of place. She tried to look like she had been here before and was bored with the lavish surroundings.
"Zoey? You okay," Gina asked, when she noticed the girl was lagging behind.
"Yeah," Alex said, rushing to catch up. She kept hearing Zoey's words to not do anything to get her in trouble running over and over in her head.
She walked up the stairs, running through the directions Zoey had hastily given her in her head. Two agents opened two double doors and she paused for a moment, taking a deep breath.
She froze as she saw the President and First Lady of the United States sitting at the table, dressed casually. "Hello dear," Abbey said, turning to look at her. She saw the stunned look on her daughter's face and grew concerned. "Are you alright? You look pale?"
Alex watched as she stood up, walking over to her to feel her forehead. "I'm fine," Alex stammered. "Just hungry. It's been awhile since lunch."
"Great, we have your favorite," the president said, "Chili." Alex forced a smile and walked towards the table.
"Gina told me on the way here," Alex said, "I've been looking forward to it." She sat down uneasily in the chair across from the older woman. A bowl of chili was placed in front of her, along with fresh cornbread muffins and bowls of cheese and onions.
"Eat up," Abbey said, looking over her, "You look like you've lost weight." To a doctor's eye, she could guess how much. But, it wasn't the lost weight that concerned her. It was the lost and empty look in the girl's eyes that startled her the most.
"Food at school's been bad," Alex replied. She put the cheese and onion on her chili before taking a muffin. She wasn't up to date on proper etiquette, but did so, following the first lady's motions.
"How're classes," the President asked.
"Uh…fine," Alex replied, "English has been interesting."
"What're you discussing," Abbey asked.
"Canterbury Tales," Alex replied without hesitation.
"Really? I thought you had just started Hamlet."
"Finished it," Alex lied. She fought her face from turning red by taking a mouth full of chili. "Wow. Powerful stuff tonight." She saw Abbey raise an eyebrow and smiled convincingly.
"How'd you do on your History paper," Jed asked.
"Got an A," she replied. She hoped to God that Zoey was a straight A student.
"Good job," Abbey said, smiling at her daughter.
"Thanks," Alex said, blushing. She silently prayed that someone would change the subject quickly. She sighed in relief as the President began talking about the latest Notre Dame game.
The rest of dinner was uneventful, with Alex talking some, interjecting what she felt would be safe. She kept up on the current events her parents were talking about, not interjecting her opinion. She just observed the couple in front of her with a soft smile on her face.
"Are you returning to the dorm tonight," Abbey asked towards the end of dinner.
"Yeah," Alex said, "A lot of homework to do."
"Don't stay up to late," she admonished. "Ellie's coming in for the weekend. Coming for a visit?"
"Sure," Alex replied. Inside, she knew Zoey might kill her for that, but she didn't really care. She figured the girl could figure that out on her own.
"Alright," Abbey said, "Take care of yourself and call us when you get to your room."
"Okay," Alex said, smiling. She pushed herself up from the table, unsure of what to do next.
"I love you," Abbey said, hugging her close.
"I love you too," Alex said, hugging her back. She hoped it hadn't come out to awkwardly.
"Do well on your test," Jed said, hugging his daughter tightly.
"I will," she said, "I'll talk to you later." She smiled at both of them, then sighed in relief as she walked out of the residence.
They arrived at the Georgetown dorm, and Alex couldn't help but feel she had never been more relieved in her life. She walked into the building, heading for the stairs. "Not taking the elevator," Gina asked.
"Felt like some exercise," Alex replied. She walked up to the third floor, glancing at the numbers on the wall. She turned right, praying she had guessed correctly.
She sighed as she saw the numbers getting higher. She found 315 and paused as Gina pushed past her. She swept the room, then let Alex in. "Are you going to bed," Gina asked.
"Yeah," Alex said, "I'm in for the night."
"Alright," Gina said, "Have a good night."
"You too," Alex said. She shut the door and sat down on the bed. She looked around the room, still shocked to see pictures of people she didn't know with her face in them. She looked around the room, not sure of what to do. She hoped that Zoey turned up soon.