5 –Have a Surprising Night
Okay, don't get me wrong. I don't have a problem with Alex. I do, however, have a problem with spending two hours with her. Alone with her. Less than 5 minutes ago, Alex arrived at my house, and less than 3 minutes ago, Paige phoned. Today she and Marco had been on a tour of what hopefully will be the college they are going to go to: Banting (my fingers are totally crossed for them). Unfortunately they weren't going to be able to make it to my house as early as they planned –the tour had run a little late. I told Paige that Alex had already arrived at my house and she asked what the problem was. "Nothing," I lied.
"Everything," is what I should have said. Okay, so maybe after the whole whipped-topping-escapade that landed us backat mall security I have learned to be civil to Alex… This in no way means that I can stand to be alone with her for more than two minutes. "Don't worry hun, we won't take more than one or two hours. We'll be there in no time," Paige said while she was on the phone. Okay Paige, FYI one to two hours does not equal no time. Okay, maybe in terms of shopping, it might equal no time, but in terms of time spent alone with Alex Nunez, it does not equal no time. Not in the least.
After getting over my initial shock at finding out that the next two hours of my life were going to be graced with the company of Alex, I walk back into my living room. Alex is sprawled out over one end of the couch –I take a seat at the other end. "Who called?" Alex asks me.
"Normally, I'd tell you that that is none of your business, but since it was your girlfriend-"
"Paige called?" Alex asks -interupting me. (She really needs to learn some manners... and fashion sense for that matter. Does she own anything other than tank tops?)
I roll my eyes and giver her a 'Duh' look. "Do you have any other girlfriend?" I ask her instead of answering her question directly.
She glares at me. "Could you not be such a smartass for once in your life?"
I glare right back at her. "Could you wear anything other than a tank top for once in your life?"
"Do you always have to be such bitch?"
"Do you?"
So much for being civil to each other. Alex folds her arms over her chest defensively and I un-cross and re-cross my legs. Then, after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Alex asks me why Paige called. I tell her it's because Paige and Marco's tour of Banting ran a little late.
"How late?" she asks.
"Too late. They aren't going to get here for another one or two hours."
Alex gets up and starts making her way towards the front door. "I guess I'll come back later then," she says.
"Not so fast –Paige said that you should stay. She thinks this is the perfect opportunity for us to spend some 'quality time' with each other."
Alex hesitates for a moment before turning back around and sprawling herself back on the far end of the couch. She lets out a loud sigh. "I guess that's that then." We spend a few more minutes in an uncomfortable silence before Alex finds something funny. (Hopefully it's those horrendous pants of hers that she's laughing at. Where did she buy them anyway –Good Will?)
"What's so funny?" I ask her.
"The fact that, when it comes to Paige, neither of us have any balls."
I look over at Alex, "Um, I'm not sure about you, but I don't have any balls period."
Alex rolls her eyes at me, "I meant that figuratively."
"Oh, sorry, I got confused. You see, I didn't know that you were capable of higher level thinking."
Alex shoots me a death glare and I instantly regret my last comment. We're about ready to sink back into the uncomfortable silence that we've grown so accustomed to, and the thought of what I'm about to do to prevent that from happening makes me cringe. Still, it will be better than sitting here staring at the clock –counting down the minutes until Paige and Marco arrive. I take a deep breath in and do something I thought I would never do: I apologize to Alex.
"Look, Alex. I'm sorry for that last comment. It was unnecessary," I say as sincerely as I possibly can.
Alex glares at me some more before softening. "Did you actually just apologize to me?" she asks –obviously just as surprised at what I just did as I was.
"Yeah, and I'm not going to repeat it. So, if you weren't listening, then that's just too bad," I say catching myself from falling back into the usual pissy attitude that I reserve especially for Alex. Okay, Hazel, focus: I'm going to make this time with Alex enjoyable –or at least bearable.
Alex notices my inward struggle and, naturally, decides to poke fun. "Still trying to decide whether Johnny Depp is hotter than Orlando Bloom?" she asks. Focus. I have a strong urge to say something to the effect of, "Whatever, like you could help me anyway," but I make sure to keep the comment to myself though. A crack at Alex's intelligence was acceptable. A crack at her sexuality would land me in the doghouse with both Paige and Marco.
I take another deep breath. "Actually, I was thinking about what you said earlier –about us 'not having any balls when it comes to Paige', as you so delicately put it… I think you actually have a point."
I can tell that Alex is slightly taken aback (or maybe just confused) by my actual agreement to something she had said. After a slight pause, she asks, "Okay, so I know why I always end up doing whatever Paige wants me to –she'll withhold sex otherwise."
I shutter, "TMI, Alex."
Alex just laughs and continues with what she was saying, "So, I know why I always do Paige's bidding –why do you?"
For some reason, that question catches me completely off guard. I mean, it's a completely logical question –it's just no one has ever asked me before. Actually, other than Jimmy, no one has ever thought of me as more than just Paige's sidekick before. At least Alex has thought of me as more than a just "the sidekick" from the start. Given she's always thought of me as "Whorebitch: Queen of Boring-as-hell-land" instead (Paige told me), but now that I think of it, I'd rather be thought of as a bitch than as a sidekick. At least as a bitch I'm thought of as an actual individual. A separate person with their own thoughts and feelings.
I get so lost in my thoughts that I'm startled when Alex starts talking again. "Um, you don't follow Paige around and stuff because you like her or anything, right?"
"Eww, Alex. I thought we covered this when we were at the mall. Kissing Paige is your thing not mine."
Alex looks relieved. "Good to know… So, if it's not because you like her, then why? I mean, I bet you'd even jump off a cliff if Paige wanted you to," Alex says, not in a bitchy way, but like she (I can't believe it) actually cares.
Before I can stop, I find myself spilling out everything to Alex. And I do mean everything. I tell her about how, at first, I just followed Paige around to make friends –she was and still is the most popular girl in school after all. I tell her about how gradually I lost all sense of personal identity and just resigned myself to being Paige's shadow for the rest of my life. I tell her about how scared I am about Paige leaving to go to Banting. I tell her how I'm scared that somehow "me" –just me- won't be good enough. I tell her all of this and she listens. She actually listens.
To me.
And when she lets down her defenses and tells me about her problems, I return the favor.
Later, when Paige and Marco arrive (bearing oh so fabulous gifts from Banting, I might add), we all sit down and relax to watch some stupid movie Alex picked out. We talk, discuss the latest issues of Vogue and Seventeen, eat a disgusting amount of food. I put my head on Marco's shoulder as we both cry to "The Notebook". Paige cuddles up in Alex's arms. Alex and I never mention our little heart-to-heart again… but for some reason I know that if I ever need someone to talk to, she'll be there.
So all-in-all, I learn two things that night: that Johnny Depp actually is hotter than Orlando Bloom (Marco and I decide that the mysteriousness just adds to his hotness), and that Alex really isn't such a bitch after all… Who would have thought?
Notes to reader: The next chapter will be in Dylan's POV and will take place right after "Total Eclipse of the Heart". And I'm glad you liked the Paige chapter –I hope you liked this one, too…
