It was an almost completely ordinary evening for Lexi, it was around 7 or 8pm and she laid on the bed finishing today's homework. The "almost completely" distinction part was due to the fact that she was also talking on the phone with Fezco, her newest and surprising friend.
It had been a few days since she visited his store and had the awkward encounter with Cal Jacobs, it wasn't like things weren't already awkward enough cause she had completely forgot her plan, turns out she hadn't realized how strong the effect of seeing Fez face to face would be...so Nate's dad hadn't helped much either. That hadn't stopped her from talking to Fez, quite the contrary. Lexi had told him everything about Cal Jacobs going over to her house and intimidating Cassie enough for her to confess that he had been responsible for Nate's attack. Plus she had also used Cal's visit as a perfect excuse to explain why she had gone to see him.
Fez had asked her to text him once she got home, after she refused his numerous offers for a ride back.
And so a: I'm home :) hope you stay safe too.
Turned into a texting exchange of 2 hours, which then led to a follow up the next day, and during the third day he sent a
its cool if I call? From Fez.
She had bolted from the living room and went upstairs to her empty room, Cassie was out most nights.
"Sorry, I was gonna be using my hands to work. Didn't wanna cut you off" He apologized
"It's okay if you're busy" she quickly assured him "we can talk later"
"Nah Lexi, I wanna hear what you gotta say. I can do both, go on"
She had blushed.
And so it had been a week since they began talking, she had figured they'd eventually ran of things to say. They didn't seem to.
He was telling her about taking Ash to the sea. Fez had been only 15, but his brother talked of nothing else, and he wasn't sure of having gone before.
"I had an accident when I was a kid" he explained "I got hit in the head, and it kinda messed me up. Some of my memories came back in pieces, so I, I made new ones"
"How was that like? Remembering?"
"Like someone put a thumb on the camera while taking a video" he explained "you still kinda get the point, but can't see shit"
He seemed pretty relaxed about it so they both chuckled.
"How was seeing the sea?" She asked, imagining a younger Fez and a little less intimidating Ash stare into the vast ocean.
"Ash was so happy" he smiled "and I felt...I don't got the words like you, but I guess best way to say it, is that I felt happy and...free"
She smiled imagining the brothers running and playing around between the waves.
"What about you?" He asked
"Well...we actually went on Cassie's fourth or fifth birthday, so I guess we were both influenced by our siblings" she chuckled "Cassie found out she liked sand castles more than the actual sea, so we kinda were more focused on that. I do remember taking my mother's hand and walking down the beach, just staring down at my feet and watching the waves touch my toes. It was beautiful"
"When's the last time you've been?" He asked again
"Six years?" She wasn't sure "I think my dad insisted or something. It ended on a big fight between my parents, don't remember much, other than crying the way back home. Wait, was that too dark? We were talking about nice memories, sorry"
"No, you got nothing to apologize for. Your life is your life, and I wanna know about it, good or bad" Fez assured her and added "Ash puked on the way back home, nothing's too magical"
That made her laugh "Thanks"
"What you thanking me for? We just talking" He said softly "plus what's important is making good memories of bad ones. You gotta go to the beach and own it back, Lexi"
"Own it back?"
"First and last time gotta be the good ones" he explained "of everything you do. If it starts good you gotta keep it that way"
"And if it had a rough start?" She asked
"Well, you gotta decide if it's worth a second try"
"That's so poetic, Fez"
"Now you just playing with me" he chuckled and she could almost see his smile.
Cassie entered the bedroom and she jumped, quickly turning off the speaker mode.
"Who's that?" Her sister signaled the phone.
"Rue" she lied and spoke into the phone "hey, my sister's back so I gotta go"
"Bye Rue-Rue" Cassie called from her side of the room, she seemed strangely cheerful and also kinda sad.
"Bye Lexi's sister" Fez joked knowing Cassie couldn't hear her "bye Lexi"
She hid a smile and whispered a last goodbye before hanging up.
"You okay?" Lexi asked her sister noticing she seemed a bit restless.
"Don't I look okay?" Her sister looked down at her outfit.
"It's not that... never mind"
Cassie ran to check herself on the bathroom, Lexi just sighed and finished her homework.
She dreamt with the ocean that night. Nothing too specific, but she could see waves and taste salt.
