This chapter is just more of Alex interacting with characters. I don't really have much to say about it.

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Chapter 18

Over the next week I had been so busy. If I wasn't at the movies with Marco and Dylan I was eating lunch with Ellie or out shopping with Hazel. I had been used to spending time with Marco and Ellie, but Hazel was something new. I actually found it easy to get along with her. She wasn't being her usual insulting self to me like she used to be. She would actually asked me what I thought of a sweater and point out things she thought I would like or would look good on me. I was actually enjoying her company. I had also had a lot of free time on my hands since I had quit my job at the mall. I wouldn't be starting my new job at the grocery store until the end of January. School would also be starting for in a few weeks time. Despite the fact I was beginning to get nauseating feeling in my stomach whenever I thought about it, the thought that Ellie would be there with me made me feel a rush of excitement.

I had just gotten back from shopping with Hazel and had just shut and locked the door when I heard Dylan from behind me.

"You're late for dinner." He said

"What? I said looking at my watch. Dinner's not for another half-hour." I replied

"We are having it early tonight because dad wants to watch the game...In peace." He said.

"Oh," I said, "I missed the memo."

"Well, I know I gave it to you." Dylan laughed. Dylan and I had bonded during his stay at home. He seemed to be more than okay with me living here and no longer seemed to be fretting about his room. Though I still knew he would rather not be sleeping in Paige's room. Dylan escorted me into the kitchen were Mr. and Mrs. Michalchuk were already at the dinner table. There we putting food on their plates. Mr. Michalchuk looked up at me.

"Your late." He said sternly.

"Seriously? Was there a memo?" I asked forcefully. Mr. Michalchuk laughed at me.

"I gave it to her dad." Dylan joked as he took his seat.

I took a seat beside him.

"So Dylan," Mr. Michalchuk began, "I was thinking this year we could do our yearly camping trip in the early of March. How does that sound?"

"That sounds good." Dylan replied, "Though it might be a little rainy."

"Ah, a little rain never killed anybody. And this year I want to catch everything when it's in bloom. We will just bring extra supplies with us."

"Great more stuff to carry up the mountain." Dylan commented taking a sip of milk.

"Ah, it won't be that bad." Mr. Michalchuk started, "Besides this year we'll have Alex to help us."

I had been taking a bite of a chicken. I stopped half way through. I had barely being paying attention to their conversation until I heard my name. I looked up to see Mr. Michalchuk smiling at me. I didn't know what to say.

"Aww, Alex is no better than Paige." Dylan joked, "Paige used to get the same expression on her face when we tried to get her to go camping with us." Dylan laughed.

"Ah, I'm sure Alex can handle the outdoors." Mr. Michalchuk said still looking at me. I could see Dylan and Mr. Michalchuk were still waiting for a response but I was silence.

"Well, if nature really isn't your thing." Mr. Michalchuk finally said.

"No." I quickly answered. "I've just..." I stuttered, "I've just never been camping before and I dunno how good I am at..."

"Don't worry about that." Mr. Michalchuk said, "It will be good. Sometimes it's good to get away from it all. There is a lot of time to think and enjoy the beauty of nature up in the wilderness."

I smiled at him. Mr. Michalchuk winked at me before taking a bit from his roll.

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I do believe I have developed a new pet peeve while living at the Michalchuks: watching television with Dylan.

"You're not actually going to watch this are you?"

"Maybe I am?" I replied.

"Let's watch the Crocodile Hunter." Dylan suggested

"Or we could watch this." I said, "Besides, it's my pick. I have the remote."

Dylan crossed his arms and stared at the television in silence for a while. I knew with every inch in his fiber he was hating it. For the fun of it, I waited for him to break. Finally.

"Common. It's my turn to pick!" He finally burst out.

"Turn?" I questioned, "There are no turns. I got here first."

I smiled, "I have the remote. I have the power." I waved the remote in my hand.

I saw a smirk form on Dylan's face.

"Not for long." He laughed as he jumped on top of me struggling to get the remote out of my hands. I fought to put it behind my back. I was laughing and screaming. Dylan had grabbed my other arm so I could pass the remote. I was trapped.

"Alright, give it here." He laughed as he tried to pull my arm out from behind my back. I resisted as best as I could.

"No! Ahh!" I laughed. I tried to push him off me but I failed. Slowly I could feel my arm and the remote being forced out from behind my back. I tried to squirm and fight it but I only seemed to be tiring myself out.

Finally my hand and the remote were completely out in the open and Dylan was grabbing for it. I tried to get it out of his reach but couldn't. He tugged at the remote trying to break it from my grip. He finally succeeded.

"Yes." He hissed. He gave me a small smile before settling back down on the other end of the couch. He seemed to be getting cozy as he flipped through the channels.

I was totally out of breathe from the fight and was trying to regain my composure. I was still laughing.

"You suck." I said.

Dylan laughed. "Well, you put up a good fight. You're a little bit stronger than Paige."

I chucked at the thought of Paige wrestling with Dylan over the remote. It amused me. I decided I was to tired to try to fight for the remote back and I hadn't really cared about what I had been watching anyway. I decided to get up from the couch. I faked a frustrated grunt. As I walked by I decided to inform him of where I was going.

"Well, I'm going upstairs now to chill in my room."

I could feel Dylan's eyes burning into my back. He hated it when I referred to it as my room. He seemed to have liked to think he had been lending the room out to me. I chuckled to myself all the way upstairs.

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I was so friggin' bored upstairs. I laid on my bed. The last thing I wanted to do was think right now. I just wanted to talk to somebody. I didn't feel distressed, I just felt chit-chatty. I grabbed the phone pondering for a second who to call. I knew the best person to chit-chat with would be Hazel, but she wasn't the first person to come to mind. The only person I seemed to really want to call was Ellie. I could call Ellie. Right? It was just a friend calling another friend. I decided that if she wasn't home I would just call Hazel or Marco. No big deal. I started to dial. I was feeling okay now. Then the phone started ringing. I wasn't feeling okay. No, I was fine. I took a deep breathe.

"Hello?"

"Hi, is Ellie there?"

"Hey Alex."

"Hey." I said trying to sound cool and casual. "What's up?"

"Nothing. I was just reading. Not very interesting."

"I was just bored, so I thought I would call and see what's going on."

"Yea."

God I hate it when conversation drags like this. The lack of talking from Ellie started to make me nervous.

"We start school soon." Ellie suddenly said.

"Oh crap, yea. I forgot." I lied, but I felt I could go with it more in the conversation than, I know.

I heard Ellie laugh. She had such a nice laugh. I wanted to make her laugh again.

"Well aren't we the eager one to learn?" She joked.

"I dunno, I guess I am." I had suddenly got serious.

"Well, I guess weren't not doing anything else. But I'm glad I have some classes with you. That should make class more interesting."

I laughed, "I'm really not that interesting."

"Alex, your like one of the most funniest people I know. Trust me when I say nothing is boring when I'm around you."

I laughed again. It felt so good to hear her compliment me.

"Glad to hear it." I said sounding extremely upbeat now.

I heard her laugh again.

"Alex your so full of yourself." She joked.

Her comment made me laugh. I didn't know how to respond and hoped I wouldn't say something to stupid...or too obvious.

"I'm simply agreeing with you."

"Right." She laughed.

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I couldn't think of a good ending for this chapter and I didn't want to drag it on. So, just assume they kept talking. I haven't decided if I'm going to write one more chapter with Hazel, Marco, and Dylan before they go back to college or not. I'll have to see what ideas I come up with. I also do realize this story is getting pretty long. I'm going into more chapters than I thought I would, but I really don't want to rush the story. I have to many ideas to just pass over them. So I hope nobody minds a long story.