CHAPTER NINE: everything you ever wanted
Alex heard the front door close as she stepped into her bedroom. She looked down at the dress in her hands and sighed. She didn't particularly like dressing up. She tossed the dress on the bed and went back out the door, deciding to change when they got back. Besides, that would cut more time off the ball. She picked up her blinking cell phone off the table and locked the door behind her. The screen on her cell said voice mail and she punched a few numbers, standing outside of the elevator.
"You have one voice mail." The computerized voice said. Alex punched another number as the elevator doors opened. A familiar voice came on and Alex stepped into the empty elevator.
"Uh. . hey its, um. Marissa, I'll be at the hotel in a few minutes or so. So. . .uh, bye." Alex could hear the hesitation in Marissa's voice and wondered at it, then remembered the message on her cell. Her and Rachel's message. God, that must have confused her. Alex thought as the doors opened to the lobby and she stepped inside, slipping the cell into her pocket.
She caught sight of Marissa standing by the doors, staring off outside. The younger girl looked thoughtful and wasn't expecting Alex to be downstairs for a few more minutes. Alex took advantage of that and leaned against the wall, watching Marissa.
Marissa stood by the doors watching people walk in and out on their way to god knows where. She wasn't thinking about them anyway. She was thinking about Alex Kelly, the only person who had been on her mind for the last ten hours. Her and occasionally Ryan.
The fact that Marissa could not get the blonde out of her head or her heart was starting to make her angry. No, not angry, frustrated. She was supposed to love Ryan, supposed to want to be with him, but she was supposed to be a lot of other things too, wasn't she? She hadn't done half of those, so why did she feel so obligated to Ryan, so tied to him?
She couldn't figure it out for the life of her. Maybe it was because he had been her knight in shining armor, pulling her back the edge so many times. Or maybe it was because he was her best friend and she didn't want to hurt him. Either or neither way, she couldn't seem to let go of him or the safety he represented, and dive into Alex and her careless life.
She felt someone's eyes on her and Marissa turned to see Alex leaning next to the elevator, watching her as if she was going to disappear any minute now. But then again. Marissa thought, She always looks at me like I'm the reason she's smiling. Marissa couldn't help but smile when Alex flashed her a grin.
Alex pushed herself up off the wall and walked over to Marissa.
"Ready to go?" Alex asked, walking out the glass doors. Marissa followed.
"Why are you asking me that? And where's your dress?" Marissa asked, taking in Alex's jeans and t-shirt.
"The less time in that thing, the better." Alex grinned. "So where's your car?" Marissa pointed to a limo parked right in front of the doors. Alex turned and raised her eyebrows. "That's your car?" Alex asked, disbelieving. Marissa shrugged.
"Ryan's actually. He let me borrow it." The chauffeur opened the door and the two girls slipped inside.
"He let you? What happened to we love each other, we share everything?" Alex asked. She knew she was going into forbidden territory, but she couldn't stop herself.
"Don't, Alex." Marissa said, taking a bottle of whiskey out of the cabinet and pouring herself a shot. She was about to down it when Alex took it out of her hand.
"Marissa, stop. What are you doing? You can't drink." Alex was slightly shocked, but mainly worried.
"I've been drinking for five years now, Alex. You miss a lot when your gone." Marissa reached for the bottle again, but Alex grabbed it and put it under her feet. She considered tossing it out the window. Marissa's drinking because of me? Alex felt guilty as hell.
"You're the one who told me to leave." Alex said, downing the shot herself.
"I know." Marissa sighed and sat back in her seat. "I know." She repeated. Alex sat back as well and the two girls sat in silence for a moment. Finally, they felt the car come to a stop. Alex rolled down the window, since they were tinted too dark to see out of.
"A gas station?" She looked at Marissa, who shrugged.
"We needed gas, I needed some junk food." She opened the car door. "You need anything?" Alex shook her head, smiling at Marissa's life-long obsession of junk food.
A few minutes later the door opened again. Marissa slipped in, holding three bags of food. She grinned wickedly, throwing one of the bags to Alex. Their previous fight was pushed into the back of both of their mids.
"Cheetos, m&ms, snickers, skittles, should I go on?" Marissa asked as Alex looked through the bag she was holding. Alex laughed at Marissa's giddiness.
"Gummi worms!" Alex grinned up at Marissa. "My favorite." Marissa smiled back.
"Yeah, I know." She said, then suddenly leaned toward the closed window separating them from the driver. She pushed a button and it slid open. Alex watched curiously as Marissa whispered something to him. The guy nodded. When Marissa sat back down Alex raised her eyebrows.
"What was that?" she asked, but Marissa shook her head.
"It's a secret." she smiled.