February 12, 2009

Alex Russo sat on one of the counter stools at the Sub Station, leaning back onto the counter with one elbow, her left leg swinging side-to-side. Beside her, Harper was chattering about the new dress she was making, but Alex was only half-listening at best. She took a long pull from her soda, and watched her brother Justin.

He is so pathetic, I almost actually feel sorry for him. Justin was busing tables - at least, in theory. In practice, he was carrying around the bus tub and slowly putting away dirties with about a quarter of his attention, while the rest was focused elsewhere.

To be specific, it was focused on Millie, the annoyingly cute and perky blonde their father had hired as a server the summer before. And I'll bet he and Mom had some discussion about that, once Mom saw her. Normally, Alex would have been all for them hiring extra help, since it meant that she would have greater opportunities to slack... but something about Millie rubbed her the wrong way. She smiles too much. It's not normal.

And indeed, Millie was smiling brightly right at that instant, saying something to a customer, an older man who was looking up at her and smiling back as she took his order. Yeah, I'll bet he wishes she'd take something else too. He'll probably tip her at least four, the way he's eyeing her. She paused, then cocked her head, considering. I could get five from him. Maybe six.

She looked back to Justin again, and he was still watching Millie, with a smitten expression that Alex knew all too well. He used to look at Miranda like that. But at least Miranda was nice. Millie's just using him as a babysitter. Doesn't he get that? As she thought that, Justin dropped his gaze and quickly started picking up glasses. Alex shifted her eyes back to Millie, just in time to see the oh-so-fake slightly flirty smile she'd given Justin.

A hand suddenly appeared in front of Alex's face, waved up and down. "Alex? Have you heard a word I've said?" Turning her head, Alex followed the arm attached to the hand over to Harper, who was now giving Alex an angry glare. On most girls, the effect of the glare would have been somewhat ruined by having a baseball-sized yellow bow perched on the left side of their head, but not on Harper.

Lip out in a pout, Harper folded her arms. "What was I just saying about the dress?"

"Oh, umm... you're making it out of..." Alex searched her memory. "Some... kind of... cloth?"

Harper's eyes narrowed, and Alex tried a smile. "I know I'm right."

The glare continued for several seconds, with Alex returning an innocent look, until Harper finally sighed. "Well, you've obviously got something on your mind, Alex, so spill. If you won't listen to me, I might as well listen to whatever you're thinking."

Alex looked back at her for a moment, then shrugged. "I'm just annoyed at Millie."

"At Millie?" Harper automatically looked toward the blonde, prompting Alex to swat her shoulder.

"Don't look," she hissed. Harper looked to Alex, then back away, then back to Alex, this time widening her eyes and tilting her head a little forward. "What?" Alex said. "Are you trying to -"

"Hi," Millie said from right behind Alex. "Do you need me for something?"

"What?" Alex swiveled her seat and leaned back against the counter again to look up at Millie. "Oh, oh yeah -" Alex frowned as if trying to remember something, then snapped her fingers. "Mom wanted me to remind you that you're supposed to split your tips with whoever's busing. Since you're new to the business and all that."

She smiled at Millie, keeping it friendly even as she was gloating a little inside. Yeah. You want to toy with my brother, you can at least pay for the privilege.

The smile on Millie's mouth stayed in place, but all traces of it dropped from her eyes. "Oh. Thanks for reminding me. I'll make sure to do that."

"Good," Alex said, tilting her head, her own smile growing a little. "Talk to you later." She turned away from Millie, back to Harper. "So, you were saying about your dress?"

"Oh, yes," Harper said, her eyes lighting up as she lifted her hands. "It's going to be blue, and I've gotten white lace for the neck. Justin's going to -"

"Is she gone?"

"What?" Harper blinked at Alex.

Speaking more slowly this time, Alex asked, "Is she gone? You know? Em-eye-ell-ell-eye-eee?"

Harper frowned, then said, "Mill -" but was cut off as Alex put a hand over her mouth.

Nodding and smiling, Alex looked over her shoulder, saw Millie across the room, then looked back at Harper with a scowl. "Don't you know anything about being sneaky? Anyway, I hate the way she's just using Justin. That's my job. And he can't be doing stuff for me if he's busy doing stuff for her."

"Oh, Alex…." Harper patted her friend's hand. "I know what's wrong here. You're upset because you and Dean are off again right now, and Valentine's Day is Saturday. Don't worry. You've still got me. And Justin'll get you something. He always does."

"Last year all he got me was a card," Alex said. "And I told him he didn't need to keep getting me stuff." Why did I tell him that? Since when do I turn down anything that's free?

"No," Harper said, shaking her head, "last year he got you candy and flowers, and you went to that restaurant."

Alex turned her head to look at Harper, then dropped her chin. "What? No, Harper - that was Riley."

Her eyes widening a little, Harper nodded quickly as she blushed. "Oh, right. Riley. Silly me," she said, lifting a hand up and rolling her eyes, then bonking her head lightly on the side. "Confusing Justin with Riley. It was Riley who got you those things. Not Justin. Yeah."

Turning the stool back around to face Harper again, Alex frowned at her. "Are you okay there? You're acting a little -"

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Harper said quickly, burying her face in her hands. "You can always tell when I'm lying! I'm so sorry, but he gave me stuff, and he was so nice, and you know I -"

Alex looked around to see if anyone was looking at Harper's outburst. Thankfully, no one was yet. "Harper, calm down. What are you talking about?"

Lifting her head back up, Harper looked Alex in the eyes. "Riley gave you those things, but Justin bought them."

"Wait, wait - what?" Alex shook her head quickly. "Justin bought those?"

"Yeah." Harper flipped a hand up, then started talking quickly. "You remember - you were mad at Riley because you saw him hugging his sister, but you didn't know it was his sister, and Justin went to talk to him, and found out what it was, but Riley was broke, so Justin bought the flowers and candy and gave him the money for dinner, and I wasn't supposed to tell you any of this, and please don't tell Justin I told you, because I don't want him to break up with me over it!"

For several seconds, Alex just looked at her friend, too stunned to even remind Harper that Justin wasn't dating her.

Five hours later, it was closing time, and Alex was in the "subway car" part of the restaurant, straightening tables. Dad may have caught me before I could escape upstairs, but I can work nice and slow over here, and at least not have to do much.

She glanced toward the window, then frowned as she saw Justin running up the stairs. What's he in such a hurry for? She moved to the window, looked around. Theresa was doing the tables in the main part of the station, Jerry was in the kitchen, and Milly was behind the counter. Alex watched them for a few seconds, then started toward the stairs.

Before she got more than a dozen feet, though, Justin came back down, one hand behind his back. He stopped at the bottom, looking around to see where everyone was, and Alex slipped out of sight.

Okay, time to do a little spying. She reached down, pulled her wand from her boot, then said, "Some people are a gem, some people are a rat, to learn who's who, give me the ear of a bat." Alex shook her head and brushed her hair away from her spalled ear and listened.

"Millie," Justin said, and Alex could tell that he was trying to be quiet, but she could hear him quite plainly.

"Oh, Justin - your sister told me about the tip sharing thing. Here's your share."

Alex gritted her teeth at the noise as Millie shook a bunch of coins. When that stopped, she heard a thudding sound, and after a moment, she realized it was Justin's heart.

"Oh, umm. Don't worry about that right now," Justin said. "I, umm…." He swallowed, then quickly said, "I kind of overheard you talking to Mom the other day, about how Matthew broke up with you. So, I was thinking that a girl like you should get something nice for Valentine's day, and…."

He stopped talking, and Alex looked around the corner, saw Justin holding out a large heart-shaped candy box and a bouquet to Millie. Her eyes widened, and then she ducked back out of sight.

"Oh, thank you! That's really sweet of you, Justin." Alex heard Millie take them, then lay them on the counter.

Justin cleared his throat, said, "Umm… I was thinking too… you shouldn't have to be alone for it. I was wondering if you'd like to see a movie, or….."

"Oh, no, I'm sorry, I'd love to, but I can't." She's batting her eyes at him. I just know she is.

The disappointment in Justin's voice was clear. "Sorry. I should've realized that a girl like you would already have something else. You probably have guys just lining up to date you."

"No, no," Millie said. Justin's heart rate went up again, and Alex peeked, saw that Millie had her hand on his arm. "I'm doing a thing with my Mom."

"Oh!" Justin looked at Millie again, smiled. "In that case, maybe we could do something next Friday? If you're not busy…."

"Friday? I think I could do that." She flashed him a smile, and Justin smiled back with that same smitten look he'd had earlier.

"That's great," he said. "We can leave from here after work, and -"

"Justin!" came Jerry's shout from the back. "I need you in here!"

"Oh, umm…."

"Go," Millie said with a nod and a wave. "We'll work it out."

Justin backed into the kitchen, giving Millie a grin and a wave as he did. She waved back to him, then turned around, and Alex quickly hid again. Well, Justin's got a date. Who would have thought it? She shook her head and reached for her wand again, stopped as she heard Millie speak again.

"Hey, Tom. Just wanted to call and tell you I'm looking forward to tomorrow night." Alex perked her ear up , but while she could hear the phone's speaker, she couldn't make out the words. Millie's though, came through loud and clear.

"Friday? I've got something Friday, but I can get out of it. No, it's nothing important. Was just going to give this guy here a pity date." She laughed quietly, said, "He got me flowers and candy - can you believe it? Poor guy."

There was sound from the phone again. "Oh, don't worry about it. He's just a high school kid who's smitten with me. He's not like you." Another sound, and she giggled. "Mmm. I'll show you tomorrow. I think you'll like it. Okay, I'll talk to you later. Love you."

That bitch, Alex thought. Just broke up with one guy, she's already dating another, and she wants to put Justin on her string too? No. Way.