A/N im so so sorry it's been so long since i've last updated! Things have been kinda crazy lately but i'll try to update more regularly now!
Alex sighed and tiredly flipped through the channels. It was Thursday morning and she was sprawled across the couch in the front room watching TV as Justin and Emma had 'a talk' in the kitchen. They've been doing that a lot lately. They talked about Jake and basically just made up for lost time. Alex wasn't really included in those conversations, and she didn't really want to be. That was something special between a mother and son.
She landed on a movie playing on TV. It was the latest Harry Potter movie. She stretched like a cat and settled into the couch. Harry and Malfoy were fighting in the bathroom. Even though he was the bad guy, Draco Malfoy was super hot. And besides, she always was a sucker for a British accent.
She heard Justin come in from the kitchen. He sat down next to her and sent the TV a disgusted look.
"What are you watching, Alex?" He said stiffly.
"Harry Potter." She said bluntly.
"We've talked about this, Alex!" He exclaimed. "This movie is offensive to wizards everywhere! I even sent a petition to the Wizard Counsel about it! I emailed you a copy of it, didn't you read it?"
She avoided his question by saying, "How is Harry Potter offensive?"
"It just is!" He said stubbornly. "It sends the wrong message about Wizards! It makes us out to be evil snake-men or half blind orphans! When actually, most Wizards are just normal people! I mean, a school for wizards? Robes? Those stupid round glasses? It's just ridiculous."
Alex gave him a blank look. "What about Wiz-Tech you idiot? That's a school for wizards! And what about our uniforms?"
"That's completely different." He said quickly.
"Sure it is." She said dryly. "I think the movies are perfectly fine. And I haven't read the books, but – oh my God I'm having an argument about Harry Potter! This is so nerdy! Go away!"
She quickly changed the channel to the non-offensive Bugs Bunny. Justin smirked at her and she reached over and slapped him without taking her eyes off of the TV.
"Ow, Alex!" He complained.
"Then don't make me mad, dork!" She snapped. "And I won't slap you!"
He smiled affectionately and wrapped his arm around her. She stiffened immediately. This was too soon after the whole kissing incident. Not to mention the freaky feelings she's been having recently. She didn't know what to do. Should she push him off and yell at him or move in closer? Justin was oblivious to her internal struggle. He chuckled at something on the television while Alex panicked. Luckily, she was saved by Emma coming into the room. Justin moved away from her before his mother could see.
"Hey you two, get dressed so we can go into town! We have to buy a dress for Alex to wear to her art showing this Saturday. And I have to buy some ingredients for my apple pie. I'm making it for the Fourth of July party we're having tonight!" Emma said cheerfully.
"Ugh, I hate dress shopping." Alex grumbled.
Emma looked horrified, "You hate dress shopping?" She repeated in shock. "But – but you have to wear a dress to the art showing!"
"Fine, fine." Alex muttered. She went upstairs to change out of her pajamas and ran back downstairs to the car. When they got to the dress shop, Alex nearly had a panic attack. The store front was beautiful. It was pale pink and white with flowers and candles glowing in the window. Alex could see a couple of women looking through racks of clothing.
"Uh, you know what?" Justin said backing away. "I just remembered I have to do this –this thing that is really important. I'll meet you guys later. After I do my... thing. Bye!" And then he bolted.
Alex sighed in jealousy. Emma dragged her into the shop and waved to the owner. "Hey, Cheryl!" She called out.
"Oh hi, Emma!" The older woman exclaimed. "How are you?"
"I'm fine, how are you? This is Alex, she is an artist and has a gallery showing on Saturday and needs a new dress."
Alex blushed and grimaced and Cheryl gasped in surprise and delight.
"Ooh!" She said. "I have the perfect dress for you then!"
She grabbed Alex's hand and dragged her to the back of the store. Cheryl pulled off the rack a little black dress that was sleeveless with a wide, swoopy neckline.
"You have to try it on!" Emma gushed.
Alex was shoved into a change room and slipped on the dress. She couldn't believe it, she actually looked... good. The dress was form-fitting but not too tight and fell a couple of inches above her knee. The straps of the dress were almost on her shoulders and the neckline was wide and loose. She smoothed down a tiny crease and jumped when she heard Emma banging on the door.
"Alex!" She called. "Come and show us the dress!"
Alex pushed open the door and stood in front of Emma, Cheryl and the two other customers in 'Cheryl's Boutique' barefoot as they all sighed.
"You looked wonderful, dear." Cheryl said.
"Alex, you look so beautiful!" Emma said. "Simply stunning!"
"I think with a dress like this, she should wear her hair up." One of the customers came up to her and said. "See?" She said, holding Alex's hair up.
"Yes, to better show off the neckline." The other customer said, nodding seriously.
Alex bit back a laugh. It was sort of hilarious that strangers cared so much about what she looked like. But on the other hand, it was sort of sweet. They spent another half an hour there getting lectured about which shade of toenail polish will make her art sell. Alex sort of tuned them out until Emma could finally break them out of there.
"I really do love that dress, Alex." Emma said as they walked down the street to the car. "And I know Justin will too."
"What do you mean by that?" Alex blurted out quickly then cringed. Emma looked confused but then realization dawned on her face.
"Alex, do you-" But before she could say anymore, Justin bounded up to them with a big, happy grin on his face.
"Hey guys, how was the dress shopping?" He asked. Alex glared at him; he sent her a triumphant look back.
"Alex bought a really pretty dress; just wait until you see it!" Emma said casually, but sent a sly look to Alex who scowled back.
"That's great, Alex." Justin said warmly. She shivered when he smiled at her, and then glared when she felt those stupid butterflies again.
"Yeah whatever, dork." She said coldly. He looked hurt and confused but she just walked away.
Back at the house, she ran upstairs and hid in her room. She didn't understand what was happening. Ever since she kissed him, she's been getting butterflies whenever Justin smiled at her. It was ridiculous. She bit her lip nervously. She didn't know what to do. Mid-afternoon, Emma came knocking on her door.
"Hey, Alex." She called through the door. "The Fourth of July party is starting now. Do you want to come out?"
"No thank you!" Alex quickly said. She didn't think she could face Justin.
"Please, Alex?" Emma said softly. "It's the Fourth of July. We have food and music and games. And later on there will be fireworks! Beau is waiting for you, won't you please come outside?"
After a long pause, Alex muttered, "Fine."
She followed Emma outside to the beach where about thirty people were standing on the sand in the afternoon sunlight with a drink in their hand. They were all the people that lived on Emma's street with their houses on the beach. The younger kids were playing games like Water Balloon Toss and Three Legged Race or Tag. The adults and teenagers were chatting and setting up for dinner. Alex saw Justin talking to a serious looking man and his uptight wife. It would be him to make friends with the most boring looking people on the beach. Beau ran up to Alex and Emma and kissed Alex on the cheek.
"Happy Independence Day, Alex!" He said cheerfully, passing her a Pepsi. "There's someone I want you to meet."
He took her over to where a family was standing by the edge of the water.
"Hey, guys." He said. "This is Alex."
Alex realized this must be his family.
"Hi Alex!" A young girl said. She looked about nine years old and had Beau's golden blonde hair and ocean blue eyes. "I'm Holly! Beau said you were from New York! I would love to go there! I want to be an actress on Broadway!"
"It's nice to meet you, Alex." A woman said warmly, clasping Alex's hand. "I'm Melissa, Beau's mother."
Melissa had shoulder length blonde hair and hazel eyes. She had a soft, gentle face and smile lines around her eyes.
"Beau told us so much about you, I feel like I know you already!" A man said with a loud, booming laugh. "I'm Richard."
Richard, Beau's dad, was tall with big shoulders and hands. He had brown hair and the same sparkly blue eyes as Beau and Holly. He looked like he would be a good Police Chief. He was big and happy looking but also had the look in his eyes that he could be very firm.
"And I'm Grahm, Beau's grandfather." An older man said. He had a full head of white hair and a thick white moustache. He stood as tall as Beau and Richard, over six feet. He had a kindly, trusting look about him.
"It's nice to meet you all." Alex said. She spent another couple of minutes talking with Beau's family when Justin ran up to her.
"I challenge you to the Water Balloon Toss!" He said. Then he noticed the Fairchild family.
"I'm Justin, Alex's... brother." He said awkwardly. For some reason, Alex didn't like the way he said 'brother'. He didn't feel like her brother anymore. It just felt strange.
They all stood in an awkward silence for a second before Alex said brightly, "So, Water Balloon Toss? You're on!"
He dragged her over to where a bunch of kids stood in two lines facing each other. They had to work as a team and toss the balloon back and forth without dropping it. And every time they threw the balloon, they had to take a step back.
"You're going down, Mister!" Some boy shrieked at Justin.
"Oh yeah?" Justin said back.
"Yeah!" The boy yelled. "I bet you an ice cream sandwich that me an' Holly will cream you and that lady!"
"You're on!" Justin said and shook the boy's hand. Holly, Beau's sister, grinned at Alex and shrugged, as if to say, 'Men, what can you do with them?' Which made Alex laugh out loud. She smiled softly at Justin as he jokingly trashed talked the children. It was kind of sweet. It was obvious that he was going easy on them, but he pretended to take it so seriously. When it was down to Alex and Justin and Holly and the boy, whose name was Noah, they were about twenty feet apart.
"You're going down!" Noah shouted at Justin and Alex.
"Yeah!" Cried Holly.
Alex couldn't resist. When Justin gently tossed her the water balloon at her, she whipped it back at him as hard as she could. It splashed against his chest and she burst out laughing. Noah and Holly were absolutely roaring with laughter and Justin ran over to Alex with a smirk on his face.
"You want a hug, Alex?" He asked mischievously.
"No thanks!" She laughed.
"Too bad!" He leaned over and hugged her. He swung her around and put her back down. Her red tank top was now wet as well.
"Justin!" She shrieked but he just laughed.
"I believe I owe you two ice cream sandwiches." He said to Holly and Noah. They cheered and followed him over to a cooler full of ice cream. He handed them each one and they took off to play something else. He brought back one for Alex as well.
"Thanks." She said, biting into her treat.
They finished up with their ice cream just in time for Emma to call them over for the buffet dinner. There was all the classic American food spread over a couple of fold up tables. Everyone brought something different. There were hamburgers and hotdogs, potato salad, fried chicken, ribs, corn on the cob and much more. There was also Emma's apple pie. They sat around on picnic benches on the sand eating their feast. When the sun started to set, someone turned their stereo on and suddenly everyone was dancing.
Beau took Alex's hand and started to twirl her around the beach. Her dark ponytail whipped around her face and her bare feet dug into the warm sand and she laughed wildly. She danced with Beau until the sun had almost gone down and the sky was all deep blue except for the dark purple smear that was the horizon. The stars were just beginning to come out and Justin asked her to dance.
"Sure." She breathed.
He slowly put his hand to her waist. She could feel his hands shaking. She smirked and pulled him tighter against her. She wasn't even sure what song was playing, all she could focus on was Justin and how he had his arms around her and how she seemed to fit against his body like she was made for it and how his suntan made his eyes look greener and how she could feel his breath on her cheek. Then the fireworks started. Everyone stopped dancing to stare at the pitch black sky and the random bursts of colour that appeared. She realized that Justin still had his arm around her. She felt a bit of guilt that her boyfriend was around here somewhere and she was holding onto another guy. But not enough to make her want to move away. She looked into Justin's eyes and saw fireworks reflected in them.
A/N thanks for reading guys! For the record, i don't think harry potter is offensive, i think its amazing and im not American so im not really sure what they would do on the fourth of july so i modeled that scene after what i do on Canada day and the last splash scene from aquamarine. I hope you enjoyed it!