A/N Thanks so much for your reviews! Three in such a short time!

mintparsleyoreganothyme: Your username is as hard to spell as ever! Chilling? Awesome! I want to hit the emotion spot-on... except I didn't know what it was. I got an idea now! (I love it that the word chilling is used to describe the chappie!) Well-written? Thanks, although personally, I didn't think so... I'm glad you like my stories! Thanks so million for your nice, compliment-filled review! It lightens my day!

Anonomon13: Jack and Tom... I actually never saw a fic where Jack or Tom betrayed Alex, except for mine, but hey. If Tom betrays Alex, why not make Lexi's life worse and make Jack betray him, too? I wrote the A Boy or A Girl one-shot version already, right after you suggested it. Thanks for ya review!

Writers4All: Yeah, I am cruel to Alex most of the time... Thanks! Jack just came into mind and I thought, Hey, if Tom backstabs Alex, why can't Jack? And oops... The LINEY LINEY LINEY LINEY things are just like a rough line break for Word, since it doesn't really have a button that says, Line Break. I usually edit it out and make them line breaks, but I must have missed it. Sorry! I changed it into a REAL liney. I actually don't know why Tom backstabbed Alex. It was just a thought. I know why Jack did, though. She couldn't take any more, and decided Scorpia had more opportunities for her. I guess that applies for Tom, too. Thanks for your review!

Disclaimer: Really. Not mine.

"It was a mistake," you said. But the cruel thing was, it felt like the mistake was mine, for trusting you."

-David Levithan, The Lover's Dictionary (I put that in cause the title was based on it)

It had been a rarely seen calm day for a certain Alex Rider—minus the whispering, gossiping, and the suspicious, dirty looks—when Tom had asked Alex to the movies. It was a normal occurrence, Tom asking Alex to somewhere, so Alex had thought nothing of it. Except, Jack normally said something along the lines of, No, Alex! It's still dangerous. You have lots of work to catch up on, anyways! Alex had told Tom casually that he would ask Jack, which was also a normal occurrence. Tom had deflated slightly, which was, again, what happened when these things popped up.

But the difference this time was that when Alex arrived at his fairly large but cozy home—using a bike he had gotten from Smithers for his belated birthday—and asked Jack about it, Jack had said yes. Alex still recalled the situation with amazement.

"Hey, Jack? I'm home!" he called, something like a routine that he and Jack had developed over time.

"Alex! You're back! What's up?" Jack said happily, scrambling down the stairs, bright hair flying. Yet another part of the routine.

"Tom asked me if I could go to the movies," he said, a part of the routine that appeared from time to time.

"Oh, really? That's great! What movie are you guys watching?" Jack squealed, excited. Not a part of the makeshift routine.

"We—what? Jack, you're letting me go? Really?"

"Yeah, why not? It's just the movies. After so many disappointed looks from Tom, I just can't stand holding you back on an imaginary leash anymore," Jack sighed, sounding like a resigned mother giving up on reining in their troublesome child.

"Really? No kidding? Are you sure, Jack?"

"Yes, Alex! Go have fun for a change."

"Hey! I'm offended. But, sure, I'll go tell Tom right now! See you later."

"Come home before nine," Jack called, waving goodbye as Alex exited the house he had called home for so long.

"So, Tom, which movie are we watching?"

"Oh, you know, the one that just came out?"

"There are many movies that come out almost at the same time. Elaborate."

"Oh God. Alex, you don't get me at all! It was supposed to be telepathic!"

"Huh? I beg your pardon?"

Tom snorted at Alex's dumb and polite response. Not like he would do any better. "Telepathic. Telepathic. T-e-l-e-p-h-a-t-i-c."

"Are you sure that's how you spell it? It doesn't sound right."

"Of course I am! What do you think I am? A mindless zombie? And idiot?"

"The latter will be fine. Look it up, or something."

"Fine," Tom whined, pulling out his smart phone. He typed in telephatic, and Google corrected the spelling to telepathic.

"Ha! I knew I was right!" Tom cried, drawing the attention of quite a few people on the street. Alex could have sword he heard an elderly couple mutter angrily, "Kids were more mannered in our time."

"No, it's just not possible! Let me see!" Alex retorted, reaching for Tom's phone with his—almost non-existent—super-spy speed. Tom let loose a yelp as the phone was snatched from his loose grasp.

"See? T-e-l-e-p-a-t-h-i-c. Telepathic. I was right, you bloody liar," Alex smirked smugly.

"You killjoy. You party pooper. You spoil sport," Tom grumbled jokingly, leading the pair down a street vaguely in the direction of the nearest cinema.

"Tom, isn't that way faster than this way?" Alex asked curiously, hands gesturing to a wider, more bustling street.

"Yeah, but this one is emptier. Trust me."

"No, but Tom…"

"Come on, Alex, give me a chance. It's better because it's empty, right?"

"Maybe," Alex said uncertainly, but decided to trust his loyal, faithful best friend.

And so, the two best mates made their way down the slightly narrower, definitely emptier street.

"Tom, I really don't think this is the right place. We're going in the opposite direction of the movie theatre!"

"No, it's right, see? Even my GPS app in my iPhone says so."

"Let me see."

"Here you go."

Alex sighed exasperatedly at the sheer stupidity of his friend. "Tom, the navigation app's destination is your home. Of course it doesn't lead to the movie theatre!"

"No, but I set it so—"

"You won't get lost on your way home. You told me days ago," Alex finished.

"No, but still. I thought I said it to the cinema."

"Thought. Right, sure. So can you set it to the cinema right now? I'm pretty sure we're lost."

Alex could have sworn that Tom breathed, "No, we're not. Definitely not lost," under his breath, but let it slide.

"Okie dokie, Lexi-Boy. Wait… How do you set the new destination again?"

"Ugh, Tom. Please remind me—why, for God's sake, did you get an iPhone?"

"It looks cool!"

"Dear God…"

"Give me a Xbox for my birthday. And give me the manual for the iPhone that I threw away as soon as I got the phone. And—" Tom started to finish. But of course, Alex cut him off.

"I wasn't reading off a letter, you brainless duck," Alex grinned. "Here, give me the phone. I'll set it up so the destination is the cinema."

"Sure, mate," Tom said, handing over the touch-screened object.

An affirmative beep confirmed that Alex had set it right, and he held it out to Tom so he could lead the way. Tom stared at the device, eyes glued to the bright screen, lighting his electric blue eyes and stunningly black hair.

"Tom? What are you doing?" asked Alex as Tom led him into a deserted alley. His instincts told him—no, screamed at him—to run, but his mind said, No, I trust Tom. The two sides of him were clashing, and it was almost tearing him apart.

Tom brought out his new iPhone. "I'm telling your enemies, Scorpia, where you are right now."

"Tom, why are you doing this?" Alex asked, bewildered and rather taken aback.

"Alex, I thought you would have figured it out by now, but since you didn't…" Tom said with an evil smirk that only graced his features when he had something nasty up his sleeve; whether it be literal or not.

"What are you talking about?" Alex said, unable to rein his surprise and shock in. It was unbelievable.

"Maybe I'm just a good actor. Or maybe you're losing your edge. Maybe you just turned soft. Or maybe, you trust too easily!" Tom sneered, volume getting louder and louder. But of course, in the deserted alleyway that they had ended up in, no one would have heard. The nearest civilian would be kilometres away.

"Tom? You were a double agent for Scorpia?" Alex demanded, just to double check. Just to make sure that he hadn't misheard. Just to make sure that this wasn't a dream. Just to make sure that it was reality.

"You finally figured it out? But you do know that it was too late now, right?" laughed Tom.

"I trusted you! But this happens!" Alex cried, his heart breaking. How had he ended up like this? Hadn't the missions he had been on taught him otherwise? Hadn't he learned his lesson yet?

"You're not supposed to trust, Alex."