9. Digging Deep
"Vivie?"
"Oh, hey. Alex R, right? Do you mind if I call you that?"
"If you have to, but if Meyer's not in the room, I'd prefer that you just call me Alex."
"Can do." Vivie was sitting in the kitchen, and Alex Meyer had said that he would wait for Alex and Vivie to talk. Alex had wanted to talk to her to make sure that they knew each other for who they really were. Besides, Alex Meyer may have told Alex everything, but Vivie didn't really know much about Alex. Besides, she seemed like the kind of girl that he could be friends with just friends not anything more. Alex wasn't going to take Vivie away from Alex Meyer. Besides, Alex kind of liked another girl- Sabina Pleasure. But it had been a while since they had seen each other. He would have seen her this month if he wasn't stuck here.
"Meyer said that you wanted to talk to me?" Alex wasn't exactly interested in this conversation- he was just going along with it because it was what Vivie wanted. It was a plus for him- he didn't have to deal with the initiation.
"Well, you're the only teenager that I know of that's had the weight of the entire world on your shoulders... I'm assuming that Alex told you that."
"Well, yes, but I'm not sure how that extends to the entire world."
Alex must have forgotten to explain. "Well, basically, if I hadn't gotten in the way. Aaron would have probably taken over the entire world by now. It's like... there isn't another person like me out there that could stop him. It was a connection made by our great-grandfathers. It as a connection I had no control of. It was something chosen before my birth."
"That sounds like something I would say."
She looked him in the eyes. "Nessa said that your dad was a spy before his death."
"Yeah. What about it?"
"Well, Nessa told me, but I want to hear it from you."
"From me?"
"I happen to care about point of view." She smirked, but not meanly. "I hate it when people don't ask me for my side of the story."
"Who doesn't?"
"Oh, I know- just stating the truth."
Vivie was wise- both from experience and naturally. Alex respected that and decided that Vivie was an exception- and equal- and that he could treat her as such.
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Alex made a face as he crouched near the living room to eavesdrop. Okay, he trusted Alex Rider- how could he not, after all he had done? But he was good looking. (Yes, Alex said that in a completely straight way.) He just didn't want Alex Rider stealing her from him- not that he would on purpose. But Alex had the right to be overly cautious- he'd lost her once, and he could always lose her again.
He wasn't really listening to what they were saying- he was just watching their body gestures. Although Alex could tell that Vivie was being cautious, he couldn't help worrying. Then again, as warm of a person that Vivie was, she was extremely closed. She was careful to not get used by other people.
He studied Vivie intently, who fiddled with her auburn hair (more red than brown) and occasionally nodded. Her back was slightly towards him, and so was Alex Rider's. They seemed to be looking each other in the eyes. He inwardly groaned. Why exactly was he bothering with this? Sheesh.
Alex sighed and knew that eavesdropping was wrong and to quit it, getting up and wondering what Aaron was up to. He turned the TV on and turned it to the news channel.
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"Did Alex tell you that my father's name was also John?"
"Yeah- and it looks like all three of us are orphans."
"I wasn't surprised."
"Surprised by what?"
"Oh, I guessed that you disliked the whole spy thing as soon as I saw the look on your face. I hate the 'like father like son' saying. Look at Alex's dad- he was an alcoholic and screwed up his life, but even though Alex tried drugs, he managed to quit the habit."
Alex wouldn't have ever guessed that Alex Meyer would do something like that- it sounded more like something that Luke would do. But that guy was full of surprises. It was easy to misjudge him.
"Vivie... I really don't want to talk about it," he told her stonily, not wanting to remember the past.
"Oh, okay- whatever goes for you. Where's the other Alex?"
"Somewhere in the house." Alex thought about the name- Vivie. He had never heard the name before. Maybe it was a nickname. Vivie seemed to have noticed.
"A penny for your thoughts." She put a copper coin in his hand.
"Huh?"
"It's a saying. What's on your mind?"
"Oh, I was just wondering... what does your name mean?"
Vivie groaned. "Everyone always manages to ask that question."
"Oh, it isn't just me?"
Vivie chuckled. "Nah, I get that from everyone. My mom had a thing about strange names. My real name is Vivianne."
"Come again?"
"Vivian and Anne combined, I suppose. At any rate, I started going by Vivie when I figured out that things obviously weren't working." She rolled her eyes. "I've gotten used to it. The good thing about having a name like that is that no one shares it."
"Tell me about it," Alex muttered under his breath. The fact that he and Alex Meyer shared first names still bothered him. Sure, their first name was common, but Alex couldn't help wondering if there was a reason behind it.
"No big deal... Alex?" Alex saw that Alex Meyer as asleep on the couch. He let Vivie wake him up. He as a little slow to waking- his brown eyes opened very slowly, and Alex could see the mature side to Alex Meyer.
"Viv? Rider? What happened?"
"That's what we're asking you."
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Alex didn't remember falling asleep. All he could recall was watching the weather- and being enraptured by Andrew Yzcheck's charisma. Something in the back of his mind told him otherwise, but Alex got a good vibe from this guy. He also happened to know the week's weather- rather stormy and rainy.
"I was just watching the news and I guess I fell asleep. This Andrew Yzcheck character sure does a good job."
Vivie and Alex Rider exchanged glances, and Alex vaguely wondered why. Vivie was the one who spoke.
"Um, Alex, he tried to kidnap Crisee, remember?"
"When?"
"Two days ago. He's Aaron's twin, remember? Have you lost your mind?"
"Just some of my memory," Alex mumbled. "He seems like such a nice guy."
"What's up with Alex?" he heard Lissy ask. He hadn't seen her enter.
"I don't know- it looks to me like he's hypnotized," Alex Rider observed.
"I can hear you," Alex grumbled.
"I don't care. There's something wrong with you, and it's got something to do with you watching the weather channel. Come on."
Alex Rider hauled Alex to his feet and dragged him. He had no choice to follow along.
