Alex
"Did you do it?" Max asked.
Justin clammed up immediately and went about tidying things up, his face bright red. He was purposely ignoring Max and me, and I found the whole scene quite entertaining.
"I can't believe you told him Alex," Justin muttered furiously.
"I didn't tell him anything dear brother because frankly I don't know anything." I put her arm around him and he instantly took it off. "He just wants to know if you did the deed."
Max started sniggering and Justin went even redder, if that was possible. He looked like a tomato. "He's fifteen Alex, do you really think he should be hearing about this kind of stuff."
"Actually he's 25," I corrected with a knowing smile. "Besides he watches cable; I think he knows enough."
Keys started jangling in the front door and Justin quickly herded me into the kitchen, overlooking the lounge room. Emily walked in, her heels making annoying sounds as she made her way across the floor.
"Hey Justy," she murmured.
I popped my head above the counter and saw Justin hugging Emily. He saw me and waved at me to get back down. I just grinned and mouthed 'Justy' at him.
"Hey Max, how are you?" she asked, just noticing there was someone else in the room.
"Great," he said. "I'm just going to get a drink."
He quickly walked into the kitchen and retrieved a coke from the fridge, choosing to stand near me as I hid.
"Listen, Justy, last night was amazing. We should do it again sometime," Emily said, playing with the collar of Justin's shirt.
"Alright," squeaked Justin.
She kissed his cheek, grabbed some things from the computer desk, and frittered away, like a delicate flower.
Max fist-pumped the air as soon as she was gone. "You did it!"
Justin's face turned cherry red again. "Shut up Max."
"Anyway," I said, changing the subject; I had no desire to really hear about what Justin got up to at night. Sure I liked embarrassing him, but there was a limit.
"Anyway, you are not coming to the party."
"C'mon," I whined. "Pretty please?"
"No way. Look, we have to remain normal okay. Emily doesn't seem real fond of you and it's better if we just act natural."
I didn't agree but I didn't want to argue. Harper was getting out today; they'd decided to release her early and I was going to pick her up.
"I have to go get Harper, do you guys need me?"
"I'm sure we'll be fine," Max said, stretching out on the couch. Justin looked up from his book; one he hoped had enough information to send us back.
Justin grabbed my arm. "Don't leave me alone with him Alex."
I smiled. "Sorry brother, I'm a bit busy." I shook out of his grip and traipsed out as Justin looked on helplessly.
"I'm so glad you're getting out," I said, throwing my arms around her.
"Watch the ribs, the ribs," Harper groaned.
"Are you nuts?" Zeke exclaimed, yanking me away. "She's been in a car accident and had surgery, could you watch what you're doing?"
Zeke moved in and took a hold of Harper's upper arm, helping inside the house. "I'm sorry," I called after them.
"It's fine Alex. Zeke, you have to relax."
"I was just trying to make sure you're okay."
Harper sighed. "I get that and you've been a really good friend and all but you're not my boyfriend. You can't control what I do."
Zeke nodded reluctantly. "I'll go and put your stuff upstairs." He cast me a steely gaze as he left, trudging up the staircase.
"He's not your boyfriend?" I asked, helping Harper slip into a seat.
"No, you know – oh sorry, I keep forgetting you're the young Alex."
I poured a glass of juice for her and set it down. "What happened? Who broke it off?"
"I did," she said, taking a sip of the drink. "He's nice and so sweet but I don't know….I mean we've been on and off since we were teenagers and I always assumed, yeah we'd probably get married one day. But then I realised, I had no idea who I was without him. I gave up my own dreams so he could work full time at the lab and I could take care of the house and everything. So I just ended it."
I looked around to make sure he hadn't come back down yet. "Just so you know, he's still in love with you."
"I know," she said, smiling faintly. She readjusted the sling on her arm before taking another gulp. "But we agreed to just be friends and he's been amazing this whole time so I can hardly tell him I need some space."
Just then, his heavy footsteps started pounding down the steps and he came back into view. "Do you need anything else?"
"No I'm alright. You can go home."
Zeke hesitated. "I'd rather not." I almost rolled my eyes. The guy was seriously over protective; it wasn't like I was an axe murderer who was going to decimate Harper and chuck her in my trunk.
"Zeke, please go."
Reluctantly he did, but not before shooting me a warning look.
"He so does not like me," I commented. Harper laughed, before wincing at how much this small action hurt her. She gripped her stomach and slowly took breathes in and out.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah I just got to be careful. So how's everything going?"
"I want you to tell me everything."
She suddenly looked uneasy. "I can't."
"What?" Why not?"
"I just can't," she said, looking away.
"Harper."
Her head remained dropped, and she stared into the swishing liquid in her cup.
"Harper, why can't you tell me?"
"Because I promised."
"Promised who?"
She stood up suddenly and hobbled to the couch. "I can't say Alex. Please don't make me. Find Mason, he'll help you understand everything."
"Where do I find him? I have no idea what happened to him or us during this lifetime!"
"You know where to look."
"Stop with the cryptic crap Harper. What is going on?"
Harper sighed. "You have to figure out what happened on your own. I'm sorry."
I stood there, staring at the back of her head. She was supposed to be my friend, my best friend and yet she was sitting there, point blankly denying me what I wanted to know. The very knowledge could help us get back and change everything but still she remained quiet.
"Thanks a lot Harper. You were a great help."
I took extra care to slam the door on my way out.
Justin
"We should just call the wizard council and tell them to send us back, problem solved."
I gritted my teeth as Max threw popcorn in the air and attempted to catch it in his mouth. "There are two things wrong with that plan Max," I said, getting up from my chair to get something to eat. "Number one: ever since magic was exposed, the wizard council has hid its location and it is impenetrable to mortals. Number two: we have to figure out a way to reverse the spell that made us into our future selves and revert back to normal before we can go back. Number three: you're an idiot."
Max hung his head over the back of the couch to stare confusedly at me. "I thought you said there were only two things."
I shrugged. "The third one was a given."
The door flew open and in stormed hurricane Alex, full of bluster. She slammed it after her and sat at the counter, her hands shaking.
"I am so mad!" she said loudly, getting up from her seat as quickly as she had sat down to get a drink. She stomped her feet with every step as if to emphasise her anger even more.
"We can see that," Max pointed out, still hung over the back of the couch.
"Harper won't tell me anything about the competition. She just keeps telling me to find Mason."
"But you don't know where to look for Mason, do you?"
"Apparently I do," she said sarcastically, throwing her head back and emptying her glass with one swallow. "According to Harper, I 'know where to look,'" she said angrily, mimicking the last few words in a poor attempt at Harper's voice.
"Maybe you should calm down," I said slowly, refilling her glass and handing it back to her.
She drained it again before pressing her forehead down to the cool marble glass on the counter top. "What's the use? I hate this world and I hate myself."
"Never thought I'd hear those words from the famously conceited Alex Russo."
Max righted his body to slip back into the couch cushions, now paying attention to the television. I knew his fate was sealed the moment Alex lifted her head with a glint in her eye. She moved to advance on him but I held her back at first.
"Go easy on him," I muttered before releasing her.
In a matter of seconds, Max was eating the carpet with Alex sitting on his back, pulling back his legs.
"Who am I?" she asked viciously.
"Alex Russo, the best sister in the world."
"And what am I not?"
"You're not conceited," he said quickly. "Now please get off of me."
She smiled and patted his hair. "Good boy." She leapt off of him and collapsed on the recliner.
"No wonder we don't talk to you anymore," Max muttered, brushing himself down.
"See, this is the kind of scene I want to avoid at my birthday, which is precisely why" – Alex opened her mouth to argue but I continued over the top of her – "you are not invited."
I could see in her face she wanted to protest but eventually looked resigned. "Fine, I won't come."
Alex
Poor naïve Justin. After all these years, he still thinks I'm going to listen to him. You'd think he'd have learned after twenty seven years.