sooo new chapter time! thanks again for reading/commenting! really makes my day :)
Chapter Eight
Alex walked into the kitchen and was surprised to see Amy sitting at the table all alone, flipping through a magazine and eating a bowl of Lucky Charms. “Good morning,” he said cheerfully as he grabbed a cup of coffee.
“Hey,” she said with a grin before looking back down at her magazine.
“So, uh, where is everyone?”
“Andy’s on his run and the other three went to the supermarket.”
“Oh.” He nodded thoughtfully. Here it was, the moment he’d been waiting for since that day at the beach. And yet he still felt like as long as they were in the house, Andy or Liz would somehow hear the conversation he needed to have with Amy. “Um, you wanna go sit outside?”
Amy raised an eyebrow at him, curiosity slowly getting the best of her. “Why?”
Alex sighed. “It’s just really nice outside and thought, ya know, why let that go to waste?” Amy simply stared at him. “Of fine. I need to talk to you about something and would feel more comfortable if that could happen not in here.”
“Alright, now I’m all curious and shit.” She closed her magazine and followed Alex out onto the patio. “So what’s on your mind?” she asked as she settled into one of the white, wooden Adirondack chairs.
“Before I start I just need to know that you’re ok with keeping this between the two of us.”
“Oh.” Amy was a little bit taken aback. She had known Alex for as long as she’d known Andy but never really considered him close enough for him to confide in her.
Alex held up a hand defensively. “I’d understand if you don’t feel comfortable with this. It’s just that…you’re kind of the only one I can talk to about this.”
“Alright, I won’t tell anyone.”
“Especially not Liz.”
Amy took a moment to consider. Clearly it was something important if Alex was so nervous about the idea of discussing this with her. “It’ll strictly be an Alex/Amy conversation. Now sit you ass down and tell me what’s got you all worked up.”
He let out a sigh of relief and sat down in the chair next to her. “So you’ve known Liz for a while, right?”
“Four years and counting.”
“Wow. That’s cool. I bet you’re really close then, huh?”
“Alex, you know we are. Can you please just cut to the chase?”
“Look, this is embarrassing enough for me as it is…”
“I’m sorry. I’m just playin’ with ya.”
“I know. But I’m being stupid.”
“Take your time, dude. Seriously.”
“It’s just…if there was someone that Liz was, ya know, interested in or whatever, she’d talk to you about it, right?”
“She always has in the past. I mean, she’s really only been serious about one guy since I’ve known her but, man, did I hear all about that.”
“So has she been talking to you about anyone lately?”
Amy grinned. “Should there be?”
“I dunno. I was kind of hoping maybe…”
“Oh my God, you two are together, aren’t you?! I can’t believe she didn’t tell me! Ugh, the sneaky whore. What happened? Did you kiss her? Did she kiss you? Did you have sex yet? And why isn’t she telling me this? Does she think I don’t approve? ‘Cause I so do! I’ve been telling her that you two would be perfect together for months and-”
“Wait, wait, wait. So she hasn’t said anything to you?”
“No! And what the hell? I’m gonna kick her ass so hardcore! Why didn’t she tell me?”
Alex laughed sadly and shook his head. “Because there’s nothing to tell…”
“Oh,” Amy said, still not fully understanding. Then she got it. “Ohhhh.”
“Yeah.”
“Alex…you like her, don’t you?”
“What are we, twelve or something?”
“Oh shut up. You know what I mean.”
Alex thought for a moment, trying to find the best answer to Amy’s question. “I just…I love being with her, ya know? I love seeing her smile….”
“She does have nice teeth.” Alex started to laugh hysterically. “What? What’d I say?”
“Nothing. Don’t worry about it. Sorry.”
“Does she know how you feel?”
He shrugged. “I thought she might. I mean, we had this moment that night you got here. We were dancing and it was like we were the only people there and I was so close to just giving in and kissing her and I think she was about to let me and-”
“Oh my God! What happened?”
“Closing time. They turned the lights on on us and that was the end of it.”
“Fuck.”
“I know!”
“And you haven’t talked to her about it?”
“I can’t. I mean, what if I’m reading too much into this?”
“I could ask her.”
“No, thanks, though. That would make things way worse.”
“You could ask her.”
“Right and then she gets weirded out and stops hanging out with me and that would suck because she’s kind of my best friend.”
“Awww, Alex. Look, just because she hasn’t said anything to me doesn’t mean she’s not attracted to you. Maybe she’s talking to someone else about it.”
“Yeah? Like who?”
* * * * *
“So you’re unusually quiet this morning,” Jason commented to Liz as he grabbed a container of ground coffee off the grocery store shelf.
“Huh?” she asked, coming out of her fog. She had been doing that a lot lately, getting lost in thought.
“You feeling ok?” Mike asked, placing his hand on her forehead as if to check for a fever.
She let out a heavy sigh. She had been hoping for some kind of way to slip her questions about Alex into their conversation but that looked less and less likely to happen. In fact, she was sure Jason and Mike hadn’t mentioned him all morning. Nope, she was gonna have to nut up and just ask them. “I’m fine. Just a lot on my mind, I guess.”
“Anything you wanna talk about?” Mike asked as he pushed the shopping cart down the next aisle.
“It’s kind of a difficult situation…”
“Would you call it a ‘No Win Situation?’” Jason laughed.
Liz punched his arm lightly. “You’re such a dork.”
“Sorry, it was just right there, ya know?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Liz said, rolling her eyes. “Anyway…can I talk to you guys and have you not, like, judge me or anything?”
“Consider the cereal aisle a judgment free zone,” Jason answered.
“Ever since the four of us went out the night Amy got here I feel like Alex has been maybe acting a little bit…different. Actually, I think maybe it stated before then but I just didn’t notice.”
“And by ‘different’ you mean what?” asked Michael.
“Ugh, are you gonna make me ask straight out?” Both Mike and Jason nodded. “Does he have feelings for me?”
“Alex?” Jason asked. “Our Alex?”
“Do we all know another Alex?”
“No, I’m just surprised. I mean, he’s usually kind of obvious when he’s into a girl. Like, we have to slap him to make him shut up about her.”
“So you don’t think so?” Liz asked, trying not to sound disappointed.
“Based on how he’s been in the past, I’m gonna go with no,” Mike answered. “Sorry if that’s not what you wanted to hear.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her arm a light, comforting squeeze.
“No! No, that’s exactly what I was hoping for. I mean, could you imagine how awkward it would be if either of us had the hots for the other?” She laughed, trying to convince them that she could the notion completely ridiculous.
“Oh, cool,” Jay said. He wasn’t completely convinced but just let it go. If Liz wasn’t ready to admit her feelings for Alex to herself then he wasn’t gonna push her to admit them to him and Mike.
* * * * *
“So you’ll call me when you get home, right?” Liz asked Amy as she hugged her best friend in the driveway.
“Yes, Mom.”
“Don’t make me slap you.” Liz laughed and pulled back to wipe the tears from her eyes.
“You’d never slap me.”
“I know. God, I’m gonna miss us.”
Me, too. But you’ll be coming to the city in a little over a month and then I’ll graduate and come back here with you and we’ll live in our amazing apartment together just like we always planned.” Tears were welling up in Amy’s eyes.
“Aww, group hug!” Alex exclaimed, wrapping his arms around the two girls, trying to lighten the mood.
Amy and Liz couldn’t help but laugh. “Sorry to ruin the moment but we gotta go, Ames,” Andy said. He smiled sadly at the girls, knowing the he, too, would have to say goodbye to Amy soon.
“I’ll see ya soon.” Amy hugged Liz one last time before taking Andy’s hand. He walked to her to the Jeep and helped her into the front seat.
As soon as they pulled down the driveway and drove out of sight, Alex was in the house and ran up the stairs. He quickly changed into a pair of gray slacks and a button-down black shirt. He picked up his cell phone and typed out a text message before checking himself in the mirror one last time. He was just about to walk out his bedroom door when he realized he was forgetting something. A quick spritz of Polo Black and he was good to go.
“Where you off to?” Mike asked from the couch when he saw Alex coming down the stairs?
“Yeah, you got a hot date or something?” Jason added.
“Um, actually, I do.” Alex checked his watch and looked out the window next to the front door.
“With who?” Jason asked.
“That one receptionist from the Hollywood Records office,” he answered, still nervously checking the time.
“The one that always hits on you?” Mike asked.
“The one that always hits on who?” Liz asked, walking out of her bedroom in a pair of slouchy sweats and a t-shirt that was about one size too big.
“The slutty lookin’ chick that always flirts with Alex at the label office,” Mike said, filling her in. He didn’t notice Jason cringe next to him.
“Oh,” was all Liz could manage to say.
“Yeah, I mean, she gave me her number a few months ago and I just, I dunno, thought I should give her a chance.” Alex looked out the window, unable to look her in the eyes. He thought that maybe by going out with another girl he would forget about his feelings for Liz. Instead he just felt like an asshole.
“Oh….good! That’s good. Great, even! And you look great. Very suave. Have fun!” He really didn’t have feelings for her other than friendship. She couldn’t believe it. Even after talking to Mike and Jason she’d still held out some tiny amount of hope but that was just popped like an over inflated balloon.
A honk came from outside, breaking the awkward silence in the room. “That’s my car,” Alex said, gesturing to the door.
“You ordered a car?” Mike asked him. “Wow. You really are out to impress this girl.”
Alex shrugged and snuck a glance back at Liz, who had her arms folded over her chest. “Well, Andy’s got the car so I really didn’t have a choice. I, uh, I’ll try to be quiet when I come in later.” He waved then was out the door.
“So…..wanna watch a movie?” Jason asked Liz.
“I, uh, think I’m gonna turn in early. I’m really tired. It’s been a busy week. Thanks though.”
“Well, we’ll be out here if you change your mind,” Mike offered.
“Thanks. Goodnight, guys.” She smiled at them then shuffled back into her room. She immediately crawled into bed, wrapping the blankets tightly around her. So she had been wrong. Alex wasn’t interested in her at all. Instead he was taking out some girl that Mike thought was slutty looking. She snorted. If Mike thought she was slutty then she must be practically naked all the time. She closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep, praying that this didn’t mean she would be losing both of her best friends in one day.
