Next morning...rather early, before 8

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Justin opened his eyes and was greeted with the eyes of his ex. He groaned and rolled over to look at the eyes of Janet.

Much better.

Not that he hated Britney. It just was really weird to see her up on a wall in the room he was sleeping in.

The night before he had almost lost it. Alex was being very...distant and sad and quiet. Ever since she had showed him that picture she had been very solemn. He knew painful memories were here in this house. She had described to him the night before of how her parents' room was huge because it used to be a room for Scott also. Andrew had had what was now Scott's room.

Justin had felt bad for taking the room, but Scott convinced him that he liked sleeping on the couch downstairs. Justin was quite surprised that he and Alex had the whole upstairs to themselves, but he tried not to think about that. He had inferred that her parents weren't too strict. Especially her mom.

After dinner, Alex had taken a shower and gone to bed leaving Justin downstairs with her family.

He had been shown her baby pictures and all the other ritual "family and boyfriend" things. Soon after he found himself in a bed and nodding off.

He flipped on to his back and stared at the ceiling. The house was all quiet. He took in a deep breath and thought he smelled bacon. A smile spread on his lips. He relished in the silence.

"SCOOOOOOOOTTTTTT!" He heard someone screech and then pounding footsteps.

He heard screams, laughter, pounds and bangs. Finally the pounding got close to him and he heard a door slam. His eyes moved to his doorway and he saw Alex standing there locking the door and mumbled curse words as she walked to the bathroom and got out a towel. Justin looked at the floor and saw a trail of water on the carpet.

She came back with a towel wrapped around her, rubbing it on her hair and arms. "I can't believe that little prick. He is such a jerk. Oh my gosh."

"Well Good Morning to you too." Justin chuckled.

She jumped and gasped at him. "Oh, I totally forgot you were here."

"Well, thanks." He rolled his eyes.

"No, it's just. Dammit." She walked over and sat on the edge of his bed and looked down at his relaxed position. "I was all nice and cozy in my bed, just laying there thinking and the next thing I know I'm soaking wet and Scott is running out of my room chuckling with a empty pitcher in his hand."

Justin raised an eyebrow and put his hands behind his head. "We have this tradition of waking each other up with practical jokes. Ya know, shaving cream in the face, toothpaste, you name it, we've done it."

"Awww, and now you are all wet." Justin smiled as she glared at him.

"It's not funny. I'm freezing now." She shivered.

His eyes roamed her body and chuckled for a moment. "I can tell."

Her eyebrows furrowed and then rose with realization and she covered herself with the thick comforter. "Not funny."

"I'm pickin, babe. Get in here if you're still cold." He opened up the covers and she willingly scooted herself into the space and let him rubbed her arms and tried to get warmth back into her.

"You need to get out of those soaked clothes."

"Well, I'm not going to do that now. My parents are downstairs and I bet Scott has a bobbypin working on this door right now."

"I'm not suggesting THAT!" He chuckled.

She turned and ran her hand over the stubble on his jaw. "We are going to have fun today."

"What are we doing?" He asked with a smile.

"I'm going to show you my mom's studio and then me and you are taking the truck and going to go in town to run a few errands, but we should be back around lunch. I thought maybe we could have a snowball fight and see how good you REALLY are, and maybe when daddy gets home from work me and you can take Scott and him in some b-ball." She smiled and scooted a little closer to him.

"Oh really? I kinda like playing against you though."

"Why?" She questioned.

He rubbed his nose with hers and licked his lips. "Cause you get to rub all up on me."

"Ohh gos-" She was cut off by his lips.

"OHH PULEASE!! It's MY BED!! JESUS! DO THAT CRAP IN YOUR OWN!! I promise I wont ever throw water on you, just don't get it on with your boyfriend in MY bed. EWWW!"

Justin's shocked eyes looked up and Alex began to chuckle. "That's what you get. Just be glad you got the door open in time."

"OHH NOOO. eww, just...ewww..." Scott covered his eyes and pointed towards her room. "Out, or I'm telling mom."

"Mom doesn't care. She'll root me on."

"I'll tell dad." Scott smiled when Alex jumped out of bed and walked to her room.

He sighed and leaned against his doorway, twirling a crooked bobbypin in between his fingers. "Morning Justin. Breakfast is ready whenever you are."

And with that Scott walked to Alex's door banged a few times and screamed "I LOVE YOU SIS!"

"SHUT UP! JUST GO TO SCHOOL!!" Justin heard muffled.

Justin groaned and rolled out of bed, walked to his duffel bag to get a change of clothes for the day.

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Alex glanced over in the passenger seat. "You look like a thug."

"Sorry." He mumbled.

"No, its ok. It's cute, in that big puffy coat and toboggan. Hehe, it's adorable."

"I just don't see how you can stand this. It's like 2 degrees!!" Justin exclaimed as they drove down the country road towards town.

"Actually it's -5 but who's really paying attention." She chuckled.

"Yeah..." Justin laughed. "...I thought it was supposed to be dark all the time."

"Oh it is, but we have 6 hours of light today. It will gradually increase until all day it's bright and then the cycle starts again." She sighed and pulled off on a road.

There were cars and people randomly scattered about. "This is downtown Greenvillage. It's small, quaint, but it reminds me a lot of the small southern towns like how everyone knows everyone and is nice and stuff like that."

Justin nodded and looked around. All of the vehicles were trucks or SUV's to conform to the harsh weather. Everyone was bundled up with fur-lined coats. But the town still looked alive. Shops were open amugst the snow. It was different than what he was use to.

He gasped. "Did I just see an Eskimo!?"

Alex chuckled and nodded. "Probably, there's a tribe of Aleut Eskimos about 3 miles West of my house. I have Aleut blood in me, mom's side." She smiled at him when he gave her an interested look.

Alexandria pulled her truck to the side of the road and parked. They got out of the car with Alex bundling up and Justin amazed as his breath vaporize like smoke in front of him. He was shivering.

Alexandria picked up his gloved hand and pulled him onto the covered sidewalk. They walked down a few shops to a florist and Alex walked in the place. A bell dinged as she stepped in and pulled Justin in with her. She took off her gloves and stuffed them into her pockets.

"Ms. Olago?" Alex called through the flowers and plants. Justin admired the place. In an area full of three colors, white, gray, and blue here was a shop that contained every color known to man.

A graying short and sout woman stepped from the back of the shop and gasped, dropping the towel she was wiping her hands with. "Alexandria!"

Justin watched as they hugged for a long time. He smiled as the woman's narrow eyes crinkled to a bright smile. She looked Indian herself. "How have you been my beautiful Alexandria?"

"I've been good Ms. Olago. How have you been?"

"Ohh just fine. Who's your friend?" She smiled and winked.

"Ohh.." Alex turned and waved him closer. "Ms. O I want you to meet Justin. He is my boyfriend."

"Well, from Florida?"

"Yes ma'am." Alex said kindly.

"Well it's nice to meet you Justin are you in college with Alex?"

"Umm, no ma'am."

Alex smiled at Justin who was beginning to blush. "He is a singer Ms. O. He's in this group. They are very popular."

"Well, do you have a lot of things to do today?"

"Yeah, we have to go by Courts and I'm going to see Andrew so..."

"Oh, yeah. Let me go get your flowers." Ms. Olago turned and went to the back of the shop. Alex turned to Justin and smiled.

"She got my mom started in painting. She was an art teacher at my mom's school. But she retired and became a florist. She's known me all my life. She's THE nicest lady I know." Alex spoke animatedly to Justin who smiled.

"Here they are." The older woman came back with a beautiful arrangement of purple and white flowers.

"Oh my, they are awesome Ms. O." Alex set them on the counter and fished for her wallet.

"Alexandria. You know me. Take em. You've never had to pay and I'm not going to make you today. So just go on..." She shooed them away.

"Ms. O, one day I'm paying you back." Alex warned.

"Yeah, yeah! Now get out of here and be sure to visit me before you go back to Florida."

"I will. Bye Ms. Olago."

"Bye. Nice meeting you Justin."

"You too."

Alex hurried over to Justin and linked her arm with his. "I'm going to put these in the car and then we can go to Courts Food, get mom her groceries and then we are outta here." She smiled and him and he nodded.

He wondered what she meant by going to see Andrew. But, he let it slide for now and watched as she ran to the truck, put the flowers in and ran back.