2 days later

"Hello?" Alexandria picked up the phone after she swallowed her food.

"Hey Alex?"

"Yeah, who's this?"

"This is Jen. Do you remember me from the Library the other day."

Alex took a big gulp of her Snapple. "Oh yeah. Hey Girl, what's up."

"Not much. Uhh, are you OK?"

"Oh, sorry. I'm eating." She giggled as she stuffed her mouth with another forkful of salad.

"Oh that's cool."

"How did you think you did on the exam?"

"Better than I thought. But I won't know until he posts the grades."

"Yeah, it was actually a lot harder than I thought it would be."

"Yeah..."

The doorbell rang. "Hey, hold on a sec. Someone's at the door." Alex took a bit of her drink, set down the phone, and stood up to go to the door.

She looked through the peephole and smiled.

She opened the door. "Hey, guys. Come on in. I'm on the phone and eating so just bear with me."

Jon ran in to talk to Chester, like he always did. Justin smiled at her and walked on in, winking at her as she held the door open.

-He has GOT to stop doing that. What a player. I wonder if Britney knows about this? -

Justin stood in front of the bay window peering out of it, and she plopped back down on the couch and continued her conversation.

"Sorry, I had some friends come over."

"Oh, do you need to go?"

"Nah. I don't pay much attention to them anyway."

Justin glared at her and she giggled. He stepped towards her and plopped down on the couch beside her and stared at her. Just stared.

"What are you doin?"

"Umm, nothing." Jen said confused.

"Sorry, I meant Justin."

"Oh is he your boyfriend?"

"God no. He is too ugly to be my boyfriend." Justin pushed her and she fell sideways on the couch. She brought her legs up and placed them in his lap as she rested on couch. He looked at her like she had two heads.

"Anyways, do you have any plans for Christmas?"

"Yeah, my family lives in Daytona so I'll go up there. What about you?"

"I'm going to Alaska."

Jen sounded so amazed. "That's awesome."

"Not really. I can't stand the place. And this time of year its dark 20 hours of the day. And Cold. Just bitter."

She watched as Jon walked over to the couch and him and Justin started whispering. Alex tried to listen to them and Jen but it was impossible with Jen talking a million miles per hour about Christmas and Alaska and she couldn't understand what Jon and Justin were talking about but they were whispering and laughing.

"...and we all ride around and look at Christmas lights in the neighborhood. It's cool to see little beach houses with Christmas tree lights."

"Yeah. We all sing songs.... AHHHHH STOP!" Before she knew it Justin and Jon had tackled her and were tickling her ferociously.

Jen's confused voice came over the line. "Are you OK?"

"STOPPP IT! I'M ONNNN..HAHAHA THE PHHHHOONNNNEE" Alex screamed.

"Uhh, Alex?"

With a powerful slap to the shoulder, Alex got Justin to get off her and Jon just laughed hysterically on the floor. She moved across the room, silently thanking the inventor of cordless phones.

"Jen, I have to go. Call me back tomorrow or whenever OK?"

"OK. Are you all right?"

"Yeah, my friends just decided they would tackle me. See ya."

"Uhh, bye?"

Alex clicked off the phone and stormed over to where Justin and Jon sat whistling, looking as if nothing had happened. She picked Jon up and swung him over her shoulder and started twisting in circles.

"UNNN, I'm dizzy." Jon yelled. Alex giggled and sat down on the couch, bringing Jon around to sit in her lap.

Alex rested her forehead on his. "Sorry, buddy, but you know better than tickle me."

"Yeah, I know Lexy." Jon smiled and wrapped his small arms around her neck. Her arms encircled him and she squeezed him tightly.

Justin watched, mesmerized. This girl looked as if Jon was her own. Her eyes were gently closed and she was rocking him back and forth.

He sighed and looked at his watch, "Hey guys, we need to go if we are going."

Alex pulled away and smiled at Jon who returned the smile 10 times bigger.

"Let's go. Justin you are going to have the BEST time." Jon pulled on Justin's hand standing him up as Alex grabbed a bookbag and her keys.

"I have a feeling I will, you got everything?" He asked Alex.

She nodded and walked to the door, holding it open for them.

The 3 walked to her truck, She unlocked her door and got in. She had to reach over the seat to unlock the passenger side doorway. Justin picked Jon up to help him get up to the seat. He stepped up with ease and shut the door.

"Slam it." Jon and Alex said at the same time. Justin slowly turned to the door and realized that it indeed had just bounced back open.

"Sorry, my car isn't like that nice little James Bondish car like a certain pop star I know owns." She smiled smugly as he giggled and slammed the door shut.

"OK, seatbelts everyone." She stated simply and watched as the two guys put on their seatbelts as she cranked the engine. "Pick out some CDs if you want. I have one of those portable CD player things with a tape, it's not perfect but it works." She turned around and backed out of the parking space.

Jon picked up the small CD case and rummaged through the selections. Justin stared at her as she moved the steering wheel peering behind her shoulder. She was beautiful in such an unusual way. When he had first met her he thought her as odd. But now he realized that was what made her so special and different and rare and...wonderful.

He couldn't figure her out but was dying to know what was going on in her head.

She definitely wasn't your normal 19-year-old. But then again he didn't know many NORMAL 19 year olds.

He had thought about Alexandria the day before, not being able to get the image of her in sweatpants and a comfy T-shirt out of his mind. She was so different than Britney, but in a good way. Oh no, Britney. He couldn't be thinking of Alex while he was with Britney, but it was so hard when all he could see when he closed his eyes was that long black hair and icy blue eye filled with passion.

Justin shook his head and looked down at his brother. Alex turned around and pointed to a CD Jon was looking at. "I'm in the mood for that. OK?"

"All right." Jon shrugged. He pulled the CD out and worked the CD player and tape. Justin was amused that his little brother actually knew how to operate it.

An organ note came through the stereo and she turned the volume up very loud.

Soon a voice came through the speakers, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life...."

"Oh I love this song." Justin smiled contently.

Alex nodded. "It ALWAYS puts me in a great mood."

"What is it?" Jon asked.

"Prince." Justin and Alex said at the same time wistfully.

Alex looked at the two boys in her car and pressed down on the gas as Prince sang "Let's go crazy" and turned on to the highway laughing and feeling free.

She loved driving and listening to music. What a rush.

"Oh no let's go! Let's go crazy. Let's get nuts!" She sang loudly. Jon danced around and all Justin could do was laugh.

He would love for America to see him now. In a red pickup truck blasting prince with his giddy little brother and a mystery chick.

That's what she was to him, a mystery.

After going through her CDs, they finally resorted to listening to the radio.

"This is the best song in the entire world." Alex sighed.

"You say that about EVERY song." Justin giggled.

"But this is just.... wow. And I'm FREEEEE, free fallin." She sang with all her heart as they made their way down a secluded road. Justin looked out at the pretty much deserted highway. She had such a naturally sweet voice. It wasn't great but he liked how she confident enough to use it in front of people, or at least him.

"Which beach are we going to again?" Justin wondered.

"It's a beach that nobody goes to. It's privately owned but I know the owners so it's cool." They pulled on to a dirt road. The truck bumped in potholes and Justin couldn't help but wonder, WHERE they were going.

Either side of the path was covered in thick, tall bushes and the path curved ahead so that's all he saw in front of him too.

He looked down at Jon who was looking over all her CDs, like he had done during practically the whole ride. Jon turned upwards and smiled at his brother. Justin smiled back and raised his head and sighed.

The bushes stopped and all he could see was white sand and blue ocean and sky.

Alex pulled the truck up until the sandy dirt became more sand than dirt and parked. She opened her door and hopped out, Justin and Jon followed suit. She grabbed a few things from the back and went to find a good spot to retire to. Jon had already dragged Justin towards the shore and was showing him something.

Alexandria unfolded a huge blanket and gently laid it on the sand. A cooler was placed on a corner of the blanket and 3 books were placed in another. Her book bag was place beside the cooler. She plopped down on the blanket and removed her tennis shoes and socks. She rolled up her khaki cargo pants halfway up her calf and stood up to join them on the shore.

She walked quietly up to them and they were deep in conversation and didn't notice her.

"Yeah, she'll be really quiet. She gets very quiet whenever we come here."

Justin looked at his little brother as he picked up a shell and tossed it back in the water. "I thought you said she was a lot of fun."

"She is, but she doesn't say a lot. We basically just lay on the blanket and watch the sky. I don't know why but its fun."

"She's different, but in a good way."

"Yeah, that's Lexy. She's so cool."

Alex cleared her throat and the 2 turned to her a little startled. "Hey, guys you can do whatever, I'm just going to go lay down. There are drinks and snacks if you get hungry, in the cooler."

Jon nodded. "Thanks Lexy."

"Yeah, thanks Lexia." There was that name again.

She smiled softly and turned to go back to the blanket.

"See, I told you." Jon pointed out.

Justin stared at her as she retreated back to the blanket. "She looks a little stressed out."

"What do you mean? She always looks like that. Its just Lexy." Jon spotted a fish and ran after it.

Justin mumbled to himself still staring at her. "Still. She looks like she needs someone to talk to."