The ride to Alex's house was quiet. Justin wasn't sure what to say, after everything that had happened. He was disgusted that he had once called someone like that a friend, and it made him look at his actions a little more closely. It was strange, this feeling, and completely new. He had never before paid attention to what he thought or said; he didn't have to. He could do anything and no one questioned it, He never questioned it. And to now, all of a sudden, be aware of the prejudice that surrounded him was scary. He couldn't imagine living a life like Alex lived. She was always on guard and she rarely spoke to anyone outside of her circle.
Similar thoughts were running through Alex's head too. She was worried about Justin's motivations for being her 'friend'. Everything seemed so sudden. She wanted to feel that his intentions were true, and he really wanted to be friends, but how could she know for sure? It was baffling to her, because a few days ago he wouldn't have said two words to her, and now he was standing up for her. She didn't know what to think anymore, and she just wanted to be left alone to finish high school and get on with her life. But that would be next to impossible now, all because of a boy named Justin.They pulled up to her house and sat in silence for a few minutes before either of them made any movement. Justin turned to Alex and cleared his throat. "Are we going inside?" He asked her.
"Uh...yeah, sure." She opened the truck door and stepped down. Justin shut his door and came around the truck, and as they started toward the house the middle school bus pulled up. Alex's face lit up as she turned and embraced a boy of about 6 in her arms. "Alex!!" He squealed with delight. She kissed his forehead and then held him back at arms length to look at him.
"Hey Squirt. How was school?" She started to wipe whips of hair out of his face and he swatted her hands away. "It was OK. The teacher made me move because I was talking to Jessica too much, but she started talking first!" He pouted and it caused Alex to smile.
"That's OK Buddy, it happens to the best of us." Alex straightened up and turned to go inside, suddenly realizing Justin was still there. She felt her brother's fingers tighten on her pant leg as he stared up at Justin. "Justin, this is Steven, he's my little brother." Justin bent down to say hi, but Steve hid himself behind Alex's legs even more and whimpered a bit.
Alex gave Justin a sympathetic smile and bent down to pick Steve up. She motioned for Justin to follow as they entered the house. "Why don't you go upstairs and put your bag away, then I'll fix you a snack and you can watch some cartoons." She gave Steve another kiss on the cheek and he raced up the stairs. "I'm sorry about that. Steve doesn't like men much...they ah, they scare him." She regretted the statement as soon as it came out of her mouth because she knew he would want an explanation, and she wasn't sure if she was ready to give it.
"No problem. So, ready to study?" Justin had sensed her nervousness, and he knew that it probably wasn't the best idea to ask, so he decided to let it go...for now.
For the first time Justin actually took a look around. Her house was immense. Outside it didn't look spectacular, but that was a misgiving. It was beautifully decorated and there were many expensive pieces of furniture. Alex looked at him and saw his awe and decided to explain."My Mom works for a huge law firm, and her ex was a millionaire. Got to love child support." She said sarcastically. "Wow!" He followed her to the living room and set his bag down and waited for her to start.
"Well, I need to get Steven a snack; do you want anything to eat? I think Maria went shopping today, so we should have plenty of food." She motioned for him to follow her, and she led him into the kitchen. "Maria?" He cocked an eyebrow in question.
"Yea...She's the house keeper. Maid if you want to get technical. I usually have her go home, because I can take care of Steve myself, but she always does the shopping on Fridays." Justin's eyes widened. "Hold on...you have a maid?" He watched her as she pawed through the cabinets.
"Yes...I forget how little you actually know about me. I never had to explain my story to people before, so please, forgive me if I'm vague." She said with a hint of a smile.
Steven came rushing down the stairs and he flew around the corner but stopped short when he saw Justin."Hey Squirt. Don't be afraid, he looks scarier than he really is. Steve...I want you to say hi to Justin." She took her little brother by the hand and led him over to Justin. The little boy stared wide eyed as Justin bent low and smiled, they were now face to face. "Hey little man. Nice to meet you." He stuck out his hand and waited. Steven stood there; looking like he wanted to run and hide, but Alex kept him there. Finally he reached out his little hand and gently shook Justin's before extracting it quickly.
"See, that wasn't so bad, was it? Now...how about some cheese and crackers." She ushered Steve over to the couch in the living room and set down a plate of cheese and crackers and a glass of chocolate milk. Steve took one last glance at Justin and then decided to eat and forget about the strange guy in his house.
"So, are you ready to study?" Alex broke Justin out of his daze with her words. He followed her to the other side of the room to another couch. He grabbed his bag and got out his books and waited for Alex to start. "OK, I looked over your old tests, and I have an idea of what went wrong. So...let's start."
For about two hours they sat and poured over the books. Justin felt so comfortable just sitting here. He had gotten Alex to laugh and she was smiling almost the whole time, and he had come to realize that he loved that smile. Although his math problems weren't solved, they had covered a good portion of what needed to be done, and for once Justin understood the homework.He rubbed his hands over his face and sighed. Sitting back on the couch he watched as Alex bent over to pick up the mess they had made. Her golden hair cascaded around her face and she seemed to glow. He wanted to ask about her family, and why her little brother didn't like men. That had been plaguing him the whole afternoon, so he decided to go a roundabout way. "So, when do your parents get home?"
"Oh...My Mom probably won’t be home tonight. She is on some big, important case in New York." Her voice was filled with contempt. "Oh. What about your dad?" He crossed his fingers, hoping he didn't ask the wrong question.
"My dad passed away about four years ago." She glanced up at him as she spoke, her eyes giving away her pain more than her words. "I'm so sorry...I didn't know." She placed a hand on his knee.
"Don't be. It was out of everyone's control, so please...I don't want your pity." She gave him a small smile and he decided that he wouldn't push the subject anymore.
Just then Steve came bounding in the room with a basketball in hand and he looked up at Alex with bright blue eyes, just like hers."Alex...will you play with me?" His voice filled with hope. "I'm sorry buddy...I have to start dinner. Maybe some other time." She said as she placed her books into her bag.
"But you promised!!" His little eyes started to water as he whined. "Don't you start that with me...I don't have time right now, I'm sorry squirt." She ruffled his hair and he huffed and followed her into the kitchen.
"Alex..." His voice was shrill as he called her name. "Nope, I won’t listen to it. What do you want for supper?" She asked as she picked him up and placed him on a stool in the kitchen.
"P-sketti." He said, matter-of-factly. She laughed a bit. "All right then, P-sketti it is. Justin, would you like to stay?" She didn’t know why she asked, he would probably say no, but in the few short hours they had spent together, he was starting to wear down her shell.
"Sure. I don't think my parents will be home tonight either. Hey...Steve, if you don't mind, I'll play basketball with you." Justin said as he sat down next to the little boy. Steven shifted uncomfortably in his chair and glanced at Alex. She noted his unease with the situation and smiled. She motioned for him to come over and he hopped down out of the chair. Alex gently grabbed his shoulder and whispered into his ear. A grin grew across his face and he looked up at Justin with a new gleam in his eyes. "OK, you can play." And then he raced out the door. Justin cocked an eyebrow at Alex but she shrugged and ushered him to the door.
"Don't keep the kid waiting."
