Not kid's anymore (part II - Alex)

***

They finished recording Megan’s new song. In her case, Alex just stood on one of the comfortable chairs, playing, while Morgan and Megan were testing the audio, changing the melody and such. Alex would sometimes be called to give her opinion on a tune, which she would respond every time with a “sounds good” and a thumbs up. If she was to be honest, she couldn’t tell apart Do from Re; they all sounded the same in her head. Even with the sincerest efforts of Megan trying to make Alex a bit more refined on her music tastes, all the effort would be fruitless. The answer was rather simple: if she liked, she liked. If not, then not. But as she came to realize, that was her normal response to everything.

Morgan left saying he needed to keep track of some contracts they were signing but suggested them to go for a restaurant to dine. Since Megan didn’t want to call attention in going for a fancy restaurant, they agreed on a bowling alley.

– It’s been so long I’ve been to one of these. – she said to Alex when they passed through the ticket gate. – Imma kick your ass this time!

– You can try – she replied, entertained.

They reserved a private area on Alex’s name, since if someone were to find out, the place would flock with paparazzi. Megan took her cap and mask off after they ordered their food and drink.

– I signed the contract with the HF Hotel. – Megan said, abruptly.

Alex remembered the name from her previous conversation with her friend. – Ah, that one with the Miller’s, right?

Megan opened her mouth, surprised. – Yup. How do you know?

Alex raised her brow in a typically “are you serious?” expression.

Her friend put her tongue out. – I forget you’re rich kid sometimes.

Alex shrugged. – It’s not as good as you think. I had to memorize these names for parties. I hate memorizing, and I hate those parties. So, I nagged mom for me to not go anymore. Even though she agreed, I still know the important client’s names.

Megan laughed. – I’m surprised you didn’t forget! Remember when we had to participate in a play, and you had just a small part to say, but it was important to go for another act, and you froze on the stage? I had to improvise something and started dancing with the other kids and the audience started laughing.

Alex covered her eyes. – Bro, why do you have to remind me of that? I cringe to this day.

– You cringe? – Megan retorted. – I was the one that had to dance. I didn’t even know how to dance!

– C’mon, at least you looked fine while dancing. I looked stupid without saying my lines.

– And Adrian even recorded everything. – Megan complained. Then grabbed Alex’s shoulders. – Please, tell me you burned everything!

She grimaced, sighing. – He shows it every year at family reunions. I tried deleting them, but he always manages to save one copy. Once I found three CD copies in our basement, I broke the CD’s, then Adrian appeared, laughing, then gave me another CD out of his pocket. How did he even know I was searching for them?! I don’t know. The worst part, the CD was labeled “copy number 8”.

Megan frowned. – The worst part is knowing his weirdly proud of us, in his own way.

– The psycho. – Alex sneered.

But she also agreed with Megan. Adrian was like a proud big brother that liked to brag about them, even if was something embarrassing. And yes, them. She knew that for Adrian, Megan was like an adoptive little sister.

Her friend moved to a nearby panel to place their names. – Let’s start this match. The loser has to chug down the mug.

Alex pondered a bit. Megan knew she didn’t like to drink. Then she shrugged. – Fine by me.

– You don’t intend to lose, huh? – Megan clicked her tongue. – Tsk, tsk, tsk. But the condition is: you need to score higher than me on every single round. And because it’s you, it only counts if it’s a strike.

Alex smiled, and repeated. – Fine by me.

– Cocky aren’t ya, Moore? – her friend provoked. – I’ll wipe that smile off of your face.

– Let’s see.

Her friend started the first turn, knocking down eight pins and on the second throw, the remaining ones, making a spare.

She gave Alex a smug smile. – Your move, Moore. Remember: It has to be a strike.

Alex didn’t bother to respond; quietly taking one bowling ball and throwing at the belt. Ten pins were down. A strike.

Alex turned to Megan, arching her eyebrow. Megan smiled in response.

– There are still nine more turns – she singed.

They ended the match, Alex had a perfect score of 300 points, without missing a single strike. Megan had her mouth wide-open and Alex joined by making a quick dab.

– Show off! – she said and they laughed.

Megan grabbed the beer the waiter had brought them, alongside with the cheese nachos and chips*, and chugged it down. Then cleaned the vestiges with the back of her hand.

– You know what? I was planning on lettin’ you drink soda if you lost. – she said. – But screw you, now it’s personal. Revenge round.

They continued to play for three more rounds. The table was filled with beer cans and bottles that her friend drank it all by herself. Megan was slightly more reddish than normal by the end.

– Ok, ok. I lost, I got it! – she gasped after emptying another mug. – You want to kill me or what? If I drink anymore of these, I won’t wake up tomorrow.

– Eh? Didn’t you say you were going to wipe a smile off my face? – Alex smirked. – What happened?

Megan raised her middle finger. – You, that what’s happened. For fuck’s sake, how do you strike every round? And you weren’t even taking this seriously! I saw you looking at your cellphone multiple times.

Alex shrugged. The truth was, she was waiting for Hayley to send her a message, but, she didn’t talk with the girl since Alex had brought her coffee. She was glad to use the busy excuse for not talking with her. She didn’t know what to make of what happened, nor figure it out how to control her own emotions around the girl. What was that? What did she mean by that? Alex couldn’t point it out; what would be easy or common for other people to understand, she always had difficulty with. – “Read the mood”, that had been thrown at her many times before. But she could never comprehend what sort of madness would make people say things with multiple meanings. The nuances, subtleties, she couldn’t grasp before or now. People expected that she would answer correctly to what they wanted to hear, but Alex always failed to do so.

Once more, she was being driven to the edge. Her best solution: avoid the girl. But Alex was secretly looking forward for a new message from Hayley. But even if she did receive such a message she wouldn’t know how to respond.

– You know – Megan continued, laughing to herself. – If I didn’t know you, I’d say it’s a girl, but…

Alex stared at her own hands.

Her friend spit out her drink. – Wait, it’s a girl?!

– No. – Alex lied, facing the cellphone. – It’s a college project.

Megan laughed. – For fuck’s sake, it’s really a girl!

– Didn’t you hear what I said? – Alex refuted her friend’s enthusiasm. – It’s a college project.

– Bro, I know you for seven years. You never did any school project while talking to people. You always did them by yourself. Always.

– It’s important.

– That didn’t seem to matter in the past... – replied Megan. – C’mon, cut the chase. Tell me the truth.

– It’s not a girl. – Alex lied again.

– I said to tell me the truth!

– Ok. Ok. – Alex sighed. – It’s a girl. But it’s not as you think.

– Then, why were you hiding?

Alex rolled her eyes. – Fuck you.

Megan ignored her – First question: what’s her name? No, actually, is she hot? Are two dating? Did you guys have sex already?

– Wasn’t this supposed to be one question?

– Just answer.

Alex pretended to think. – Uh, her name is Hayley… If she’s hot, uhm, let me see, I’d say “there-no-way-I’m-telling-you”. No, we aren’t dating. And the last one is “are-you-out-of-your-mind?”. I think that sums it up.

– Uh~ that hot, huh? – played Megan. – Cheers.

– We’re done talking about this.

– No, no, I was just joking. – begged her friend. – Keep talking about her. I promise I’m not gonna ask any NSFW questions.

Alex knew her friend would nag her the entire night if she didn’t answer and possibly run the risk of bringing a bunch of paparazzi to her university, just to know who Alex was talking about.

– What do you wanna know? – she ceded.

– Everything.

She ended up telling Megan the whole story. How she met Hayley, how they found out they were in the same college and started chatting and exchanging messages. All the while, her friend was quiet, listening to it attentively without interrupt a single time. That made Alex comfortable enough to share a few of her late worries in the end.

– That’s it. – she finished.

– Was that all?

She nodded. – Yup.

Megan brushed her hair with her fingers. – You’re thinking too much, bro. She just kissed you on the cheek, don’t butt your head too much over it.

Alex didn’t reply.

Megan sighed. – Look, not every girl is Maddi… – she paused at seeing Alex clenching her fists. – I’m just saying you’re too stiff. Chill out. Let thing go naturally.

– Let things go naturally to where? – she questioned, her voice betraying the dilemma on her head.

Megan seemed to quickly notice that. – To wherever they need to go.

Alex turned her head, unconvinced.

– Let me rephrase that better. – insisted Megan. – Do you like talking to her?

She pondered, fiddling. – I…

– No, no. – interrupted Megan. – Don’t think. Just answer. Yes or no?

Alex relucted for a bit before saying: – Yes.

– Then that’s your answer, don’t need anything else.

– But… – she protested.

– No buts. Just… enjoy.

She gave a hesitant nod. Looking at her cellphone, the clocked marked it was already past midnight. No messages from Hayley.

– It’s getting late. – Alex commented. – We should head out already. Are you sleeping on my house today?

Megan gesture to her face. – Isn’t obvious? How can I miss such opportunity?

Alex shrugged, smirking to her sides. – I don’t know, you’re the one that receive late-night booty calls.

Megan let out a boisterous laugh, then passed one arm around Alex neck, ruffling her head. – You becoming such a comedian, ey Moore. Is that Hayley-girl who’s affecting you?

Alex scoffed, but didn’t push her friend. – Dumbass.

Megan laughed even louder with her reaction. – Ok. Ok. You’re right, I’ll give you that. And no booty calls today.

They paid for the food with Megan throwing a fist saying she “earned enough money to pay” for them, but Alex only ignored her friend and gave her credit card for the attendant. She was glad to pass time together, even if she couldn’t say that so clearly to Megan, paying that expanse was her way of showing it.

On their way out, Alex was carrying her friend that was hobbling, visibly drunk from all those mugs, singing so loud that it made Alex impressed with Megan’s lung capacity; all the time she was shushing her friend, but luckily there weren’t many people around. Only a young guard at the gate that looked at them when they passed. He widened his eyes in surprise, and she knew he had recognized Megan’s face. Alex tried to put the mask and cap back on her friend, but putting things on a drunk person was just as hard as to place socks on a cat.

They entered an uber with Megan just laying sluggishly on the seat, probably sleeping a bit. Alex looked outside the window, the city stretching with many bright dots around them. She went back to think of Megan’s suggestion. Maybe I’m stressing too much over this. But it was hard to not do things that way, she didn’t like opening up to people and compromising her sacred private space. Then why are you looking to your cellphone like a puppy waiting for food? Alex grunted without an answer. She was tired of deciding on complicated stuff. Avoid Hayley would be the more comfortable solution, and probably the wisest… but, she didn’t want to stop talking to the girl. And maybe Megan was right, she should just enjoy things. They are good for now, aren’t they?

A tremble on her hands pulled her attention back. Her heart raced in anticipation to see the name, unable to control the flow of emotions again. The only thing she knew clearly now was that she was happy.

1 unread message from Hayley.

Hayley: I know it's late. But I'm bored, can you play a game with me?