Deception

"Mr. Wagner, cell phones are ridiculously useful. I mean, parents are buying their toddlers phones because they have GPS tracking devices in them. They make it so much easier to find your kidnapped child," Alex argues. Dad nods hesitantly.

"Not only that, but if she's out buying groceries and you forgot to write something down, you could always call her," Alex adds quickly.

Dad gives me a long, hard stare, and I squeeze Alex's arm: a sign to stop arguing. His ears turn slightly red. "Dad, how are you supposed to contact me if I disappear, and you can't find me?"

Dad continues to stare at us, at our closeness. I feel like he's going to take out a ruler and start measuring the distance between us. However, he sighs and starts to climb the stairs. "I'm only giving it back to you, just in case you get kidnapped." Dad stops midway, and turns around. "Alex, are you staying for dinner?"

Alex looks at me, eyebrows raised. "Am I?" he asks.

"Would you like to?" My hand is still on his arm, and I'm pretty sure Dad's staring at it. I'm wishing, hoping, praying that Alex says "no".

Without hesitation, Alex shouts, "I'd love to!"

> >

"He stayed over for dinner? Honey, I'm starting to think that your dad likes Alex more than you," Lori jokes, giggling. "So, how was the dinner? Awkward?"

"Yeah, because of Liz." I roll my eyes. "She was talking about my party again, and what kind of 'entertainment' I should have. And then she started to talk about her high school life and how guys used to flirt with her all the time." I guess even back then, men were interested in stupid women who had large bust sizes and Angelina Jolie lips.

"She's such a cougar; you better keep your step mommy away from Alex. She's totally going to steal him from you."

"Screw you. We'll talk later; step mommy's calling me," I lie. I start looking through my contacts again, and the first name that appears is "Alex"; I never gave him my phone...

Except that one day when we narrowly escaped the clutches of Lori and Zack. When he grabbed my phone out of my purse and told me I had Tetris. When he threw my phone back at me as Dad was pulling up into the driveway. That was months ago.

How did I miss it?

I stare at his name and glance at the clock: ten thirty on a Saturday night. Most people aren't asleep right now...and Alex is most likely attending Marietta's party. But maybe he isn't. Maybe he's hoping that I'll call, and he's waiting by his phone, hoping that I'll see his number in it. Maybe that's what he's been doing ever since he put his number in there. Maybe he gave up months ago.

With quivering hands, I finally press the green button, and the phone immediately starts to ring. "...Kaleb?" Alex answers excitedly. "What's up?"

"...What are you doing right now?" I squeeze the maroon pillow against my chest. What a stupid question. How did he know it was me?

"Currently, I'm talking to you." He laughs. "Don't worry, you're not interrupting anything. Why?"

I feel the need to hang up, but he'd just call me back; whoever came up with the idea of redial is a major pain in the ass. "Just wanted to make sure I'm not...you know, ruining something."

"You're not. But it's a little late, don't you think?"

"Maybe we should just talk another time--"

"Now, I never said I didn't want to talk to you." He laughs. "So, what's going on?"

"Nothing much. Just dreading Christmas dinner." I could only imagine the awkward family dinner Liz, Dad, and I were going to have, sitting around just like how we did at the French restaurant. "Lori wanted to hang out Christmas afternoon for a little bit. Would you like to join us?" We wanted to go window shopping, but it was more of an excuse to hang out without Zack. According to Lori, he was getting a little clingy.

"...No Zack? Thought Lori and Zack were attached at the hip."

"No Zack." I hope Lori doesn't start hitting on Alex during our time together; she's dying for attention from other guys. Because of Zack's hulking muscles, no guy has been winking, whistling, or cat-calling her way lately. However, girls continue to hit on and swoon over Alex when I'm talking to him. "That's not awkward, is it?"

"Don't leave me alone with Lori, and I think we'll be all right. She's probably the most horny person I've ever met in my life." Alex laughs. "I gotta go; my mom's going to murder me for talking on the phone so late. I'll see you in three days then."

"Yeah. Pick me up at noon. Talk to you later." I hang up and let out a huge sigh of relief; our telephone conversation was not a complete disaster. I grin, finding that Lori's texted me:

alex attending our shindig?

I roll my eyes as I start to text her back.

never use the word shindig.