If I Was Perfect Then This Would Be Easy

"This place looks awesome, girls!" Dora exclaimed. True enough, the bar Matt brought us to was quite amazing. It wasn't a huge place, but it looked nice and there was enough space for the amount of people we were inviting. There were sofas, tables, a pool table and other stuff and it had a dance ring. What more could I ask for?

"Jack's gonna love this place," Corey commented as he and Dom came by my side.

"I was thinking the same thing. This is weird." The boys both gave me questioning looks. "I mean, it's like a part of me doesn't want Jack to grow up this fast and at the same time, another part of me wants him to."

Dom sniffed and pretended to cry. "You sounded like a true sister,” he muttered.

“Shut up, Dom,” Corey intervened, putting his hand on my shoulder. I stuck my tongue out at Dom in order to defy him, but it only made him laugh.

Corey, Dom, Zack and Brian insisted on coming with us to see the place. I had yet to discover why Brian had insisted on helping me out with this party. Or maybe he wasn't helping me out and was just looking for some booze and whores.

"Did you call Chris?"

The question took me by surprise and I looked at Cate hesitating. I couldn't help but notice right then the way Brian glanced at Matt, who nodded shortly, as if answering an unasked question. I frowned as questions formed inside my head, wondering what the hell they knew.

"No, I haven't. Yet."

Dora insisted on adding some final touches to the place, so we helped her out with some decoration she had brought. Although I had been rather skeptical about some of them, I soon changed my opinion.

"Oh, those garlands would look amazing above the bar. Lexa, can you take care of those?"

"Sure will." I grabbed the first duck tape that came in hand and the garlands Dora had pointed out, then climbed on one of the tall chairs from the bar. And so my mission of sticking garlands began.

However, right as I tried to move more to the side, my heart caught in my throat as I suddenly lost balance and felt the chair under me literally disappear. Some random curse came out of my mouth and I waited the fall. Yet, within seconds, I was caught by none other than Brian, who took a strong grip of me.

This time, though, my heart didn't stop from fear, but from some other reason as I looked back in the brown eyes of my new found savior. The fall from that bloody chair was nothing compared to the fall I was experiencing right then and there.

"Oh God, Lexa, are you alright?" Cate's voice suddenly rang through my ears.

"She's okay, I caught her just in time," Brian explained as he turned around for Cate to see me. She had her mouth opened in order to say something, but she closed it quickly and the look of worry on her face disappeared as a mischevious smile crept its way at the sight of me in Brian's arms.

"Thank God. We wouldn't want Lexa to be wearing stitches at Jack's party," Matt joked. I laughed nervously and to my great despair, Dora was looking at me with the same look her daughter was.

"You alright, Lex? Did you break anything?"

Only my heart, I wanted to answer. But that thought disappeared quicker than it had appeared. What was I even talking about? It was only Brian. Sheesh.

"No, I'm fine. Altough I could've broken something," I chuckled. "Thanks."

He smirked. "Always a pleasure." His phone suddenly began vibrating in his pocket and it seemed like both of us remembered that he was still holding me. "I guess I should put you down," he joked.

As he did, I couldn't help but feel awkward as I was put back on my feet. Brian quickly answered his phone and right away, the euforic state I had been in was replaced by my realistic self.

"Michelle! Hi, baby!...Well I was--"

But I didn't stand around to wait for the rest of the conversation. I walked over to Cate, who must have heard the words coming out of his mouth because she wasstaring glaring at him with her mouth open.

"I can't believe him," I hissed right before I bumped into Corey.

"You alright?" I looked up into my friend's concerned blue eyes and smiled.

"Yeah, I'm good, Cor. Hey, do you mind if I asked for help with those stupid ornaments?" He snickered.

"Not a problem, miss. Come on."

"Hey, Cate, have you talked to Jerry?" She nodded excitedly.

"He was actually really cool about it. Oh, I invited him and his nineteen year old kid and he said they'd be here."

As I walked back into my apartment, I plopped myself on the couchI looked at my new received message from Jack.

Hey, I'm taking Val to the beach and I was thinking of bringing her to the apartment. Mind if I do?

I smiled before texting back Not at all. I'll be out with Dom until about 11 or so. I'm trying to not waste the night.

My phone suddenly rang and I almost didn't look at the caller's ID before answering, thinking it was Jack. But a glance of the name and I realized it wasn't my brother. I looked at the object for a few more seconds, trying to bring myself to answering.

"H-Hello?" I hesitated. How could I fucking hesitate?

"Spades Senior? Is that you?" My heart melted at the sound of that voice and memories of great times flooded my mind.

"Chris?!"

"You bet! Jesus, your voice is different. For a second there, I thought I had the wrong fucking number."

"Yeah, same here. I...how are you, C?" My voice trailed off a little and I could hear him become more serious.

"I'm good...Back from Japan...Actually, I came back a year ago, but...it's been crazy out here. We finally opened our own shop. How about you, kiddo?"

"Well...Our band...we got signed...and we've been working on our first album for the past two months. It's working out pretty well."

"Are you fucking with me?! That's gr...back off, dude." I realized he was talking to someone else but I couldn't figure what they were angrily whispering to one another. "So, Lex, 15th of June."

I smiled. "Yeah. Jack's turning 23. About that...Chris, I kinda..." I inhaled deeply. "I figured...maybe you could pay a visit...I mean--"

"It's funny that you ask...Ami here was just telling me how cool it would be. So tell me, how long will it take you to get to Los Angeles?" I almost dropped my phone and my heart skipped several beats.

"I..wh-..how...WHAT?!"

"Yeah, well...Darren here is losing his temper and--" But Chris was interrupted by someone who most likely grabbed his phone.

"The fucking cab driver tried to rob us, the bastard! I thougth Californian people were nice!" I started laughing hearing the sound of Darren's voice.

"Back off," Chris warned. "So, what do you say, little cousin?"

"Wait for me there." I hung up and instantly ran out the door, while dialling Dom's number.

"Dom, I need your car." The poor guy didn't even have time to respond as I quickly began to tell him everything while running down the streets like a mad woman.

Before I knew it, Dom's block of flats was in sight and he was waiting for me outside next to his car.

"You know I don't usually hand over my car just like that," he stated flatly. I sighed between breaths.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I have to get my own fucking car, that's final."

Dom laughed. "I was just kidding. So if Jack calls I'm supposed to improvise something or what?"

"Sure thing. Tell him something. Anything. Just don't tell him about this." I smiled as Dom gave me a hug. "I'm really excited about this, you know?"

He nodded and forced me to get in the damn car faster.

***

It probably took me an hour or so to get to Los Angeles and when I finally entered the gates of LAX, I couldn't have been more happy. I quickly began searching the place. It proved out rather difficult to find a certain person in that fucking sea of people.

My gaze finally fell on five buffy men filled with tattoos, all standing on chairs. Two of them were reading newspapers, while the other two were checking out every female that passed them. Only one of them looked around for someone. I could feel myself smile wider and wider as I approached them. That was when Chris finally saw me and his eyes widened.

"Oh my God!" he blurted out once he stood up, his eyes not leaving me. This got the other guys' attention and they all looked at me like I was some sort of alien. "Lexa? Is that...you?"

"Hi, cous'," I mumbled sheepishly. I nodded. "Yeah, it's me. A few years older, but me." He blinked twice, taking in my appearance, then whistled.

"Get over here, you freak!" In a blink of an eye I was pulled into a tight hug by none other than my dear cousin Chris.

"I missed you," I mumbled, making him snicker.

"I know. I did, too. I think you remember some of the guys," Chris stated. "Ami, Darren, Yoji and most obvious Chris Núñez." I couldn't help it. I smirked at the sight of that last person and so did he.

"So, don't I get any hugs or something?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. Ami laughed before pulling me into an embrace.

"You know we're still in fucking shock," he declared. I laughed as I moved to hug every one of them, Núñez's hug being the one to last the longest and the one to be...tightest.

"You've certainly turned into a wonderful lady," he complimented. "Your boyfriend must be very lucky." He must have noticed the hesitation and smirked.

"We've just seen her for the first time in so many years and you're already hitting on her?" Darren huffed. Chris put a hand on my shoulder and laughed.