11:11

“You should call him.”

“What if I want him to call first?”

“But you were both wrong.”

“I don’t care. I want him to call.”

“Alexis, honestly. Just pick up the damn phone and call him.”

Luke passes me my cell phone which had been sitting on the living room table just seconds ago. I look at it and shake my head.

“She doesn’t have to if she doesn’t want to,” Ryder puts in, giving me a small smile.

“Actually,” I say, taking the phone. “Because you said that, I think I’ll just give him a call.”

Ryder’s smile is replaced with a frown and Luke doesn’t bother to hide his laughter. The phone rings four times before I get Alex’s voicemail.

“It’s his voicemail,” I inform them, and Luke shrugs. I’ll just leave a message, I guess. “Hey, it’s me,” I start, but then I pause. What am I supposed to say? “Um… I guess you’re busy right now. You’re probably recording, or something insanely fun like that. But um, yeah. Give me a call when you get this. I love you, bye.”

I bite my lip and click ‘end’. I guess that was okay. I didn’t sound like a total idiot…

“So, what are we going to do now?” I ask the boys, and only Ryder shrugs.

“I know what I’m doing,” Luke states, getting up from the couch. “I’m going out with Max. But I’m sure you two can find something to do.”

I glare at him.

“Uh… I didn’t mean it like that…” Luke apologizes, trailing off. “I meant… maybe like go to a movie?” He tries to save himself, but he fails.

“No. I think I’m just going to hang out here at home.”

“Okay. Well then I guess Ryder will be leaving now.”

Ryder stares at Luke with wide eyes. “You can’t just make me leave!”

“Yes I can. Come on, I will walk you to the door.”

Luke grabs Ryder by the arm and pulls him up from the couch.

“Are you serious-?”

“Yeah, afraid so.”

I wait for Luke to return from kicking Ryder out of my house. He comes back 15 seconds after I hear the front door slam shut.

“Thanks,” I say to him when he sits down beside me.

“No problem… Was that mean of me?”

“Yeah. But seriously, do you care?”

“No, not really… I feel bad that I don’t feel bad about that…”

“Ugh, whatever.”

We watch another episode of ‘My Super Sweet 16’ and when the credits come on, that’s when Max walks downstairs. He’s wearing a pair of really tight skinny jeans. He looks out of place.

“What the fuck are you wearing?” I ask mid-laughter.

He frowns and looks down at his pants. “I don’t look that bad, do I?”

“Aww, no baby, you look great!” Luke assures him, walking over and pulling him in for a hug. I just continue to laugh at him. Seriously, I have never seen him in a pair of jeans so tight.

“Where did you get those?” I manage to ask through my laughing fit.

“Luke gave them to me, actually.”

“I think he looks good, Lex,” Luke says, glaring at me.

“Yeah, okay. He looks fantastic.”

Max frowns again. “You’re being such a little bitch today… Maybe I should try on the other pair.”

“They were a little less tight…” Luke agrees.

“I’ll be right back.”

Max walks up the stairs and Luke follows, but not without flipping me off first. I couldn’t help it. He looked funny.

**

“Alexis, what do you think of the name Juliette?” Kasey asks me while I’m sitting at her kitchen table. I’m at Kasey and Jakes house. They bought it two months ago.

‘I don’t know. It’s pretty. Why?”

“What about Kali?”

I sit up and put down the magazine I was holding. “Why are you asking me this?”

Kasey shrugs and flips the page of the book she’s got open. I quickly reach across the table and snatch it from her, closing it so I can read the cover.

“’What To Expect When You’re Expecting’?!” I look at her, eyes wide, from across the table. She’s blushing and trying to reach for the book, but I hold it close to me. “What is this?!”

“Well… obviously it’s a pregnancy book…”

“Obviously. Are you pregnant?”

“Obviously.”

“Obviously?! Oh my God, are you kidding?! That’s fantastic!!” I jump up from my seat and run over to her, pulling her in for a hug. “How far along are you?”

“About 2 months,” she answers with a smile.

“If it’s a girl, you’re naming it after me,” I tell her just as my cell phone starts vibrating in my pocket.

She laughs and rolls her eyes as I answer the call.

“Hello?”

“Lex, it’s me.”

“Hi.”

Alex stays quiet. I can hear laughter coming from Jack in the background, and Zack yelling ‘You’re such a fucking jackass!’

“I um… I’m calling to apologize for flipping out on you.”

He voice cracks at the end of his sentence and that alone makes me smile.

“It’s okay. I wasn’t right, either. I know you better than that. You wouldn’t act the way you did in that stupid dream. And I know you hate Ryder. And you have every reason to.”

“But he’s your friend, so I should be a little bit more understanding. But I mean, you know where I’m coming from, don’t you? He took you from me once-”

“Took me from you? He never did that.” In the background, once again, I hear Jack screaming ‘Help!’ at the top of his lungs. “What the hell is going on over there?” I ask through my laughter.

“Oh. Zack is pinching Jack,” Alex tells me, as if this is completely normal.

“But why?”

“Oh, it’s an on-going thing. The other day, Jack knocked over Zack’s coffee and then Zack stole all of Jack’s clothes while he was in the shower… The situation just gets worse and worse day by day.”

“Oh. Sounds like fun.”

“Yeah, I’m having a good time. What about you? How’s your vacation goin?”

“Well, I just spoke to you yesterday. Nothing new here.”

“I know. But then we ended up fighting, so I feel like I should ask again.”

“That’s nice of you. But honestly, Alex, I miss you.”

He laughs and then sighs, slightly blocking out the commotion coming from his end. “I know. I miss you too. But you see, I have a problem.”

“Oh, a problem?”

“Yes. See, I went online yesterday after our argument, and for some reason, I bought a plane ticket from Maryland to LA… Do you know of someone who could use that plane ticket?”

“I don’t know… I’d have to ask around…”

“Well, you do that. It’s for tomorrow night at 7 from BWI…”

“That’s a little last minute.”

“Whatever. I just want to see you,” he admits.

“Alright, I’ll come. But you guys are coming home in like 4 days.”

“Yeah. You’ll come home with us.”

“Okay. Can’t wait to see you.”

“I have plans for you when you get here. They don’t involve clothing.”

I blush at his words, and Kasey gives me a questioning look. I wave her off and move into the living room.

“They don’t?” I ask. “Well, what kind of plans are these?”

“Oh, you will see.”

“Yeah, I’m sure I will. But I should go. I’m at Kasey and Jake’s house.”

“Alright… Remember, the flight’s at 7, I emailed you the ticket, and you should get there at least 2 hours early.”

“I know. Bye, Alex.”

“I love you.”

I smile and give them same response before hanging up. I’m glad our fight only lasted a day. I didn’t like not speaking to him for that long.