Under A Paper Moon.

"Who's this Ciara chick?" Alex asked me again and rambled through my fridge for something to eat. I rolled my eyes and smoothed down my jumper. Alex slammed the fridge closed and turned around with a massive piece of cake in his mouth, crumbs and lumps falling into his cupped hands.

"Attractive," I squinted my eyes slightly and nodded, I folded my arms over my chest and leaned against the door frame, "Why are you here again?"

"What? I can't visit my next-door-neighbor? Wow, ungrateful bitch you are." Alex pouted and I scoffed, covering it up with a chuckle seconds after. Alex's humour can hurt if you don't understand him but sometimes it's rib-crushingly hilarious.

"Shut up. And she's my friend from the other coast; we grew up together. You'll love her." I smiled and nibbled my lip.

"Where is everyone else?" He mumbled and licked the cake debris off of his hands then wiping them on his jeans. I rolled my eyes at his animosity.

"I'm pretty sure Jack is off with his mom getting stuff for his sister's birthday. Cass is with Rian as usual, eh, Zack is out with Jade and Alice. I have no clue about Lisa. You should, you're dating her." I laughed and watched him devour more of my food.

"I dunno, I have talked to her for about three days now." He sighed and sat at the table, I followed suit and sat across from him. I placed my hands in his and traced his calloused fingers with my own.

"Is there anything wrong?" I licked my dried lips and he shrugged.

"I don't know, when we were talking it subsided into a silence and it became this thing where I'd have to think 'now, what do I say next?' It's confusing, it's never been like that before." He sighed and leaned back, his head hung over the back of the chair. It looked painful and awkward, I shuddered.

"You should talk about it with her." I whispered and tilted my head to look at him, he smiled and laughed dryly.

"I tried, she cut me off." He looked up and his eyes closed for a second and opened, they were glassy with light tears before he blinked them away.

"Wait it out then, Lexi." I stood up and moved over to kiss his forehead, I looked down and smiled.

"Thanks Rayne-y." He smiled and I nodded, "When will she be here?"

"Who?"

"Ciara what's-her-last-name." He nodded and I chuckled.

"Higgins."

"Sounds like a Scottish food."

"You're thinking of haggis you twat." I laughed and he mumbled profanities and then soon chuckled himself.

For most of that evening Alex stayed. He even went ten feet to his own house to get his pajamas and some blankets and movies so he could spend the night. He used to do this every Friday night with me so we could kick-start the weekend together. That all changed when he started going steady with Lisa. She wasn't so keen on it. Needless to say, she is one of my closest friends, things just changed between myself and Alex though. Over the last few weeks we haven't been as close.

"What movie next?" Alex looked up from the pile of dvd's spread out all over the floor, my vision instantly caught the name of my all time favorite movie.

"Jacob's Ladder." I murmured and Alex rolled his eyes and popped it in the VCR.

"I knew you'd pick it." He mumbles and cuddles the blanket up to his chin as the opening starts.

"You were just worried because you're scared shitless from it." I giggled and listened as my front door opened, shut and then locked, "My mom and dad's home."

Alex just nodded and greeted my parents as they walked in and said their good-night's to us and told us that the fridge and pantry was re-stocked. When they left they shut off the light, the curtains were already pulled so the only light in the room was from the TV. After a few minutes my parents shuffled to bed then and I cuddled in beside Alex.

"How far along are you now?" He whispered out of nowhere.

"Six months in two weeks." I smiled and ran my fingers over my stomach, "Three more months."

"I say she'll be beautiful." Alex smiled and looked at the screen while I studied his face and chuckled.

"Pedophile."

"I am not." He laughed and ran a hand through my hair, "I missed you, you know."

I giggled, "You live ten feet away and we see each other nearly every day, and you miss me? That's not possible."

"We stopped doing this, we stopped hanging out one-on-one. I missed you." He shrugged and spoke nonchalantly.

"I missed you too." I murmured and set my vision on the screen again.



I groaned and stiffly moved my shoulders in a circular motion before opening my eyes. I was lying on the floor on my back, my head in Alex lap as my hands rested on my stomach. Alex's head was thrown back onto the couch as he sat sitting up. His hands were messed in my hair and his lap, his ankles crossed.
The living room was dim because the curtains were blocking out the light, the TV screen was blue and the cassette to Jacob's Ladder was sticking out of the VCR. Blankets swirled in every direction and wrappers of food that we ate littered the floor.

I fought into a sitting position and hauled myself to my feet, I'm surprised Alex didn't wake up. I stiffly stretched my limbs and licked my lips. My eyes stung from my abrupt awakening and I wondered towards the continuous banging that raged from my front door.

"What?" I snapped as I unlocked and opened the wooden trap, I winced from the bright sunshine that hit my face.

"Oh lovely, nice to see you too. It's been what? Two years since I've seen you in person? Not to mention you have a hair-cut and you're pregnant. Wow, some best friend you are." My eyes widened and there I saw Ciara standing in front of me.
Her reddy-brown hair hung past her chest and her icy blue eyes glistened in the light. She was pale for a person who lived in So. Cal and her outfit was cute.

"Oh my, hello!" I squealed and opened my arms for a hug. She dropped her bag and wrapped her arms tightly around mine which seemed to go on for eternity.

"I'm so sorry. Wh-what time is it? When did you get here?" I mumbled and let her in, she twirled in a slow circle, inspecting the hallway.

"I got here an hour ago. You were supposed to pick me up remember? I got bored and restless waiting and called a cab." She laughed and licked her lips. I took her features in again before replying.

"I'm so so sorry, Alex stayed over last night and we stayed up 'til after six AM watching movies and we fell asleep. I didn't have an alarm set."

"It's fine, it's-"

"Rayne, cut down on the fuckin' noise I need my beauty sleep!" Alex yelled from the living room and I heard a lot of shuffling of fabric. I guess Alex was stumbling to his feet.

"Shut up Alex." I mumbled as if he could hear me and turned to Ciara, "He's.. Special."

"I am not special, I'm just awesome." He cockily replied walking out to the hallway, not noticing the visitor. He placed one hand on his hip and the other on his stomach, the movement made his shirt rise a small bit. His eyes were half closed and his head was tilted slightly, he glanced at Ciara. Her eyes were glued to him, "Do either one of yous have a kebab or something? I'm starving."

I laughed and Ciara's lips formed into a smile, "Alex this is Ciara." I motioned to her.

He straightened up immediately and looked at her. Alex's lips curled into a smirk and he nodded, "Hey, I'm Alex."

"Ciara." She breathed and I chuckled at her reaction.

"D'ya want to watch another movie?" I looked at Alex and he nodded, walking into the living room.

"You go join Alex and I'll get food or something." I shrugged and walked into the living room, Ciara mumbled a small 'okay' from behind me and followed Alex.

I leaned against the counter as the popcorn cooked in the microwave. I moved a hand through my hair and wiped the sleep from my eyes. There was a knock at the front door and I sat back waiting for either Ciara or Alex to open the door but after a few more minutes of knocking I grumbled. I pushed myself off the counter and moved to the hallway, looking at Alex and Ciara looking through movies together in deep conversation. I shook my head.

"Wha- Jack?" My eyes widened as I swung the door open. Jack was standing there, he seemed shaky and his body was slowly swaying, his eyes were red.

"Mmyes?" He mumbled and stumbled into my house and grabbed onto the bottom of the banister. I sighed and closed the door.

"Are you drunk?"

"Yes!" He smiled and pointed to me. I shook my head slowly.

"Come on," I grabbed his right arm and his left hand trying to pry him to the front door, "Alex will bring you home, okay?"

"No!" Jack yelled, flailing his arms out of my grasp and stumbled into the main hallway, "I don't want to go fucking home."

"Jack, please. Come o-" I tugged at him before his voice boomed over mine.

"No! I fuckin'.. Fuck off, I don't need you. I don't fucking need you. And th-at stupid baby." He twisted so his hair flew into his face and his body slumped against the wall. He slid down so he was sitting and his long legs pushed out in front of him.
It took a moment for my breathing to get steady and for my mind to register what he said. I stepped back and Alex walked into the hall, Ciara behind him. Alex's face went red and he grabbed Jack's arms and yanked him to his feet. Jack started yelling and pulling from Alex's grasp but Alex caught his shirt and pushed him outside while he followed, slamming the front door.

"Rayne, I-" I shook my head, silencing Ciara. I blinked and the tears that blurred my vision cascaded down my cheeks and a sob drafted through my lips. Ciara moved closer to me and wrapped her arms around mine. In the silence you could hear the screech of rubber from the driveway.