How I Met Your Father

"So you and Dadda didn't like each other at first?" Monique asked.

"Not exactly," I replied.

"Me and daddy were more… aqquaintences then friends," Alex explained.

"Aq- aqquain-…" Monique tried before giving up.

"A-qu-ain-tenses," Alex spelled out, "And it means we didn't like each other but we didn't hate each other."

"So you weren't friends?"

"…Not at first, but there was a storm one day, and you know Dadda doesn't like storms, so I stayed with him, and it kinda started our friendship."

15th September 2004

Kids, without this storm, your parents wouldn't have got together. It was the biggest storm Baltimore had seen for a while, and your father hates storms. It was his worst nightmare.

"Alex, remember to take an umbrella."

"And look like an idiot? No. Also, if there's a storm, I'm not getting struck by lightening."

"Oh, Alex, you're so melodramatic."

"Whatever."

He stormed out of his house, slamming the door behind him, throwing his bag over his shoulder.

"Hey, Alex!" a female shouted after him as he turned to walk down the road. He turned to find Lisa stood behind him.

"Hey, Lisa," he smiled.

"You walk to school?" she asked.

"Yep. It's something new to me. Always got a lift to school."

"Which school did you go to?"

Alex mumbled something that Lisa couldn't decipher, so she asked again.

"Which school sorry?"

"...Boy's Latin School of Maryland."

"Oh, the one where they wear bow-ties?" she laughed.

Alex nodded, regretfully.

"Shut up, you did not!" Lisa exclaimed, stopping while she laughed.

"I did, okay, and not by choice! My stupid dad made me go there."

"Oh, Alex, I'm sorry, it's so funny, but I feel so sorry for you."

"Can you stop going on about it?" Alex uttered. Lisa rolled her eyes, sliding her arm around Alex's.

"Hey, is it okay if we get Jack on the way?"

Alex sighed, nodding.

"If we have to."

"Do you think Jack and I would make a good couple?" Lisa pondered.

"I don't know. I don't really know Jack, and I barely know you..."

"But...?"

"But, you'd probably be cute."

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

It was Alex's turn to laugh.

"Uh, no," he giggled.

"Do you want a girlfriend? Someone like... uh... who'd you look cute with? Um, Vicky, in our English class!"

"No, she's uh... she's not my type."

"What is your type?"

"Uh... brunette? Tall? Brown eyes?"

"Sounds a little like Jack."

"Psch, Jack's the wrong gender."

"You sure?" Lisa teased.

"I'm sure!" Alex chuckled nervously.

"Okay. Well, this is Jack's house. Did you know he lived this close?"

"No."

"I live just down there," Lisa pointed behind her, "Round the corner. If you ever need me, you'll find me at number 68."

"Thanks."

Lisa and Alex walked up the path to Jack's house, and they could hear Jack's mum shouting.

"Get out of my house you ungrateful bastard!"

"As long as I don't have to see you again, you selfish whore!"

Jack stormed out, his eyes widening when he saw Alex and Lisa on the doorstep.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry, it's not usually like that," Jack apologised.

"It's fine. My house was like that a while back, until... until we moved," Alex lied. The story was something we'll save for another day.

"Well, I think we'd best get to school before it rains."

"I think that's probably a great idea," Lisa chuckled, linking arms with Jack.

Alex was just hoping the day would be over quickly so he didn't have to endure having to lie to everyone about his "type."

His type was Jack, and he was pretty sure of that.