Alex frowned, “Wasn’t she also set up by her friends for that blind date?”
She had heard this story before. From then up to now, she couldn’t tell why her mother seemed so proud of her actions. It sounded a little petty to Alex. She had assessed what she knew about the situation—except none of them convinced her that what her mother did was a good thing.
The woman seemed to be innocent.
“Dear, you weren’t there” Angie rolled her eyes. She waved a hand to brush off her daughter’s comment, “If you were and had Emily with you, you’d know she has that vibe.”
“Why do I need Emily to be there?” Alex asked with a frown.
“Because, dear, your lack of dating experience wouldn’t be able to see what I mean.”
“Gee,” she grunted, sarcasm evident in her voice, “Thanks for sharing that with the group, mother.”
Logan snickered quietly. He tried to hide it but the shake in his shoulders made it obvious. Alex’s expression became a deadpan one. She jabbed her elbow against his ribs. Like clockwork, Logan dodged it and stuck his tongue at her. She attempted the hit again but he also avoided that one.
His double escape ticked her off. He deserved, at least, one blow! Alex fumed to herself. How dare he laugh? She wasn’t that clueless!
In the end, Alex decided to ignore him. Huffing, she turned back to her mother, “How do you even know the word, ‘vibe’?”
Angie scowled lightly at her daughter’s confusion. The answer to the question appeared clear to her, “Oh, please. Anyone in social media would know about that word.”
Did her mother just imply that she lacked knowledge because she didn’t have any? Alex thought. Besides, how active was her mother in social media? The truth might just be enough for her to never get one. She could continue to rely on others around her for any important parts such as relevant news.
“Are you on Snailgram? Can I follow you?” Lauren cut in, standing close to Colin. Her pitch was higher than normal. She couldn’t help but be excited to finally meet Alex’s mother, “I don’t mean to pry. It’s just—”
“No need to explain, dear” Angie smiled gently, “My username is AngelInEssence.”
Alex snorted, “It’s just Angeline and Essence put together.”
“It’s clever,” her mother defended, gazing at the ceiling, “Don’t ruin other people’s fun.”
“I love it!” Lauren commented. She had taken out her phone and typed in the username, “Mine is AlLauren. Pun for Alluring.”
“I like you already!” Angie clapped her hands. She felt younger when she’s around these teenagers, “Where did my daughter hide you all this time? You, me, Emily, Hatchi and… how about you? What’s your name?”
Carla’s aegan eyes blinked out of her daze. She contemplated why she was even here. She did become involved because of what happened between her and Skye but, other than that, she didn’t feel the right to be a part of this group. They had a bond that extended further than a common enemy.
She also had been an accomplice of her step cousin before. Would they really be okay in letting her in?
Lauren sensed her dilemma. She smiled and came to Carla’s rescue. She skipped over and introduced the new addition of their group, “This is Carla Vervelde. She’s my cheer captain.”
To say Carla was startled was an understatement. She waited for the others to protest—but none came. The shining eyes directed at her felt warm. It had been a while since she perceived a soothing motherly presence.
Could she accept it?
Hesitantly, she greeted Alex’s mother. Her words came out in stutters, “Ni-Nice to meet you, Mrs. Greenwood.”
Angie glowed. After the worries and fears earlier, the day’s events turned for the better. The bliss from these moments slowly sank in. She could finally experience the meeting between a mother and her daughter’s girl group.
Logan and Jae had been lovely during the weekend getaway but she would have loved to have more girls around too!
“Just call me, Aunt Angie, please” she insisted, “The both of you are in cheerleading, correct?”
“Yes” Carla nodded.
Alex sighed. She had no doubts that her mother’s energy occupied every inch of the house. It would also reach the second floor. Maybe even expel the brooding aura above them.
A chill went down her spine. She kept her gaze forward. They might need a bit more time for the thunderstorm to vanish…
“So was I!” Angie said, excitement brimming in her blood, “More reason for us to hang out! You’ll be performing at the championship, right? I’d love to watch you both.”
“Wait, you’re going?” Alex demanded.
Her mother gave her a look, “Of course, I’m going, dear! Aren’t you?”
“Well—” She hadn’t thought about that.
“Your friends are all a part of it. Why wouldn’t I go? I wouldn’t want to miss something like that.”
Alex fell at a loss for words. Was her reaction that weird? She had heard and seen parents attend school events to support their kids. However, she wasn’t a part of this one.
On the other hand, her mother did have a point. Everyone did have a role in the championship. It almost slipped her mind.
“If you’ll be watching, please a lookout for this guy right here” Carla pointed towards Lauren’s other side, “This is Colin Hale, the school’s mascot.”
Colin smiled politely when Angie turned towards him. Truth be told, he couldn’t picture what kinds of parents would Alex have. Since she lived with her aunt, he wondered if there had been any disputes. Now that he had seen it firsthand, he discerned that she had a good home environment. It was certainly better than what he expected.
He felt relieved.
“And Lauren’s boyfriend, I presume?” Alex’s mother teased.
He chuckled, “We’re not official yet.”
“I’ll still consider you as one.”
“Well, if Aunt Angie will be there, I’m positive we have this trophy in the bag!” Max declared. He approached them and placed a folder arm over her shoulder, “She’ll be our lucky charm, right, Angie?”
Before she could reply, sharp fingers yanked off his arm, “I’d keep my paws to myself, boy.”
Ethan had descended the stairs. The bad taste in his mouth still lingered. The pleasant atmosphere dropped a few degrees in temperature. Max backed away immediately, holding his hands. The scowl he received had the ability to freeze another person.
His soul had left and what remained was a hollow statue. He didn’t want a second experience.
“Dearest, really?” Angie sniggered. She wrapped her arms around her husband’s, “Jealous of a teenager? That’s a bit too much, don’t you think so?”
“I’m not jealous of anyone” he denied firmly.
“Mhm, and the waiter that gave me an extra slice of cake wasn’t almost fired because of you?”
“I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“Please don’t flirt in front of me” Alex hung her head, “Don’t do it in front of my friends either.”
Her father shifted his piercing gaze towards her, “We’d stop if you also stop flirting with Logan in front of others.”
Alex’s jaw dropped, “What are you talking about?”
She blinked several times, wondering if this was an illusion. Her hearing seemed to be working fine as her mother’s cackle echoed in her ears. Was she in a dream? Alex questioned. She pinched a patch of her skin. The pain surged her nerves and up to her brain.
Then, was this her father’s revenge for hiding her friends from them?
Ethan pressed his lips together, thinking deeply, “Does that mean when you kissed his cheek during the party you weren’t flirting?”
“That—how did you even see that?!”
“So it happened?” Lauren perked up. She openly gawked at the pair. Carla had the same expression but it paled against Lauren’s. No one could beat her enthusiasm. She practically bounced in place.
Logan shifted his head. He hid his smile with the side of his fist. Jae snorted from the memory, covering his mouth. The both of them ignored Alex’s predicament. All eyes aimed in her direction. If her father hadn’t mentioned it, she wouldn’t even remember it.
In that moment, she realized how many people could have seen that. Blood rushed into her cheeks. The tiny smirk on her father’s lips astounded her. Yup, this was definitely revenge. She couldn’t come up with a retort even if she wanted to. Her senses heightened and each became more aware of Logan’s presence.
She willed herself not to notice him. It would only amuse the bastard more.
“Aw, man! My ship is sailing!” Max yelled. He sobbed loudly, wiping away fake tears, “They grow up so fast. It seemed only yesterday when everyone thought Logan might be gay.”
“I think that was only you,” Logan replied with an unamused face.
“No, mine was directed at Alex. Everyone else thought you were gay.”
“Now, you’re just making things up.”
“He’s not” Colin backed up. He placed a hand on Lauren���s back, “Everyone did think that after your Romeo and Juliet presentation.”
“Yeah, they did,” Lauren added. The gossip and rumors replayed in her mind, “During that time, everyone thought Alex was so charming that you couldn’t resist and fell under her spell. The funny thing is they never suspected her—other than Max that is.”
“Okay, what did I ever do to you, guys, for you to slander me like this?”
“Face it, Logan” Alex spoke up. She ran a hand through her hair. Her fringes flowed to the back, creating an aesthetic appeal, “I’m just a more attractive guy than you.”
“You’re not even a guy.”
“Doesn’t mean I can’t have the appeal of one.”
“Those were opinions of people that didn’t know us” Logan scoffed. He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning towards her. He clicked his tongue at the mischievous smile on her lips, I’m sure our friends have much better insight.”
“I mean, I had a crush on male Alex” Lauren pointed out, “So my vote is on Alex.”
“Since Lauren votes for Alex then, I will too.”
“Colin!” Logan accused, using a betrayed voice, “How could you not support your best friend?”
Colin tilted his head to one side, “I thought Alex was your best friend?”
“I believed Alex could be the most eligible bachelor in our year so… my vote is also on her.”
“Hey!”
“I swear a lot of members in our cheer team couldn’t stop talking about Alex when she hit that home run. It only took one move for them to be attracted.”
“Carla!”
“She’s also the top of our year. Her mysterious and quiet demeanor caught the eye of a lot of studious types.”
“Jae!” Logan shook his head repeatedly. He refused to believe any of his friends’ words, “I must have had my moments too.”
“Sure you did” Max shrugged, “You attracted a psychopath girlfriend.”
The bickering among the group continued. It only paused when hoots of laughter drowned out the others. Then, it would start all over again. The hot seat was passed around from one person to another. If someone walked in now, the person wouldn’t think that there had been any tension earlier.
The energy seemed endless.
“They sure are lively,” Angie commented.
She and Ethan had moved to the living room. They sat together on the couch with two cups of tea on the table. Their absence seemed to have gone unnoticed.
Lilly chuckled from the armchair, sipping from her cup, “I can’t agree more. Things are never boring whenever they’re together.”
