* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

When I got into Alex's driveway, I didn't see anyone else's car which meant that I was the first one to arrive.

Good. That way I'd have time to get control on my eyes before anyone could say something.

I parked beside the huge garage so that my car wouldn't be in the way when everyone else got here and then took out all my stuff and walked towards Alex's house.

His house had this really modern vibe. It was square, with a lot of windows and balcony popping out of the structure. His parents were really into that contemporary stuff. The inside of the house held that same vibe, all the walls usually white or grey or beige, usually empty except for a abstract painting or something in that line. Everything had a set place, every vase, every table, every anything. It was a nice house, even thought I liked the more homey style of mine with its wood and warm colors and complete disorder.

I rang the front bell and then walked in without waiting for anyone to open the door. I was used to coming here.

"I'm here!" I yelled as I let my grocery bags fall in the entry, my backpack still hanging from my shoulders.

"Hello Lexi," I heard Alex's mom yell from the kitchen.

I walked over there, and found her in front of the central counter, the box of a cake mix in front of her eye, her glasses on.

"Hey! What's up?" I asked.

"I'm trying to bake that cake" she answered, frowning.

"You know you just have to add water, eggs and oil right? And then stir, and then put in a bowl and in the oven," I trailed off, already smiling.

Nathalie was always hilarious. She didn't know how to cook, like at all. It was always Anthony, Alex's dad, who cooked or a chef when they had one hired.

Nathalie was really a nice mom. The way mine used to be years ago.

"Really? That simple? Why isn't that what's written on the box then?" she asked me, teasing. "I can't understand that cooking gibberish," she added, shaking her head.

I was laughing at that when Alex's walked in the kitchen and wrapped his arm around my waist, kissing the top of my head. "Hey Kitty."

I elbowed him.

"What was that for?" he exclaimed, laughing and dropped his arms.

"I don't know, maybe because I'm still mad at you for inviting Blake. Or just because I felt like it," I answered him and turned around and then stared at his very muscular and very naked chest for longer than appropriate.

"Put a shirt on in the kitchen," Nathalie told her son, stirring the cake mix but splashing it everywhere.

Alex laughed.

"Let me help you with that mom," he simply answered and walked around the counter to stand beside her.

"No, no, no," she started to say, shielding the bowl with her body "You're not touching my cake! I told your father I could do it on my own and that's what I'll do. I'm not losing the bet this time," she groaned.

Alex shook his head laughing and then looked at me.

"Got anything that needs to be put in the cooler?"

"My Pepsi," I answered enthusiastically, and he smiled with me.

I went back to retrieve the said Pepsi and then walked back in the kitchen and put my twelve cans box in the big blue cooler by the fridge.

"You're going to be sugar filled at the end of the night," Alex trailed, shaking his head in fake disapproval.

"Got a problem with that?"

"If you start rambling about McG destruction of the Terminator franchise, then yes!"

"But he did ruin it. Come on. That was John Connor. John Connor! In the first Terminator, Kyle said he just appeared out of nowhere when all hope was gone and then he taught them how to fight those moterphoquers. Did that look like that? Because speaking on a fracking CB isn't teaching how to fight endoskeletons. McG ruined Judgment Day for me," I babbled, mad.

Alex rolled his eyes. "Come on, the action and the special effects were awesome!"

"I don't care. He made John Connor into a fracking wuss. And stupid FOX cancelled The Sarah Connor Chronicles," I whined. "That was like the best thing ever!"

"Alright, alright, I got it. Now, and all two hundred other times you talked about this."

"I died the day they cancelled that show," I mumbled, which got Alex laughing.

"Come on now, you'll survive. And I have to get my things downstairs and start putting everything in my truck before Judgment Day."

I followed Alex to his room and then fell on his bed, over its dark gray bedspread.

"I saw my mom at the grocery store," I whispered to him, while he was taking his sport bag to put clothes in it.

He stopped and dropped everything, walked over and sat beside me.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his eyes concerned.

"I don't know. I... I mean, she's my mom, but right now. I don't know," I breathed. I couldn't even make sense of it in my head.

Alex stroked my hair and gave me another kiss on top of my head.

"Can I do anything about it?"

"Help me build my time machine?" I offered.

"Fine. And then we can prevent McG's ruining of the Terminator franchise," Alex teased me and then gave me a hug.

"I'm still mad at you for inviting Blake you know," I told him frowning when he got back up.

"Yeah, I know..."

"And put a damn shirt on!"

*

As we were walking down the stairs, the front door rang.

I went to answer it, while Alex left for the kitchen to retrieve the cooler.

I opened the door to Mark, Catherine, Janna and Dwayne.

"Hey guys!" I smiled.

I was glad Catherine and Janna were there. I mean I knew it was every girls dream to be alone with a team of football players, but let's just say that's not the safest thing you want to do, for your sanity that is. You need at least one girl; otherwise you'll hear things that could kill your grandmother.

"Guess what I have in my pick-up truck?" Mark asked me, with a sparkling smile.

"You didn't!"

"Yes I did!"

"Dirt bike?"

"Correction my child, dirt bikes, as in two!"

I clapped my hands together and then Dwayne and Mark walked inside to find Alex probably.

"So, how are you doing?" Catherine asked me, with a warm smile.

I like Mark and Catherine. Oddly those two almost felt like parents for me.

"I've been better..."

"Don't worry, we're going to have fun at the Creek" Janna smiled too.

The boys came back, towing the cooler.

"My god Alex, what the hell did you put in that thing!" Mark breathed, holding the other end.

"Strict essential!"

"Your strict essential weighs more than my Aunt Dorothy and she needs to have her stomach stapled! Little help here!" Mark asked, but Dwayne kept laughing behind, not showing any signs he would.

I opened the door for them and moved out of the way.

When Alex and Mark set the cooler on the front porch, two cars drove in.

The twins got out from the first, and Justin and Peter from the other.

"My precious little queeeens!" Dwayne yelled at them.

"Dwayne, can you try not being fabulous this early in the morning?" Trevor yelled while Cameron took their bags and cooler out.

Justin and Peter were hitting each other with their bags as they walked up to us. Those two were almost like brothers.

"Dirt bikes!" Cameron yelled in a really high pitch voice when he saw Mark pick-up.

That got us all laughing.

We were all gathered on the porch, now, the guys putting more stuff in the coolers, saying that they definitely wouldn't have enough with ten packs of twelve hot-dogs.

"Have you talked with Vanessa lately?" Catherine asked me.

"I talked with her yesterday," I answered, and then thought about Blake belly dancer stunt.

Little bitch.

"How is she doing?"

"Good, I mean I know she misses it here, but it's a great opportunity for her," I trailed.

"Sure is. She was always very talented." Catherine smiled.

"She is," I agreed.

Alex, Mark and the twins went around the house to go get the barbecue while we waited for everyone else.

Dwayne came behind Janna and wrapped his arms around her.

"So girls, should we be expecting some sort of fight in the mud today? You know for our entertainment. I think I've been a really good boyfriend and I need a reward for that," Dwayne said teasingly, squeezing her more tightly his chin resting on her shoulder.

"Dwayne! You moron," Janna exclaimed but then laughed.

Those two had started to date at the beginning of our summer vacation, and I was glad for them. I knew Janna had a crush on him for a while. And they seemed happy and just always adorable together.

"The only thing close to a fight in the mud you'll get Dwayne is me pushing you in it," Catherine told him rolling her eyes but then laughed.

I was glad to be out with those guys. I was going to have fun, I knew it, and I was already forgetting about the grocery incident.

Peter and Justin came to sit on the coolers their clothes all dusty with sand for fighting in the drive way.

That's when Clark old Jeep, without the top on drove in, followed by a red Yaris.

"What the hell?" I asked.

In the red car there were two girls. Two fake platinum blonde girls. One of them being Stacey.

Shawn and Clark got out of the car and waited for the two girls.

"What's up with the entourage?" Dwayne yelled and I muffled a laugher, along with everyone I think.

The two girls scowled and I recognized the other blonde as Miriam, one of the cheerleaders at school.

So unpredictable don't you think?

"We brought some friends along, I hope you don't mind?" Clark said and at the same time, Alex, Mark and the twins were back with the barbecue.

Alex's eyes narrowed. Miriam had kind of stalked him for a while last year and I knew he hated her.

"Karma!" I yelled at him and everyone eyed me suspiciously.

That's what you get when you invited in our car the guy who's annoying me, you get your own personal stalker.

"You'll be driving them?" Alex asked, while the twins put the barbecue in the back of his Jeep and Mark walked to Catherine.

And then the two girls gasped.

"We're not going in that unfinished Jeep! What about our hair?" Miriam whined.

That surprised Clark.

Ha ha!

"Come on, it's just to get to the Creek." Shawn said.

"And what about dust? And bugs! They could fly right in our mouth!" Stacey whined.

"Worried about what they get in their mouths," Dwayne whispered shaking his head.

I giggled a little.

"How are you planning on getting them there, now?" Alex scowled.

"Maybe there's room in your car?" Miriam trailed batting her eyelashes.

I wanted to laugh in her face. If only she knew how useless her attempts always were.

"You know what? You can split up and fill those fifth empty seats," he answered and then turned away from her.

Ha ha!

Few minutes later Connor and Fred's cars drove in and then Peter and Justin started to put their stuff in Connor's pick-up trunk along with Fred.

"I hope Jimmy's been able to get his dad truck," Alex mumbled beside me stating everyone's worry.

And then we heard the sound of an engine.

Everyone looked at the car that was driving in.

That wasn't Jimmy's dad car.

"Sorry guys I really couldn't have it, the engine isn't done yet," Jimmy said sheepishly as he got out of his two door sports car.

"Shit," I heard Alex said.

We could never fit in the cars now with Shawn and Clark arm candies.

Davis drove in seconds after.

"Alright, we have to think about this," I said to Alex.

"We're going to have to completely change the cars arrangement" Alex breathed, his hands running over his face in discouragement.

"We can't put Jimmy and Connor in the same car," I trailed.

"And Davis will never fit in Connor's car with the four guys," he added.

"Okay, so let's put Davis with Mark, Catherine Dwayne and Janna."

"That's one full car."

I had still been thinking about a way to make Alex pay for inviting Blake and now I had an idea.

"Okay guys," I announced, not consulting Alex, "Trevor, you go with Connor, Davis you go with Mark and then Cameron, Jimmy, Miriam, and Stacey can go with Alex," I said and I smirked a little

"What about you? And Blake?"

Oh crap.

"Okay, then I can go with Connor instead of Trevor." Damn it, I had been thinking about maing Alex suffer a little. I hadn't thought about where I would be sitting.

"No, no! You know what I like that idea, plus Clark's Jeep is pretty tight! You and Blake can go with them," Alex said with a satisfied little grin.

Craaaaaaap.

Why hadn't I thought about that? Why hadn't I thought about who I would be stuck with?

Shawn, Clark and Blake? The worst trio ever!

But everyone seemed fine with these arrangements and it didn't feel like they would change.

Fraaaaaaaack.

What had I been thinking?

I shot myself in my own foot.

Blake Escalade got in the driveway just then, at full speed, making sand spin everywhere and then he stopped the car fast, making marks in the gravel.

Talk about entrance.

Not only was I completely mad with having to spend the whole ride with him and the two other pervs, I was a little worried about the way I should act with him now. Sure, he came over last night and it was actually kinda fun in the end, but he was still a complete and utter jackass. He was still Blake.

Yawning, he got out of his car, stretching his arms, the hood of his black hoodie on his head, the sleeves pulled back to the middle of his forearm.

He looked hot. I felt kind of bad admitting that in my head but it wasn't like it wasn't a known fact. He never would have been this popular with girls if he didn't look the way he looked.

And I still dislike him.

"You're late!" Alex yelled.

"Ask me if I give a shit," Blake answered and then walked to the back of his car.

Well someone is in a crappy mood!

"Looks like Blake didn't get happy last night," Clark said and elbowed Shawn.

"Don't annoy me Clark, or else I'll tell everyone you made out with your cousin on your fifteenth birthday..." Blake said and then covered his mouth, his eyes evil "Ooops! My bad..."

"You made out with Haley?" Davis gasped.

Haley was Clark bikini model cousin.

"No, he made out with Sue! You know, chubby, stubbles, acne, bad perm and all Sue," Blake answered, while he opened the back of the Escalade, and took out two packs of beer one stack on top of the other.

"I was drunk," Clark snarled.

"Keep telling yourself that," Blake laughed.

"You're so dead Eaton," Clark said and charged at him.

"Woah, woah, woah, I got the beers my friend, wouldn't want to lost any of it now, would you?" Blake informed him, smirking.

Cameron and Trevor walked up to the car and both brought other packs of beer out.

"How much beer do you guys need?" I said and rolled my eyes "We're not attending a booze-up!"

Blake was just feet away from me when I said that.

"You're right, if we wanted to attempt a booze-up, I would have brought Sour Puss for you," Blake said smirking and then set the beers on the porch.

I glared at him.

"You are not allowed to talk about that party you moron! I still haven't forgotten about that uncalled punch," Shawn said, walking up to him.

"Oh it was so called. You had sex with... eh... Cynthia? Anyway, rules are rules!"

"Yeah well, you interrupted a nice moment, right Le–" Shawn said turning to me but then stopped because of the glare I was giving him.

Mental note to myself: When I build a time machine, remember to go back to Shawn sixteenth birthday party and prevent myself from drinking, or simply going for that matter.

"I don't think she enjoyed it," Blake smirked.

"That's not how I–"

"BOTH OF YOU JUST SHUT UP," I snapped, cutting Shawn.

"Aren't we touchy today, Pumpkin?" Blake smirked again.

"Don't you Pumpkin me, you jackass," I told him in an angry voice but only got a chuckle in reply.

If this was the way things were going to go during the car ride maybe I should just walk all the way there.

My crappy mood seemed to come back even more forcefully.

"Okay! It's almost one thirty now! We're leaving!" Alex yelled beside his car, the two fawning girls on his feet.

Ha ha.

But then I wasn't laughing anymore because I was walking towards Clark's car.

"Aren't we going in Alex's car?" Blake asked me frowning.

"Change of plans. You're coming with us," Clark said with a wicked smile.

Damn it.

"SHOT GUN!" Shawn yelled making sure he kept his front seat.

Great, just great. Well either way, anyone I was going to sit beside in that car was going to be annoying. Maybe Blake would behave.

Clark started his car and then this awful song started to play. Actually it wasn't a song. It started saying "What can I get for ten dollars... anything you want," and then there was really explicit moaning and the afterwards the singer started to sing, "me so horny," over and over again.

What the... what?

If I survived that car ride, I would deserve some kind of medal or something. "Like my music Lexi?" Clark asked me smugly.

"It reflects you perfectly," I replied snippily.

Clark seemed to find this very funny.

Alex's Jeep was in front leading the way to the trail, and then there was Mark's truck and then Connor's truck and finally Clark's Jeep.

The wind was warmer now, and I tried to tune out everything around, to forget about who I was with.

This ride wouldn't last forever. And then we would be at the Creek and I could ignore all of them.

We reached the dirt trail, which was fairly close to Alex's house and then we were in the forest.

"So what were you up to last night? You found a better party to crash?" Clark asked Blake.

I waited for the lie he would surely tell. I mean, come on! Would Blake-the-Player tell everyone he spent his Friday night watching re-run of a football game with Lexi, her disturbing brother and her slightly out of it dad?

I didn't think so.

And I didn't particularly want anyone to know about it. I had a reputation to maintain. My disliking of Blake was a known fact.

"No, actually I was busy elsewhere. I believe little missy on my left owed me," Blake trailed and then he smirked at me.