Fearless

Alexandra Mae Howard

Lexi went to bed but couldn't go to sleep. Lexi thought about that night. The New Year's Party was something she thought about often. This time she thought about the end of the night and not the moments she had on the couch with Fez. How could Fezco be so kind to her, yet so violent towards Nate?

She couldn't remember the last time someone her age asked her so many questions about herself. He actually cared about what she had to say. He was laughing and having fun. About 10 minutes later he almost beat Nate Jacobs to death. And even if Nate deserved it, it was a horrible thing to do.

It made her think about her entire life. How she's always been so passive. How she never had the courage to say anything. Fez wasn't like that. He stood his ground.

She should be afraid but instead she was kind of attracted to him. She was intrigued. She only had the courage to say something once but it wasn't enough because she backed down. She always thought back on it.

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1 year ago

"Rue, you really need to get help." Lexi was watching her best friend do drugs. "What, are you gonna tell my mom or something?" "Yeah, if you don't stop." "Okay," rue said calmly, she knew Lexi was bluffing.

Lexi felt humiliated. Her best friend didn't take her seriously. All she wanted to do was help. She knew she couldn't keep an eye on Rue if she told. A few weeks later, Suze got a call from Leslie.

She was shocked by the news but knew she had to keep appearances to help her daughter deal with the news. She made her way into her daughter's room. "Hon... I don't wanna scare you... but somethin' happened to Rue." Lexi began freaking out. "Oh my, is she?"

"She's okay. She's okay," her mother assured her. "Mom?" "I think she overdosed." Lexi broke down in tears. "Oh... Come here."

Lexi hesitated to reach out to her mother. "Come here," she opened her arms wider. "It's my fault," Lexi continued crying in her mother's arms. She should have said something. Why didn't she?

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She hated herself for being so weak. Always passive and afraid of what could happen. So, she decided to do the exact opposite of what she would normally do. A couple of days after Cal came over, she set everything in motion. First she need advice.

She decided to FaceTime Kat and Maddy. "Mae Mae! What's up?!" Maddy was the only one to call her by her middle name. "Lexi, how have you been?"

"Wait, are you girls together?" "Yeah, Ethan has a bowl day planned for me. He brought Maddy to my house and told me to get ready. You want to come? I'm sure he won't mine."

"I actually have plans, I'm calling to ask for advice." "Boy advice," Maddy asked excitedly. "Actually yes," Lexi said while looking down shyly. "I thought you would never ask," Maddy snatched the phone from Kat. "Who is he?"

"I- I can't say." She wasn't sure if Maddy would get mad at her for liking Fez after what he did. "Is it who I think it is? A certain ginger who you were talking to on New Year?" Lexi glared at the screen.

"Wait, you talked to someone at the party?!" "They were laughing and everything. Ethan and I saw it all." "Alexandra Mae Howard, you have to tell me who it is." "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Come on, I don't judge?" "Yes you do," Kat commented out of frame. "Ok, but for the most part it is harmless." "It's Fezco," Kat chuckled. Lexi's mouth hung open in shock.

Maddy started laughing, "bitch you serious? You thought this would make me mad at you? It's not your fault you have feelings for him. I know Nate is a bad person so I can see why he did it. If I hated him I would have ratted him out to Nate's parents."

"So you don't care?" "Of course not now let's make you look good. Show me your closet," Maddy smiled. After millions of outfit choices and advice she let them go. "Bye Mae Mae have fun."

"Call us when the date is over," Kat winked before hanging up. She was going to warn Fez and also talk to him again. She was going to tell him she was interested in him. She let her hair down, put some mascara and red lipstick. She put on her black long sleeve cardigan, leaving the top buttons undone.

She paired it with high waisted pink paid flare pants. "I'm going out," she let her mother know before heading out. She grabbed the freshly washed green cabin knit sweater spraying some perfume on it like Maddy and Kat suggested. She put it in her backpack before heading out. She grabbed her bike and rode down to his store.

She was listening to music while on her way. She set her bike aside while taking a deep breath. "You can do this," she encouraged herself. She entered the store and found Fez siting on a counter. She smiled at him nervously while holding her hands behind her back.

"Lexi Howard," he smiled while looking at her. She looked beautiful.   'He knows my last name,' she thought. He took the time to find out her last name. "Hi," she said confidently.

"How you doin'?" He was still looking at her with tender eyes. It made her nervous. "I'm good, um...," she lost her train of thought as soon as she saw a girl sitting on other counter. "Hi. I'm Faye," this beautiful blonde with big pink lips said.

Lexi looked at her confused. "I'm Lexi, um...," she couldn't focus. 'Were they a thing? Just ask him,' she thought. "Are, are you guys...," she trailed off.

Fez's smiled dropped. "Yeah, no, she's just stayin' with me for a bit," he trailed off. He noticed her face drop. "But, but she's cool, though." Faye nodded behind him.

She was obviously high off something. She had no idea what she nodded her head to. "What brings you out here anyway?" Lexi looked between them. The little confidence she had left her body.

"Oh, I just came to get a," she trailed off. She looked around to make up an excuse. "A drink," she said while turning away from him and pretending to look around. 'Don't lose your cool Lex. Get it together,' she thought.