We Really Need To Stop // ImAllexx

Magic

Turns out Alex was tremendously impressed by my sister being an Instagram and TikTok famous stylist. Also turns out, I highly underestimated my sister's fame - and managerial abilities.

"So Callie, Alex...." she addressed us like school children in assembly, "Can you tell me why the computers have not so much as been switched on today?"

"Err," Alex nervously giggled, looking at me for an explanation. As if I had anything better to say!

"I thought you wouldn't have an explanation," Nadia sighed, pulling me by the arm over to the computer.

"How... how did you know?" Alex bravely asked my very angry on the verge of a meltdown sister.

"Ah, Alex. Sisters just know!" She winked but quickly turned to me with a stern face and I did my best to look busy whilst waiting for the computer to load up. It was slow in the mornings, like me.

"Wouldn't know. Don't have any," Alex laughed, taking a seat on the antique sofa we got from Portobello market just before opening our store. Nadia usually didn't let anyone sit on it, but she stayed quiet this time. "Brothers are quite the opposite, don't know a fucking thing about each other. Couldn't tell you what mine does for a living, where he is now... Half the time he's lucky if I even remember his birthday..."

"You should at least make the effort to remember your brother's birthday!" Nadia scolded him, pointing her pencil in his direction like a magic wand, as if she could cast a spell to make him care more. She then went back to checking her stock list she got from a new supplier we were going to try from next week.

"You have a brother?" I piped up, making sure to keep typing whilst I talked.

Nadia still shot me a death glare from across the room.

"Yeah! I have a younger brother, Will. Actually it's probably his birthday next week. My parents usually... Speak of the devil," Alex cut himself off, taking his buzzing phone out his jeans pocket. "Hello mum? Oh... Dad, hey! Why're you using mum's phone? Ah... I see. Haha," he did a loud laugh and I could tell him and his dad got along well. I smiled to myself whilst typing in dead boring numbers into a spreadsheet. If only Alex could be here to distract me every day.

"Not really!" Alex lowered his tone a bit, only making me strain to listen in more closely. "We only just met! Alright, alright, calm down Dad," he laughed nervously. "I'll try," he sighed and rolled his eyes, putting his feet up on the sofa. Just seeing his shoes - as clean as they were - pressed against the olive green velvet, I knew inside Nadia was seething and could feel her wrath glooping over to me. "Be good, love ya too, in a bit Dad, yeah! Bye!" Looking a bit exasperated, he hung up.

"Everything alright?" I looked to him only for a split second this time, avoiding any eye contact with Nadia. She sighed loudly instead and came over to stand next to me.

***

"If you're just going to stand there arguing with Callie, Alex... You can get out!" Nadia nearly snorted in laughter at us two as she was making her way over to the storage cupboard.

"We're not arguing!!" we echoed in perfect unison. As if Nadia transformed on the spot into a Kpop dancer, she formed her arms into a huge heart, tracing around us in the air and rolled her eyes dramatically before making an exit. Watching her 6" or more black heels click-clack out of the room, I clung onto Alex's arm by the soft fabric of his hoodie and smothered my giggles by pressing my face against his shoulder. His hoodie smelled of laundry detergent and sunny days by the seaside and I loved it.

The two of them reconciled over more Subway cookies Alex had stashed away in his bag and lots of technical camera talk that all went way over my head. Somehow Alex sold himself to my sister as a semi-decent photographer. Moments later, Nadia came back from the till with a long list of things for Alex to photograph in our store. We were finishing up all the books and stock-counting and trying to lock up for the night when Alex was still snapping away, begging for more time to take photos of the hoodies he'd been eyeing up since the morning.

"Why don't you come back another time?" Nadia suggested to both of our surprise.

"Alright!" he went to bro-fist my sister and she hesitated before going in for it full swing, causing Alex to shake his hand and mouth 'ow' at me. "Just let me know when!" he smiled widely and looked to me with excitement sparkling in his eyes.

Just as we were saying our goodbyes and I thought that was going to be it, Alex disappearing off into the cold, dark London streets, becoming just another shadow of a person with very white Nike trainers - Nadia came up with another plan.

"Yo, Alex!" she yelled at him even though he was only a few meters away at most.

"Yeah?" he spun around, sliding his headphones off.

"Are you free on Friday?"

"What, this Friday?"

"Yeah!" Nadia grinned and flashed a look at me. I couldn't believe this! My sister was actually going to invite Alex to something?

"Yeah, I'm free. What's the plan?"

"I'll get Callie to text you later!" Nadia nudged me with her elbow, the zips of her fake-leather jacket digging into me a bit. Like I knew the plan?! But I was happy to go along with anything if it meant I only had to go one more day before seeing Alex again. And if my sister didn't completely hate him.

Alex bobbed his head and waved us off before truly disappearing this time, into the dim streetlight alleyway and around that corner. Where the magic had begun.

Even as light rain began to fall from the gloomy sky and she cursed, unfolding a compact umbrella for us to share, Nadia seemed to be overflowing with positive energy. Her energy and the promise of seeing Alex again so soon made this dreary street buzz in my mind with a rainbow-ish light.

So, I linked arms with her - and like we always used to - we sang Avril Lavigne all the long walk back to our apartment.