If Not For Her

Chapter 23. "The Girl"

Surprisingly Annabeth had an amazing time, and when she opened the door she heard her mother say, "the Parkers are coming over tonight and I want everyone to be on their best behavior and I mean you Alexander" as she placed the plates, "Jenna and Nick both know me, Mum," Alex said, "you will do as I say, young man" their mother said. "Listen to your mother," their father said.

Alex groaned as Annabeth approached the chaos taking place at the kitchen table. Alex was forced to wear his fancy white shirt, "help me" he mouthed as Annabeth's eyes met her mother's "and where were you?" She asked. " I was with Emmalyn, " she said, her mother's eyes softened, as Alex frowned. "Emmalyn I liked that girl, now the Parkers are coming, get dressed," their mother said. Annabeth ran up to her room.

Annabeth picked up a white floral dress that hugged her waist and flowed around her knees, she took her hair out of the pony, looked at the clock she still had a bit of time, curled the ends, and ran her fingers through the curls to soften it. Curly hair didn't suit her face but slightly wavy hair did. It was different from her pin-straight hair. She put on her glasses, she looked prettier with them. Their doorbell rang, she applied a quick layer of gloss and walked out of her room.

Downstairs she could see Nicolas in a shirt similar to her brother's, he looked good, not awkward. She saw him look around, was he looking for her. Alex greeted them, "Annie" her mother called. "Coming" she called out as he looked up, their eyes met as she smiled at him, she hugged Jenna just like Alex had, and then she went to hug, Nicolas wrapped his arms around her back as the butterflies fluttered. She counted to five, as slowly as she could and let go. "You look fancy, it is a change from your leather jacket," she said. He lightly chuckled, "well Mum insisted on it," he said. She looked up at him, "I am glad she did, you look good" she turned her back to him to look at Alex shaking his head, not too subtly.

"Come on in," their mother said with the biggest smile she had seen her wear. Jenna and her mother were best friends from childhood, they were with each other through everything and Annabeth often wondered if she and Christina would ever have that kind of friendship.

They sat around the table, Nick sat opposite to her beside Alex she sat next to her father as Jenna and her mother sat next to each other, mum seemed to forget all her stress, all her worries seemed to just evaporate into thin air, "so, Annabeth," Jenna said, "what are you planning to do after school Nick tells me you are an extremely talented artist" she said.

Annabeth felt a red creeping into her cheeks," he exaggerated but I plan on going to St. Claire's Academy of Art if I am lucky enough" she said. "I am sure you would get in," "I hope so," she said as she ate her chicken, she went in for a breadstick at the same time as Nick as their fingers brushed against each other, Annabeth was filled with the same sense of electricity.

She moved to her seat with a smile when her phone vibrated she looked at the text from her brother

Could you stop smiling like an idiot?

She wiped her smile, she might have looked like a lunatic smiling to herself she looked up at Nicolas, he was looking at her, he saw her smiling. She sunk back in her chair as the conversation continued between the parents. She stole a few glances at him, throughout the dinner, sometimes he caught her eyes sometimes he didn't.

The dinner ended, and the parents sat on the couch for coffee while the children lurked around, finally, they decided to sit in Alex's room. It was vastly different from her room. The white wall had posters of basketball players. His bed was neatly made and Annabeth didn't even hesitate to jump right on it. She looked at his old blue guitar gathering dust, he only bought it to impress the girls and it worked in his favor as the girls fawned whenever he played

But when he and Chris got together, he played only for her. It was their thing. Alex sat at the edge as Nicolas chose his chair, "so Nick any girl?" Alex bluntly asked. Annabeth saw both of their gazes flicker to her at different moments, she felt anger bubbling, what was he thinking.

"Well, there is a girl, the girl if you may and I like her very much," he said his eyes on her. She felt herself suppressing her smile at Alex's face. Now he felt the same awkwardness she felt when he was dating her best friend. "Good for you, " he said. They all started talking, it was like no time had passed, "kids" they heard Jenna's voice. They all went downstairs, it was around 11 when they left.

Through her window, Annabeth saw Nick and wondered, is he the one? She pulled her curtains and lay down on her bed, thinking about it as she drifted off to sleep.