𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐈𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐍 . . . 𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐱 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐥

58. 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣'𝙨 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙮

58. justin's testimony

season 2, episode 12: the box of polaroids

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"Alex!" Nessa pounded on the door, Mrs. Standall and Zach behind her. Mrs. Standall knocked on the door once more, and Zach yelled Alex's name again.

Silence.

Zach had enough, he saw the nerves in his sister's face. "Alex!" he said as he busted the door open, revealing Alex softly asleep in his bed, his face curled into his pillow for extra support and noise cancellation.

"What, I'm awake?" Alex hissed at Zach. "Oh." he said when he saw his mother and Nessa, both of them worried sick. "Hey guys."

"Hey guys?" Zach asked. "Did you not just hear us pounding on the door?"

"I don't know, I must have fallen asleep." Alex tried to defend himself.

"Alexander Dean Standall." Mrs. Standall said as she stepped further into his bedroom, noticing the Sour Patch Kids that were on his desk. Nessa winced, remembering that Tyler had gotten him those not too long ago. She stormed over to his desk, grabbing the bag of candy and holding it up. "What is this?"

"Do you know the damage these things can do to your health?" Mrs. Standall asked as Nessa and Zach stood behind her, stifling their laughs and Nessa's embarrassment for being part of the reason that he even had them. It was her and Tyler's joint idea, he was just the one that bought them.

"The only damage they do is to the roof of your mouth, Mom." Alex said, embarrassed that he was getting lectured about eating candy in front of his girlfriend and his best friend.

"Well, we are back to a healthy breakfast." Alex's mother said as Alex shook his head, surrendering to his mother. He had his hand raised in protest, but he knew he wouldn't get anywhere. "Nessa, Zach, you're both welcome to join."

The Dempsey siblings nodded softly, and Mrs. Standall walked out of the room, taking the Sour Patch Kids with her.

"I'll go buy more tomorrow, don't even worry my love." Nessa said as she sat down on Alex's bed, giving him a quick kiss good morning.

"What's the big emergency?" Alex asked the siblings as he pushed himself to a more stable sitting position in his bed. Zach stepped closer to him, holding up his phone.

"This is what Nessa and I woke up to this morning." Zach told the boy as he scrolled through Nessa, Alex, and his group text that blew up last night.

"12:12am. Someone gave me a bullet. 12:13am. Someone gave me a gun." Zach read out as Alex looked at him, remembering the texts he sent the twins.

"12:37am. I figured it all out." Nessa read from her phone, looking at Alex very matter-of-factly.

"Alex, you cant fucking text shit like this to people and then fall asleep." Zach scolded the boy, his second lecture in the last ten minutes.

"I couldn't explain more because my thumbs got tired." Alex said sadly.

"The last time you didn't respond to my texts or calls, you..." Nessa trailed off, her voice breaking. The last time she hadn't heard from Alex, her worst nightmare had happened. Last night had brought her back to that helpless feeling.

"I know, I'm sorry." Alex apologized solemnly. "Both of you."

"It's okay." Nessa comforted him. "Just call next time."