The Good. The Bad. The Girl.

Seven: Sexy Back

P.O.V: Lance

I smile at Alex as she laughs with Hope and Mckayla. Alex had a very contagious smile.

They had just pulled up from shopping.

"Ladies." I approach them and all their shopping bags. All three smile at me, and Alex turns pink.

"Let me carry a few of those." I take two bags from Alex and one from each of the other girls.

"Thanks." They all say in unision, then laugh while calling out jinx.

I listen as they all talk about too many things for me to keep up with. When we reach Alex's room, I set their things on the floor.

"See you girls at the party tonight." I call as I leave. I hear Alex say "What party?"

I walk down to the second level and then head to my studio next to the game room. My studio was actually part of the game room, but it was sound proof so I didn't hear people in the game room, and they didn't hear me.

I walk over to the piano and sit down. I warm up with some scales. Then my voice.

I hit a few buttons on the key board and the computer, and I play the piano with the drums and accompaniment from the computer for Rascal Flats song, "Come Wake Me Up". I play and sing my heart out, like I always do.

I move from song to song, piano to guitar, tenor to alto, close my eyes at the right moments and let my vocals and fingers do the work.

I was so into my music, that I didn't hear Alexandria enter.

"Hey." She says when I finish my song.

"Hey." I turn and smile at her.

"I didn't mean to interrupt, I was just curious as to what this room was and then I heard you playing when I entered and I just was enjoying listening." She was looking around the studio like a child would look at an ice cream cone.

"Eh it's all good." I say and smile at her.

"This is.... impressive."

"You play anything?"

"Not any more." She runs her fingers over the piano keys, a wistful tone in her voice.

"I can change that." I take her hand.

"I don't think I'm ready." Her eyes are filled with sorrow.

"What happened to her?" I pat a space on the piano bench next to me and she sits down.

"How did you know?" She sits.

"We all know. You're father and mine are great friends. So were our mothers. The day she passed on, my mother wouldn't come out of her room for the rest of the day. My father was sad and tried to comfort Mom, but it took a while for her to heal." I look at her with understanding. "I can only imagine how it was for you." I take her hand and she hesitates in grabbing mine, then clings to it.

She lets out a shakey sigh. "She was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Drunk driver hit her while she was walking on the side walk with my father." She clenches her eyes shut. "My dad tried to push her out of the way in time, but was too late. Dad got hit too, but he walked away. My mom didn't. She was in a coma for three weeks before they let her go."

I rub my thumb across her hand.

"She was long gone any how. Machines were the only thing keeping her alive." Alex looks at me, her eyes glistening.

I brush some stray hairs from her face and give her a sympathetic smile. I didn't know what to say.

"That felt good. I've never been able to tell anyone, but hearing your music, I felt that I was disappointing my mom by not going on with our passion. Music." She sighs.

"When people die, you're supposed to keep their memory alive. I wasn't doing a good job of that. But now, I think I get it. And I would like to learn to play and sing again." She looks up at me.

"I think I can help with that." I smile at her.

"I'm pretty rusty. It's been four years and I don't know how much I can handle doing before I break down." We face the piano.

"Well, if you break, I'll fix you and we'll try again." I grab her hands and set them on the keys. Then I grab my guitar.

"Do you wanna start with chords?" I strum a C.

She smiles at me. "I wanna jump right in to something lively and with a good beat."

"Like a hip hop song?" I raise my eyebrows.

"Yes." She gives me a daring look.

"With guitar and piano?"

"We'll make it work." She hooks her hands together and pushes them out palm first.

I crack my knuckles to mock her intensity on getting ready and I receive a smile. Then I hit a few buttons on the computer.

"I got just the song." I hit play.

"Sexy Back" by Justin Timberlake begins and I start playing the guitar and singing in the high voice.

Alex laughs. "Really?" She shakes her head even as she begins playing and singing with me.

"Damn straight I'm serious." I sing and she laughs.

For an hour or so, we play and sing up beat songs and we laugh. And she doesn't break down. We were actually really good together. We each jumped in when we were supposed to and it was fun. She was also really good. Her voice was alto most of the time and it worked well with my tenor. Occasionally, she would go soprano and I would jump up to alto. It was amazing how good we were.

When we finish our 17th song, she stretches her arms and back. I do the same.

"Wow, it's really been a long time."

"Yeah, but it was great." I bump her shoulder. "You and I are really great together."

She gives me a beaming smile. "Yeah, I guess we are."

I am hypnotized by her beautiful eyes, then I look at her full, pink lips. I see her look at mine. I lean in.

"Thank you." She whispers against my lips before they make contact.

I lightly kiss her lips and then more firmly. She does the same. I tease her bottom lip with my teeth and she laughs a little, then wraps her arms around my neck and forces my lips more onto hers. I put my hands on her hips and then she takes control and kisses me intensely. Our tongues meet and I groan against her mouth.

"I hate to break up the intense spit swap, but its dark out and they started the bonfire and music." We break apart at the first sound of Xavier's voice. Damn.

He smirks at us and I just ignore him. What else were you supposed to do with younger brothers. I loved Xavier to pieces, but the kid had a knack of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

"We can go if you want to." I say to a pink faced Alex.

"Yeah. Lets." She grabs my hand and as we walk past Xavier, she glares at him, then wraps her arm around my waist and smirks at him when I wrap my arm around her shoulders.

Xavier's eyes narrow as he watches us walk away. Holy shit. Was Xavier jealous?

I smile to myself. Kids. But then why did Alex smirk at him? Was she trying to make him jealous and was she just using me for that purpose?

I frown, but then smile when I see Alex looking up at me. Jeez, I swear the stars were reflecting in her eyes right now. Better yet, the stars were probably reflections from her eyes.

I kiss her again, and am rewarded with a kiss back before we head on to the beach and bonfire.

I don't know what we kissed, it just happened so fast. And in the moment. Obviously she wasn't bothered by it. I hope I won't be either.