Alaska

Chapter Twenty

CHAPTER TWENTY

Seventeen weeks...

Two weeks later, Ohio's weather had calmed to a point where people had begun barbecuing in their backyards.  The air was warm, and the sky was a forget-me-not blue, signalling that it was the start of spring.  March had taken its toll and Easter was on its way, meaning Lexi was due for her gender determining ultra-sound and alas, a visit to Pennsylvania.

Following the disastrous play-date party that Lexi had been to, she was dreading, evermore, her visit home, where she would have to experience the same drawling and anal attitude that her parent's put on.  Easter was the Whitmore's favorite time of the year, when they hosted a fund-raising activity to make themselves look even more amazing.  Of course, it would have been an absolute shame and disgrace if not all the Whitmore members were present, so Lexi, Angel, Meagen and Anthony were set to visit home after Lexi's ultra-sound appointment on the thirtieth.

On a Thursday afternoon, a week before Spring Break was due, Lexi was found standing inside the reception of Morgan Term, awaiting Ashton's arrival.  They had not been on a proper date in weeks, due to Lexi's chores and work from school, and ever since the Alaska talk, the mood had been extinguished like a fire.

However, Ashton was more determined than ever, to take Lexi out on a proper date, so as she mingled with a couple of ex-students from Morgan Term, who were cradling their new born babies and discussing certain motherly things, the automatic doors to the school slid open, and Ashton stepped inside.

He was wearing a familiar black band t-shirt as always, and a purple pair of drainpipe skinny jeans that Lexi supposed were new.  His hair looked extra flat and silky straight as it fell down his face neatly, and he had exchanged his silver lip ring for a black one.

"Wow," Lexi said, suddenly as she spotted him.  The girls turned to him, eyeing him curiously.  Everyone always cast the two of them strange glances when seen in public, due to the unusual pair that they made.

"Hey valley girl," he winked, cutely, stuffing his hands in his pockets and blushing at the looks he was getting.

"Changed your look just for me?" Lexi grinned, jokingly and he snorted.

"You know how lazy I am when it comes to making an effort," he said, silkily.  "I'm merely dressing up."

"I hope that's not what you're gonna wear to my sister's wedding, Ash," Lexi said, uncertainly as the two of them made for the doors again.

"Oh.  I'm invited to that?" He piped up, his voice sounding higher than usual and more interested.

Lexi frowned.  These past few days he had suddenly become very interested in meeting the Whitmore family, and Lexi was completely opposed to the idea.  She knew for a fact that her parents would never accept Ashton as her boyfriend, and he would probably gallop home in horror once he spotted their prim and proper-ness.

"Yeah, I guess you are," Lexi bit her lip.  She hadn't thought about it before.  "Anyway, where are we going now and what's the special occasion?"

Ashton hesitated beside her, as they walked towards Lexi's beetle.  He was clearly choosing his words, carefully and Lexi knew he was up to something.

"No occasion.  We just haven't spent much time together without being interrupted by something," he said, placidly after his pause.  This was true, but Lexi couldn't help but doubt him further.

The two of them drove for a couple of minutes, deeper into the city until Ashton ordered Lexi to stop and they jumped out, right in front of a fancy restaurant by the name of Riviera.  They were greeted by a posh-looking bus boy, wearing a tailcoat who was clutching a pile of silver menus.