The Video

Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

ALEX'S POV

Over the course of an hour, me and Louis managed to have a great conversation. I knew I should be shopping or even hanging out with my friends, but when was something like this going to happen again? Plus I didn't want to ditch Louis. Or maybe I should? Maybe I'm keeping him from something important, just as he was keeping me from something important?

"Alex?," Louis asked curiously.

Before I could say anything, Louis got a phone call. I raised my eyebrow at him, wondering who it could be. "Sorry," he said smiling apologetically. I didn't mind. As he picked up his phone from the table, his smile disappear. Now I was confused.

"Yeah?," he asked the person on the other line. "No, no, no-" he said again before he was cut off. He rolled his eyes and eventually agreed to something and then hung up.

"That sounded weird?," I said to him.

"Yeah, it was my friend. They got confused about something," Louis replied. "Do you mind if we hang out another time, I have to be somewhere in about an hour to help set up something?,"

"Yeah of course that's fine," I said back. I was hoping I would feel thankful, not upset if Louis asked to leave. 

"Okay, I guess I'll text you. Oh and happy birthday again," Louis told me as he picked up his trash. I watched him throw it away and him walk towards the door before giving me a small goodbye wave. I waved back smiling. I didn't know why I felt upset that he was leaving, he spent an entire hour chatting with me in a small New York City cafe on my birthday. 

And what was that phone call about? I did believe everything Louis said, but I felt the same way when he explained his birthday plans for me. There was just something more, that he wasn't telling me about.

I glanced at the clock on the wall. "Oh no," I said realizing what time it was. "Why am I always late to everything," I said to myself again before exiting the cafe.

_

"Happy Birthday Alex!" Analise shouted from the other end of the dinner table. We were at a steakhouse, for my 18th birthday party. "Thanks," I replied smiling.

After the dinner, Analise and I made a plan to return to our hotel and watch movies all night while scrolling through Tumblr. I did that every night, but tonight it would be the first night scrolling through Tumblr while being 18. I really was excited about the fact that I was finally 18.

"Hey Alex pass me a napkin?," my friend asked across the table. 

"Of course," I replied handing her a few napkins. Before she grabbed the napkins, Analise started coughing. I turned my head towards her direction. She smiled at me. Oh no, I knew what she was going to do,

"Okay guys listen up!" she shouted yet again standing out of her seat. She had a problem with shouting to be honest. But half the time it was for entertainment. "Since it's Alex's birthday, I wanted to share a story on how I met my bestfriend. I'm pretty sure all of you have heard this story before, but you're going to have to suffer through hearing it yet another year," she said laughing. The whole table starting laughing. 

"Analise, please don't torture them?," I asked her kindly before laughing along with the rest of the table.

"Sorry Alex," she said before continuing the story, "So in first grade both me and Alex had the same lunchbox...." Analise continued explaining the story, she explained every single year. The whole table starting awing and laughing at certain parts. I smiled remembering first grade.

I couldn't focus for the rest of the story because I kept remembering the conversation I had with Louis earlier in the day. My stomach did a few flips when I realized I actually had an entire conversation with Louis. The guy I've been dming and texting with for so long. The guy I've managed to have 2 phonecalls with. The guy who's music was amazing. The guy who-

"What's with the smiling?," my friend Mike asked me from right next to me. "Remembering first grade?," he said laughing.

"Sort of," I replied. It was only then when Analise ended the story.

"And that is how I met my bestfriend, who officially turned 18 today," Analise said smiling cheerfully.

_

After another half hour, the dinner ended. Every guest was leaving, wishing me a last few happy birthday's. Once the last car left from outside, Analise turned to me. "Movie time?," she asked me. 

"Yes movie time," I replied. Analise called a cab. And after a few moments the cab arrived. Before I could take a step I tripped and almost fell right onto my face. 

"Woah there, you didn't even drink any alcohol and you're falling to the ground," she said helping me balance myself.

"Its the shoes you made me wear," I told her laughing. "Why did you make me wear high heals to a dinner, and the dress,?" I asked her. After the cafe conversation with Louis. Analise gave me the dress my mom ordered for me a few days ago. The dress was meant for a fancy school thing, not my birthday dinner.

"It was your mom's present..remember?," she replied uneasily.

"Uh..yeah." 

What was with people not telling me the full truth today?  We walked into the cab and I went on my phone as Analise told him the address. I wasn't paying attention, but I was pretty sure she didn't say the address of the hotel we were staying at. I didn't ask her, because she would probably reply back with a sassy comment on how I'm going deaf.

We drove a couple streets and about 15 minutes passed. 

"Analise wasn't our hotel like 5 minutes away, not 15?" I asked her. When I asked her, the taxi driver chuckled. "Um," I said obviously confused.

"Oh we passed the hotel a long time ago," she said laughing.

"Then where are we going?," I asked seriously. My mom would kill me if she knew I was out in the streets of New York City alone. Even if I'm 18, she would be just as worried even if I was 17.

"Alex chill," she said. 

I wasn't going to calm down. I wanted to be watching movies, not riding in a cab all night.

"Look we're already here," she said waving her arm towards the building. She passed the taxi driver money while walking out. After a few seconds I followed her outside.

"Analise, what the hell?!" I asked her.

"Alex. I'm going to repeat this chill. Just follow me inside I need to drop something off and then we'll go to the hotel. I promise," she told me slowly.

"Fine," I said shortly. I followed her inside. The building looked like a cross between a venue and a hotel. There wasn't a sign outside so I basically had no idea where I was heading. Analise could be leading me to a kidnapper for all I know. 

Once we stepped intside it was all dark. "Analise how are you supposed to drop anything off here?" I asked her.

"Alex you're so gullible," she replied laughing.

Gullible? I knew it. I was being led to a kidnapper. Before I could have another thought. The lights turned on and I noticed color everywhere along with fairy lights turned on with many faces staring at me.

"Happy Birthday Alex!" 100 people shouted. I stood there in shock. "Oh my god," I said obviously surprised. 

"I bet you weren't expecting that," Analise said smirking.

I looked around the place there were colorful streamers everywhere, along with the fairy lights sprung up everywhere. There were two floors. On the far corner of the first floor there were food and drinks. I walked around, with everyone wishing me a happy birthday. Including some of the people who wished me a happy birthday just an hour ago.

After about 5 minutes of exploring and receiving birthday wishes from plenty of people I noticed a certain a brown haired guy with his hair brushed up. 

He looked right back at me smiling brightly.

It was Louis. Analise had invited him to my surprise birthday party.