Mind the Code: The Problem with Revenge

Friday Night Lights

Friday was up already.

"Bye, DJ." I said, dropping him off at his sleepover. I still couldn't believe I was allowing him to sleep over at someone's house. Some stranger, someone I didn't know. I was very uneasy thinking into it. He was only six for godsake. "Call me if you need anything, and if you need me to come get you I will, right away. I love you." I said as he waved me off happily. I watched as the mother of the birthday child greeted him sweetly and I had an instinct to go up and speak with her, just to see what kind of person she was.

"I feel like I should talk to the mom." I said distractedly into the phone, half aware that Alex was on the other line, getting ready for his game.

His snickering brought me further down back to earth as a teenager. "You're such a mom." He said in amusement.

"Only because he needs one." I sighed, not realizing how serious and sentimental my tone had gotten until he also turned serious on me.

"Sorry," He awkwardly apologized, I could just picture him then, scratching his head uncomfortably. "That was a joke..."

I cleared my throat, watching the other kids enter the house happily. "No, I know. Sorry, I'm just trying to figure out if I should talk to her first in case, y'know."

He sighed, "He'll be fine, Ava."

"Who the hell is he talking to?" I heard Mark's voice echo throughout the locker room. I shivered.

"Someone needs to mind their own fucking business." Alex's voice came louder from against the speaker, his voice bouncing against the lockers I heard kept slamming shut.

I finally decided to drive off, feeling weird and like I should've spoken to the parent. She could be a serial killer for all I knew. "...You're not listening to me." Alex's voice pulled me out of my thoughts and I groaned after realizing he had been speaking to me for a while, and then rubbing my head against the steering wheel.

"Sorry, I just feel like I should've at least introduced myself just to see what she was like."

He genuinely chuckled this time, the sweet and unusual melody that made me wonder if his fellow teammates heard what I was hearing. "Stop worrying so much."

"I can't help but worry, he's never spent the night somewhere else before."

"He'll be fine," He repeated. "You already told him a billion times to call you if he needed anything, then you made the poor boy recite your phone number so many times I now know it by heart."

"Aw, Al, that's so cute." I heard someone he was around say. I was glad I was alone, because I began to blush.

"Don't worry about him, he's probably really excited to be with his friends." Alex said to me, ignoring the other guys comment.

"Okay." Was all I responded with at the time. "I'll let you go now." I said casually, finally arriving at home.

"Yeah, see you later." He said back, and we hung up. It was suddenly half weird half not weird talking to Alex on the phone for such a long time. And about my brother, too.

I stared at myself in the mirror back at home. It was quiet, like usual. I was alone and wondering where I'd be if things were still normal. If I hadn't ever caught my boyfriend and best friend on the verge of having sex. I shivered sadly at the memory. Yep, it still hurt.

If I hadn't ever caught them, I would've been at Emily's place, having her and my other friends bug me about wearing shorter shorts, and a tighter shirt, while her and Melanie were putting on glitter and going over cheerleading routines. I was happy to be alone without any other nagging, and dressed comfortably in cutoffs and a loose tshirt. Emily would've scolded me if she saw what I was wearing. I ran a hand through my curly hair and applied mascara, ready to go sit alone at a game and watch my exboyfriend look incredibly attractive in his uniform.