The Hustler [Alex Gaskarth]

Chapter Six: The Fair

   "Holy shit. Maybe I should go into graphic design," Alex grinned when I got into his car on Saturday morning. He was gazing through his sunglasses at the luxurious Ritz-Carlton Residences, where he'd just picked me up from.

   I laughed. "Trust me, it doesn't always pay that well. Plus, I have a roommate whose dad slips her half of the rent into her bank account each month and they both pretend they don't know how it got there."

   For obvious reasons, I couldn't mention how I supplemented my half the rent when necessary.

   "Is she hot?"

   "Oh, yeah, she definitely makes my lesbian senses tingle," I joked.

   Apparently, it either went over Alex's head, or he wasn't really paying attention. "You're a lesbian?"

   "Nope. I was kidding. I'm straighter than a one hundred and eighty degree angle."

   "Nerd humor," Alex laughed. "I like it. Smart is sexy."

   "Then I guess you must have a big old man-crush on Stephen Hawking."

   "Oh yeah, the computer voice is a turn-on."

   "Eww!" I giggled.

   "What?" He smiled attentively at me through the vanity mirror.

   "Just... okay, this is probably going to sound really weird. Almost worthy of Jack."

   "So weird and perverted?"

   I blushed. "A little bit."

   "Lay it on me. I've been friends with Jack since the eighth grade. There's nothing in the world you could say that's any weirder or more perverted than he has in the past eleven years."

   I rolled my eyes and smiled. "Okay. But remember, you asked for it."

   "I'm waiting," Alex grinned, as we pulled onto the highway.

   "Okay... so, wouldn't that be the weirdest thing ever, like, in the bedroom? Or like, what about dirty phone calls? Like, all that stuff said in a robot voice. Could you picture that? Eugh. It'd be so gross."

   Alex glanced at me in the mirror again, and burst out laughing. "That's... you're... oh my god, 'Lia. You're going to be fun to hang out with."

   "I try," I shrugged modestly. "Speaking of which, what are we doing today?"

   "You'll see," Alex grinned. "You said you needed inspiration, so I found a place full of fall inspiration. Trust me. You'll have a blast."

   "I'm trusting you. But if we end up at a graveyard filled with dead pumpkins or something, I swear I'll kill you."

   "What could be more fall than a graveyard filled with dead pumpkins?"

   "Christmas."

   "What?"

   "Christmas. Like The Nightmare Before Christmas. You know... the Tim Burton movie?" Jack had mentioned it to me a couple of times that he liked the movie, so I assumed Alex must've seen it at least once. I knew I had.

   Alex grinned. "Oh man... I've seen that movie so many times! It's one of Jack's favorites."

   "Me too... actually, I like anything Tim Burton. He's got such an interesting way of directing and interpreting things."

   "Yeah... have you ever thought about it?"

   "Thought about what?"

   "Sorry," Alex blushed. "Sometimes, I forget people can't read minds. Although, Jack says you're pretty psychic."