Full Count

four

Alexander's house is definitely not the house I expected him to live in at all, then again just because the boy looks good doesn't mean he has to live in a fancy house. I pull into his driveway and cut the engine and grab my bag. I honestly don't know how this is going to go, but I have nothing else better to do over break.

I walk to the door and ring the doorbell. I'm standing there for an awkward minute before I hear the door unlock and it open a little bit. I assumed I'd see Alexander, but that's not who opens the door. It's a little girl.

"Hey. I'm Katie. Is AJ home?" I say nicely to the little girl who has AJ's eyes and hair color.

"Yeah. He's changing, but he said I can let the pretty girl that has your name in the house." She says opening the door enough to let me in.

I walk in the house and stand there not knowing what to do. I was about to pull out my phone and act like I was doing something so I don't look stupid to a girl that's probably half my age, but then she talks to me.

"Are you Bubby's girlfriend?" the little girl asks. From the fact that she just called AJ 'bubby' I assume the little girl is his sister.

"No, I'm not." I respond eventually.

She looks me up and down and then smiles. "Well you should be. He's right about you being pretty."

"Annabelle, leave Katie alone." AJ says from behind her. "My bad for not being able to answer the door I woke up late."

"You could have just asked me to come later." I tell him.

"It's whatever." He looks down at Annabelle then puts a hand on her head, "this little one is Annabelle."

I look at him, "I've gathered that. She did a real good job at asking me if I was your girlfriend before she even thought of telling me a name."

"She didn't."

"Oh she did. She even said that you called me pretty."

He laughs, "yeah never did that."

"Yes you did, don't lie to Katie." Annabelle says loudly.

AJ looks at Annabelle and shakes his head, but he has the biggest smile on his face. "Go play dolls in your room while me and Katie do some work out here. Okay? It won't be long."

"Okay." Annabelle replies before running towards her room, I'd assume.

"Why can't you be more like her? She's so nice." I say to AJ after a moment.

"I'm nice."

I look at him dead in the eye, "yeah okay bud. Are we just going to stand here though?"

"Nah we can sit on the couch."

I don't have to ask where the couch is because it's literally less than fifteen feet away from me. AJ walks to the couch and sits down so I follow, but sitting on the furthest side possible. I notice that he already has his notebook on the coffee table along with a pen.

I set my book bag on my lap and take a deep breath. "So when you decided to take your winter break early Jones and Miller noticed." I tell AJ as I pull out his make up work.

"What does that mean?"

"That means you didn't get out of the work you missed." I hand him a folder with work in it. "It's not a lot, but Jones got all your work and told me to give it to you when I see you. He also told me to tell you that these assignments are not optional because they count as your first grades for second semester."