Lost Cause

Chapter 15

"Mom? Jordan? I'm home." I call out as soon as I'm in the door.

"In the living room Lex." Jordan's voice rings out.

I round the corner seeing Jordan laying on the floor watching TV and mom sitting on the couch reading a book.

"Hey honey, how was the beach?" Mom lifts her head up from her book.

"Really fun. Vi sent me some pictures she snuck while we were there." I flop down next to her.

"Did you get the one I wanted?" Jordan sits up to look at me.

"Sure did wanna see?" I bring up the photo.

Jordan launched up to his feet and jumped on the couch between me and mom.

"Jordan, what did I say about jumping on the couch?" Mom scolds him.

"Sorry mommy, it won't happen again." Jordan gives her puppy eyes.

She sighs but ruffles his hair, "Oh it will, but you're cute so I'll let it slide."

"Show me!" He turns his attention back to me moving until his shoulder is next to mine.

I laugh at his excitement and tilt the screen so that he can see it. This is the first time I'm actually looking at it, obviously I was there and it was only taken yesterday but I wasn't able to see everyone's faces so I wasn't sure how it actually turned out.

But looking at it now, and out of all the pictures we've taken for Jordan, I think this one is going to be my favorite. I didn't realize that Aunt Martha had gotten the exact moment when Nick jumped into Matt's arms, and Matt's reaction was priceless. His eyes had gone wide with fear and shock, both boys are close in height and weight but Nick has much broader shoulders which makes him look like a tank.

The rest of us had the biggest smiles on our faces, we all looked so happy.

"Poor Matt, I'm sure that it wasn't easy to hold up Nick." Mom commented.

"Well he didn't, as soon as Nick jumped they both fell over." I let out a laugh remembering it.

"You're gonna print it out right Lex?" Jordan asks looking up at me.

"Of course I am. What are you doing with all these pictures anyway?" I asked.

"That's a secret and I can't tell you." He looks over at mom, "Only mom is allowed to know."

"How come she gets to know but I can't?"

"I can't tell you, that's the whole point of a secret!" He insisted.

I hold my hands up in surrender, "Alright, alright fine. I guess I'll just have to wait until you're ready to show me."

"Okay you two, what dessert should we make for tomorrow?" Mom interrupts standing up.

"Pancakes!" Jordan jumps up.

"Honey, that's breakfast food. Not dessert." Mom reminds him.

"Ugh fine, um, cupcakes?"

"Vanilla and chocolate cupcakes." I nod.

"Cupcakes it is. Come on, we'll mix up the batter and have dinner while they're baking."

"Alex! Jordan! We're gonna be late, let's go." Mom calls from downstairs.

I take one last look in the mirror, wiping the excess lip gloss off the corner of my mouth. I look forward to Sunday's every week. Getting together with my choice family makes going back to school on Monday a little more bearable.