Girl Crush | Alex Alvarez

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐕𝐄: 𝐍𝐎 𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐏𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋

"Girl, you are rocking that skirt."

"Thanks, Pen—you're rocking those pajamas." I clicked my finger at Penelope with a wink as I straightened my ponytail. This was my first outdoor date with Alex because he was grounded until the end of eternity. We were doing well—movie nights and sleepovers counted as dates as long as he wasn't drooling after seeing a screen for the first time in forever. Of course, as long as we kept it a secret from Pen, it was alright. "Thanks, girl. You look excited to go to the viejitas lawn bowling tournament.."

"Yeah well..." I trailed off as I heard Alex's enthusiastic footsteps coming closer. "Let's get this bocce ball rolling!"

"You're really this excited about lawn bowling?" Pen asked disbelievingly. "I've been grounded for two weeks with no phone or TV—not to mention two whole weeks of not seeing my girl. Last week, I read a Jane Austen book—for fun!"

"Look at you influencing him even when you're not around."

"Stop, I'm blushing," I laughed as Pen complimented me. She turned to Alex with a stern look as she spoke. "Yeah, remember you're still grounded and the only reason I'm letting you go is because this seems worse."

"Aww, Papito." I ruffled Alex's hair which took him an hour to style as he glared at me. He could never yell at me for that, and props to me, I made it better than it was before. He slung an arm around me as we walked to the dining table. Elena and Syd entered the living room looking like corpses from The Walking Dead, officially terrifying me for the week. "What do you think?"

"I think I'm glad you two found each other."

"I think I'm gonna throw up," I mumbled as Alex covered my eyes. I pried his fingers open so I could see through them and block out Sonny and Cher altogether. "We are celebrating—this is our first Valentine's together and my first time acknowledging Valentine's since all the other years I was sitting at home making fun of it 'cause really, I was sad."

"This got real sad real fast," I admitted to Alex with a grimace. "Hey, you signed up for this."

"Why does your head look like a butt?" Lydia asked, officially ruining whatever moment Elena was having. Elena laughed bitterly. "They're hearts? We are not doing the typical corporate Valentine's Day. I have planned an amazing day of service. Syd and I are doing the Heart Healthy Fun Run. Did you know that heart disease is the number one killer of women?"

"Second only to these dimples." Alex grinned as he pointed at his dimples. I sighed in exasperation at his stupidity, but goddamnit were they some fine-ass dimples. "Papito, you are the number one lady killer. You are a lady serial killer."

"Am I third-wheeling?" I whispered to everyone else. "Okay Mami, getting weird."

"Anyway," Elena continued, "What we're doing is perfect!"

"Yeah, what else are we gonna do? Have an amazing time at Benihana, marveling at a volcano onion?" Syd laughed nervously. I was concerned about her. "Syd, do you wanna go to Benihana?"

"Yeah, right!"

*

"Cover me, Estella."

"It's not that bad," I tried my best to comfort Lydia as the four of us walked into the hallway from the viejitas lawn bowling tournament. "It is so bad that even Castro will find me from the dead!"

"That escalated fast."

"The viejitas lawn bowling tournament turned into the viejitas wet t-shirt contest," Leslie said as he walked into the apartment, followed by Alex. "It was so beautiful on the outside. I should have looked at the sky."

"Wait, where's Mami?" Pen asked as only three of us came in. Lydia and her horrendously curly hair walked in with a terrified expression. "Don't look at me! A horrible truth has been revealed. Papito, get me a straightening iron and the Bible."

"Can't we just get an umbrella and go back out there?"

"Are you crazy? Everybody knows that going outside with wet hair is almost as deadly as walking barefoot in your own home," Lydia answered loudly. I sighed, knowing perfectly well that Alex wasn't gonna see the outside again for a while. "Ay, Mami. A little rain never hurt anyone."

Penelope and I screamed upon seeing Syd and Elena. "It's the cast of Shark Week."

"You both look like Carrie," Penelope admitted. Syd laughed. "Don't be silly, Miss Alvarez. I don't have telekinetic powers...no matter how hard I try."

"The rain ruined the fun run, and all those hypocrites bailed. So, Syd and I finished the whole thing just to prove a point." 

"Yeah, you really showed them," Alex scoffed. I slapped his shoulder in a warning and winced in pain. "You look ridiculous."

"Look who's talking, Chia Pet," Elena laughed as she looked at Alex, "And your hair is flat!"

"Ay!" Alex groaned as he ran to his room. I shrugged as he came back a few seconds later to drag me along with him. "Don't do bad things!"

"I really cannot express how much we won't be doing that!"