Expect the Unexpected (Zack Merrick/All Time Low)

Chapter Thirteen

As promised to Alex, Rian had approached Codi asking her to talk to Erika and figure out what was going on with her in regards to Alex's advances. Codi had agreed, but she wasn't doing Alex's dirty work for free, which meant Rian was the one having to pay the price. Dinner and a movie, plus the promise of a Raven's game were a small price as far as Codi was concerned. As annoyed as Rian had acted over it, he was pretty happy to agree to the cute blonde's terms.

Excited, Rian had filled the dinner and a movie request immediately followed by purchasing tickets to the first Raven's game he could and even picked Codi up a jersey that matched his own for when the day came. Happy with the first part of her deal filled and the knowledge that the second part of her deal was to come, Codi agreed to talk to her friend and find out whatever it was Alex wanted to know.

Codi knew that in order to get Erika talking, she was going to need a secluded area where it was just the two of them, otherwise Erika would get nervous someone else would hear and Codi would never get her to open up. This would be so much easier if she could just get Erika drunk and let her spill her guts, oh how Codi missed the nights where she and Erika would go out, drink and not even remember coming home providing they ended up at home the next morning.

Gathered around the newly placed fire pit in Jack's back yard, the group seemed to enjoy these stories as Codi and Erika told about their adventures. Jack had a hard time believing that the shy, quiet Erika was just as much a partier as he. Codi was certain that in most cases her best friend would easily put the guitar player to shame when it came to partying. Being a wild child wasn't what Erika was known for, but she was good at it when she wanted to be.

As Erika told a story about one night she and Codi ended up in Ottawa with no recollection of how they got to the other city, Codi hid her head shamelessly in Rian's shoulder. Codi groaned loudly when Erika elaborated on the part where Codi had somehow ended up talking her way out of a ticket for being drunk in public, by flashing the officer causing the boys to laugh.

"I'm hungry." Codi spoke up before anybody could go into another story, mainly Erika, as soon as her best friend had finished telling the embarrassing memory.

"I have stuff to make s'mores." Jack announced leaning over in his wooden deck chair and grabbing a grocery bag.

"Perfect!" Codi announced snatching the bag from Jack and emptying the contents in front of the chair where she and Rian sat.

"I'm going to go take a piss." Alex announced, standing up.

"Charming." Rian added with a laugh.

"I try." Alex shrugged hitting Rian in the arm on his way by, heading toward Jack's house.

"I think that was his excuse, to avoid watching the two of you lick melted chocolate off of each other's faces." Jack laughed taking a drink out of his beer bottle and setting it back down again.

"Please, we'd never do that!" Codi protested shoving a marshmallow on a stick and holding it over the fire.

"And I am the Queen of England." Erika laughed grabbing the marshmallow bag from Codi and following suit. "Fuck its cold." She complained shivering; pulling the blanket that Jack had brought out earlier around her.

"Aww, come here." Jack said patting his knee.

Huddling in her blanket and careful not to drop her marshmallow in the fire, Erika scooted from her chair over to the one Jack was sitting in. Sitting on his knee, she kissed his cheek and thanked him. Making a joke about body heat, Jack sat looking over her shoulder so he could still see what was going on. As predicted the other two were practically licking each others faces, Codi and Rian had been having fun making s'mores and getting them all over their faces as they shoved them into each other's mouths.

"S'more?" Erika asked Jack, turning around to offer him one.

"Thanks." Jack said taking it, but not without getting it all over his own face. Looking innocently at Erika, he gave her a sad puppy dog face. "Help me clean it up?"

"In your dreams, Barakat." Erika laughed shaking her head.

"Fine, then." Jack pouted in a semi-dramatic tone he continued to joke around. "I'll have to go wash my own face. Maybe Alex will lick it off for me."

"You're pathetic." Erika giggled at him.

"And you're fat, you need to move." Jack groaned for effect, winking at her.

"I'm not fat! I'm pregnant." Erika protested, causing Rian and Codi to laugh at the other pair.

Okay, maybe she was a little fat but not by much. In the last couple of days it was like she had grew two sizes over night. Erika could only imagine how much more she'd have to go before the baby was actually born.

"When do you see the doctor next?" Rian asked shoving a marshmallow in his mouth.

"Uh, I don't really have a doctor here, so when I find one?" Erika shrugged and stood up as Jack quietly excused himself from where she had been sitting on him.

"My dad is a down there doctor." Jack stated, standing up and stretching.

"Is that why you're so fascinated and obsessed with vaginas?" Erika asked taking the chair back.

"Yes. Yes it is." Jack nodded with a straight face, before laughing. "I'm going to get drinks, anybody want anything?"

Both girls shook their heads, still having half a glass of lemonade each. Rian decided to follow Jack, giving Codi the perfect window to talk to Erika. Watching both of the boys walk toward the house, Erika made a joke about them looking for Alex, in case he fell in the toilet. Codi snorted in reply, causing Rian and Jack to laugh as they disappeared into the house.

"What do you think about Alex?" Codi asked taking a sip of her lemonade and wasting no time.

"He's a nice guy, why?" Erika asked cautiously looking at her best friend.

Codi shrugged, sitting her glass down she continued. "He's a decent guy, just wondering how you felt is all. Do you think he's cute?"

This was a bit sudden, but Erika would go with it to humor Codi.

"Okay, I thought we were leaving fangirling behind for a few days." Erika chuckled, getting an eye roll from Codi. "Plus, don't you like Rian? I mean it seems that way, staying over at his house and all."

"We are not talking about me." Codi excused that situation flawlessly.

Rian didn't know Codi well, but he did seem to really like her and he'd be lucky to have someone like Erika's best friend, of course Erika was bias. It seemed that the chance had come and Rian had made his move and intentions pretty clear. Had Rian not made a move, Erika would have had to kick him in the shins and hard.

"Fair enough." Erika giggled. "So why are you asking about Alex?"

"I thought maybe, you know, you liked him." Codi threw the idea out. "You two have spent a ton of time together and all."

Codi didn't have to say it, Erika knew that the "and all" part was in reference to the times Alex had tried his best to get something more than a hug or peck on the cheek from Erika. Why he wanted more, Erika had no idea. It was likely Alex was just a typical guy, horny and was willing to get it from any girl he could.

"He's a nice guy and he is sort of cute, but he's a friend." Erika answered. "I am being dead serious when I say; nothing would ever happen between us."

"Does Alex know this?" Codi asked finishing off her glass of lemonade.

"I think." Erika said a little apprehensively.

Probably not.