Adventures of Alexis Davenport Series

by West, Shay

  Her buzzing phone stopped her from doing something that would result in a grounding. She swiped the phone and saw a text from Jenn, asking if she could come over to catch up on the time travel notebook. Alex sighed, not really certain she wanted company and yet not wanting to be alone while her mom giggled and carried on like a teenager.

  While she waited for Jenn to arrive, she ate a quick breakfast, fury rising when her mom continued to sit in her room chatting on the phone. Like she has something to hide. Alex rolled her eyes.

  She heard Jenn’s car screech into the driveway, as was her usual entrance. The girl didn’t know the meaning of slowing down before hitting the brakes.

  “Is your mom still asleep?”

  “No. Just in her room talking to the dork from yesterday.”

  Jenn cleared her throat. “Sounds like she’s pretty serious about the guy.”

  “She can be serious about him all she wants. I refuse to have anything to do with him.”

  “He can’t be that bad, Alex.”

  “Mom and I don’t need anyone. We’re fine on our own.” Alex shoved open her door, hoping her mom had overheard the two talking in the hallway.

  While Jenn situated herself on the messy bed, Alex carried her laptop over to her small white desk. She wanted to see if Sean or Gavin had contacted her. She sighed in disappointment when she saw that her inbox was empty.

  “Okay, I’m ready. Tell me everything about the girl in the mirror and what happened with Sean and Gavin. Send me the email so I’ll have it word-for-word.”

  “I already told you everything about the girl.” Alex forwarded the email from Sean and Gavin to Jenn’s email address.

  “Did you try to make the mirror change?”

  “Yeah, and it didn’t work. I don’t have enough information to go on.”

  Jenn breathed out a frustrated sigh. “That’s not very helpful.”

  “I can’t help it. I tried. Hopefully she’ll show up again and I can get a better look at her.”

  “It’s so weird hearing you say you hope she comes back. It wasn’t too long ago that you wished the mirror would never change again.”

  “Guess I’m getting used to it. And I don’t want that evil Traveler to do something to hurt her.”

  “Me neither. Well, since there isn’t new information for the book, want to practice our lines?”

  Alex groaned. She hadn’t even looked at her lines since Ms. Edwards handed them out. “Sure, but I haven’t even looked at mine.”

  “We have plenty of time. Besides, you can memorize them quickly.”

  The girls worked on their lines until lunchtime. Alex was so engrossed in her character that she didn’t hear when her mother got off the phone or when she called them for lunch. It was only when she rapped loudly on the door that Alex shook herself out of her character’s head.

  Her mom opened the door. “You girls hungry?”

  “Starving. We’ve been going over these lines for hours,” Jenn groaned.

  “I have turkey wraps and some chips out on the patio.”

  “Thanks, mom.” Alex wanted to confront her mom about who she was talking to that morning but decided to wait so as not to embarrass Jenn.

  After Jenn left that afternoon, Alex took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She didn’t want to fight with her mother but she couldn’t let her make the biggest mistake of her life.

  “So who were you talking to this morning?” Alex was proud that her voice barely quivered.

  Patricia cleared her throat and blushed. “Bruce called to set up our date.”

  “Seems sort of rude to call that early when some people in the house were trying to sleep.”

  “I’m sorry if I woke you. I didn’t think I was being that loud.”

  “Well, you were. Why do you have to see him anyway? We don’t need anyone.”

  “Funny, I don’t remember disallowing you to date someone.” Patricia stood with her hands on her hips.

  “That’s different.”

  “No, it isn’t. I’m sorry that you don’t like the idea, but I am a grown up and don’t need your permission to see someone. But I’d rather you try to understand.”

  “Oh, I understand all right. You’re in a hurry to replace my father with a new one. Well, I’m not interested!”

  “Now you listen here, young lady. I’m not trying to find a substitute father. I want to find an adult male that I can spend some time with. I’m lonely, Alex. Sorry if that offends you.”

  Alex recoiled at the anger growing in her mom’s voice. “You can see him all you want. Just keep me out of it.” She stormed off and slammed her door, wincing a little when the large mirror hanging in the wall shimmied a little from the force.

  She huffed as she threw herself on her bed, wanting to text Jenn and yet wanting to be alone at the same time. She wanted to post on Facebook and Twitter about the unfairness of her life and yet she didn’t want anything to do with anyone. It was a strange mixture of emotions that confused her and only added to her anger and frustration.

  Why does mom need someone other than me?

  The thought of her mom seeing a man made her stomach clench. Another man wouldn’t be her dad. Even though he had walked out on them years ago, he was the only man she had ever seen her mom with. It would be too weird to watch her kiss someone else.

  A timid knock at the door interrupted her whirling thoughts. When she didn’t answer, her mom opened the door slowly.

  “Can I come in?”

  “A little late to ask since you already did.”

  “Alright, Alex, I get that you are upset, but I’m still your mother and I won’t allow you to talk to me like that.”

  Alex glared at the legs of her computer desk. She refused to get up off her bed and look at her mom.

  “What is it about Bruce that bothers you so much?”

  “Everything. You don’t need some guy in your life.”

  “I know I don’t need a man. But they are kind of nice to spend time with now and again. Believe it or not, Alex, you’ll understand some day.” Patricia sat on the edge of Alex’s bed.

  “Whatever you say.”

  “I’ve invited him for dinner tonight. I suggest you be on your best behavior. I’d hate to send you to your room in front of our guest like a child.”

  “I’d rather not be here. Can I go to Jenn’s instead?”

  “No, you may not. You will conduct yourself like an adult or you’ll be sent to your room. I’m going to the store in a little bit. I expect you to be here when I get home.”

  Alex threw her pillow at the door after her mom left, angry tears spilling down her cheeks. She grabbed her computer and tried to lose herself in an endless parade of status updates, pins, and tweets. As each moment brought the inevitable dinner closer, Alex was more and more tempted to leave the house and risk her mother’s wrath. Sitting through dinner with her mom and Bruce was going to be worse than death at the hands of the evil Traveler.

  But Alex knew that if she left the house she’d be grounded until she was eighteen and would never be allowed to get her driver’s license.

  And yet the temptation was still there.

  She refused to leave her room when she heard her mom return. Music drifted through the house. It was her mom’s favorite Pandora station playing a mixture of oldies. Once upon a time, when her parents had been happy, they danced to this music in their tiny home. She would wiggle her way between them and all three would dance around the living room.

  I bet Bruce doesn’t even like this music.

  Part of her felt a little guilty for not helping her mom with dinner or setting the table but she ignored that tiny voice in her head and chatted with her friends on Facebook instead. When the doorbell rang, she rolled her eyes, knowing Bruce the Dork would be making a fool of himself.

  Her door opened moments later.

  “Our guest is relaxing outside on the patio. I expect you to come join us in a few minutes.”

  Alex rolled h
er eyes and refused to answer. She tried to find something important she needed to do, something related to homework or consoling a dying friend or someone that needed her kidney in the next three seconds so that she could put off going outside as long as possible.

  Knowing she was pushing her mom’s limits, Alex slid off the bed and shuffled to the kitchen. Her mom and Bruce were sitting under the covered patio, laughing and drinking tall glasses of iced tea. Alex grabbed a glass out of the cupboard and poured her own glass of tea. She could focus on it and sip it when she was about to say something that would get her shipped out of the country or to the nearest convent.

  “Here she is. Finished with your homework?”

  Alex didn’t miss the edge in her mother’s voice. “All done.”

  Patricia turned to Bruce. “She’s such a good student.”

  “My oldest was always good at school. The youngest, not so much.”

  Alex mumbled something as she sat down on the bench next to the patio table. She could feel her mom’s eyes on her and refused to glance toward the pair. She might have to sit out here and play nice but she wasn’t going to sit at the same table with them.

  She ignored the small talk between her mom and Bruce and watched the birds gathered around the feeders in the large back yard. She had learned the names of all the ones that frequented their yard: finches, starlings, sparrows, red-winged black birds, pigeons and doves. The sun had gone behind the red stone mountains of the Monument hours ago, leaving the back yard shrouded in shadows.

  “Mind helping with dinner, Alex?”

  She sighed loudly and plunked her glass on the table next to the bench. She schlumped into the house, refusing to look at Bruce.

  “You are pushing it, young lady.”

  “I’m not going to fall all over the guy like you are. I don’t like him.”

  “You don’t even know him!”

  “And that’s the way I like it.”

  Alex grabbed the plastic patio plates and bowls out of the cabinet and loaded them onto a tray. Silverware and a full bowl of salad soon followed. She risked a glance in her mother’s direction and a stab of guilt wormed its way into her gut. Her mom’s face was red and Alex could see her throat working as though she was trying to fight tears.

  She carried the tray outside and held the door with her foot. Bruce jumped up and took the tray from Alex’s hands. She grunted something that she hoped sounded like “thank you”.

  She was spared any small talk while they loaded their plates with food. Bruce complimented everything and wrung his hands nervously. For a moment, Alex felt sorry for the guy.

  “Bruce has invited us to his winery next weekend.”

  Alex pasted on what she hoped was a smile. “I’ll be busy with rehearsals next weekend.”

  “Surely you can spare a few hours to tour the winery?”

  Despite the warning in her mom’s voice, Alex answered, “Sorry, mom. Our first play is only a month away. Besides, I’m working at the store Saturday and Sunday.”

  “It’s okay. Some other time,” Bruce said.

  Alex looked up at Bruce and hated the feeling of relief at his words. She didn’t want to feel grateful to him, even if he was helping her to avoid spending more time with him.

  She stared at her plate while her mom and Bruce ate and chatted. As soon as she was done, Alex got up from the table and brought her plate into the house. She took her time loading her dirty dishes into the dishwasher, watching her mom through the window. When she gave no indication that she even knew her daughter wasn’t sitting at the table, Alex wandered into the living room to watch some television.

  Her heart rate sped up when she heard the back door open, readying itself for a confrontation. When none was forthcoming, Alex calmed a little. She heard her mom putting leftovers in the fridge and loading the dishwasher. The door to the patio opened again and she was left alone.

  Alex flicked through channels and settled on a program on the History channel about the taming of the West. When the show was over, she went to her room, not really tired but unwilling to stay in the living room in case her mom and Bruce decided they wanted to come inside.

  As she lay in the dark listening to her mom’s laughter, Alex wondered again what she saw in the guy.

  Why does she need someone? Aren’t I enough?

  CHAPTER 11

  THE NEXT MONTH flew by for Alex. Between rehearsals, working at the store, tutoring, and driving lessons, the days ran into one another in an endless stream. The girl she had seen in the rearview mirror hadn’t made another appearance and for that Alex was grateful. She had too much on her plate and couldn’t deal with a trip back through time right now.

  “I can’t believe they will be here tomorrow! Has it really been a month already?” Jenn asked while they ate lunch outside.

  The weather would soon be turning cold so Alex cherished these moments in the warmth of the sun.

  “I know, right?”

  “And you meant it when you said I could come with you?”

  “For the hundredth time, yes. You can come with me.”

  “Do you think they’ll mind if I take notes? For the book?”

  “I don’t know. I guess not.”

  “Well, I have to write all this down. I’m telling you, Alex, there’s money to be made. People love time travel stuff.”

  “Let’s get through high school before you turn us into famous authors, okay?”

  Jenn sighed. “If we are rich and famous, we won’t need high school.”

  “I plan on finishing. And going to college.”

  “Seriously? Even if we make millions in book sales and movies, you’ll still go to college?”

  “Of course! Why wouldn’t I?”

  Jenn looked at Alex like she had grown a second head. “You wouldn’t need to, that’s the point.”

  “Running a famous museum has been a dream of mine since I was a kid. Nothing will change that.”

  Jenn shrugged. “Suit yourself. I will spend my days traveling the world and hanging out with famous people.”

  The two finished their lunch and headed back to class. Simon, Paul, and Amy had gone back in earlier, leaving the two girls alone to discuss the impending visit by Sean and Gavin. Alex couldn’t focus on her class work. Even her acting was suffering. She flubbed through well enough so that she didn’t ruin every rehearsal but she wished she could force her nerves to slow down and get back to normal.

  After her last class, she headed to the restroom before going to the tutoring session. For some of the students, the tutoring was paying off. They had passed their first exams of the semester and gained a little confidence in their ability to do something other than run, or throw a ball.

  As for the others, Alex wanted to wash her hands of them. They refused to listen to her study tips, never participated in the quiz sessions, didn’t do the note cards. Rather than spend her time trying to reach them, Alex focused her time on those students who were trying to do better.

  She stared at her reflection in the mirror while she put on lip gloss. Suddenly, her reflection shifted to that of the tired woman she had seen in the rearview mirror of the Blazer.

  The woman was dressed in a nurse’s uniform. It looked old to Alex. She had blonde hair and the same bright blue eyes Alex remembered from the last visit. Her uniform was buttoned to the top and closed with a pin that had a red cross in the middle. The woman’s eyes widened and her mouth moved quickly as she backed away, crossing herself in Catholic fashion.

  Alex shook her head and the image shifted back to that of her own face. She turned and leaned against the counter, trying to figure out what was happening. In the past, when the reflection changed, she had been drawn to touch the mirror. With this woman, it was different. Alex remained in complete control of herself.

  What is happening?

  Rather than worry about it, she pushed the oddity to the back of her mind. Sean and Gavin would be here tomorrow and she would ask them about this. She g
rabbed her phone out of her back pocket and hurriedly sent a text to Jenn. Alex rushed off to the tutoring classroom, flushing a little when she saw she was the only one who hadn’t yet arrived.

  She tried to push the distractions aside so she could focus on helping the students for their next round of exams, but her mind kept returning to the nurse. The uniform looked familiar and Alex wanted to get her hands on a computer so she could look up pictures of old nurse uniforms.

  Alex rushed to meet Jenn when the class was over so they could head over to rehearsals. She wondered how she was going to remember any lines with the strange woman’s face taking up every spare inch of space in her brain.

  “I can’t believe you saw her again!” Jenn said breathlessly as they walked to the university.

  “I know! I hope Gavin and Sean can tell me why this time is so different. No weird vibes or anything. The normalness is freaking me out.”

  “Only you could say something like that and have it totally make sense.”

  The pair walked into the theater, feeling out of place on the college campus. They felt so small and young, like everyone knew they didn’t belong.

  “Is it just me or are college guys super hot?”

  Alex rolled her eyes. “You have a boyfriend, remember?”

  “Doesn’t mean I can’t look.”

  “It actually sorta does.”

  “Well, what about you? You’re “Little Miss Single.” You should go for an older guy.”

  “No, thank you. I’m good being by myself,” Alex said sharply.

  “Why the attitude?”

  Alex sighed. “Sorry. I’m just touchy about the subject.”

  “You didn’t used to be.”

  “It’s this thing with my mom and Bruce.” Alex put as much acid into her voice as she could when she said his name.

  “I still don’t see what the big deal is. Your mom’s a big girl and your dad left a long time ago, Alex. Maybe you should give the guy a chance.”

  “Mom and I don’t need a man around. What’s the point? So he can drink and be a jerk and leave us?” Alex was surprised to hear the hitch in her voice.

  “Alex, not every guy is like that.”