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~0.4: coffee dAtes~

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Alexis sits in her car across the street from the Apple Rose Grille, fixing her hair in the front mirror. She grabs her purse, gets out, and walks across the street. She enters the Grille, her hair and dress blowing in the wind as the door shuts behind her.

"Lexi!" Joshua calls out from the stools by the window.

"Josh, hey! Sorry I'm late, Aria had this thing-"

"It's okay, come sit."

"Aria, she's your...?"

"Sister, twin sister," she says, sitting beside him. She places her purse on the counter and faces him. "Fraternal, so we don't look exactly alike, just similar features."

"Any other siblings?" he asks, drinking his sweet tea.

"Younger brother, Mike. He's sweet. I think I'm his favorite twin, but don't tell Aria that," she whispers, laughing. Joshua joins in as a waitress brings over a lemonade. "What about you? Siblings?"

"Nope, only child. Thank you, Amy." The waitress walks away, and Alexis looks down at the lemonade.

"You got one when we first met, so I thought to order one for you," he says, and she looks up at him smiling.

"Thank you," she says, and her cheeks warm up, turning a light pink as she grabs the lemonade. "How was your first day?"

"It was great. I think I have a class with your friend. Spencer was her name, right?"

"Yeah, she's my best friend, well was." Alexis looks down, and Joshua notices the sadness in her eyes.

"What happened to you guys? If you don't mind me asking," he says, leaning his arm on the counter, staring at her.

"Alison's disappearance and my family moving to Iceland kind of drove a wedge into our relationship," she says, picking the straw out of her drink and putting it back in. "But I'm hoping Spence and I can become best friends again."

"Sounds like Alison really kept you guys together."

"So what do you like to do when you aren't listening to me talk about my friend's drama?" Alexis sighs, sipping her drink.

"I, uh, write, play guitar, and I'm thinking of trying out for lacrosse," he says, his brown eyes meeting her green ones.

"Guitar, huh?"

"Hey, don't insult the guitar. So, what do you like to do?"

"Paint, but I mostly read now."

"Why?"

"Do you always ask so many questions?"

"How else am I supposed to get to know you?"

"I stopped painting after-uh, you know what, I'm going to go order another one of these," she says, quickly getting up before he can stop her. She stands in line behind a couple, and her phone buzzes in her back pocket. She takes it out, opens it, and looks at the A text.

cAreful Lexi, don't get too close, he just might abandon you too... -A

Tears swell up in her eyes as she turns off her phone.

"Hey, I was gonna e-mail you when I got home," Alexis hears from beside her, quickly gaining her composure before facing the person. She sees Spencer standing beside her, crossing her arms. "How weird was that lunch?"

"I'd say on a scale from one to ten...eleven," Alexis watches as the door to the Grille opens, and Melissa walks in with a guy. "Is that the new fiancé? Is he as uptight as Melissa?"

"No one's as uptight as Melissa," Spencer answers, and the two girls laugh. "Is that Joshua?"

"Yes," Alexis says, smiling, her cheeks flushing pink.

"Oh my god, you like him!"

"I do not, he's just a friend."

"You're blushing!"

"I'm not," Alexis says, covering her face as Spencer giggles.

"I'd better get back."

"All right, bye, Spence." Alexis watches Spencer walk over to her table before she turns around and orders another lemonade.

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Alexis sits at her desk, opening her jewelry box. She removes her earrings and places them into the box, keeping the necklace Jason gave her on. She moves some earrings and rings around, looking for a pair to go with her outfit. Alexis spots the name bracelet Alison got her under a pair of silver dangling earrings.

Sighing, she takes the bracelet into her hands. She feels the beaded texture on her fingertips. She stopped wearing it after Alison disappeared. The last day she wore it was the same day Jason broke up with her.

The six girls sit in the Apple Rose Grille, hanging out and laughing.

"I got you guys something," Alison says, handing each girl a different color pouch.

"What's the occasion?" Spencer asks beside Alexis and across from Alison. Alexis looks down at the teal pouch Alison gave her.

"You'll see. Open 'em." The five girls open their pouches, pulling out a beaded purple bracelet. Each one looked the same, the only difference being the name on each one-their names. Alexis looks down at her bracelet with her name on it-a smile on her face. "We'll be friends forever."

Alexis helps Spencer put hers on, and Spencer does the same in return.

"Can you put mine on for me, Em?"

Alexis drops the bracelet back into the jewelry box. She shuts the box, walking over to her bed, lying down. Her phone starts to ring, and she grabs it from her nightstand.

"Hello?"

"Lexi, can we talk?" Spencer asks. Alexis quickly sits up, recognizing the tone in Spencer's voice.

"Yeah, hold on." Alexis walks over to her door, closing it before jumping back onto her bed. "What's up?"

"Wren kissed me."

"Wait, Melissa's Wren?"

"Yes, my sister's fiancé," Spencer says. "I don't know what to do. I'm freaking out."

"Just tell-"

"No! She won't believe me, and that's not the worst part."

"What could be worse than your sister's fiancé kissing you?" Alexis asks, lying on her stomach.

"I kissed him back."

"Spencer!" she shouts, covering her mouth.

"I know! But I pushed him off as soon as I realized it was wrong." Spencer explains.

"Okay, so telling her is out of the question. She didn't see, did she?"

"I don't think so. I hope not. Oh my god, Lexi, what if she saw? She's never going to forgive me for this," Spencer rambles, freaking out, and Alexis pictures her pacing in her room.

"I don't think any would forgive someone for kissing their fiancé."

"Not helping!"

"Sorry. Okay, look, maybe Melissa didn't see. So, just see how she acts tomorrow and go from there."

"You're right. I just need to calm down." Spencer takes deep breaths before changing the subject. "Thank you, Lexi."

"No problem, Spence. I'm always here for you."

"I'll see you at school?"

"Yeah, see you at school." Alexis waits for Spencer to hang up before putting her phone back on her nightstand. She flips over onto her back, looking up at her ceiling. She thinks of Alison, but soon her mind wanders to Jason.

She never understood why her mind always wanders to Jason, but it does every time she thinks of Alison. The day Alison caught them returns to her mind, making her giggle.

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"I'm going to go get some water. I'll be right back, okay, Ali?" Alexis says, pushing herself off of Alison's bed.

"Yeah, sure, but hurry up."

She walks out of Alison's room and downstairs into her kitchen. She opens the cabinet, grabbing a glass. She jumps as muscular arms wrap around her waist, pushing her up against the counter.

"I miss you," Jason whispers in her ear. His voice is raspy, probably from sleeping in his room.

"Jason, Ali's upstairs, she could see us."

"I don't care." He spins her around, looking down at her. He kisses her, and she wraps her arms around his neck-pulling him closer. He lifts her onto the counter, knocking the glass cup over.

His tongue traces the bottom of her lip, asking for entrance. Without a second thought, she lets him in. He moves his tongue around with hers before she lets him take control. Alexis runs her fingers through his hair as she wraps her legs around his waist. His warm hands slide under her shirt, gripping her hips.

"Lexi, what's taking so-Jason!" Alison yells. Alexis quickly pushes Jason back, jumping down from the counter.

"Ali, wait," Alexis says, but Alison doesn't even acknowledge her.

"I told you to stay away from my friends, Jason. But you couldn't help yourself," the blonde says, crossing her arms. She looks from Jason to Alexis, an unreadable expression on her face. "Did he force you?"

"What! Ali, no!" Alexis shouts, letting go of Jason's arm.

"He did, didn't he? God, you are so disgusting, Jason!"

"I didn't force her into anything, Alison, god!"

"You're one to judge Ali," Alexis says sternly. "Jason, you should go."

Jason walks past Alison, not breaking eye contact with his sister. Alexis watches Jason walk upstairs to his room before looking back at Alison.

"He didn't force me to do anything. I let him kiss me."

"Are you going to tell your parents?"

"No, you know I can't do that."

"Well, you better," Alison says. She looks at Alexis with a judgemental look, the same look she gave girls she thought were ugly.

"Or what, Alison?"

"Or I will?"

"I'm your best friend. You would do that to me?" Alexis asks. She places a hand over her heart, hurt by the fact that her best friend wouldn't keep this a secret.

"If you stop seeing my brother, I'll think about not telling your parents," Alison says, stepping closer to Alexis, the tone in her voice threatening. "But if you give me any reason to think you're with Jason, I will call Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery and blab all about your dirty little secret."

Alexis opens her eyes, looking back up at her ceiling. She sighs before turning over and shutting off her bedside lamp. She covers herself with her blanket and falls asleep.

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Sunday Spetember 2010

"I hate Sundays," Alexis groans, getting into the car with her mom and Mike.

"Same," Mike groans in the backseat. The two Montgomery siblings laugh as their mom turns on the car, shaking her head at her children.

"How's lacrosse, Mike?"

"It's great, we just got a new player, some new kid-"

"Josh," Alexis says, smiling. Her mom eyes her daughter, this being the first time she's heard her oldest talk about a boy.

"Yeah. He's cool, a great player, too."

"Who's this boy?" her mom asks, making a left turn.

"Joshua, he's new to Rosewood. I met him at school," she says, facing her mother.

"Is this who you went to see at the Grille yesterday?"

"Yes, and stop asking so many questions. He's just a friend." Her mom laughs, and Alexis turns, looking out the passenger window.

Ella pulls into the driveway of their house, parking behind her and Aria's car. Alexis exits the car, holding onto one of the many to-go bags they got at the Chinese restaurant they love. Her mom goes to the front door and unlocks it. Mike follows behind another with another bag in his hands.

"Mr. Chung was very happy to see us," Ella says as they walk through the door. Mike closes the door behind them, placing his food bag next to the one Alexis puts on the coffee table. She spots Aria, soaking wet from the rain. She smiles at her twin before looking over at her father.

"From the looks of all of this food, I'm sure that he was," he says, straightening out on the couch.

"We got you, Kung Pao," Ella says to Aria as Alexis sits beside Mike. Aria reaches towards her mom, and Bryon looks at her.

"You're...you're not going out tonight?"

"No. No, I think I'll stay home," Aria answers, smiling while opening her food.

"I like the sound of that," Ella says. They unpack all of the food, throwing out the brown bags. Alexis takes a bite of her food, holding the chopsticks in her hand.

"Is this good?" Byron asks her.

"Mm, yeah," she says, offering some to him. "You want some?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"I'm going to go get out of these wet clothes, okay?" Aria says, getting up. Alexis watches her sister walk upstairs and looks back to her parents.

"Okay."

"Try this?"

"No, thanks. I'm good."

"You're good?"

"I'm good," Ella says, assuring Byron. "I think I got too much food. I told you, Mr. Chung was very happy."

"That's fine."

Alexis smiles-her heart warms, watching her parents and Mike. Spending time with her family became one of her favorite things after Alison disappeared and they moved to Iceland. It kept her distracted from the fact that her best friend was missing-now murdered and she still misses her.

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Hey! Again, sorry for such a late update. Chapter 5 will be out sometime this week to make up for it!

I can't wait to develop Alexis and Mike's sibling relationship, it's going to be so wholesome!

Also, can't wait for Jason to show up, so we can finally get some Alexis and Jason interactions that aren't flashbacks!

Thank you so much for the support!

Don't forget to comment and vote<3 It means a lot!