Chapter 3

"S.O.S. please someone help me.

It's not healthy... for me to feel this way

Y.O.U. are making this hard..."

"Ok is it just me or are the songs dumber and dumber these days?" I said as we stepped out the car and walked into Friday's.

"Where is the magic the songs once held? The mystery... the love?"

"What are you talking about Lex? There is serious mystique in "The Pimp's in the Crib Ma, Drop it like it's hot..."

"Max! geez -- It's not that I'm inclined to believe in love at 1st sight or even I have time for anything as asinine as that but I'm really beginning to believe romance is as dead as TuPac."

"Wait hold up 'Pac is really dead?... it's official? No more posthumous albums?... Since when? Damn and I was really hoping to cut an album with him in a few years — it'll be like Santana and Rob Thomas only sexier and you know gritty, yeah that'll put me on the map."

"Why do I even bother?" I ask the ceiling while we are being seated.

"So tell me Lex - this new found exasperation would have a thing to do with a certain Mr. SoCo would it?"

"Must you always give people nicknames Max? What's wrong with the ones their parents gave them?"

"Cuz she can't be bothered remembering trivial details like the names of all the little minions in her dominion?" Dani quips.

The comment is so on the mark but the laughter is cut short as we order.

"So still no sight of the Amazing Aiden huh?"

"I'd hardly call him 'Amazing'"

"I would — he's managed to have your goal oriented self fixated on him hasn't he?"

"No he doesn't — he just momentarily fascinated me is all — end of discussion — new subject please."

"How about 'Murderous Torture' for $500 Alex?"

"Ok I'll bite what's it's new with you, oh seriously sadistic one?"

"Let's see my rather distant and barely known grandparents would like for me to spend the summer out in Iowa with them, oh the horror"

"What's so wrong with that? Maybe they want you do get to know them."

"What so wrong with it? You have to ask? I'd never spent more than 2 days with these people and now they want me to come live with them for 3 months? In Iowa! I mean what's the cow to people ratio there 3:1? What the hell am I going to do in Iowa — I mean has anything worth while ever come out of Iowa?"

"A Hobbit and at least 2 Hotties!"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Elijah Wood, Ashton Kutcher and that cutie who plays the new Superman, I thought everybody knew that"

"Your ability to retain random useless information astounds even me, it defines all medical convention."

"Scoff all you want but one of these days I'll clean up more than Ken Jennings wait and see, I'll leave that place bankrupted in my quake"

"No, no I wouldn't dream of scoffing I need my share of those winnings to pay off my soon to be enormous student loans."

"Speaking of which -- the real reason we are here — To CELEBRATE!"

"Geez could you say it a little louder I don't think the people over in the next booth quite heard you."

"Oh baby I'll do better than that."

"Can I have your attention please?"

"Maximillan Yvette Price! Oh no don't you dare... you wouldn't..." Seeing the look in her eyes I slump down in the chair waiting for the inevitable.

"Oh oo using full names are we? Just for that -- watch me — Dani if you'd please?" she says standing on the (luckily) empty table to our immediate right.

"Sure thing babe — I just wish I had a video camera for this one." Grinning Dani stands on the chair next to her — oh man why didn't I notice that we were right in the middle of the restaurant before I opened my mouth? — Places her fingers in her mouth and lets out a long loud whistle that I am sure can be heard all the way out the door.

"Hey Aiden, is it just me or did everybody in the place just freeze?, I can't be positive but I'm pretty sure it had something to do with the stunningly gorgeous duo trying to get everyone's attention."

"Just a couple drunk college girls" I say as I watch 2 beautiful and tastefully dressed but obviously drunk girls scream for everyone's attention — wondering to myself who long it would take the one in the heels to topple over and the smaller of the two was barefoot.

"Ladies & Gentleman I would like a minute of your time please... My best friends and I are here to celebrate our residence genius acceptance into the University Pre-Med Program. Yes give it up that's right... Lexi stand up — say hello to the nice people."

That's when I noticed the figure slumped down in the booth raise — she must be pretty embarrassed, I would be — they had some how gotten her stand on the remaining empty chair next to them and then she turned and I saw her face — it was like being sucker punched.