Life Less Ordinary (A/T, Teen) -- Part 1 (1/17)
Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 1:42 pm
TITLE: Life Less Ordinary
Author: JO (aka JOLovesRoswell)
DISCLAIMER: The characters of Roswell are the property of Twentieth Century Fox Television and Regency Productions. All original characters and concepts are the property of the author. No profit has been made from the distribution of this work of fiction.
CATEGORY: post-Destiny/beginning of Season 2, AU (A/T)
RATING: Teen to Mature
SUMMARY: Alex and Tess become…close.
Author's Note: So...*cough*...I'm totally and completely blaming Kath7 for being here. I also blame Alex because he wouldn't shut up! I do not know what's going to happen or how long this fic will be. All I ask for is patience while I dust off the Roswell cobwebs in my brain.
LIFE LESS ORDINARY
Part 1
Alex Whitman sat in the first booth by the window nursing an orange soda. His hands pushed the half-empty glass back and forth, careful not to spill any remaining soda for fear of bringing attention to himself. It was bad enough he’d followed her to the Crashdown; he didn’t want her to catch him in the act.
Let it go, man!
Isabel laughed, and playfully swatted Grant Sorenson on the arm. Grant smiled. Alex groaned.
“Hey, Alex.”
“I wasn’t staring at Isabel,” he responded before he could stop himself. He glanced to his left, both surprised and curious to see Tess Harding standing at the edge of the table. “Oh, hi.” He straightened, pulling his outstretched legs from their reclining position on the opposite booth and placed his feet on the tile floor where they belonged. “You…you wanna sit down?”
Tess looked as shocked as he was by the question but she sat down anyway. “Thanks.”
He shrugged, thankful when she pulled out a menu a couple of minutes later. Alex chugged the remaining soda while Tess scanned the menu. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he slammed the plastic glass to the table as Isabel’s laughter once again echoed through the deserted café. “You want a Coke or something?”
“Oh, okay. Coke with lime.” Tess reached into her purse but Alex waived her off.
“My treat. I need a refill anyway.” He shook the empty glass then stood up from the booth.
Just get to the counter. That’s all. To the counter and back.
He bellied up to the counter just as Agnes disappeared into the back of the kitchen. “Great,” he mumbled then quickly glanced to his right at Isabel and Grant. It had been two days since Isabel had told him she couldn’t think about being with a guy, any guy. Yet, here she was with Grant Sorenson. Clearly a guy.
“Yeah?” Agnes reeked of cigarette smoke and her mood was always sour, but after years of spending more time at the Crashdown—or in Liz’s apartment—than he did at home, Alex was used to it.
“I’d like a refill, Agnes. The usual. And a Coke with lime.” He dug into his pocket and placed two dollars on the counter when the shadow to his right moved. He turned slowly and found Isabel staring at him. “Hey, Isabel.”
“Alex, h…hi. How are you?”
She looked good, though Alex never expected Isabel to look bad. Especially if she were on a date. Which she most certainly was on right now.
“Good,” he replied with a nod of his head. “You? Grant.”
“Hey.”
“I…I’m good.” He watched Isabel shift away from Grant. To the average person, it wouldn’t have even registered on their radar but to Alex, he knew Isabel was trying to distance herself physically from Grant solely for his benefit. It didn't make him feel better. In fact, it made the pit of his stomach drop all the way to his knees.
“That’s…great.”
“Here you go,” Agnes barked, and Alex blinked. He gave Isabel a smile then picked up the drinks and crossed the café back to his booth.
Presenting the Coke with lime to Tess, he sat down opposite her once again. “Agnes made it so if it’s not right, blame her.” She laughed and immediately tilted the glass to her lips.
“It’s perfect.”
“Good to know Agnes is good for something around here,” he said with a smile, propping his arm along the back of the booth. “Other than smokin’ up the joint. Mr. Parker will be pleased.” His gaze drifted to Isabel and he was secretly glad to see the space between she and Grant still present. “I don’t understand it.”
“Understand what?”
He caught himself and quickly shook his head, folding both of his palms around his glass as he huddled over it. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”
“Oh,” Tess replied. “I understand.”
“I don’t think you do.”
“You want something you can’t have,” she said, the bell on the door signaling a new customer. She paused and Alex watched Max walk past them on a direct course toward Isabel. “I completely understand.”
Max and Isabel exited the café moments later, leaving Grant in their wake, and Alex wondered if maybe Tess could relate to his predicament. If Tess was the only one who could…
Author: JO (aka JOLovesRoswell)
DISCLAIMER: The characters of Roswell are the property of Twentieth Century Fox Television and Regency Productions. All original characters and concepts are the property of the author. No profit has been made from the distribution of this work of fiction.
CATEGORY: post-Destiny/beginning of Season 2, AU (A/T)
RATING: Teen to Mature
SUMMARY: Alex and Tess become…close.
Author's Note: So...*cough*...I'm totally and completely blaming Kath7 for being here. I also blame Alex because he wouldn't shut up! I do not know what's going to happen or how long this fic will be. All I ask for is patience while I dust off the Roswell cobwebs in my brain.
LIFE LESS ORDINARY
Part 1
Alex Whitman sat in the first booth by the window nursing an orange soda. His hands pushed the half-empty glass back and forth, careful not to spill any remaining soda for fear of bringing attention to himself. It was bad enough he’d followed her to the Crashdown; he didn’t want her to catch him in the act.
Let it go, man!
Isabel laughed, and playfully swatted Grant Sorenson on the arm. Grant smiled. Alex groaned.
“Hey, Alex.”
“I wasn’t staring at Isabel,” he responded before he could stop himself. He glanced to his left, both surprised and curious to see Tess Harding standing at the edge of the table. “Oh, hi.” He straightened, pulling his outstretched legs from their reclining position on the opposite booth and placed his feet on the tile floor where they belonged. “You…you wanna sit down?”
Tess looked as shocked as he was by the question but she sat down anyway. “Thanks.”
He shrugged, thankful when she pulled out a menu a couple of minutes later. Alex chugged the remaining soda while Tess scanned the menu. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he slammed the plastic glass to the table as Isabel’s laughter once again echoed through the deserted café. “You want a Coke or something?”
“Oh, okay. Coke with lime.” Tess reached into her purse but Alex waived her off.
“My treat. I need a refill anyway.” He shook the empty glass then stood up from the booth.
Just get to the counter. That’s all. To the counter and back.
He bellied up to the counter just as Agnes disappeared into the back of the kitchen. “Great,” he mumbled then quickly glanced to his right at Isabel and Grant. It had been two days since Isabel had told him she couldn’t think about being with a guy, any guy. Yet, here she was with Grant Sorenson. Clearly a guy.
“Yeah?” Agnes reeked of cigarette smoke and her mood was always sour, but after years of spending more time at the Crashdown—or in Liz’s apartment—than he did at home, Alex was used to it.
“I’d like a refill, Agnes. The usual. And a Coke with lime.” He dug into his pocket and placed two dollars on the counter when the shadow to his right moved. He turned slowly and found Isabel staring at him. “Hey, Isabel.”
“Alex, h…hi. How are you?”
She looked good, though Alex never expected Isabel to look bad. Especially if she were on a date. Which she most certainly was on right now.
“Good,” he replied with a nod of his head. “You? Grant.”
“Hey.”
“I…I’m good.” He watched Isabel shift away from Grant. To the average person, it wouldn’t have even registered on their radar but to Alex, he knew Isabel was trying to distance herself physically from Grant solely for his benefit. It didn't make him feel better. In fact, it made the pit of his stomach drop all the way to his knees.
“That’s…great.”
“Here you go,” Agnes barked, and Alex blinked. He gave Isabel a smile then picked up the drinks and crossed the café back to his booth.
Presenting the Coke with lime to Tess, he sat down opposite her once again. “Agnes made it so if it’s not right, blame her.” She laughed and immediately tilted the glass to her lips.
“It’s perfect.”
“Good to know Agnes is good for something around here,” he said with a smile, propping his arm along the back of the booth. “Other than smokin’ up the joint. Mr. Parker will be pleased.” His gaze drifted to Isabel and he was secretly glad to see the space between she and Grant still present. “I don’t understand it.”
“Understand what?”
He caught himself and quickly shook his head, folding both of his palms around his glass as he huddled over it. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”
“Oh,” Tess replied. “I understand.”
“I don’t think you do.”
“You want something you can’t have,” she said, the bell on the door signaling a new customer. She paused and Alex watched Max walk past them on a direct course toward Isabel. “I completely understand.”
Max and Isabel exited the café moments later, leaving Grant in their wake, and Alex wondered if maybe Tess could relate to his predicament. If Tess was the only one who could…