Strangely Perfect

52. Breaking Tradition

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Pretty long chapter ahead so buckle up : )

F I F T Y  T W O:

From: Alex
No party at mine, we're going to Stefan Peters New Years party.

To say I was confused would be an understatement. It was practically tradition to celebrate New Years at Alex's. We did it for as long as I could remember. We'd do group baking, get drunk in the comfort of Alex's house and have a group sleepover. It was something I always looked forward to.

From: Alex
I'm not risking having Wes 'accidentally' invite the whole student body over again.

It was one time and it was a disaster. Alex called the cops on her own house just to make everyone leave.

I resist my temptation to ask Alex where she'd been. After Jamie's first chemotherapy sessions, Alex was MIA once again. The last I heard was that she and Danny were going out to dinner with her mother in hopes that it'd make Jenifer leave. And after that day, she disappeared. She didn't even show at Christmas like she normally did or sleepover on Christmas Eve. It was tradition. And I couldn't give mom an exact answer as to why she wasn't around and I didn't know what to say to the other relatives who all considered Alex family too. She wouldn't answer her texts or calls, it was like she had shut off her phone and misplaced it. She seemed totally fine in Jamie's chemo session so I was at a loss.

At first I had thought she was mad at me, so I asked Jamie and Jamie also hadn't heard from her. I missed her reaction that I knew I'd get on Christmas and I knew she would've loved the fact that Adam showed up to gift me with a Christmas present. It was a silver frog charm on a necklace and it was the best gift I had ever received. I felt bad that I had brought him an ice cream maker and not something sentimental like he did. But he seemed to love it. And let's not forget the epic kiss he gave me under the mistletoe that mom had strategically placed about our heads on the porch. It was perfect. He was perfect.

Alex had disappeared for more than a week and that was the first I was hearing from her. A text about the New Years. Sure I was relieved that she wasn't laying dead somewhere, but I was still worried at why she went missing for so long. My phone felt boring without the constant spam of Alex sending me random memes or a spam of texts of her line of thought.

My phone rings with a group call before I could send a simple text message to Alex that wasn't too intrusive or nosy. I answered and was immediately connected to Jamie and we both waited for Alex to join.

"She text you?" I asked.

"Yeah." Jamie said at the same time Alex joined. I put the call on speaker whilst I brushed through my hair. I was too unsure and cautious to ask Alex about her whereabouts but Jamie clearly wasn't, "where the hell have you been for the last few days, Lex?"

"Hey to you too,"

"Alex, where were you? I almost called the cop-"

"You're so dramatic." Alex sighed.

"Why didn't you answer anything. You completely ghosted us!" Jamie huffed.

Alex was silent for a second and I slowly brushed my hair waiting for her answer. "I lost my phone okay? Turns out Jenifer took it so I'd, quote unquote, spend more time with her."

"Jenifer really being extra." I commented. "She should just take a hint."

"It's cool, she did pay for it after all, oh yeah, I got a new phone." Alex responded.