"Says you. You're good at everything," I huff, staring at the wheel in front of me.
"Do I need to remind you of my dancing efforts? I can't do everything, Dakota." Just the thought of Alex dancing has me laugh.
"Moving on," he says, and starts telling me what to do. Turn the key in the ignition, put foot on brake, shift into drive, lower handbrake, softly press accelerator, softly press brake.
Within minutes I am driving in circles around the yard with very little instruction from Alex. Willow is the only one still in the yard and she gives me the 'thumbs up' every time I go past.
"Feeling a bit more confident?" Alex asks as I go for my tenth lap.
"I can drive!" Is all I can say, with the biggest smile on my face.
"See? It's easy when you know how," he tells me.
That it is. We circle the yard a few more times before the sun begins to set and Alex says we have to go home. He asks if I want to drive back to the city but I remind him that I don't have a license. So we switch places and everyone climbs in the back.
Willow is full of praise about my driving skills and the twins agree, but then move on to catching up with their cousin. I stay quiet as Alex tells them all of what has been happening since the last time they saw him. We are back in the city by the time they move on to what I have deemed a touchy subject.
"Your parents are coming tomorrow, aren't they?" Samuel braves the topic and I notice Alex grows stiff, nodding.
"I think Oma said they will be here at eleven. When's your flight home?" Willow asks, her voice careful.
Alex turns down the familiar street with all the holiday houses as the sun sets behind the horizon. "It's at one."
"Do you want me to take you to the airport before?" Fletcher offers. I contemplate asking why Alex is avoiding his parents but I have to wait until he's ready to tell me.
"You know Opa won't like that," Alex tells them, pulling into his grandparents' driveway.
"He's just wants to fix things between you all," Willow tells him. The car is off but no one moves.
Alex rakes a hand through his hair, closing his eyes. "Some things can't be fixed."
"Oma will understand. How about we leave at half past ten?" Fletcher asks, opening his car door.
"Okay."
"Okay," the twin nods, before trying a smile. "Let's go get some dinner."
It's hard to get through dinner pretending that I'm not worried about Alex. Everyone is laughing and having a good time, eating exquisite German food while I try to join in. It's hard because I've never thought to worry about Alex before. He's always the strong one, the one who's always mucking around, never serious. And in the past half hour I've seen the opposite of what I thought him to be, and it's hard to not ask what causes it.
He's not thinking about it now though, as he is laughing with everyone else. I suppose if he can forget about it for the moment then so can I.
"We eat apple strudel for dessert," Jana says as Willow and I help her clear the table. I'm not sure I can eat anything more. I am so full I feel like my stomach will explode and from the groan from Willow, she is thinking the same.
The boys are, however, not.
"Woohoo, strudel!" Samuel exclaims.
"Thank God, I'm starving!" Fletcher adds.
DU LIEST GERADE
365 Days
Romantik"I am going to die." Yes, you heard right. Dakota Everett is going to die. She is given a year and wants to do as much as she can. The trouble is, she's 17, so a lot of the things she wants to do, she can't yet. So she makes a list of all the thing...
