My crazy family - Modern Family S1

Bicycle thief

I raise an eyebrow, sensing trouble. "What's up, Alex? Already missing me?"

Alex rolls her eyes, clearly unamused by my attempt at humor. "Ha, ha. Real funny. It's about our history project. You promised to help, remember?"

I rack my brain, trying to recall any such promise. "Um, refresh my memory?"

Alex sighs, her frustration evident. "The project we've been working on for weeks? The one that's graded and worth a significant portion of our grade? I asked for your help, and you've been MIA. If you don't start putting an effort, you'll have to do it alone."

My eyes widen in realization, guilt creeping in. "Oh, right. I totally forgot about that. I'm sorry, Alex. I've just been caught up in... well, life, I guess. But I promise I'll make it up to you. Let's sit down and work on it together, okay?"

Alex's expression softens slightly, and she nods. "Okay, fine. But you better actually put some effort into it this time. I'm not doing all the work myself."

I meet her gaze and give a nonchalant shrug. "Sure thing, Alex. I hear you loud and clear."

With that settled, we both take a seat at the table, ready to tackle the history project together. As we begin to gather our materials, I notice Haley still on the couch, tears still streaming down her face. What is wrong with her?

An 1h00 later

As an hour drags on, Alex and I are knee-deep in our history project, drowning in dates, names, and events. Glancing at the clock, I realize time has slipped through our fingers like sand in an hourglass.

Feeling utterly bored, I glance over at Haley, still glued to the couch and the tear-jerking movie. With a dramatic sigh, I abandon my textbooks and join her.

"Alright, let's see what all the fuss is about," I quip, plopping down dramatically beside her.

At the end of the movie

As we watch the tragic love story unfold on screen, I find myself surprisingly drawn in. Soon enough, tears are streaming down my face alongside Haley's, and I can't help but shake my head in mock disbelief.

"You were right, Haley," I concede, wiping away a tear. "The Notebook might just be the saddest movie I've ever seen." 

Haley chuckles through her sniffles, giving me a playful nudge. "Now, who's the crying baby?" I chuckle, wiping another tear from my eye. "Well, I guess that title belongs to you, Hailey."

Haley rolls her eyes playfully before leaning into me, wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug. 

As Alex's voice breaks the silence, still immersed in her work, she interjects, "You know, while you two have been having a pity party over there, I've been slaving away on our project. I hope you haven't forgotten about it, Linsley."

Raising an eyebrow, I remain unimpressed by Alex's attempt to guilt-trip me. "Oh, don't worry, Alex. I haven't forgotten. I was just taking a well-deserved break from all that hard work. You should try it sometime."

Alex's eyes narrow, frustration evident. "Break? You've been on a break for the past hour! Meanwhile, I've been working on this project on my own."

I smirk, unfazed by her frustration. "Well, I hate to break it to you, Alex, but if you can't handle a little break, maybe you're not cut out for the life of a student."

Alex's jaw clenches, her anger bubbling to the surface. "You think this is a joke, Linsley? This project is worth a significant portion of our grade, and if you don't start putting more effort into it, we're both going to suffer the consequences."