College, Love, and Piercings (boyxboy)

Chapter Twenty Six

~Alex~

Lexie was leaving in a week. She was so stressed out. She would pace around and then go sit down then get up and walk around again. Zander told me it was just nerves. Lexie told us she was fine, but we all knew she was stressed. I tried to comfort her but nothing really helped.

I was sitting on the back porch reading and taking in the view of the Rocky Mountains. I had been to Utah before to go skiing when I was younger, but I didn't remember it that well. Zander was sitting next to me sketching in his sketch book. Every few moments he would stop and look up at the mountains and chew on the eraser of his pencil. He still had never put back on his piercings and I thought he looked better without them.

Landon walked outside through the back door. "Is this the reading and drawing room?" He asked looking at us. Zander chuckled but didn't say anything as he continued to draw. I looked and Landon and nodded. "I figured as much." He said sitting down in the chair on the other side of me. "It's a nice day."

"It is a really nice day." I said setting down my book to look at the mountains.

"You should see it in the fall." Said Landon smiling. "The colors are gorgeous."

"I'm finished!" Said Zander proudly. He held up his sketch of the mountains which was a near perfect replica.

"That's really good." Said Landon, I nodded in agreement.

"Thanks." Said Zander smiling. "It only took me three hours and twenty seven minutes." Zander liked to time himself when he drew, but I never understood why.

"Has it already been that long?" I asked. I had been reading since Zander had started drawing. "Where is everyone else?"

"I think Lexie is taking a nap and Asher is watching tv." Landon told us. "Lexie was getting stressed out so we told her she had to go relax." He shrugged and stood up from the chair stretching.

"I bet she's just laying in there thinking." Said Zander laughing as he closed his sketch book.

Landon shrugged, "She seemed pretty tired, but I could be wrong." He laughed and then walked back inside.

"Let's go on a hike." Said Zander as he stood up and stretched.

"Okay." I said setting down me book. Zander walked over and took my hand and lead me over to a trail that went into the forest and up the mountains.

"Be careful not to fall into any rivers or puddles like Asher." He said laughing. I was sad I missed seeing him covered in mud, but I laughed too.

"Okay I will." I said smiling as we hiked up the trail. The day had cooled down, at least from the other days this summer. The trail was easy and we mad it to the end in about an hour. The end was an opening in the forest surrounded by trees.

"It's pretty up here." Commented Zander as he walked around looking at the trees. I nodded and looked around.

"It seems so calm up here. Peaceful and quiet." I said. I walked over to Zander and hugged him.

He hugged me back. "I love you." He said kissing my head.

"You tell me that a lot." I said smiling.

"It's because I never want you to forget it." He said smiling and looking at me. He tilted my head up and kissed me, the kiss was short and sweet.

"I love you too." I said. "We should head back down before it gets late." I said. He nodded and we started back down.

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Zander and I were sitting on the couch drinking milkshakes later that day. Landon had gotten annoyed at Lexie and wanted her to go find something to do besides be worried. She decided to make milkshakes. They were good milkshakes too, I thought she should make them more often.

Lexie thought they weren't special, but I disagreed. While we were drinking our milkshakes Lexie started nervous pacing again. Landon walked in the room and sighed. "Lexie you really need to calm down, it's not good for you to be so stressed out."

"I'm flying across the world to start a new life. I can be stressed if I want god dammit!" Lexie yelled at him and then ran to her room in tears. She really was stressed out.

"I'll go talk to her." Said Zander standing up. He then left the room with his milkshake leaving me and Landon alone.

"Where's Asher?" I asked Landon looking at him. Landon had great hair, he had gotten tan over the summer too.

"He's taking a nap..." He trailed of then shook his head. "I think I'll go take one too." He said, he then left. I was sitting all alone on the couch. Landon seemed sad today or maybe he was just stressed because Lexie was stressed.

Lexie would do fine in Russia, I was sure of that, but I wondered why she wasn't. She always seemed so confident in herself, I was jealous of her. She was so loud and outgoing, I knew I could never be like that. Now Lexie seemed to be lacking in that confidence she so clearly needed. Maybe people only got a certain amount of confidence and she used her up to quickly.

Zander walked back in the room with Lexie who seemed to be calmed down a bit. "Hey where's Landon?" He asked me.

"He went to go take a nap with Asher." I said glancing between the two of them. "Remember when I thought you two were dating?" I asked.

They both burst out into laughter. "How could I forget? That was so funny." Said Zander walking over and sitting down next to me putting an arm around my shoulder.

"Yeah it really was." Said Lexie as as sat down on the couch as well.

"It was embarrassing for me!" I said sighing.

Zander laughed and kissed my cheek. "It was funny." He said smiling as he turned on the TV. As we all say on the couch watching TV I finally understood what friends were for. Even though we weren't talking we were all happy and calm. Friendship was one of the best feelings in the world.