Lexy Andrews

Big Fun

"Remember everyone, it's not too late to sign up for a part in the chorus of Heathers!" Kevin's energetic tone relieved the tension as he placed a sign up sheet on the bulletin board.

"I should've known it would be this bad." Lexy mumbled as Archie ushered her through the crowd.

Since that first day back, everything had calmed down a lot. Not fully but a lot. Every now and then she would catch someone staring at her feeding tube, but that could only be expected. She didn't really blame them.

But that didn't mean it didn't feel bad either.

Sweetpea sat on the bleachers, gazing at Lexy from afar as she took up the hem of Betty's costume.

Something was different about her. Everyone saw it, but only the people who knew her really felt it. When she was high on fizzle rocks, there was still a little hint of that spark. The spark that made everyone love her in the first place. It was just burning in a different way.

The Lexy that was there now was like replacing a sparkler with a candle. She was reserved. Quiet. In big groups, she didn't say anything unless she needed to. She never tried to be the centre of attention.

That must have been the consequence of almost dying. As soon as she hit the water that day on Bartley Bridge, Sweetpea knew things were about to change.

And one question kept swirling around his head. Who was Sydney? And what happened to her?

Before he could think anymore about it, someone took a seat next to him but not too close.

"What do you want, Reggie?" Sweetpea grumbled.

Reggie wasn't surprised by his indifferent tone towards him anymore. "Your word."

Sweetpea shook his head to indicate that he didn't know what he meant. Reggie rolled his eyes.

"I need you to promise me that you won't tell Lexy about... how I feel about her."

"How you feel about her." Sweetpea repeated. "You mean how you decided you were in love with a girl you've known for years as soon as she gets a boyfriend?"

Reggie didn't even try defend himself. It wouldn't change Sweetpea's opinion about him.

"I'm not going to tell her. Never was. She deserves to hear it from you not me. But it's not like you'll ever have the balls to do it." Sweetpea said self-assuringly.

"Maybe." Reggie stood up. "But by the way, you should probably stop calling yourself her boyfriend. Last time I checked... you dumped her when things got hard."

The two boys made direct eye contact with each other and it was clear to Reggie that Sweetpea was barely fighting the urge to punch his face open. But that just proved him right.

***

The farm was hosting a cast party. A bit unusual considering traditionally cast parties weren't supposed to be until after the show. Lexy wasn't going to go. Parties weren't exactly her element anymore. But it was just the cast and crew, which mainly consisted of her friends. Nothing could really go wrong.

As everyone danced around in their costumes in the middle of the dungeon-like room, Lexy sat off to the side on a wooden bench chatting with Dana, who was part of the stage crew.

"Hey." A voice interrupted their conversation.

The girls turned to see who it was and when they saw, Dana made it a point to leave them alone.

"You look like you're having fun." Sweetpea said sarcastically as he slid into Dana's spot.

"Sure I am." Lexy said awkwardly.