𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐘 𝐑𝐀𝐍 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓.
penelope walked out into the living room.
lydia was sitting at the table with leslie.
cherry adjusted her purse. "okay, i'm here. i'm finally done getting ready."
"only took you 6 hours." alex blinked.
"you guys look great." penelope complimented, and turned to her son and cherry. "and you two do, too."
"it's my first bar mitzvah, i don't want to look like a schlemiel. dr. berkowitz has been teaching me yiddish." alex grinned.
"the kid's a natural. i'm plotzing with nachas." leslie smiled.
"you ready to go?" cherry questioned, examining their matching outfits.
they were matching, because they'd agreed to be each-others dates.
but not really dates.
like, a friend date.
"papito, i can't believe it's your first sleepover." penelope smiled.
"yeah, only 8 short years after all my friends had their first sleepover." alex spoke sarcastically.
"hey, be thankful that abuelita and i are being so cool about it. i vetted the mom. she was in the israeli army, super strict. no guns in the home, liquor cabinet's locked, no large dogs. she gets it." penelope informed.
"okay, i color-coded the panel schedule so we can hit as many as we can before the dungeons and dragons session. roll a d20, with a plus-5 to fun!" elena grinned, holding a clipboard.
alex glanced over at syd. "blink twice if you need help."
"you're not gonna have time to talk to each other." penelope read over the schedule.
"this is our first date, okay? i really like syd, and i want them to like me back, so i packed our day full of stuff so i have no time to be awkward. that's what's so brilliant about this schedule! we never have to talk." elena whispered.
"mmm. talking is a good thing. i bet you that doctor who even talks to his.. patients."
"he's not that kind of doctor."
"he is a time lord, everybody knows this." lydia called out.
"what's your costume? the wicked witch of the east side?" penelope questioned.
"don't make jokes about witchcraft. it's like santería. i don't believe in it, but i respect it." lydia adjusted her dress.
"you look good." cherry complimented.
"we're catching pagliacci at the san diego opera house. for some reason, i've always empathized with sad clowns." leslie sighed.
"you guys gotta get moving. lets go! come on! I have so much studying to do. i'm gonna miss you guys, but you gotta beat the traffic, i gotta hit the books." penelope said, motioning the entire family out of the house. "ah, i'm gonna pull an all-nighter, make some little flashcards, i'm gonna do some highlighting. al right, i'm gonna miss you guys so much!"
«───── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ─────»
the group only made it to the bottom floor, before a loud police helicopter interrupted them.
"we're in pursuit of a dangerous suspect. he is armed. everyone, go back inside and do not leave your building." the speaker called out.
"i'll protect you. jump into my arms." cherry said, and moved her purse.
alex laughed.
the group walked back up the stairs quickly, and returned to the apartment.
lydia tried to open the door, but it was locked.
"lupe! there is a murderer running loose!" lydia called out.
"okay, coming!" penelope said, and opened the door. "oh, you guys are back. great."
"there's a police helicopter out there. they're not letting us leave." alex said, and took a seat on the couch.
"ruined me and alex's first date." cherry joked.
"that was not a date." alex took a seat on the couch.
"yes it was. don't lie. you wanted it to be."
"you want me so bad. it's crazy."
"why do you look so nice?" elena interrupted.
"oh, this? i always wear this when you guys aren't around, you just never see it." penelope shrugged.
"i have never been more proud of you." lydia smiled.
valentine took a seat beside alex.
"for your safety, please remain inside until further notice." the officer said, through a speaker.
"we're going to miss the masquerade and the dance party, the firefly panel, the zombie run, the buffy sing-a-long, and the super-gay supergirl meet up." elena frowned.
"but this lockdown is awesome. maybe it's the daleks? exterminate! exterminate!" syd tried to joke. "actually, this seems like a pretty serious situation. but it's okay. we'll just hang out and talk."
"talk! yeah." elena laughed awkwardly.
"wait, keep the costumes on, and go up to schneider's. he's a man-child who lives off his parents and likes to dress up in weird outfits. he is comic-con!" penelope suggested.
"i think we're gonna be stuck here for awhile." alex frowned.
"you're stuck with me for life." cherry grinned.
she zoned out, staring at him.
alex waved a hand in her face, but it was no use.
"i know i look good, but don't be a creep." alex joked.
"mami, why don't you make everyone something to eat? there are over 3 people in this house, and no one is cooking. what kind of cuban are you?" penelope asked.
"that's true. mala cubana." lydia smacked her hand, and went off to cook.
"hey, kids. why don't you go to your rooms and wait until dinner?" penelope suggested.
"cool." syd nodded.
"you want us to be alone in my room? me and my date?" elena asked.
"leave the door open, feet on the ground. alex and cherry will check on you." penelope shrugged.
"no, ew!" alex complained.
"me and alex are gonna be alone." cherry realized.
"nothings gonna happen." alex scoffed.
"really?"
"you wish."
«───── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ─────»
alex and cherry were seated on elena's bed.
"so, i guess you're stuck with me." syd said.
elena laughed nervously.
"oh, a wrinkle in time!" syd held up the book.
"yeah, it's stupid." elena shook her head.
"it's my favorite book."
"stupid how much i love it."
"you okay, there?"
"yeah, i'm just super hungry. for food!"
"uh, how about we be normal.. and get snacks? elena, cher, can you help me?" alex interrupted.
"shurbly-burbly." elena said.
cherry cringed, and the trio walked outside the door.
"what is up with you?" alex questioned.
"nothing." elena defended.
cherry glanced at alex.
"oh, are you shurbly-burbly?" alex questioned.
"help me make things less awkward! you're good at talking. people say you're charming." elena begged.
"who else says you're charming besides me and lydia?" cherry questioned. "what bitches are you trying to charm?"
"it's not my fault i'm so attracive and blessed. people are right. i'll work some magic. just because i'm missing the bar mitzvah doesn't mean i have to be a mensch." alex shrugged.
"okay." elena said.
the trio re-entered the room, while elena went to get snacks.
syd was going live on instagram.
"okay, double-a alex alvarez-" alex began.
"the love of my life." cherry cut in.
alex resisted a laugh. "and syd vicious coming at you from lockdown. see anything?"
syd looked outside the window. "i see a fire escape, easy access for zombies. you guys are my witnesses. alex, if i get bitten by a zombie, promise me right now that you will take me out. do not let me turn!"
"i'm not going to do that, syd!"
"i won't be syd anymore!"
"i'll kill you!" elena said, walking into the room with a plate of snacks.
suddenly, alex's phone rang.
"ooh, they're facetiming me from the bar mitzvah." alex said, and turned his phone to face cherry. "yeah, this can't be our background. i'm out."
"alex! cherry! wait!" elena begged.
«───── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ─────»
lydia called out to the children for dinner.
cherry and alex walked out into the kitchen.
cherry was impatiently waiting for the facetime to be over, but it seemed to never end.
"dang! bubbe is dancing the hora with cousin irving." alex said, and faced the phone to cherry.
cherry watched the screen.
"you guys are jewish?" some random man asked.
"no. kids, don't be alarmed by this stranger. this is schneider's sponsor, max." penelope introduced.
"hi." the kids greeted him, not giving him a second though.
"hey." max replied.
"doesn't she make beautiful children?" lydia questioned.
"mhm." max nodded.
"so, tell me, max, does she make you want to, uh, fight a duel in her honor?" lydia asked.
"i would fight a duel for you, alex." cherry grinned.
"yeah, obviously." alex said.
"can i have your hand in marriage?"
"no, thanks."
"i would kill a thousand men.. for the pleasure of her smile." max said.
"i like you, max." lydia smiled.
"well, i feel very welcome, although this is not what i had planned for the evening." max said.
"well, i'm sure you can make it up by doing what you had planned two times on another night." penelope chuckled, and took a bite of her food. "wow, this is so good. did you help cook this, doc?"
"as a matter of fact, i did. your mom and i, we work well together. we're like two peas in a pod." leslie grinned.
"they're just like us." cherry smiled.
"yes, it was fun. it was like cooking with one of my sisters." lydia grinned.
"just the comparison i was hoping for." leslie frowned.
"yeah, just like us." alex laughed.
"asshole." cherry rolled her eyes.
"not my fault you're in the friendzone?"
"i'm in the friend zone? really?"
"are you not? should i pull up the comments you've made on my posts?"
cherry shoved the phone away.
"i literally told you i got hacked." she rolled her eyes.
"you're such a liar." alex laughed.
"well, make fun of me all you want, but every woman needs a man." lydia said.
elena cleared her throat.
"most women need a man." lydia corrected. "someone like my berto. someone who can protect you, who can kill spiders for you, who can make passionate love to you to celebrate the death of a spider."
"i'll be your berto." cherry offered.
"i'm gonna run away from home because of you." alex said, sarcastically.
"i'll find you. i'll put up missing posters for you everyday." cherry shrugged.
"abuelita, come on. you're putting things in such absolute binary gender terms! it's reductive and it perpetuates toxic myths about masculinity." elena frowned.
"yeah, stop perpetrating and stuff." penelope agreed.
"you look good on that high horse." syd grinned.
"uh, okay." elena said, nervously.
"right. got it." syd said, and turned to lydia. "thanks so much for dinner but i'm not really that hungry, so i'm gonna chill till the lockdown's over."
syd left, awkwardly.
"they are walking away from my meal? this is your fault." lydia smacked leslie on the arm.
«───── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ─────»
they were still locked in.
"remain inside. we have an armed suspect still in the area." the officer used the speaker.
"wow, they still haven't caught him." alex complained, flopping onto the couch.
"don't worry, we have a man to protect us." lydia looked over at max.
"yeah, babe. i'm here for you." cherry looked over at alex.
"i'm not your babe." alex scoffed.
"you will be." cherry grinned.
alex laughed.
that's all he ever seemed to do. he didn't have a response for her.
what would he even say?
"ugh, just kiss me already." cherry complained.
"be patient." alex grinned.
cherry wanted to fall to her knees.
if there was anything in the world she wanted, it was him.
"i'm glad you're here, too, dude. that guy breaks in, you could take him. you're like a male wonder woman." schneider looked at max.
"that's your go-to?" max questioned.
"stop scaring everyone, all right?" penelope stared at schneider. "nobody's breaking in, the police will take care of it. and no one is fighting with anyone."
"your papi would! he once fought a waiter for stealing a look at me in a reflection of a spoon." lydia remembered.
"that's different. maybe a million years ago in havana, you could get away with that stuff." penelope shrugged.
"that was 10 years ago in an ihop." lydia blinked.
"see, i would do that shit for you, alex. i'd kill any bitch that looks in your direction." cherry said.
"really? i couldn't tell." alex spoke sarcastically.
"ugh, just want me back already." cherry complained.
"fighting is not the only option. whatever happened to running away? it's a berkowitz family tradition." leslie suggested.
"so what, leslie? its good to be a coward?" lydia questioned.
"i'm afraid so. so many of our heroes were cowards. aeneas ran away from troy and founded rome. the pilgrims fled from england, and all they did was start a little country called america. shaggy and scooby always run away from the bad guys. but then they solve the crime!" leslie ranted. "the only reason why you know about a dead hero is because a live coward was there to tell his story!"
"in this case, i think you're right, because that guy out there has a gun." penelope agreed.
"and that is why i always felt safer knowing that your papi had a gun." lydia shrugged.
"whoa, really?" alex asked.
"wait, are you saying that there was a gun in the house while i was growing up?" penelope questioned.
"oh, well before that. it was a wedding gift from the fajardos. of course, they wouldn't give us something from the registry."
"well, i love papi, but that's a mistake. guns aren't safe. that's why we don't have one in this house."
"okay.."
"mami, why did you say okay like that? where is it?"
"don't know what you're talking about. there is a little something in my nightstand. its not very big, and it certainly won't replace your father, but it does the job."
cherry laughed, and alex laughed at her laugh.
"is it weird that i hope it's a gun?" schneider questioned.
lydia stood up, and walked to her room.
from a drawer, she pulled out a gun.
"dang, abuelita's packing heat!" alex laughed.
"mami." penelope led lydia away.
they had an argument in the kitchen.
a gun wasn't safe in their house.
there were too many risks, so lydia agreed to get rid of it the next morning.
«───── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ─────»
alex laid on his bed.
the lockdown was well past over, but cherry had left soon after that.
there was a knock at his window.
alex stood up, and walked over to it.
"what the fuck are you doing?" alex grinned, after sliding open the window.
"clearly i'm seducing you." cherry smiled back.
alex helped her get into his room through the window.
he made sure to lock the door.
"you're insane." alex shook his head.
"for you." cherry agreed.
instantly, alex pulled her in and kissed her gently.
that was the difference between them.
cherry couldn't care less, but alex wanted to be as soft as possible.
which was funny, because alex was not touchy at all in public.
he was like, anti pda.
he barely even looked at her, and constantly shut down her flirting.
she really had switched places with him.
alex constantly shut her down, because he thought she didn't really like him.
she was just flirting to make-out with him, and then leave.
why did cherry flirt for no reason, and then act like she didn't care?
because she assumed that alex didn't like her.
and she didn't want to get attached.
alex shot her down at every possible moment, and showed no interest unless they were kissing.
it was just a big loop of confusion between the two.
they both thought the other didn't give a fuck about them.
alex pulled away, savoring the taste of strawberry.
"i miss my ex." cherry complained.
"then why are you making out with me?" alex questioned, with a laugh.
cherry shrugged.
"i like you better." she smiled.
"good." alex said, before starting to kiss her again.