Author Note: Yeah this isn't FSL. Sorry. Random thing I came up with after listening to a certain song. If people like it I'll continue it, though it won't be a very long story.
"How was school, honey?" Alex Russo's mom asked her, at the dinner table.
"It was fine..." Alex responded, lackluster. She stabbed at her dinner with her fork.
"Anything different happen today?" Her mom prodded.
God, mom... Just leave me alone, Alex thought to herself.
"Yeah mom, a UFO crash landed in the schoolyard. It was pretty crazy." Alex quipped back, hoping her mom would end this assault of questions she didn't care to answer.
"Alex!" Her dad yelled. "Don't be a smartass with your mother."
Alex surrendered. "I just don't know what you want me to say. It was school. Same as every other day." She continued digging around her plate, not planning to eat any of it.
"We just want to know how your day went, we care honey..." Her dad tried to rectify.
"I understand Dad, but really... nothing special happened. Nothing ever special happens. My life is boring."
"You have that cheerleading competition this weekend right? Are you guys ready?" Her mom was grasping at straws for conversation.
Alex dropped her fork on the plate. "Can I be excused? I'm really not hungry, I'm sorry..."
In truth she was tired of the interrogation. She knew her parents were interested in what she was doing, but sometimes they just tried too hard. It was like a broken record every night: "How was school?" "Anything interesting happen?"
Alex could swear she'd heard that line a thousand times already this year. Did they really expect her to come up with some crazy story every single night at dinner?
"You haven't even touched your dinner, Alex... Is everything okay?" Her mom asked.
"Yeah, mom. It's fine, I promise. Just not that hungry. Had a big lunch."
"Alright, honey. You can go upstairs if you want. I just worry. You never seem to want to eat at night."
Alex pushed her chair back and stood up. "It's like I said, had a big lunch. I'm sorry."
Her dad looked equally as concerned as her mom. "Did you really? What did you have?"
Alex grew immediately defensive. "Are you serious right now?"
He looked taken aback. "I didn't realize it was such an outlandish question..."
"Well it is, Dad. You don't believe me or something?" Alex was offended.
He brought his hands to his face and slowly dragged them down. "No... I believe you Alex. I was just... trying to make conversation. You rarely talk to us anymore. I'll take what I can get."
"Now you're gonna make me feel guilty? Nice, Dad. Thanks for trying. I have homework." Alex dismissed the conversation, and began walking away. She heard her parents sigh as she did.
As she walked up the stairs she heard them starting to talk, but it was indiscernible. Probably talking about how much of a terrible daughter she was or something. Whatever. She didn't care. She just wanted to be alone in her room. Her favorite place. Away from everything.
She got upstairs to her room and yawned and stretched. In lifting her arms over her head, she realized her armpits stank. Well, chilling on her bed would have to be postponed, she needed a shower and bad.
She undressed in the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror.
Unsatisfactory.
Plenty of things that could be better. Arms too fat. Blemishes on her face. Boobs could be bigger. Stomach could be flatter.
She turned to enter the shower, trying not to think about these things.
Guys at school hit on her all the time, but she wasn't ever interested. Whatever. Fuck it. Everyone hates high school, right? It would be over in another year.
She left the shower and changed into a t-shirt and underwear, her favorite comfortable wear. No bra to be an incessant hassle to her shoulders and chest.
She flopped down on her bed on her back. She had homework, but she wasn't gonna do it. Not right now anyway. Plenty of time in first period to do it before it was due in second.
She realized she'd forgotten to close the curtains in front of her window when she left for school, which was something she routinely did. She crawled to the end of the bed to get off of it and close them when she noticed something in the house next to her.
The curtains and blinds were open next door. There was a girl in there, her back was facing her. She was just standing there, and Alex could tell she was holding something in front of her, which she assumed was a phone. The girl had a nice figure, an hourglass figure basically.
Alex found herself admiring the girl. Not in any strange way, just general curiosity. Well, she had always had the curtains closed upon coming home. Was this girl always right there across the way? Alex observed she was wearing a letterman jacket. The initials on the back didn't match her school.
She watched the girl pull one part of the jacket to the side and hold her phone up.
Oh shit, was she taking selfies? She definitely saw the camera flash, before the girl lowered the phone in front of her again. A few seconds later, the girl whirled around and Alex's legs went to jelly and she dropped.
Fuck, did she see her? How fuckin' creepy that would be to see someone watching you?
Alex stayed low for a minute or two before she braved to slowly inch upward to the window. She halted right before the window sill, questioning her life. What the hell was she doing? Spying on someone? A girl of all people?
Curiosity got the best of her and she finally took the plunge of raising her focus past the window sill.
There was no one in view anymore. The curtains were quite clearly still open though.
She returned to her bed, feeling like she might have gotten away with everything.
"ALEX!" Her mom called from downstairs.
For fucks sake, what is it now? Alex thought.
"WHAT?!" She shouted back.
Even though in the past she knew now this always resulted in her mom saying to come downstairs, she still always did it. Maybe someday it would actually work.
Her heart started to race though. Had the girl came and said something? Why the hell would her mom be calling her downstairs now? This rarely happened.
She opened her door hesitantly, and started to walk downstairs, having all sorts of visions of possible causes in her head, none of which were pleasant.
When she reached the foot of the steps, her mom plainly said, "I know you weren't hungry, but you still need to take the trash to the curb tonight. It's Tuesday."
Alex sighed in relief. All of her suspicions had been cleared. "Oh, okay, Mom. No problem."
Her mom looked at her like she'd grown a third eye on her head. "No... problem? Are you feeling okay, honey?"
Alex scoffed and shook her head. "Yes Mom, I'm fine. I just thought you called for something... ehh... worse."
Alex walked into the kitchen and collected the trash from the bin and tied the bag.
"Worse?" Her mom asked.
"Never mind. Just having an... off day, sorry." Alex explained.
Her mom smiled. "Okay, honey. Maybe you should sleep earlier then, yeah?"
Alex faked a smile. "Yeah, that's probably it."
She began walking out of the kitchen with the trash, when her Mom interrupted her.
Oh shit, Alex thought.
"Alex?"
Alex spun around. "Yes?" She tried her best to act normal.
"Umm... maybe you should put some pants on. Little weird for you to be going outside like that right now, right?"
Alex rolled her eyes. "Mom, it's like 10. Everyone's inside. It's fine."
Her mom shrugged. "Alright then. Hurry then, dear."
"I will." Alex answered.
As soon as she opened the front door and stepped outside, feeling the cold air on her legs, she realized her mom had been right. She probably should have gotten dressed more to go out in the open like this. But was she gonna go back inside and tell her mom that she was right? Hell no. Rebellion. If you weren't rebellious, you weren't a real teenager, right?
She took up a quick trot to the garbage can at the end of the driveway, and then turned around to go back when-
"Oh, hi!"
No fucking way. It was the girl in the window. She was wearing sweatpants and a tank top, definitely better dressed than Alex was.
"Oh..." Alex laughed nervously. "Hi. Didn't ... see you there..."
Well no shit, stupid! You just saw her now, Alex scolded herself.
Alex then instinctively went to move her hands towards her crotch, feeling very vulnerable at the moment.
The other girl was taking out garbage too. What kind of fucking twisted luck... Alex thought.
"I'm Mitchie. Just moved here about a week ago. Nice to meet you!" The girl smiled.
Alex noted it was a pretty wide smile.
She didn't know what to do with her hands now so she just decided she was gonna own it, might as well. She put her hands on her hips. "Oh okay! Nice to meet you too! Er... sorry for... being half naked."
A million thoughts raced through her mind. Had this girl Mitchie seen her watching her? Was she gonna confront her about it? Or was she playing dumb like she hadn't seen it, attempting to guilt her into confessing?
Mitchie laughed. "Please, I probably would have worn the same if it wasn't chilly tonight. What's your name?"
"Y-yeah, it is a little chilly... I realized my mistake as soon as I stepped out." Alex feigned a laugh. "Um, I'm Alex."
Mitchie extended her hand over the fence that separated them. Oh, okay, Alex thought. Introductions in my underwear. Sure, why not?
Alex walked to the fence and extended her hand as well, and they shook hands.
Should she do the right thing and remind this girl her room was totally exposed to her? Alex wondered. Yeah, probably should. Right thing to do, right?
"Hey, your uhhh..." Alex stopped herself. How would she tell her her curtains were open without seeming like she spied on her? Canceled.
Mitchie cocked her head, obviously confused. "My what?"
Fuck.
"You... you're really pretty..." Alex improvised. Well that was okay, right? Girls could say that to each other, right? It wasn't weird.
Good save, she told herself.
Mitchie beamed. "Aw, thank you Alex. So are you."
Alex was never good at taking compliments, especially since she didn't believe them. "Am...I?"
That came out involuntarily. Fucking nice, Alex... She told herself.
"Of course!" Mitchie responded, smiling again.
This girl had a great smile, Alex reflected.
They stood there in silence for a few moments, before Alex was the one to break it.
"Well, um... nice to meet you. I'm getting a little cold though, so... I think I'll go back inside."
Mitchie laughed. "I understand. I'll see you around then?"
"Y-yeah. I'm sure." Alex tried her best to smile back.
"Okay." Mitchie smiled, that wide smile of hers. "Have a good night!"
"You too." Alex replied.
There was another moment of silence. God, why can't she just take the lead and be the first one to leave? I don't want to be rude... Alex thought.
"Okay then. See you around!"
Thank god, Alex sighed to herself. "Mhm."
They both more or less walked up the steps to their respective houses at the same time, and right before Alex opened her door she could have sworn Mitchie looked in her direction.
She shook her head and went inside.
"Wow, did you decide to go for a jog around the block or something?" Her mom immediately greeted her, still watching dishes from dinner.
Alex laughed. "No, just... met a neighbor. That's all."
Her mom dropped what she was doing and turned around. "Wow. For almost 10 minutes? Was it a... boy?"
Oh fuck off, Alex thought. Her mom was always trying to get her to say something about a boy.
"No, Mom..." Alex groaned. "Just a girl that lives next door."
"Oh wow! Is she your age?"
"I... think so? I don't really know."
"She must be new, I haven't seen anyone like that around recen-"
Alex cut her off, as she headed towards the stairs. "Yeah she is. Moved last week. Anyway, I'm gonna go to my room okay?"
"I-... Okay, sweetie." It was obvious her mom wanted to say or talk more, but Alex didn't want to hear any of it.
When she returned to her room, she looked across the way through the window and within a few moments saw the girl Mitchie walk in. Definitely the type of girl to have the hottest boyfriend in school, Alex thought. She was very beautiful. Guys probably had pictures of her to... well, you know.
Strangely, she never seemed to look through her obviously exposed window as she walked back and forth throughout her room.
Alex was soon on her knees in front of her window, barely showing herself, just enough for her to see.
She didn't know what was so intriguing about this girl, she'd never felt this way before. Curiosity killed the cat, right?
It wasn't that she liked the idea of spying, it was just so new to her. She'd never had this opportunity before. She'd heard about this kind of thing of course, in movies and stuff. People watching their neighbor. It was kind of a cliché.
Mitchie was now walking around her room obviously talking on the phone. No one could ever stay still talking on the phone, could they? It was an involuntary behavior to move all over the damn place while talking to someone.
Who was she talking to? Alex wondered. Boyfriend, probably right? Probably who she took that picture for earlier that she may or may not be in.
But she couldn't have been right? Because if she had, Mitchie would have said something to her during their brief conversation outside.
Yes, Alex thought. She was in the clear. She was just paranoid.
Mitchie appeared to be laughing now, twirling her fingers through her long brown hair. She stopped in front of the window again, and like earlier her back was facing the window. She held the phone in front of her again. No flash this time, though Alex ducked instinctively.
What the fuck was she doing? Spying on the girl next door? Was she some teenage boy?
She got up and turned around to her bed, before realizing the curtains were still open. She turned back around to close them and then noticed Mitchie slowly hiking her sweatpants down.
Okay! Definitely time to close the curtains, Alex told herself. She pulled them shut forcefully and stood there, still holding each of the curtains. She rested her head against them for a second.
What in the fuck are you doing, Alex? Get in bed. She thought to herself.
And that's exactly what she did, except not at all. She pulled the curtains apart ever so slowly, just so she'd be able to see.
Mitchie's backside was now clearly visible, wearing underwear. She was stepping out of the sweatpants, still facing away from the window.
She brought her phone in front of her again, but now Alex could tell she'd pulled the tank top up.
Jesus Christ. Was she witnessing her sending nudes to someone or something?
She should really just go to bed.
She heaved a heavy sigh and closed the curtains again. She retained the same position from before, head resting on the curtains.
But maybe just one more look... For what reason? Hell, she didn't know. Curiosity wasn't a valid excuse anymore, she just wanted to for some reason.
She opened the curtains slightly. Mitchie had now clearly taken the tank top off. But with her back facing the window, all Alex could see was Mitchie's bare back and her underwear.
How many pictures was she gonna take for whoever she was sending them to?
Before Alex had a chance to duck, the flash on Mitchie's phone went off again.
Fuck.
She ducked anyway, though it might have been too late. Well, it was dark outside, what were the chances of Mitchie being able to see her in the pictures?
Okay, fuck this. Alex closed the curtains and turned off the light in her room. She got in bed and stared at the closed curtains.
In the middle of the night when Alex got up to pee, her curiosity got the best of her. She opened the curtains to see Mitchie's room clearly dark. But the curtains were still open. The moonlight revealed the silhouette of Mitchie's bed, and Alex was pretty sure she could see Mitchie's figure under the covers in her bed.
-
A few days later, Alex saw Mitchie outside of her house while she was taking the trash out. But Mitchie wasn't doing the same, she was just sitting on the steps outside.
"Hey Mitchie!" Alex waved enthusiastically.
Mitchie immediately left the steps and met Alex at the fence line.
"Oh hey, Alex."
Alex tried her best to attempt a friendly smile. "Hey, random question. You don't go to Oakcrest do you?"
Of course she already knew Mitchie didn't, from seeing the letterman jacket a few days back, but she wanted to know where she went.
Mitchie shook her head. "No, I go to Quincy. Why?"
"Well... my school is big. You might have gone there and I just never saw you. Just making sure..." Alex added a chuckle to make it not seem like not such a weird question.
"No, it's fine... I understand." Mitchie laughed.
"Do you uh, like your... classes?" Alex asked, hesitantly.
What kind of question? No one likes their classes you dumb fuck... Alex scolded herself.
"Well, I mean... still getting a feel for them y'know? Only been there a week. But so far, yeah! Seems fine."
"Did you move here?" Alex asked then slapped her own face. "Well, obviously you moved. Dumb question."
Mitchie laughed. "It's okay. You mean where I moved from? Oregon. I have to say, this place is already way livelier than there in only a week..."
Alex braved a question. "Your boyfriend must miss you." Then she immediately regretted it. But there was the matter of finding out who Mitchie was sending all these pictures to that she took.
"Boyfriend?" Mitchie seemed taken aback. "Nah. Haven't had one of those in a long time."
Alex was embarrassed. There was no way for her to justify her question without saying she'd seen Mitchie taking pictures. "Oh, well... I just figured since you're so pretty and all you know?"
"Aww..." Mitchie gushed. "Thanks Alex. But no... no boyfriend."
Then who the hell are you taking these pictures for? Alex wondered. If they were just normal selfies and stuff, then it could have been for any number of social media apps, but you don't just take naked pictures for those. It's not exactly allowed.
"Oh... heh. Well, me neither. No boyfriend either." Alex improvised.
"I could say the same to you, that you're so pretty so I'm surprised." Mitchie answered.
Alex blushed, despite herself. "Well thank you. But yeah no... I've actually never had one."
"What?!" Mitchie exclaimed.
Alex laughed at this. "I mean I've had guys ask me..." She paused. "Wow, that sounds totally stuck up, I meant-"
Mitchie cut her off, surprising her. "No I get it..." She laughed, "All jerks right?"
Alex preemptively opened her mouth to speak, but Mitchie took the words from her. "I... yeah. Just no one I'm really interested in."
Mitchie smiled. "I totally get that. Kinda just over boys, you know? I'm not rushing into anything for a while, for sure."
"Me either. I'm just trying to get through school intact, you know? Not really worried about the love shit."
"Well..." Mitchie chuckled. "Yeah, I get you. But hey, I hate to cut this short. I need to go back inside and finish some homework. It's getting kinda late."
Alex nodded. "I understand. I should do the same thing." Even though she knew there was no way in hell she was gonna do homework when she went back to her room. "Well, it was nice talking again."
Mitchie smiled. "Of course. Till the next time you take the trash out?" She laughed.
Alex laughed. "Yeah. Something like that."
They parted ways and Alex couldn't help continuing to think: Who the hell was she taking those pictures for then?
She went back upstairs.
Mitchie's curtains were still open.