While Justin wrestled with his worries, Debbie had problems of her own.
She had to pick something to wear for the convention.
Debbie paced back and forth in the massive walk-in closet in Alex's house. The two were leaving in a few hours for their impromptu trip to Paris, and Debbie was far from ready.
She groaned. "I have nothing to wear."
The expansive row of neatly hung clothing on wooden hangers stared back at her. "Fine. I have something to wear. I just don't know what. All of these clothes remind me of Alex."
As she pulled out a long, flowy pink dress, a wave of nostalgia washed over her. "Ugh, I wore this the night of our first kiss. We danced on the beach. It was so romantic."
She hugged the dress. "He played La Vie En Rose." She swayed her hips, holding the dress as if it were Alex himself. "And we got so close. Then Alex leaned in and told me that I was the girl of his dreams. Then, wham! He kissed me."
She blinked a few times as if she were coming back to reality. "So, obviously, I don't want to be reminded of that while I'm in Paris."
She whined as she shoved the dress back among the other articles of clothing.
Then, she closed her eyes, reached out, and pulled a black, velvet romper off of its hanger. "Oh! I wore this with the Jimmy Choos when Alex first said I love you. We went wine tasting downtown."
She pouted as she looked wistfully at the cute outfit. "Sorry, I can't bring you with me."
Finally, Debbie found a skimpy red dress. She held it up to her body. "Oh, I remember this one. I wore this the first time we… uh, never mind."
She threw the dress onto the ground. "Did I wear any of these outfits when I wasn't with Alex?" She pulled out a pair of denim overalls. "Okay, I think I'll be safe with these."
Much to Debbie's surprise, Alex appeared in the doorway. "Oh, I remember those! You wore them that time we went apple picking at the orchard." He chuckled as he wrapped his arms across his chest. "You couldn't reach any of the apples on the trees. You weren't tall enough, so I had to pick everything for you. It was cute."
Debbie tossed her head back. "Ugh! Not even overalls are safe?"
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Safe from what?"
Debbie glared at Alex as she returned the overalls to their hanger. "You."
As he glanced around the closet, he snuck a peek at Debbie's suitcase. It was empty. "You're not ready yet?"
Debbie's eyes narrowed. "No, I'm not."
She bit the inside of her cheek. And it's all your fault, she thought.
Alex couldn't help but notice how adorable Debbie looked when she was frustrated. "Just pick anything. You'd look good in a flour sack."
Not amused by Alex's compliment, Debbie grumbled. "Thanks."
After hearing Alex's advice, she grabbed a random pile of clothes and threw them into her suitcase. "Well, looks like I'm done."
Alex looked with uncertainty at Debbie. "Uh, what about shoes? You can't run around Paris barefoot."
Debbie repeated what she had done with her clothes. She randomly grabbed pairs of heels and hurled them into her suitcase. "There."
Alex slowly nodded. He raised his hands in the air as if he were surrendering. "Okay. Message received."
After Alex had come up with the idea to go to Paris, his nerves had calmed down, replaced by his usual smug confidence. No doubt in his mind, he was certain this trip would help him win Debbie back.
"I actually came up here to tell you that Tom Sawyer is coming," Alex explained.
Debbie put her hands on her hips. "To watch Gary?"
Alex responded with a yawn. "And the house. Gosh, I'm exhausted. I hope I can sleep on the plane."
Debbie pressed her lips together. "Well, that's why we got first-class tickets, right?"
Alex rubbed his eyes. "Indeed."
[SFX: Doorbell]
Just then, the doorbell rang. Alex turned around. "That must be Tom. I'll go let him in."
Alex jogged downstairs and answered the door.
Tom no longer wore a bandage on his head. Instead, he wore a big grin that spread from ear to ear. He was more energetic and spry than when Alex had last seen him. "Hey, man! Good to see you."
Alex brought him in for a hug. "Hey, Tom. How are you feeling?"
Tom tapped his head. "The ole noggin is doing just fine, thanks to Christopher. I got a few scans the other day, and the doctors said everything looks perfect. That Christopher is a miracle worker."
Alex intently examined his friend's head. "I'll say. You look better than ever."
A smirk pulled at Tom's lips. "I feel better than ever. Who would have thought? I slip into a coma, and I practically come out a new man!"
Alex smiled and stepped to the side. "I'm happy to hear that. Come in, I'll give you the tour."
Seemingly offended by Alex's offer, Tom scrunched his nose. "Tour? You think I need a tour? I've been to your house a thousand times!"
As Tom stepped into the house, Alex shut the door behind him. "Alright, fine, but do you know how to access SCOT?"
Tom scoffed. "Do I know how to access SCOT? Watch this. Hey SCOT!"
The robotic voice echoed throughout the house. "How may I help you, Mr. Sawyer?"
Tom smirked. "Tell Alex he's an idiot."
Thankfully, when Tom was in a coma, he didn't lose his playful personality.
After a few seconds, SCOT replied. "I'm sorry to tell you Mr. Ambrose, but Mr. Sawyer thinks you are an idiot."
Alex let out a hearty laugh. "Thank you, SCOT. Alright, I have something else for you, Tom."
Alex walked across the living room. He grabbed a small watch off the shelf and handed it to his friend. "I made you your own smartwatch. You can control SCOT through here. It also has Gary's feeding schedule downloaded on it. Play around with it. If you have any questions, just call me."
Tom took the watch and secured it around his wrist. "The horse mainly eats carrots, right?"
Alex nodded. "A lot of carrots. We keep him on a strict diet. If I don't watch him like a hawk, I've discovered Gary will eat anything and everything. He's a very hungry horse."
He looked at Tom, narrowing his gaze and tapping his chin. "Have you met Gary?"
Tom shook his head. "No, I haven't."
Alex gestured over his shoulder. "Come on out to his stall. I'll introduce you two."
Alex and Tom walked into the backyard.
As Tom came face to face with the impression stallion, he could barely believe his eyes. "That's one big horse."
Alex chuckled. "Yeah, well, he was part of Riley's super soldier initiative, but luckily enough, we were able to rescue him."
Gary whinnied as the two men walked closer. Tom was hesitant to get too close to the giant beast.
Alex strolled right up to the horse and pet his mane. "Come on, Tom. Just be gentle. He's a great creature."
Tom headed Alex's command. He slowly stepped toward Gary, and gentle put his any out. "It's nice to meet you, Gary. I'm Tom Sawyer." He glanced over at Alex. "Can the horse talk?"
Alex rolled his eyes. "No, of course, the horse can't talk. Have you ever met a talking horse?"
Tom shrugged, still petting Gary on his snout. "I don't know. You said he was a super horse. Maybe while I'm here I can teach him how to speak."
Alex laughed. "Yeah, well, I encourage you to try." He pointed across the backyard. "We keep the hay in the barn that Ken built. Twice a week we'll give him some fruits. We also feed him vegetables. As I said before, SCOT can tell you all of the specifics."
Tom nodded. "That sounds good to me."
Alex clapped his hands together. "Alright then, are you ready to head back in?"
Tom ruffled the top of Gary's mane. "Gary, it's been real. Don't worry. Over the next few days, we're going to turn this place into our bachelor pad."
Alex pursed his lips together. "No, you aren't."
Tom groaned. "Fine."
Then, the two walked away from the horse, but as they did, Tom turned around and winked at the stallion.
They retired to the living room.
Tom plopped down on Alex's couch. "Alright, so I won't let your horse cheat on his diet."
Alex smirked. "Yeah, thanks for that. Anything else you need to know about?"
With a spark of curiosity in his eyes, Tom leaned in. "Yeah, what's going on with you and Debbie?"
Alex's body went rigid with tension. "Well, she told me she wanted to move out."
Tom's eyebrows shot up. "What?"
Alex nodded dismally. "Yeah. She is insistent on having a break so that she could find herself."
Tom scratched his forehead. "So, let me get this straight. The two of you are on a break, but you're going to Paris together."
Alex shrugged. "It's for the convention. It's all business."
Tom leaned back with a shocked expression on his face. "That's wild, man."
Alex ran his fingers through his hair. "It's complicated, but hopefully this trip will smooth everything over."
Tom held out his hands, pretending to dance. "Are you going to ask her to tango outside the Eiffel Tower?"
Alex playfully shoved Tom as he took a set next to him. "I don't think I'm going to dance in the Eiffel Tower, but don't you worry. I have a few tricks up my sleeve."
Tom gave Alex a thumbs up. "Godspeed, my man."
Just then, Debbie hobbled down the stairs, lugging her suitcase, which thudded down each step.
Every muscle in her face tensed as she tried to move the heavy object. "Hi there, Tom… it's, uh, nice to see you. Wow, this is heavy."
Alex rushed toward her. "Debbie, I can get that."
Debbie struggled as she descended. "No! I got it myself! Thank you, though."
Alex moved closer to the staircase, but, as wobbly as she was, Debbie successfully reached the bottom without incident.
Debbie dropped the suitcase on the ground. "So, are we ready?"
Alex gave her a curt nod. "I think so. Tom?"
Tom waved at Alex. "Get out of here. You two enjoy Paris."
Debbie and Alex trekked to the car with their suitcases. After they buckled up, they were on their way to the airport.
As they drove in silence, Debbie could not shake an uneasy feeling that settled in her stomach. I hope this isn't a mistake.