Alex and I spent the last few weeks of summer volunteering for Habit of Humanity, where Phil seemed to try to convince her to go to El Salvador. However, I was able to curve that, due to the rising issues the country was facing with the gang MS-13. Instead, we would be helping build homeless shelters in Columbia. When Gloria found out she basically told us the dos and don'ts, while informing her family of our arrival.
Arriving down there we stayed with our group, but with the limited free time we had. We explored the country, along with meeting the rest of Gloria's family. Alex's Spanish has gotten much better over the years, along with me helping her. So we both could have conversations without me having to help her.
Eventually, our time there ended and we headed back home. Manny joined us since he was down there visiting his Mom's family too. Getting back home, we only had another week of Summer before our third year began. Though this was the main year in high school for someone to really focus on standing out for the Ivy League. This had Alex on edge constantly, and I was trying my best to help her relax.
On the first day of School, I picked up Alex as we planned from now on. Luke and Manny had finally reached high school too, but Phil wanted to take Luke to school on his first day, much to Luke's annoyance. While Alex and I headed there on our own, Haley still hated me as she ignored me every time we were around each other.
Getting to school, Alex was walking through the hallways reading the AP history textbook, which was our first class in our new schedule. Meanwhile, I was basically leading her through the hallways as she was not paying attention to her surroundings.
"Ow! Gabe! Why'd you stop suddenly?" Alex says as she crashes into my back hitting her face with her textbook.
"Sorry… though you should see who is apparently our AP history teacher," I say since even I forgot until now that Cam would be substituting this year at the school. Until he got an official job here. Not only that but apparently Cam is wearing a George Washington costume for his first day.
"What?... Wait… What?!" Alex says while looking past me into the classroom to see Cam preparing his desk and intro for his very first class.
"Uncle Cam?! What are you doing here? And why are you wearing that?!" Alex says rushing inside as like normal we are the first to arrive in class.
"Alex! Gabe! Hi guys! You are in this class?! That's great! I'm wearing this because he was the first president, Alex," Cam says seeing us and now apparently reading his student roster given to him. While giving Alex a confused look like she didn't know who George Washington was.
"Hey Cam," I say as he is happy seeing us, though it seems Alex is about to have a panic attack.
"Alex calm down," I say to her as she turns to me with a look of 'What the fuck'.
"Yeah, Alex what's wrong?... Oh! I get it, you're worried I'm gonna embarrass you. Don't worry Alex, I'll pretend I don't know either of you," Cam says to her thinking that is Alex's issue, while Alex looks even more nervous.
"No offense Uncle Cam, but that's not the problem… I'm more worried about whether or not you can teach the class," Alex says dropping the bomb as Cam looks slightly offended, while my eyes widen at Alex's bluntness.
"Alex! I know a lot about history OK! I can easily teach you guys!" Cam says defending himself immediately, though I know for a fact he knows next to nothing about history, teaching, and nothing with the two combined.
"This… this class will ruin our chances," Alex says to me as we take our seats due to other people arriving in the classroom. Everyone was looking at Cam with surprise seeing his costume.
"Just remember, I love you," I say to her patting her head, as she looks at me with a deadpan look, before sighing and placing her head on the desk.
"Love you too," Alex mumbles while refusing to move her head from the desk.
A week into our third year, Cam finally saw he was unfit to teach AP history and someone with actual qualifications took the spot. While Cam became the coach of the football team and the gym teacher. Which Alex was grateful for, though it didn't really change her stressing about the exams this year. Like the SAT which will be a big factor in deciding what Colleges and Universities we can get into.
Time seemed to go by with Alex still stressing and no matter what I did, wasn't helping her any. Finally, winter vacation came and along with it, Alex got a job at the mall along with Haley. Alex was Mrs. Claus, while Haley was an elf. I went to the Mall to see for myself and take pictures to mess with Alex later. My parents came along with Gloria, Jay, Joe, Mitchell, Cam, and Lily, so the young kids could get pictures with Santa.
Thankfully Claire and Phil seemed to be occupied with something, though it seemed to be watching Gloria's mom who is here for the holidays. Haley finally moved to the basement leaving the room to Alex, letting us have more privacy plus it would mean I could avoid Haley more easily.
I drove separately then everyone else while sneaking some pictures of Alex in her costume. Which I found to be hilarious and I sent them to her phone. Which she saw on her break while looking around for me. I waved to her from a distance as she made her way over to me with a frown on her face.
"Gabe! Delete those!" Alex says coming over to me, though I am easily able to keep my phone from her reach.
"Gabe! Seriously!" Alex says now more annoyed, seeing her this upset I relent.
"Ok, ok, sorry. Though you seem upset for a different reason too," I say to her as she sighs.
"Well, I told the guy playing Santa he sucked and needed to do better. Then he just disappeared, and now we don't know what to do. Plus Haley is being a bitch like usual, saying that it is my fault and the guy was doing fine," Alex says to me with frustration evident in her voice, plus a hint of liquor on her breath. Now I noticed Alex seemed more flustered than usual like she was slightly buzzed.
"Alex… where you drinking?" I say to her as she gives me a surprised look and is offended by me even asking that question.
"NO! What?!" Alex says immediately then I see Haley running over to us, she at first hesitated seeing me but still came over.
"Alex!... Gabe… Look that wasn't your fault that asshole left… Alex are you drunk?!" Haley says to her while giving me a stiff look, then turning back to Alex with a surprised face.
"NO! Why do you guys keep saying that?!" Alex says while slurring her words more slightly. Haley and I share a look of surprise, before turning back to Alex.
"Uhm… yeah you're right…" Haley says trying to come up with a way to get Alex to calm down and not make a scene.
"Alex, I can be Santa for today… you should head back and I'll see if there is a costume I can change into," I say to her as we walk Alex back to the area, with Haley ushering her inside the fake house on the set.
I found an extra Santa costume and as I was changing into it Haley busted into the room. Like she was about to say something while holding a mug and then stopped while checking me out. I just gave her a deadpan look, before continuing to change as she finally spoke up.
"Uhm… Seems Alex accidentally got drunk, as she was drinking the hot chocolate the other guy brought and it was spiked with liquor," Haley says with a slightly blushing face while showing me the mug.
"Jesus… ok, then keep an eye on her, while I try to appease the waiting people," I say walking out with the fake belly on and suit.
Over the next few hours, I took picture with people and Haley would come back and forth between the pictures to check on Alex, who at this point passed out in the fake house. Then the people we knew came to get their pictures. Haley looked extremely nervous while I gave her a look to calm down.
"Well hello there!" I say with my best Santa voice, so I don't ruin it for the kids. Though it seems Lily is suspicious of me, while Joe and Olivia don't seem to notice it is me.
"Hey guys! Where is Mrs. Claus?" Mom says to me as the pictures finally end. Though Haley looks at them with more panic, especially now that we hear Alex waking up behind us in the fake house.
"She… uhm…" Haley says trying to figure out a lie.
"She ate something bad on her break and is feeling upset, so she is available today," I say to them as they nod their heads. Haley looks relieved now that they bought it.
"Does Alex want to come home with us?" Gloria says as Haley begins to panic again, while I slightly panic too since it appears Alex is stumbling around inside the house behind us.
"Uhm, no she said she will wait for us to finish up here," I say to them as they shrug and finally walk away.
Haley and I then walk inside the house to see Alex has removed her Costume and lying down in just her underwear on the floor.
"Jesus Christ…" I say seeing this as Haley is looking back outside to make sure no one is that close by.
"Heyyyy, what are you guys doing?! Isn't it soooo hot in here?" Alex says with slurred words.
"Ok… ok… ok," I say trying to figure out what to do. Haley then walks back inside.
"Haley dress Alex and take her to the locker room. Have her change back to her normal clothes. I will close the stand down and we can take her back home. Though we will have to be quick before anyone else gets home first," I say to Haley who nods her head and Alex resists Haley, making me have to hold her still while Haley forces the costume back onto Alex before heading to the locker room.
Once I close down the stand some people are upset, but I just ignore them as this even isn't my real job. While rushing back to the locker rooms, I change and hear Haley struggling still in the women's locker room.
"Haley! You almost done?!" I say while knocking on the door.
"NO! Alex is being a jerk!" Haley says while I hear Alex arguing with her.
"Well try to hurry up!" I say back.
"Just get in here! No one else is here," Haley says as I look around before walking inside to see Alex and Haley wrestling on the ground.
"Alex! Please just listen to us!" I say grabbing Alex and holding her while Haley dresses her.
"FINE!!" Alex says while relaxing and then we dress her.
"Haley hurry up, we'll be waiting outside," I say grabbing Alex in a princess carry and walking outside. There we make eye contact with a dude who just came out of the men's locker room.
"Hey… Uh… This is my girlfriend," I say with an awkward look as this seems very suspicious.
"Yeahhh I am!" Alex says with a laugh while kissing me drunkenly. The guy just shakes his head before leaving.
"Let's go!" Haley says coming out a few seconds after the random guy leaves.
We then rush to my car, where we place Alex inside as Haley and I drive to their house. Haley drove Alex and her to the mall, but I put Alex in my car since Haley didn't want her to be sick in her car in case she threw up.
Getting to her house, Haley texts me no one is home. As I grab Alex and bring her inside, Haley and I then place her in her bed on her stomach. With a glass of water on her nightstand and a bucket next to the bed.
"So… that was fun," Haley says with a laugh after we successfully helped Alex.
"Yeah, sure whatever you say," I say with a chuckle too.
"I… I just want to say sorry about that day. You were right and I shouldn't have done that to you guys. So sorry," Haley says to me with surprising sincerity.
"Apology accepted, though just don't do that again," I say to Haley as she nods her head. I then leave back to my house before anyone gets home too.