Summer Shenanigans

Alex makes it back to the city with the high schoolers. The sun is setting a little past 9:30 at night. Everyone is a little groggy after their full day in the sun. Stacy is the worst while she tries to wake up. Lizzy helps her out of the van.

"We should probably give Alex his present now." Lizzy whispers to Stacy.

"You're right." She yawns and stretches trying to wake herself up. Lizzy and her dig through their bag and grab the tin of cookies.

Alex would normally be bolting from everyone's company but he is hesitant knowing what he knows about Dragon. He is a little self conscious if he looks like a creep hanging around the group. So he does what he does best and runs a diagnostic test on the van's computer. Lizzy and Stacy break away from the guys and walk up to Alex.

"Here! We baked cookies with Grams to show our appreciation for you driving us around today!" Stacy says cheerfully. Handing him the ribbon wrapped tin.

"Oh than- wait. You were at my grandparents house, baking with Grams?" Alex's hat doesn't hide his shocked expression.

"Gramps says you don't eat any other cookie. And Grams says they are your favorite." Lizzy smiles softly.

Alex pulls the ribbon off and pops the tin open. Inside he sees the cherry blossom cookies he loves. His heart skips a beat. 

"Thank you so much." Alex says his voice nearly a whisper. He has a hard time comprehending that these two went out of their way to bake his favorite cookie.

"Oh that reminds me Gramps wanted a picture of us two. As a payment for using the van." Stacy says looking at Lizzy. "We will have to sort through the pictures Kiki took."

"That can wait til we are at the dorms right?" Asks Lizzy.

"Let me guess youre tired?" Asks Stacy.

"I didn't get a nap in the van so yes I'm eepy." Lizzy yawns. "Well good night Alex. Thank you again for taking us."

"Yea I'm happy it worked out." He smiles at her.

"See you soon! Thanks again!" Stacy says waving good bye.

Alex heads for his grandparents apartment to return the van. The boys walk the girls back to the dorms. They say their good byes and how soon they want to hang out again.

Lizzy and Stacy shower then find themselves next to each other on Lizzy's couch. They were going through pictures Kiki took on a glass book. Lizzy felt very exposed in all of the pictures thanks to the two piece suit. 

"How about we crop this one?" Stacy crops the picture so only an inch of shoulder is showing on both of them. Lizzy does like the way Stacy is smiling in the photo.

"I like that. But I just look funny." Lizzy comments.

"That's because you have that old farmer smile. Were you can't smile on command. Try thinking of something funny or something you love."

"Something I love?" Lizzy looks over to Stacy. The corner of Lizzy's mouth pulls up.

"That's better but we will have to work on showing more teeth later." Stacy sends the picture to Gramps. Lizzy starts to drift to sleep on the couch. "Good night sleepy head."

"Good night." Lizzy is drifting hard between conscious and sleeping. She is trying to fight it but can't. "I love you." She whispers.

"I love you too." Stacy whispers to her friend. She gets up and grabs Lizzy a blanket before heading back to her dorm room.

.     .  Six short weeks later  .     .

"I can't go on... It hurts..." Lizzy groans and flops on her back on the floor.

"I can't go on either." Dragon slumps in defeat.

"Why is this so hard?!" Stacy pounds her fists on the table.

"We should have prepared more." Tate says.

"We should have done this multiple times over the summer and not all in a few days." Hitohito says more to Stacy then the rest of the group.

"But hey now we know who is good at what." Stephen comments.

"I'm really hoping this is just me but that whole conversation was just..." Alex says to Karen. They just got back to Alex's and Gramps' office from the kitchen. They are carrying snacks and drinks for the study group. They are sitting on cushions around the short legged table. Gramps cut the legs some 40 years ago to fix some manure moving mechanism in the barn and just never got rid of the table.

"It's not just you." Karen's face shakes on her screen.

Alex wonders why he agreed to help with their summer homework. Which they all put off til the week before school. A flashback of Karen blackmailing him with many scans and videos of Alex's increased heart rate when in close proximity of Lizzy comes to mind. All summer Karen slowly built up material. Her "interests" she claimed was helping Lizzy prepare for school. 

He sets down a tray of snacks and drinks. He hasn't told Lizzy what he overheard Dragon say at the beginning of summer. Lizzy and him always had a third person there so there was never any one on one time. Then just asking her for a private conversation didn't sit well with Alex. He is scared of what people could say. They did drive out to the lake a few more times. Then when he offered to take her to the oak tree, she would ask others to come as well.

"Karen can we take a break?" Asks Lizzy.

"Sure, a few laps around the building will get your blood flowing and increase your learning capabilities." Karen states.

"Not the break I want." Drag says.

"I will be back." Lizzy says getting up. Karen follows her out the door.

"She's really going to run?" Asks Tate. "In this heat?"

"I think she is going to visit the goats." Alex and Stacy say at the same time. Everyone looks at them funny.

"What? The girl likes her goats." Stacy says matter-o-factly.

"She got the whole herd to trust her over the summer." Gramps says looking over the monitor with the goat pen camera pulled up. "Just watch this." He points to the screen.

Lizzy walks through the barn door and starts yelling names. Before she could make it to the pens gate, goats were running into the barn. She climbs over the gate and is telling them to move out of the way or she will be sitting on them. All twenty of the goats in the pen are pushing on each other wanting attention. And scratchies. Once they found out what scratchies were this summer they all became Lizzy's followers.

"She even got a few goats from the other pens use to people. Just look at that one poking his head above the wall." Gramps chuckles.

"That's cute! I love that one's floppy ears! Lizzy named that one Sprinkles because of his hair markings." Stacy comments.

"Pfft! Sprinkles? That's a weird name." Says Dragon.

"I find that name adorable." Stacy says.

Dragon changes his tone. "Well I guess it's not that strange."

After awhile Lizzy is back and they all start trying to study again. Helping each other out where they can. The Soleils don't get too involved thanks to studies showing most humans do better socializing with other humans. Alex is more convinced that it's Karen's way of instigating something. 

"Hey Alex." Lizzy says leaning back with her head tilted back so she is looking at Alex upside down. He looks over his shoulder at her. Her hair a cascade of red curls and her face is innocent looking.

Could you not do such a seductive pose? He mental says.

"Yea?" He replies.

"I can't figure out this history question."

"Alright. I can help." He wheels his chair over so he can see without getting too close. He tells her what time period the question is and makes her find the chapter. Then he cuts her loose. He could have given her the answer but it would have not been beneficial to her in the long run. This happens for pretty much every question though.

"I will be back." Stacy says heading off for the bathroom.

"Finally!" Lizzy whispers. "Alright tomorrow is Stacy's birthday. I want us to surprise her at the festival."

"I love surprises!" Hitohito is excited. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know!" Lizzy whispers. She looks at Kiki. "Not a word or I will learn how to solder you to the ceiling."

"Not as feral as I was expecting. You're secret is safe with me. May I make a suggestion?" Kiki replies.

"Yes." Lizzy leans forward. 

"She said she wanted a boyfriend to watch the fireworks with." Kiki says point blank.

"She already turned us down." Says Tate gesturing at Stephen. "And I think Hitohito is just plain scared to now."

"I was waiting for the right moment and tomorrow's festival should set the right mood." Hitohito says.

"Lizzy you have to keep that a secret." Karen says flatly.

"I know I know I will try my best." Lizzy says.

"Not try. Do or I will tell your secrets." Karen mildly threatens.

"What secrets do I have?" Lizzy asks.

"Oh you have plenty. For example, you're favorite song to dance to is-"

"DON'T YOU DARE!" Lizzy jumps at the Soleil.

Karen mocks her while floating around. Gramps silently enjoys the commotion of the kids being there. Stacy comes in to the commotion.

"What's this all about?" Stacy asks the group.

"We were telling each other some secrets about ourselves. Want to join?" Tate laughs.

"Maybe if we weren't studying." She replies. "Lizzy stop chasing Karen and focus on your work. I want to go to that festival tomorrow."

Lizzy calls truce with Karen. With minor interruptions, the group finishes up their summer homework just before Alex has to kick them out. The sun is real low in the sky.

"Yes! Freedom!" Stacy cheers outside the office. A warm breeze brushes past everyone. "We are dressing up tomorrow night right?"

"Yea we all agreed on wearing kimonos. Last I knew." Hitohito adds.

"I'm only doing what I'm told." Lizzy comments.

"Yes I sent everyone the shop info that rents them out. I think we would all look good in them." Stacy says. "Are you going to the festival Alex?"

"Not if I can help it." He partially lies.

"Well we will miss you if you don't come. You're pretty chill man." Tate tells Alex.

"Thanks? I guess?" Alex gets on his electro bike. "Well I will see you around." He tells the group. His bike covers him in his black and red protective gear before he drives off.

"Would you be a dear and walk me to the station?" Gramps asks Lizzy.

"Sure thing." Lizzy smiles and walks beside Gramps as they follow the group.

"How about you all tell me one thing you enjoyed on your last high school summer break?" Gramps asks the kids.

"There are a lot to choose from though." Tate says. "If I had to choose one though. It would be all the time we went swimming!"

"I like how we got that beach looking more like it did when Stacy and Lizzy use to visit it." Stephen adds.

"My favorite was the ice cream shop. I still haven't tried all the flavors they offer." Says Dragon putting his hands behind his head.

"Mine was watching Lizzy save Stacy from a wardrobe malfunction. You handled that one smooth Lizzy." Hitohito praises Lizzy.

"I was hoping no one saw that!" Stacy covers her chest.

"What?" The other three boys say in unison to Hitohito.

"Yea Stacy's swim top came untied. Lizzy hugged Stacy, pulled her under and helped tie it." Hitohito explains.

"Please tell me you didn't see anything."

"Nah. I was standing behind you is the only reason I saw your top come untied." He reassures her. "Now what's your favorite part of this summer?"

"Mine would have to be spending so much time with everyone." Says Stacy with a bright smile.

"That leaves you Lizzy. What's your favorite part of this summer?" Asks Gramps smiling as always.

"That's a tough one." Lizzy thinks for a second. Her feelings for Stacy are still strong but she knows her feelings are one way. In the end Lizzy wants her friend happy. So maybe her being with Hitohito is best.

"I think that tomorrow will be my best memory of summer yet." Lizzy says looking up at the color changing sky.