CHAPTER 8

     Their friendship had lasted only for three days, when Alex invited Helen to a birthday party at a friend's house. It was going to be a fun-filled day with new people to meet, delicious food to eat, and exciting games to play, and she couldn't wait for the day to come. It was a new neighbourhood for her, and the last thing on her mind was to be alone in her room doing nothing but eating pop corns and watching TV solo.

She spent a good chunk of her afternoon getting ready for the party with the intention of wanting to look her best for Alex and the other guests. She could not tell for what reason her heart wanted her to impress Alex, but ever since they met, one side of her had been the happiest whilst the other side kept telling her not to.trust him. The most annoying thing to be is confused when someone like Alex was around her, trying every second to make her smile. There were a couple of times when she felt so much like she knew him, or that whatever they did together had happened before. Sometimes, she could tell what he was going to say or do about five seconds before he says or do them. Just two days back when he was telling her about the birthday party, the name 'Chris', rang in her ears, and immediately, the sentence, "A friend of mine, Chris is holding a birthday party in two days, wanna come?" slipped out of his mouth. Even though it sounded cool for her to know a few things before he said them, the feeling that accompanied it was an uneasy one.

Anyway, the party was starting soon, and she had no idea what colors to put on. She tried on several dresses before settling on a beautiful yellow sundress that she had bought just a few weeks ago during her last shopping with Stephanie before moving in. The two had almost ninety-five percent of their clothes the same, and back in high school, people called them 'twins' even though their faces looked nothing alike. She paired her sundress with her favourite sandals and a matching purse, then sat in front of the mirror for makeup.

       As she put on her makeup, she heard a knock on her door. Instantaneously, an image of someone wearing a white shirt and black shorts flashed over her eyes, then she felt a sharp rush through her head. "Alex!" She called out, "is that you?"

"Maybe." He responded, jovially from outside.

"Come in." She permitted, applying a colourless lip gloss on her lower lip.

The door opened gently, and in stepped a mystery. Alex was looking dapper in a white shirt and black pants with a beautiful smile on his face. "Oh my word," he blushed, as his eyes caught sight of her while she turned to look at him. "I don't know if what I'm going to say is appropriate, but you're beautiful." He complimented, after milli-seconds of his mind and heart, battling to come up with the appropriate words to use.

Helen found herself out of words for the first time in many years. This had nothing to do with what he said, but his choice of clothes. "You look like- a dream." She blurted, unconsciously.

A look of confusion siege his countenance. "What compliment is that?" He gave a short laugh.

"My bad, sorry." She apologised. "What I meant to say was that, err... you look-amazingly handsome." She started to sweat.

"Weird, but thanks." He responded. "So? You ready?".

"Mh" she raised her brows, and grabbed her purse, smiling as she walked towards. "Birthday party, here comes I." she whispered, and the two headed out to his car, waiting outside.

      When they finally arrived at the house, Helen was struck by its charm. It was a small, cosy house with a well-manicured lawn and a large swimming pool in the backyard. Alex introduced her to his friend, Chris, who was celebrating his 22nd birthday. Chris was friendly and welcoming, and Helen instantly felt at ease in his company.

The party was already in full swing when they arrived. The backyard was crowded with people, and the air was filled with the sound of laughter and chatter. Alex introduced Helen to some of his other friends, and she found them to be warm and friendly.

As the afternoon wore on, Helen and Alex spent more time together. They played games and swam in the pool, enjoying each other's company. Helen found herself laughing more than she had in a long time, and she realised that she was having a great time with Alex.

As the sun started to set, Chris's parents brought out a huge cake for him to blow out the candles. Everyone sang "Happy Birthday," and Chris made a wish before cutting the cake. It was a beautiful sight, and Helen couldn't help but feel happy for Chris.

After the cake cut, the party moved indoors. The living room was decorated with balloons and streamers, and the air was filled with the aroma of delicious food. Chris' parents had prepared a feast for everyone, and it looked mouth-watering.

Helen and Alex found a spot on the couch and started to dig in. The food was amazing, and they couldn't stop praising Chris' parents for their culinary skills. They chatted about their favourite foods and restaurants, and Helen found herself opening up to Alex about her love for cooking.

     As the night wore on, the party started to wind down. Some guests had already left, and the ones that remained were sitting around, chatting and relaxing. Helen and Alex took a break from the festivities and sat down on a couch in the living room. They chatted about their dreams and aspirations, and Helen found herself opening up to him about her desire to start her own law firm someday.

Alex listened intently, offering her encouragement and support. " I believe you can. You've got the brains, you're brave and well... You've got everything you need to make it work, just need to see the Lecturer in boogie pants again."

Helen slipped her fingers into his hair and spread them across to mess them up.

"Thanks Al." Helen appreciated and gave off a yawn.

Alex noticed her eyes turning dreamy as she yawned a second time and asked if she wanted to leave. She nodded, feeling a little embarrassed. But Alex just smiled and said that he was also getting tired. They said their goodbyes to Chris and his parents and made their way out.

Walking towards Alex's car, Helen paused to admire his cheerful nature and how his smile seemed to never fade away. "Thank you," she said gratefully as he opened the door for her.

"What for?" He asked, staring at the door.

" Not for the door, silly." She answered, pushing his shoulder as she walked past him. "I didn't need your help with that, Mr Humourguy."

"Ooh, is that so? Mhh... I didn't know your muscles were that strong." He teased.

"Huh?" she exclaimed with eyes wide-open. She balled up her right fist, then blew air to cool it down. "I don't want you to bleed, don't try me." She threatened, with a half-serious look on her face.

Chris came up from behind Alex and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, then he began to rub it gently. "You heard the lady." He chuckled. "Helen, Alex, thanks for coming. I really appreciate it."

" I had fun, thanks for inviting us." Helen remarked.

"Come-on man, we go way back." Alex added, rubbing his shoulder in return.

"Thanks guys. My doors are always open for anything you need. Helen, if you need anything, don't hesitate. Heard you were new here, so... Here's my contact, Alex and I, we grew up in this place so we know every corner here in Gimmerton."

"Okay then, thanks for the meal, too. Your Mom's a great cook. Tell her I'll come over someday to enrich my fingers." Helen said chipped in.

"Alright, your highness, I'll let her know. See you guys later then." Chris extended his fist for a fist bump from Helen.

She responded to the fist bump with her readied fist and sat down in the car. The two men exchange a few words and after a minute, Alex slipped in to the front and drove Helen home.