FicWad

"Alex, just listen to me!" Adrienne pleaded, staring hard at her best friend with concern in her eyes.

Alex remained glued to her spot in front of the sliding door, arms crossed, tears rolling down her face. She couldn't believe this was happening. She couldn't believe that the man she loved had betrayed her! Not only that, but her best friend had been the cause. She just wanted Adrienne to leave so she could be left to mourn in peace.

Adrienne allowed a few minutes of silence to pass until she spoke up again.

"Alex...you need to realize what Brent was doing to you. You need to know how unhealthy your relationship was...You know how many times I tried to tell you. Alex, he was using you!"

"Please..." Alex cried, putting her hand up to cease her friend. Her words were like knives. She did not, could not accept the hard truth. Deep down, she knew her friend was right, but the pain and the bitterness she felt blinded her. If Adrienne hadn't introduced Brent to the new girl in town, he and Alex would still be together. The worst part was, Alex didn't know until now that her best friend had been the one to acquaint them with one another.

Alex worked at a recreational sporting equipment store called, Eastern Mountain Sports, where she made recommendations to customers on which products were best, and rung them up at the register. One day, while she was working, a tall, pretty, blonde girl came in. She didn't look to be from around the area, by the way she daintily carried herself, and by the way she was overdressed in a bright yellow sweater, a tight skirt and wedges. This was North Conway. A place where people wore hiking shoes and baseball caps on simple errands. Where people were friendly and personable and talked about weather and mountain conditions. This girl was different. She seemed reserved, shy, and almost stuck up in a way. After living in the area her whole life, Alex became expert at picking out the people who didn't belong.

The girl had moseyed around the store in her vibrant sweater, browsing and stopping every now and then to look at an item that piqued her interest. She'd scowl as if she'd never seen anything like it before, and move on. It had been particularly quiet that day, so Alex had the opportunity to catch glimpses of the girl while she swept the front end. The blonde caught her staring a few times and Alex quickly put her focus back to her chore, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

Finally, the girl left and Alex had been left to continue her tasks in peace, all the while thinking about the strange, prissy girl. She hoped she would never see her again and that she had just been visiting the area.

Unfortunately, Alex's wishes were not fulfilled. The very next day, she and Brent were meeting up at a restaurant with Adrienne and some of their other friends for dinner and drinks. They had just finished eating when the door to the restaurant opened, and in walked the same girl from the store. Adrienne's eyes followed the girl to the end of the bar, where she watched her take a seat and flag the bartender down for a drink.

"Who's that?" Adrienne whispered to her best friend. Alexandra hadn't noticed the girl until Adrienne pointed her out.

"That's what I'd like to know," she answered, "She came into the store yesterday while I was working. Seemed extremely unfamiliar with everything and really uncomfortable. She was kind of giving me dirty looks."

"She's certainly not your average tourist," Adrienne remarked, "What the hell is she wearing?"

This time, the girl had on a hot pink tube top, a rather tight black skirt, and the same wedges she had on the previous day. As the bartender placed her cocktail in front of her, she reached for it, revealing acrylic fingernails that were too long and painted the same hot pink as her shirt. An expensive looking Coach purse rested on the bar stool beside her, and there was that same uncomfortable look, as she occasionally glanced at her surroundings.

Alex was glad Brent's back was to the girl, and he was engrossed in a conversation with their friends. She wasn't usually the jealous type, but for some reason this woman gave her a strange feeling. Adrienne went right on muttering under her breath about the new person, as Alex attempted to shut her up to make things less obvious. She didn't want Brent hearing, in fear he would turn around and take a look for himself. Luckily when everyone got up to leave, Brent still hadn't noticed the girl, which relieved Alex immensely. Who was this woman, and why would she pick somewhere to live that she seemed uncomfortable with?

Two weeks had gone by after seeing the stranger at the restaurant, and Alexandra was getting ready to go to an annual outdoor concert and cookout with her friends. Brent would be there too, and she wasn't exactly thrilled about it. They had been fighting a lot and Alex was getting fed up with him. It started when he blew her off during the first week, after telling her he was going to come and see her. They were supposed to have a relaxing night in at her parent's house, with movies and ice cream. Then he had called and said he "forgot" he had to go to his friend's house to help him with something. He didn't talk to her until the next morning, which had her worrying over him all night. Insecurity usually didn't play a part in Alex's mind, but she had genuinely been concerned is all. When she tried explaining how she felt to her boyfriend, he seemed annoyed and only brushed it off like it wasn't a big deal.

Alex took a deep breath, putting all of it aside as she started her car and pulled out of the drive way. Her and Brent's friends' band was the one playing the concert that day and she just wanted to relax, enjoy their music, and have a good time. As she pulled into the public park where the cookout was being held, she spotted a group of her girlfriends over by a picnic table. Already, the place was crowded with locals from town, and she waved to several after parking and getting out of her car to get to her friends. The air was filled with the smells of popcorn, burgers, hot dogs, and fried dough. Lots of the townspeople contributed to the event by volunteering and serving the food. Over by a large, white gazebo, Alex saw the band setting up their equipment, plugging in cords and moving amplifiers. Adrienne was conversing with one of them, and Brent stood not too far off. Alexandra was about to head over to them when all of a sudden, she saw some one approaching Brent with two lemonades. It was the new girl!

Feeling her face get hot and her stomach twisting, Alex boldly strode toward the gazebo. Where the hell did she come from? Why was she talking to Brent? Why was he accepting a lemonade from her?

"Hello Brent," she said as casually as she could, finally reaching him.

"Oh, hey Alex," he answered, hardly looking at her. "Have you met Melissa?"

The girl flashed the most fake smile Alexandra had ever seen, and gingerly reached out a hand to shake hers. Alex shook it, just as unwillingly but took a step back upon releasing her thin hand.

"Hi!" Melissa said, "I knew I've seen you from somewhere! It was that weird store I visited the other day, right? I forgot the name of it..."

"Eastern Mountain Sports," Alex reminded her.

"Yeah! That...Not really my kind of store, but I'm sure you guys get a lot of business. Although I felt bad for you that day. You hardly had a thing to do!"

If this wasn't fake sympathy, Alex had no idea what was. Brent didn't say anything more, just sipped on his drink and pretended to be paying attention to the band still setting up.

"So, how do you know Brent?" Melissa questioned, twirling a lock of bleached hair with one of her long hot pink fingernails.

"Uhh..well we met in Saco on a camping trip. We've been dating for about two years now."

Melissa's face seemed to fall, but she caught herself and quickly plastered the fake smile back on.

"Oh! So you guys are together! Okay!"

"Yeah...our friends are the ones playing in the band that's setting up at the moment," Alex mentioned, changing the subject.

"Cool!"

So Brent hadn't even bothered to mention that he was taken! Alex wondered if he was ever planning on dropping that hint. She knew that if it had been the opposite situation and she met a new male friend, she would stress that fact right away and of course indirectly. He could have told her "my girlfriend is on her way"! she thought.

Feeling awkard and uncomfortable, she took a few steps towards her boyfriend.

"Hey, uhh...Katie and Michelle are up there by the picnic tables if you wanted to come say hi."

"Tell them to come down here!" he said. "I'm about to talk to Joey."

Joey was the bass played in the band.