(a Lost Episode set after Dinner Date)
By Kara
Alex sat with his family at one of the corner tables at the Crashdown, enjoying a nice, quiet dinner. His dad was talking about the medieval history class he was teaching, and his mom told stories about the computer techies on the base. "And there's this new version of Windows that Kit was trying out...I'll try and bring home a copy for you to play with, Alex."
"Thanks, Mom!" He liked playing around with the Commodore computer and the new IBM his mom had almost as much as he liked plunking around on the piano in the living room.
"And how was class, Alexander?" His dad was such a dork. He looked like the typical history professor, with his wire-rimmed glasses and neatly trimmed beard. But his blue eyes laughed a lot. His dad had the same weird sense of humor that he did.
"It was cool. Maria DeLuca's in my class again, so I have a friend." He pointed to the blond dancing around the booth in the corner. "Remember? Her mom runs the alien shop on the corner."
His mom laughed. "She reminds me of Tinkerbell for some reason."
Alex grinned. That was the perfect description of Maria.
And then his dad's eyes lit up. "Is that little sweet thing the one who socked Rodney Hodgkins last year for calling you a chessboy?"
Alex's chest swelled with pride. "That was Maria." They'd both gotten black eyes and detention from the fight with Rodney, but it cemented their friendship.
"So, who else is in your class this year? Any other friends?" He knew his mom worried sometimes that he didn't have as many friends as he ought to. But the kids his age were just so...dull. Like Kyle Valenti, who was awesome in PE, but could barely play a game of checkers.
"Liz Parker, the one who almost won the science fair last year?" He pointed to the dark-haired girl who was now tickling Maria. "She's Maria's best friend. She's cool. A little more down-to-earth than DeLuca."
His mom smiled. "She's a pretty little girl."
He rolled his eyes. Liz was pretty, but not like Isabel. But no one was like Isabel. Isabel was perfect.
"She seems like someone I can trust as a friend. And she's got a telescope, so she won't make fun of the Commodore."
His dad grinned. "Any pretty girls? If I remember correctly, this is when they really start to shine."
And he blushed. "Umm, Max and Isabel Evans are in my class again too, and their friend Michael." He made a face. "And the fashion twins, Gracie and Maggie."
"Isabel Evans, huh? Philip was at the library the other day looking for research for a case. He said that Isabel had..." his dad blushed "changed a lot over the summer."
Meaning that Isabel had things none of the other girls did. But she was special. There was something about her--he knew there had to be more to her than her good looks. Maybe it was the way he'd seen her clutching her brother's hand every first day of school, all the way back to third grade.
"Oh, and Mom...next year, please don't make me wear the suit. Valenti almost made me eat my tie again. A sweater maybe, but not the tie. It's almost as bad as the sailor suit two years ago."
His mom ruffled his short dark hair. "I'm sorry, hon. I guess I've forgotten that kids today are a little crueler than I remembered." She gave him a grin. "Did Maria beat Kyle up for you then?"
Alex beamed. "No. I used that hold that Uncle Matt taught me, because of my arms, and freaked him out when I put them around my neck."
"Good job, Alex! Nonviolence is always the way!" His dad patted him on the back. His parents were kinda dorky, and nowhere near as fun as some of the other parents he knew, but he loved them, and was glad that they were his.
He looked over at the Parkers and DeLucas and grinned. One big happy family. That's what dinner talk was all about.
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