Chapter 6: The Reunion

Alex awoke the next morning with new thoughts.

She had finally secured the loan she had hoped for yesterday and was about to have a meeting today with Miss Powers. After the two-hour talk with Gil Rightman, she finally had the money needed to better the offer and hopefully the other party interested would not try to best her on it.

Getting dressed, Alex was just walking down the stairway when she heard Maggie's voice.

"C'mon, Lis, tell me why this would be such a bad idea."

Alex heard Lisa sigh and say, "You know why Maggie. Her coming over here would be very bad. Mom wouldn't allow it."

Alex sat down at the top of the stairs, something inside told her she needed to listen to this particular conversation.

"I can talk to her. Believe me. But, why are you so against the idea of it? I've told you she's changed and she wants to make up with everyone. Why are you so objectionable about it?" Maggie looked irritated.

Lisa sat down on the couch and put her hands against her head, "Because, she told him before she changed and it turned out she was lying. I'm sorry, Maggie, I don't trust her. I'm more worried how this is going to affect Bart."

Maggie sat down next to her and leaned forward, "There's more to this, isn't there? What's the REAL reason?"

Lisa put a hand on her sister's shoulder, "Look, I always try to be open-minded about a lot of things, but you got to understand why I don't like this, Maggie. Gina not only hurt Bart, but all of us. Bart's reaction to her getting out of jail and calling him was a relapse back to his dark days. I just thank Buddha that Milhouse and Alex were there to help him back up. It's not a good idea to have her come back to this family. She's…she's done enough damage."

Maggie grunted, then shook her head and then got up and faced Lisa.

"I'll tell you what. Why don't you come to lunch with us and after that, if you feel still strongly against her having dinner with the family, I won't suggest it anymore."

Lisa looked away.

"Please, Lis. At least do this for me."

Lisa heaved a big sigh and then nodded.

"Ok. I'll do it tomorrow. In the meantime, try to bring this onto Mom gently, and don't be surprised if she says "no"."

Maggie nodded and then promptly left the room.

Alex got up from where she was sitting and came downstairs.

Lisa hadn't heard her coming down and without looking in her direction went to the kitchen.

Alex followed her and approached her when she was going into the fridge.

"Hey Lisa?"

Lisa jumped and then turned around.

"Jeez, Alex! Don't do that. Phew. Wow, you're up and downstairs. How'd you sleep last night?"

Alex shrugged, "Pretty good, actually, considering I got that loan and am able to put a good bid on that property."

Lisa nodded and the two sat down at the table.

Alex watched her friend as she started spreading her butter across her toast, looking at it with sadness.

"Is everything ok, Lisa?" Alex asked.

Lisa didn't look up as she nodded, "Everything, except for Maggie wanting Gina to come over, is great."

Lisa told Alex what Maggie had planned and what Lisa thought about the whole thing and finally what was settled.

"I hate making Maggie mad about anything, but, when it comes to Gina…"

Alex nodded. Lisa didn't have that special bond like she had with Bart, but with Maggie she always tried to make her happy.

Just then, Homer came in with the mail.

"Lisa, honey, remember to remind Daddy to change our address again so the Repo-men won't steal our car."

Lisa smiled and nodded.

Homer thumbed through the mail and then took a letter out.

"You got some mail. It's from the Springfield High School. Please, tell me it's not another "Parent-Teacher Conference", again. I love you, sweety, but Daddy knows how smart you are, still."

Lisa laughed, "Dad, it's not that. I don't know what it is, actually."

Lisa opened the letter and read, " 'Dear Miss Simpson…Congratulations on making it this far…Tuesday, the fifth…High School Reunion?"

Alex shook her head, "Wow, it's been that long, huh?"

Lisa read the rest, " "Please do note that our metal detectors are out of order and that the handicapped parking spaces are where concessions are going to be sold. Yours truly, S.I.H.S Reunion Board." Huh."

Alex, then, frowned and looked at the calendar at the wall, "Lis, what's today?"

Lisa thought for a moment, and then went wide-eyed; "Today's the fifth!"

Alex pointed to the letter, "When was that sent?"

"It says on the letter head that it was typed up the seventh of last month. Dad! How long have you forgotten to pick up the mail?"

Homer wasn't listening, Marge was in the living room pointing at a letter and Homer quickly left the house and started up his car, and then was gone.

Chapter Six: The Reunion.

Bart was just eating his breakfast when he heard a knock at his door. Opening it, he was relieved to see it was Maggie.

"Wow, hey, Mags. How's it going?"

Maggie smiled, "Fine, actually."

Bart went back to the kitchen as Maggie walked in and she turned to look out the hallway and made in inaudible sound and then went into Bart's apartment.

"So, what has my little sis been up to?" Bart said as he went into his bedroom and closed the door.

Maggie stood there thumbing her fingers, nervously, still glancing towards the open doorway.

"Oh, nothing much. Say, Bart, um, what would you say if I told you I had a really big surprise for you, and I'd like to show it to you right away if you promised not to freak out?"

Bart, inside his room, putting on his pants, while removing his shirt, shrugged. "I don't know, what is it?"

Maggie heaved a loud sigh and turned back to the door and made an ushering grunt, followed by a hand moving gesture. "Come out and see."

Bart opened the bed room door.

"Maggie, don't tease, what is…"

Bart hardly got the last words out as he saw standing there, next to his sister, was Gina.

Bart froze and the pants, to which he forgot to hold onto, or button, fell down to his ankles, revealing his Krusty the Clown boxers.

"Gina…" Bart breathed.

Alex and Lisa drove into town to go to a local out fitters, to find something to wear for their High School Reunion.

"Alex, I still don't see why we're doing this, knowing everyone else in this town, everyone's probably going to dress really formal to this stupid thing, I still don't see why we should go. After all, you and I both hated High School."

Alex nodded as they were rummaging through some dress racks, everything having a ghastly shade of either puce or vermilion pink.

Alex shrugged, "I don't know, something tells me that we should go. That going we'll finally give me, and by me I mean us, closure for those awful four years that we spent there. How does this look?"

Lisa laughed, "that would be nice if we were in seventeen-century France."

Alex threw her hands up, "That's it. I'm making our dresses."

Lisa shook her head, "No. I've told you all ready. This is insane, I'm not going."

Alex sighed, despairingly, "What if Malcome's going

To be there?"

"I haven't seen him in five years, that and he got married to Haley Abenshore, when I chose career over him. Trust me, I don't really have any reason for going there."

Alex looked to Lisa, "Well, what about Janey? Have you been in touch with her over the years?"

Lisa looked to the floor, sadly, "No, I haven't. Last I heard, she got pregnant and her mother kicked her out of the house and she moved to Shelbyville."

"Alison?"

Alison Taylor was Lisa's rival when she was in the second grade. Alison had been the only person who had bested Lisa in every thing Lisa thought to be her greatest accomplishments that separated her from everyone. After a huge ordeal that seemed to come from a childhood diary from Alfred Hitchcock, the two of them had become the best of friends.

"Well…I guess seeing her again will be enjoyable."

Alex grinned. She then bought three dresses to "correct" and make better.

They proceeded back to the Simpson household and Alex went right away to preparing their dresses for that evening.

Bart didn't know how long he was standing their until Maggie made a fake coughing gesture and pointed at Bart's pants and Bart quickly brought them back up.

Gina wasn't smiling, she was looking away.

Maggie gritted her teeth in apprehension. She wasn't entirely sure if this idea of hers was or was not a good idea. She had spent thirty minutes on the phone to get Gina to come over here and judging by how both her and Bart were reacting to seeing eachother again, this didn't seem like the best laid out plan she had come up with.

Bart went back to his room and got dressed up fully and then returned.

The three of them sat down at his breakfast nook and Bart brought out some coffee.

Gina looked around and said softly.

"Things haven't changed around here, huh?"

Bart nodded.

Maggie noticed that Bart made a little glare towards her than looked back at Gina as he made slow gulps of his coffee.

"So, how've you been? Maggie told me that you're working with your Mom, is it as boring as I remember?"

For the first time since she got here, Gina smiled and nodded.

"Part of the time, I want to escape her and do some real shopping, but I want to prove to her that I'm capable of doing something, so, I let it slide."

Bart, also smiling, set down his cup and shrugged, "I remember when we were thirteen and she had you go with her as a "go with you parent to work" day and you told the whole store who she was. Man, it took me half a week just to be able to let her let me talk to you on the phone, after that."

Maggie let out a sigh and drank her coffee. Bart and Gina quietly reminisced for an hour until Gina got up and announced she had to meet her mother soon.

Bart walked her to the door.

"I have to tell you, Gina, I was really nervous when you showed up here, but, I'm happy you and I got to talk, like this."

Gina smiled, "Yeah, me too. Do you think we can do this again some time? You know…Become friends, again? I don't want to push you away, Bart. I also don't want to force you to do anything, either."

Bart nodded, "It'd be great. Call my office sometime, ok?"

Gina in turn nodded and then left.

When the door closed, Bart turned to Maggie and narrowed his eyes.

Maggie rubbed her arm, knowing what was about to come out.

"Of all the people…Why did you pull this out on me, Maggie."

"Bart, look, I…"

"What were you thinking! You could have, at least, told me ahead of time that you were bringing her over!"

"I know, but…"

Bart went back to his room and fetched his tie and then came back out and got his jacket and briefcase.

"I'm going to be late for work, I'll talk to you later."

Bart then left Maggie and closed the door.

Marge was in the kitchen humming a Carpenters song when she heard the door close and in turn heard crying and rapid footsteps that went upstairs and into Lisa's bedroom.

Marge, who had developed a keen sense on whose cries were whose, recognized them as Maggie's. Dropping what she was doing, she went upstairs to find her youngest daughter, with her head buried in her older sister's pillow, crying.

"Maggie, what's wrong?" She asked, as she came in and sat down on the side of the bed, resting a hand on Maggie's shoulder.

"Why am I so stupid!" She blurted out.

"What do you mean?"

Maggie looked up at her mother with tear glazed-eyes.

"Me. Why did I have to go and make Bart angry with me?"

Marge sighed and put her hands on Maggie's shoulders.

"What happened?"

Maggie told her about bringing Gina to Bart's place and hoping that Bart would be over-joyed to seeing Gina, again; Only to yell at Maggie for doing it.

Marge shrugged, "No one said that you meant for Bart to be unhappy by doing this, but Maggie, you have to realize that Bart wasn't ready to see her yet. A lot has been going on and seeing her, right now, without asking him, is really sudden."

Maggie, brushing away a tear, "I know, but, I was hoping seeing her would have him realize that she's a hell of a lot better than Jessica, and that Gina makes him happy and maybe they might consider getting back together."

Again Marge sighed, "Honey, I know you're really fond of Gina, but Bart's a grown man, and he needs to make these decisions for himself. I know he knows you love him and you really want the best for him, but, bringing over Gina can't erase what's happened to the two of them for over the years, you know that. It's nice to hear that Bart's willing to be friends with her again, that you should be proud of. Bart took her coming over better than planned, but you doing this to him, so suddenly, wasn't helpful. He needed to do this on his own, not have his little sister do it for him, you see?"

Maggie nodded. She then sat up and looked down at the floor.

"How am I going to make this up to him?"

Marge patted her on the back, "Well, why don't you apologize and ask him that question."

Maggie smiled, kissed her mother on the cheek and said, "Thanks Mom."

Bart arrived to his office feeling incredibly glum. He hadn't had a fight like that with Maggie, since he was fourteen and he found out she had ripped up all his Play Dude magazines to make paper hats out of them.

Walking to his office, he saw another thing that made him uneasy.

"Good morning, Mr. Simpson. I've got your coffee and a copy of the Wallstreet Journal sitting on your desk, but before you get to enjoy them, might we have a word, in private?"

Jessica.

Bart, willingly, followed her into the office where she shut the door behind them.

She then turned around, "What the hell, have you've been doing, Bart!"

She walked up to him and grabbed him by the tie.

"Are you taking your "pet" out, everywhere? What was that skank doing with your sister, huh? Trying to throw me out of the picture?!"

Bart, casually, rolled his eyes, "Jessica, I have, absolutely, no idea on what you're talking about. Let go of me."

Jessica glared at him and then let go as she sighed out, loudly.

Sitting in the chair in front of his desk, she seemed to recompose herself better. She then got up, and with a sultry smile, made her way out.

"It doesn't matter. It's like I told that little tart; you're mine. Soon, all of Springfield will know it, and then, no one will be able to stop us."

Jessica happily whistled as she closed the door behind her.

Not if I have anything to say about it. Thought Bart.

Sitting at his desk, he was about to turn on his laptop, when his cell phone rang.

"Hello, Bart Simpson."

"Uh, Bart?"

Milhouse.

"Milhouse, ol'buddy, what's shakin'?"

"Nothin. How ya doin'?"

Bart shrugged, "Been better, but ok for now."

"Cool, cool, so, uh…"

Bart grinned. Milhouse had never been one to be good at holding anything back.

"Yo, Milhouse, what up?"

"Uh, Samantha wanted to know if you were free to help out at the High School, this afternoon. She's been asked to be part of the decorations committee. I'd like to help, but, your Dad's on the war path at work."

Bart remembered how Homer was planning on issuing a "Eat till you're like me" policy, in order to avoid the Health Commission to over look his own obesity.

"Sure, I'll be glad to help. When does she want me there?"

Jessica, listening in on the other end, put a hand to her mouth as she was thinking.

High School, huh…

The following afternoon, Lisa was in her room and Marge was attending to her hair.

"So, who's my little girl asking to her big High School Reunion?"

Lisa smiled, remembering, fondly, on how Marge wanted to be included on whatever happened with her family.

"Sorry, Mom, but, no one, this time. I'm just going to hang out with the girls."

Marge smiled as she added another can of hairspray to her daughter's hair.

Meanwhile, in Bart's room, Alex was looking herself in the mirror, feeling as if something weird was going to happen tonight.

She had talked with Laura Powers and the deal became official. She got the building she wanted. Her, Lisa, and Marge had a mini celebration followed by a quick dinner at the Singing Sirloin.

Looking at her dress, which was black, back laced, with the hem cut so it came a little above her left knee and then back down again, made her feel really good tonight.

Walking out of the room, she met Lisa, who was equally stunning in the white silk dress, Alex had made for her. The both of them made it look like they were going to some Hollywood Premiere party.

"Alex, I'm still not entirely sure about this. I mean, the dress is a dream, but, do you think everyone will be dressed up for this?"

Alex grinned, "I thought about that. I called up the School and the new Principal, Principal Warton, made out a memo to everyone that it was a fancy black tie-only special event. So, don't worry Lisa, I'm sure tonight is gonna be great."

Lisa didn't look totally convinced but murmured a confirmation.

Driving there, Alex laughed as they experienced the same ordeal, with Lisa, again, going on a rampage about the parking situation.

"At least you don't have your brother to blame for this one."

The comment made a sudden change in Lisa, it seemed to Alex.

When Lisa turned off the ignition, she sighed and looked to Alex, kind of sadly.

"Alex…about Bart. He…" Lisa looked at the steering wheel, as if trying to find the words there.

Alex put a hand don her friend's shoulders, "What about Bart?"

Lisa smiled and shook her head. "I'll tell you later. C'mon, let's see what a big waste of time this thing really is."

The two of them went into the building and saw everyone garbed in glorious tuxedos and dresses.

"Wow. This is something…wow." Lisa was stunned by how much her class had put into to make an appearance here.

Alex tapped Lisa on the shoulder and pointed to a young woman, standing over by the condiment stand.

"Is that Alison?"

The woman standing a few inches taller than Lisa, but not as much by Alex, was talking quietly to Samantha, who also had dressed for the evening.

Lisa nodded. The two then walked over to the concessions.

Alison brightened as she saw her two friends and promptly put down her cup and embraced the two of them, affectionately.

"Hi, you guys! How've the two of you been?"

Both gave a quick summary of their new adult lives. Alison told them of hers, how she's an assisting Professor at the Kennedy Space Center.

The three toured around the place for awhile until someone tapped Lisa on the shoulder.

Turning around Lisa was met face to face with a person she knew all to well.

"Hi, Lisa's brother, would you like to dance? I brought my helmet and shin pads like Daddy told me to."

Ralph Wiggum, who had barely managed to get his G.E.D had taken over the coveted spot of Janitor that the late Grounds-Keeper Willy had after Willy met an untimely end with a thresher in Farmer Ed's corn field, stood there with baggy pants and wearing a helmet. Getting into his early adult years, Ralph still had the over-bearing weight his father had and had lost all his hair but still had the peace-patch he had in High School.

Lisa giggled, nervously, but accepted the invitation out of respect.

Alex smiled as her friend went out on the dance floor and she and Alison quietly found themselves a place to where they could talk.

Bart had just returned from the delivery truck where he had gotten several cases of Buzz Cola and was putting it on the table when he had noticed Alex and Alison over by the bleachers.

He found himself frozen and unable to move.

She looked so beautiful tonight. Everything in the world seemed to have stopped in its place. He didn't even hear Samantha asking him a question.

"Bart?"

She then nudged him, which snapped him out of his trance.

"Oh, uh, sorry, Samantha. What is it?"

Samantha smiled, "Why don't you ask her to dance?"

Bart blushed, which was a first in a long time.

"What?"

Samantha gave him a little push, "Go ahead, I've got everything covered here."

Bart swallowed hard and took a deep breath.

What am I doing? She's bound to say no, and she has every right to.

Bart then looked at her, and then, remembering what Lisa had told him of Alex's memory of that time, he decided he needed to change her impression of him.

She deserves to see the real me.

Bart, then, walked right to her.

Talking with Alison, Alex suddenly, froze as she saw Bart Simpson walk directly toward her.

Alison looked to where she was looking and smiled.

"Wow, he's grown better than I thought."

Alex nodded. Bart was dressed even better than when she had first met him in his office. This was becoming even harder for her to loathe him. Over the past week and a half, she was finding she was beginning to like him a little better each and everytime.

Bart had stopped within five feet of them, nervously scratching the back of his head.

"Uh, Alex?"

Alex was surprised by his change of greeting; he seemed more guarded than he usually was.

"Yes, Bart?"

Bart coughed and made a nervous fidget.

"Would you…uh…that is…would you like to dance?"

Alex smiled, "Ok."

Bart exhaled deeply and then took her hand and the two of them went onto the dance floor.

The song "Time after time" played as the got there, which made the situation even harder for Bart.

Placing his right hand into lacing with her left made his body tremble.

Alex looked at him quizzically. "Bart, is everything, ok?"

Bart nodded and proceeded by placing his left hand down to the small of Alex's back.

Having it slowly slide down from the top of her back caused such an odd and, oddly enough, enticing feeling which made Alex blush.

The song was already three minutes into the chorus when they began stepping and Bart, then, seemed to relax a little more.

A lot of people were dancing and the broken disco ball was spinning at half the revolution it was supposed to do causing the faint small dots on the floor to shift every fifteen seconds. Nobody seemed to pay much attention to it.

Turning into another direction, Bart caught his sister's eye as she was trying her best to instruct Ralph that this was a more of a waltz dance than the robot. Lisa looked happy to see her brother and best friend dancing together and she smiled and made a quick wink.

Alex saw her too; Lisa gave the same notion before, which made Alex a little puzzled.

Alex sighed; she really didn't know what to think, now. She looked at Bart, his eyes at the moment seemed concentrated on his step making, until they came back up to meet with hers. She sniffed the air, and was happy to notice that both the air and Bart didn't reek of alcohol.

"You didn't drink tonight, that's good." She said.

Bart nodded, "After what happened that night I've signed up for some A.A. meetings and Milhouse has agreed to sponsor me. I can't thank you enough to catch me when I was falling so fast."

Alex was taken back by this information and the fact that Bart was regarding her with such reverence.

"I really didn't do anything, Bart. I just showed up and tried to help out, that's all."

Bart shook his head, "No, you did more than that. You showed up when most people wouldn't have. You didn't tell my family, which I greatly appreciate. It's very rare when I can find a confidence outside of Milhouse."

The song was coming to an end and before it did, Bart sighed and looked at Alex with absolute seriousness.

"Alex, there's something I want to get off my chest…" He then gave his most devilish-grin, "and believe me it's not you. I have a long over due apology and explanation."

Alex stopped dancing with him and took her arms off him.

"What is it?"

Bart closed his eyes as he breathed and then opened them and looked into Alex's deep almond colored eyes as he spoke.

"Nine years ago, in this very place, what I did was inexcusable and I hurt you very badly. I'm very sorry for having done it. I was young, stupid, and a drunk. You shouldn't have had that done to you by me. I'm sorry."

Alex felt as if the whole world had come to a screeching stop. Her mind absorbing slowly, like a dry sponge slowly placed into a bucket of water, what Bart had just said. The very Bart Simpson she had regarded as a person full of half-truths standing before her awaiting her forgiveness. Her mind was at war with her heart, contemplating weather or not this memory of hers was worth getting over and if Bart's apology was worth taking. She looked into his hazel-tinted eyes and then closed her own.

I have a choice, now. Forgive and forget or live with and regret. What is the more sensible part?

She then looked into his waiting eyes again.

I'm done being miserable.

Alex then placed her hands around Bart's torso and hugged him.

"Apology accepted, Bart Simpson."

Bart felt more relaxed than ever and returned the embrace.

The two then danced the next song and the song after, then taking a break, shortly after.

Bart walked away to get them some punch, when Jessica stormed up and turned Alex around to face her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing with him, tinker-bitch!"

Alex's mind was racing to come up with either a courteous reply or a snide comeback.

Jessica looked her up and down and then laughed, "Wait a minute, why am I so worried? I mean, look at you. Bart obviously has been drinking heavily tonight, and thinks something as SMALL and CHUNKY as you is something it's not."

That did it. One of Alex's biggest buttons to push was to criticize her about her figure. But she really didn't have to do anything. Lisa, who had showed up just about the same time as Jessica had approached Alex, gave one-of-the-most hardest bitch slaps across the face.

"Get out of here, Jessica!" Lisa vented. She then raised a second hand to deliver another blow.

Jessica didn't wait around to receive it. Nelson, who was chaperoning the dance, escorted her out.

Bart had just came back as the commotion had died down, with two cups in his hands.

"What the hell happened here?"

Alex, who was still glaring after Jessica, jumped a little after hearing Bart.

"Oh, uh, nothing. Ralph was just getting picked on for a little bit until your sister stepped in and broke it up."

Bart looked to the direction of his sister and saw her with Samantha and Alison, wrapping her hand in a cloth with ice.

The rest of the reunion was short and soon wore out. Lisa's hand was pretty swollen but she claimed she was perfectly able to drive. Ralph made a try to ask her out but Lisa managed to convince him that she was married to the sea.

Bart and Alex slipped away and took a small walk from the High School down to by the water front.

"This has been a great reunion." Alex said, happily.

Bart laughed, "Better then mine was. I remember Milhouse getting drunk and basically hitting on every man, woman, and child. Had to talk the police man out of giving him a beating on the account of Milhouse telling the officer he had "Nice thighs"."

Alex laughed at this, too. This night has been so great, and the biggest high note she could say, is that, Bart was here to spend it with her. She was enjoying his company more and more as the minutes and planks rolled by as they walked. They kept walking until they were at the end of a long pier, which used to belong to Krusty the Clown when he faked death and became a scrap-metal dealer.

Sitting at the end of the dock, the stars casting their glow amongst the gray tinted sky caused by the Power Plant's pollution.

Her gaze was averted when she felt Bart's hand enclose hers.

She didn't blush, this time, only instead to look at Bart and smile.

She then turned her gaze away and sighed, "Bart…uh…there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

Bart looked at her with intrigue, "What?"

Alex swallowed, "When, back nine years ago, when you said those things to me…were you having problems with Gina and really did want someone like me?"

Bart closed his eyes and said slowly, "Actually…yes. Yes, I did."

Alex was surprised by the answer, "Why?"

Bart shrugged, "I was getting tired of my image. Bad boy, no goodnick, bad apple. All those things. I was even more tired of the fact that Gina wanted me to be that everyday. I wanted to be with someone wholesome yet exotic."

Alex blushed again, "Bart, I'm not exotic."

Bart grinned, "Yes you are. You were the girl in our school who looked beautiful everyday, wore the sexiest looking clothes and fought for the right to be able to wear them. Like my sister, you spoke your mind, a lot. You were everything a guy dreams of. You're the kind I dreamed of."

Bart turned away and sighed. "The kind I still dream of."

Then, and because why, Alex didn't know, She leaned over and put both hands on Bart Simpson's neck and kissed him.

To be Continued…