Ketchum, ID

ch 41 - julien + alex

 Julien 

I reached up to knock on the door with my free hand. We all stood there in silence until we heard the door unlock. I held my breath as I watched it open, revealing the back or my girlfriend's head.

"Be for real," she said in what I assumed was Alex's direction. "What are you looking at?" she said as she turned around on her heels to face us.

I watched as she finally began to process what was in front of her before I finally spoke up.

"Surprise?" I said in a small voice.

"OH MY GOD!" Alex's voice boomed.

Jo was still frozen in shock when Alex finally became visible behind her. They stood right behind her and put their hand on her shoulder.

"Are you seeing this? I'm not making this up right?" Alex said to Jo.

"I think I'm seeing this," Jo said as our eyes locked.

"Okay, cool," Alex said as they nodded their head. "Just to clarify, the thing that you see is in fact your girlfriend, our only two other friends, and the entirety of the band MUNA, right?"

"Yeah, I would say that's what I see," Jo said without breaking eye contact with me, causing me to chuckle.

"Soooo," Phoebe spoke up. "Does this mean we can come in?"

Alex looked at Jo for a second, then whispered something in her ear. Jo looked deep in thought, and then reached back out and closed the door in our faces.

"Ouch," Lucy said with genuine confusion in her voice.

"I mean, I know you guys said you weren't sure how they were going to react, but I don't think this option ever crossed my mind," Katie said from behind me.

"Honestly, me neither," I said.

Suddenly the door swung back open to reveal Jo and Alex in completely different clothes. Jo had changed from her pajama pants and sweatshirt into a cropped halter top with the word "dyke" bedazzled on it and a leather mini skirt, and Alex changed from their boxers and t-shirt into black cargo pants and a t-shirt that matched Jo's.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Alex said as they leaned on the door frame. "Welcome to our home. This is so casual."

Everyone was laughing at Alex's comment, but I couldn't keep my eyes off of Jo. I felt myself look at her from head to toe and back up again probably four times before I heard someone next to me clear their throat causing me to snap out of my trance.

"While you were busy ogling your girlfriend, we were invited in," Phoebe said as she elbowed me in the side.

"I was not-" I started before I was cut off by none other than Alex.

"Save it, Baker. Get in here already," they said as they waved us all inside.

Alex

"I think I'm seeing this," Jo said.

"Okay, cool," I said back while I nodded my head. "Just to clarify, the thing that you see is in fact your girlfriend, our only two other friends, and the entirety of the band MUNA, right?"

"Yeah, I would say that's what I see," Jo said, causing Julien to let out a small laugh.

"Soooo," the vision I had somehow convinced Jo to hallucinate as well that was shaped as Phoebe said. "Does this mean we can come in?"

I turned to look at Jo.

"There's no way this is real right? We cannot let MUNA into our house while we look like this," I whispered in her ear, panic evident in my voice.

Jo stood there frozen for another second before I watched her reach up and push the door back closed.

"Go get changed!" she whisper-yelled at me before we took off running in different directions.

I threw my clothes on the floor of my room and tore apart my closet looking for the t-shirt that Jo and I had bedazzled together after seeing MUNA in college. I quickly threw on black cargo pants and sprinted back out to the front door where Jo was waiting for me. She was wearing a black leather mini skirt and the shirt that she had made that matched mine.

"I would say one of us has to change, but we don't have time for that," I said as I walked up and started to open the door.

"Hey guys, what's up?" I said as I leaned on the door frame, trying to appear nonchalant. "Welcome to our home. This is so casual."

It took a second, but everyone's faces twisted from confusion into a smile.

"I cannot believe you just went and changed that fast," Lucy said, trying to contain her laughter and failing.

"I mean you know what they say," I said back, trying to make my voice sound more confident than I was feeling. "You only make a first impression once."

"Well I did kind of mean what I asked a minute ago," Phoebe said as her voice trailed off and she awkwardly looked up to the sky.

"Of course you can come in! Are you kidding me? This is the greatest day of my life!" I shouted not-so nonchalantly.

I glanced over and saw that Julien was hardcore staring at Jo. Phoebe cleared her throat, causing Julien to snap back to reality.

"While you were busy ogling your girlfriend, we were invited in," Phoebe said, elbowing Julien.

"I was not-" Julien started before I promptly cut her off..

"Save it, Baker. Get in here already," I said as I waved my hand, inviting them inside.

"We brought pizza and snacks and all sorts of fun stuff," Katie said.

"I cannot believe Katie Gavin is in my house and she just spoke to me," I said, my true fangirl threatening to come out.

"Believe it," Katie said as she placed her hand on my cheek causing my entire face to turn a bright shade of pink.

"We were kind of hoping we could, I don't know," Lucy said while looking down at the floor. "Maybe have a sleepover party?"

"A slEEPOPVER? With boygenius AND MUNA? Jo, I need you to pinch me," I said as I reached to my side to find that Jo was no longer walking beside me.

"Yeah, just give them a second," Phoebe laughed as she pointed in the direction of Jo's room.