It Didn't Have To Be This Way

Arrival

Kevin took a deep breath before we left the car. The house was small and white and a black pick-up truck sat in the driveway. "Are you ready?" I asked.

"No." He said but rang the doorbell anyway.

CiCi answered the door. Even after being a mother for four years she still had he same fashion sense as before. Her hair was now white and tied up into a large loose bun. I assumed most of the hair was extensions. She wore a sweatshirt, patched in various places purpously, much like Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas. She had on high shorts that barely extended past her ass. Beneath those she had on tights that seemed to have wax dripping from them. She didn't look like a witch.

"You didn't tell me Alix was coming." She forced a smile.

I looked over to Kevin. He was wearing the same fake smile he put on during concerts and around fans. He simply shrugged. "Would've probably fallen asleep at the wheel without him." Or driven into a tree.

"There's only one bed in the guest room-"

"Oh we've shared-" I began but Kevin cut me off.

"Alix can sleep on a couch."

Gee thanks.

"You seem-" she paused. "Different."

"So I've been told."

We were still standing on the step outside the door. "Come in." She said at last. The house was definitely bigger on the inside. "I'll give you a quick tour." She brought us to the kitchen and dinning area. It was floored with beautiful polished wood and the furniture and appliances were all a pure white. Along the edge of the sink were jars containing things for spells I assume. "Sorry Vincent and Rebecca ran to the store with Kyle."

"That's fine." Kevin mumbled.

"We weren't expecting you until night."

"Lead foot." That was no lie, Kevin was horrible at following speed limits.

"Living room." She gestured backwards. The carpet was a pretty grey and here was a giant white and blue toy box beside the television.

"I'm assuming I'll be sleeping on this couch?" I asked.

"No downstairs." She turned to the hall. "Mine and Kyles room." The door was shut. "Vincent's room?" She opened this door and allowed Kevin to step in. I stayed in the doorway.

The room was the ideal room for a four year old boy. The bed was a racecar, there were football Fatheads on the wall. Superhero and spongebob DVDs lined the shelf on the wall and the floor was scattered with action figures cars and pirate ships.

Kevin stood there a moment before pushing past me. "And downstairs?" he asked

"Getting there." She smiled. "Bathroom." She pointed to the end of the hall and then we headed downstairs. "Kyles layer and I guess not Alix's resting place." She pointed to the cabin like living room. "Laundry room, bathroom, Rebecca's room, and your room." She pointed to a room with a futon, a television, and numberous containers of bottled water.

Kevin walked into the room and I stood in the hall way. I leaned against the other door and it unlatched, causing me to fall to the floor. I shook it off and stood up. This room was a typical teenagers. Clean expect for soda cans, covered in band posters and pictures of...me? I spun around. On every wall were pictures of me and or Ghost Town.

"Kevin, CiCi." I called.

"Ya?" She shouted back.

"Why am I on the walls?"

Kevin was in the room in a second. "You said your daughter found me by a family tree project?"

CiCi came in with a smile. "Did I?"

"Your daughter is a fan?'

"She's not my daughter." She wouldn't look us in the eye but she was smiling.

"But she's a fan?"

"She has been a fan for a while, just recently realized I was Kevin's girl in a music video, demanded answers, and told me I should let Vincent see you because you tweet very depressing things."

I looked on the shelf on the wall. A framed picture of us with two teenage girls. I vaguely remembered them as the girls who called themselves deciples and me Jesus. Back when I had a wicked beard.

"I do not do depressed tweets."

"Ya you do." I mumbled and kept looking through the room.

Various Alister prints hung on the wall, along wih printed pictures of us and other bands. She had a pickachu simular to Mannys on her bed and a cow stuffed animal simular to Bessie. She had her own versions of our cover art as well tapped on the wall. Our CD was tucked with others between two bookends.

"Can I get you two something to eat?" CiCi asked, probably trying to remove me from the bedroom.

"No, but a drink would be nice." I smiled.

"This is weird, Kevin is being distant while Alix is being the nice one."

"Time, distance, and paranoia." I stuck my tongue out. "I still don't care for you much, but I'll put up with you for now, for his sake."

Kevin was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. Above us the door opened and I heard the jingle of keys. Kevin took a deep breath to brace himself.