• My Best Friend's Brother : His Secret • { Cameron Dallas }

e i g h t e e n

  Things had been slightly awkward between Alex and me, for the few days after learning that I was pregnant, but I had expected them to. I tried keeping my mind off of the fact that he was hurting. It was made hard by the fact that he'd started drinking. He would stay out from midnight until dawn, drinking his memory, and mind away as if it had no purpose to him. 
  I had begged Cameron to do something about him and his late night fiascos, and although he tried, Alex refused to quit. I had lost all hope with him. Trying to help him, seemed useless, because In the end, he only continued to do what he wanted.
  Calex's birthday party was tomorrow. Cameron and I had planned, and ready besides a few last minute things, that a grocery shopping trip could fix. He had left for his new modeling job. Kylie and Madeline, had bonded pretty well, and they too were not at home, leaving it just to be Calex and I.
  "Come on Calex", I said. "We're gonna go to the store." She grabbed Ellie, and my finger, and we walked downstairs to the car. As I drove, I watched her in the backseat, through the rear view mirror. It seemed she looked more and more like Sierra everyday. I'd wished so badly that Sierra could be here for this. She deserved to get to watch Calex grow up. 
  After entering the store, I placed Calex into the seat in the front of the shopping cart. I slowly pushed it through, up and down the isles, thinking of what we would need. I was looking through different paper plates when my phone rang.
  "Mackenzie Dallas?" The voice on the other end said.
  "Yes, this is she.." I said confused.
  "MRS. Dallas do you know a Alex Dallas?" The voice asked. I closed my eyes and shook my head. What had he done now?
  "Yes, he's my brother in law." I said sounding ashamed. I wasn't truly ashamed of Alex, more or less disappointed in how he chose to carry himself.
  "He was found this morning, causing a disturbance. He seemed to be drunk?"
  I shook my head. "He's in jail isn't he?"
  "Yes ma'am. We just need someone to pick him up."
  "Alright, I'm on my way." I said as I hung up.
  I sighed and placed my head in my hands. Cameron would have to deal with this situation one way or another.
  "What are we going to do with your uncle?" I asked Calex. I knew she couldn't give me an answer, but sometimes talking to her felt nice, even if she didn't understand. I left the groceries in the cart, grabbed Calex and left without purchasing anything. I figured it would be pointless depending on how long id be trying to get Alex.

"Yes, Alexander Dallas please." I said to the woman who was working the front desk at the police station. She typed away on her computer, as she slurped her coffee.
  "Alright just one moment." She remarked after typing something else. Moments later, a calm officer returned to the room with Alex in his hands. He released him, and Alex stumbled over to me. He wasn't drunk anymore, just stupid.
  "Let's go Alex." I said with a sigh. "Thank you officer." The officer nodded and returned back to the room he had came out of. Alex, Calex and I returned back to the car.
  After driving a few miles, I glanced over at Alex. He hadn't spoken a word the whole time, and I wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing.
  "Alex", I started but he cut me off.
  "Look Mackenzie. Save me the speech okay?" He blurted out.
  "A speech? Alex you don't deserve two words from me, but here I am always fixing things for you." My attitude had leaked out again. Arguing with Alex field my attitude so much. As if everything I held in, was pushed out on him when I was mad.
  "Fixing things? No one asked you to bail me out of jail." Alex spat crossing his arms. I shook my head. I looked into the rear view mirror. Calex sat quietly with her elephant in her hands, staring out the window.
  "And if I didn't then who would?" I asked refocusing my attention back to the road. It began to rain, and I kept wondering why bad things just kept piling on.
  "All I'm saying is that I don't need you to save my ass every time something goes wrong." Alex said looking out the window.
  "Then what am I supposed to do Alex?" I asked. "Let you Rot in jail? Send you to rehab? Have you locked up?"
  "I'm done with this conversation." He stated.
  "No we'll be done with this conversation when I say we are. I'm sick of you treating me like I'm some down under you, trashy person. Alex I've done my best to be so good to you, to take care of you." I said with disgust. I had indeed done so much for him, and all for what? To be treated as if I hadn't done anything at all for him?
  "Good to me? YOU'VE BROKEN ME INTO PIECES MORE TIMES THAN I CAN COUNT MACKENZIE!" He yelled. I checked back in on Calex. Alex's yell had caught her attention, and I could see the fear in her eyes.
  "Broken you into pieces huh? Because the last time I checked, you were throwing your own life away. Drinking your own self away Alex. I'm not doing that for you." I remained calm as I spoke. I didn't want to upset Calex even more than I needed to.
  "You know ever since I woke up from the coma, I've done nothing but try to piece you back together, and you have done nothing but shove all of my help away."
  Alex didn't say anything. He sat in silence as if I didn't exist. I had so much I wanted to say but nothing that would come out, would ever make sense to someone like him who just didn't care.
  "Fine Alex. I won't help you next time. And just so you know, you can't be pieced back together, until you stop treating people the way you THINK you're being treated."
  I finished what I was saying and let out a slight laugh. The thought of him thinning that he could do no wrong, was the best joke I'd ever heard. We pulled into the driveway, and I grabbed Calex out, leaving Alex to fend for himself to get inside.
  "Aunt Mack, why is he so mad?" Calex asked me. She wasn't as dumbfounded as she looked. She had ears, and a mind to think with, and she thought so complexly.
  "He just is sweetie." I replied hoping that she wouldn't ask anymore questions once we made it inside. I unlocked the door, and Cameron once again asked where the groceries were. He had seemingly appeared back before us.
  "Well if I hadn't, have had to go and bail your brother from jail, we might have had groceries for tomorrow." I said waiting for Alex to walk in. As I had figured, he appeared into the room, with a snarl on his face.
  "Alex.. You have to clean your act up. Do something, come on man look at yourself." Cameron said with sympathy. He really cared about Alex, sometimes it was just hard to show that. Alex gave him the death glare.
  "My act? You're the one who went to jail for months, because he couldn't control his own self anger issues." Alex had opened up the door. The door that led to Cameron's past. That had been a door we didn't open anymore. I regretted Alex doing so, for his own safety.
  "What I did, is in the past, unlike you, I didn't have anyone to point me in the right direction." Cameron said blankly.
  "Point me in the right direction?" Alex scoffed. "For crying out loud Cameron, some big brother you've been! I mean lets be real here, what exactly have you even done for me, other than marry Mackenzie, because you knew I wanted her."
  "Oh you've got to be kidding me." Cameron laughed. He turned around and placed his hand on his hip laughing. "Seriously Alex? That's what this is about?"
   Alex's face stayed serious. He found no joke whatsoever in anything that was being said.
  "Keep laughing." Alex said in a dark time.
  "Or what?" Cameron retorted.
  Before another word could be spoken, Alex slammed his fist against Cameron's face. Cameron wasted no time, in pinning him down. Once had him where he wanted, he got one good lick in on him.
  "Now." Cameron started, trying to catch his breath. "I for one am about sick of your shit. So, from now on you can keep your damn mouth shut and do what you're supposed to, or I'll just kick your ass 10 times hard than this. Do I make myself clear?" Cameron said through gritted teeth.
  Alex didn't say anything. He bled from his whole mouth, and I could see the anger fill into his face.
  "I SAID DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?" Cameron yelled. This time Alex nodded and Cameron released him. "Go wash your damn mouth out."
  Cameron's anger had built up for too long, and I was glad he's finally atleast got through to Alex. For what it was worth, Alex slightly deserved the hit to the mouth.
  "I'm not handling this anymore Mack. I'm getting too old to be dealing with this drama anymore, this is his last chance. I refuse to give him anymore." Cameron said. He grabbed his keys and walked out the apartment door.