Pen Pal Project [Alex Gaskarth]

Chapter Twenty Five

Alex laughed loudly as we reached Cassadee and Rian. Everyone else had disbanded off, and Jack was waiting for his sister to pick him up. He'd been saying something about her visiting, but I'd never really paid much attention.

"So you two have to not kill each other and we'll see you on Christmas, yes?" I nodded my head eagerly and Alex rolled his eyes before nodding.

"Also, I need to have a word with you Alex.." I watched them both walk a few meters away. Not too far to set me on edge, but far enough that I couldn't hear whatever they were discussing.

I jumped when a pair of arms wrapped around me before I giggled at Rian.

"It's been a long while Charlee."

"I know. I know that America is huge, but you guys have been touring for months. And I missed seeing someone around the house I guess."

"Well we're not going anywhere till January now. So you're all good kiddo. How're your new friends?"

"They're actually pretty rad. They all come over for a study group, even though Jordan and Sean complain so much that I want to shove them off their chairs."

"Who is in this group of yours?" Jack piped up and I grinned.

"Well there's Cali who introduced herself to me on my first day. Fletcher, Sean and Jordan. Rae, Emma and Jen. So now they've allowed me into their group, I'm settling quite easily actually."

"I'm glad. How's the treatment been?" I pulled a sour face and he chuckled as Cass and Alex walked back over. She went to Rian's side and Alex stood next to me.

"What's the sour face for?"

"Treatment." I grumbled and he laughed.

"Come on, do we have to wait all day to get home? I'm cold and hungry."

By the time that we'd gotten home, I was still buzzing from the excitement of having Alex back.

"C'mon, help me get this stuff in the wash and then how about I take a shower and we do some serious TV watching?"

"Only if we get to watch Criminal Minds."

"Agreed."

We settled onto the couch and I remembered something. I headed upstairs where I'd kept the gift for the past week and brought it down with me, settling back next to Alex. He gave me a weird look and I grinned.

"I nearly forgot something."

"Yeah?"

"Happy birthday." I handed him the gift and his lips pulled up into the biggest grin as he opened it up.

"I know it's not a lot but you've done a lot for me. I think you guys call them commitment rings? But I kinda changed it so they'd only fit our little fingers. And because you're my dad, so that'd be weird." I felt my neck grow warm.

I'd never been good explaining things, but being a part of a family was the closest thing I'd ever had to commitment. He was commited to looking after me and I was commited to being his daughter, so someone who would be there no matter what.

I looked at him again and he hadn't moved. He was just staring at the two rings before pulling me into the tightest hug ever.

"I know how much it means to you, to find something that's constant in your life. This means the world to me."

I could feel a wet patch against the skin on my neck and I half smiled as I simply hugged him tighter.

"So what, we're officially father and daughter with these things?" I laughed as we pulled away and I put his on and he did the same with mine.

"You don't have to wear it. I'm good with you just wearing it as-" His hand covered my mouth, cutting off my sentence. I scowled at him.

"I will wear it with pride because hey, I'm a real dad now." He moved his hand and I laughed at him.

"I guess we're a proper family. We're already going through the stressful period and I'm not even eighteen yet." He laughed and kissed the top of my head.

"I'm glad you think so. Now, Criminal Minds marathon or what?"

December 25th

Our plans for Christmas went down the drain when Alex burst into the bathroom whilst I was throwing up everything in my body.

It wasn't the first time this had happened, but we both hated the fact this happened.

I couldn't remember what the time was when I moved from my bed after feeling my stomach churn uncomfortably.

"If you didn''t want to leave the house, all you had to do was say." I couldn't help but give him a shaky laugh in response.

"Trust me, I was looking forward to your parents Christmas lunch."

"How about we stay here till about four and then head over for the rest of the evening?"

"Only if I can keep some toast down. And I can skype Jake too. I think he's with Rosie this year."

"How's he coping?"

"As best as he can with the whole ocean between us. But he's trying not to freak out around me, which I like." The conversation was cut short as I turned away from him, throwing up into the toilet, tears burning my eyes as my nose and the back of my throat stung.

By the time I had stopped throwing up, we had already skyped with Jake and Rosie. I'd managed to keep the bile down for the short conversation. But I'd promised them both that when I was feeling better and I had free time, I was going to skype them.

Instead of leaving the house, Alex phoned his mom up and asked them to come around instead, and to my surprise they did.

Isobel was first through the door.

"Where's my granddaughter? I've missed her." I couldn't help as I made my way over and let her wrap me in a hug whilst Alex greeted his dad.

They made a trip back to their car and brought back with them some wine and the Christmas dinner that we were meant to have at theirs and I felt bad for it, but Isobel simply silenced me with a simple "You're family and if you're not well, we'll come to you."

I didn't argue with her after that.

The gifts were crazy. Alex had bought me an iPad mini so I could use it for some of my doodles that I did, Isobel and Peter had given me a weeks pass to Disney World and I was in absolute shock. Alex laughed and snapped a photo of my reaction.

Even though it was just the four of us, it felt like how I'd always dreamed that Christmas would be.

And that thought alone made me wan to fight to get better, so I could feel like this more often.

I have no excuses apart from I'm lazy as shit. but this is my christmas present to you all. merry christmas you filthy animals

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peace, love n tiger stuff xo