Alex rolled her eyes looking at her through the window. Hailee pulled out her phone refusing to get into the truck. Alex scoffed then opened her door jumping out of the truck and walking over to Hailee's side. "M'lady" Alex said opening her door. Hailee gave her a fake smile while getting into the truck. "Wow never meet your hero's" Alex said while closing the door and going back around to her side of the truck and getting in.
It was a silent drive back to Hailee's house but it almost seemed too quick to even make any conversation. Alex pulled into her driveway coming to a complete stop as Hailee quickly got out heading to her front door. Alex didn't start driving again until she saw that Hailee was inside her house with the door closed. She drove back home still in silence as her eyes were on the blacktop road. She drove past her driveway going towards Tracy's house.
Alex knocked on her door but there was no answer. Alex pulled her phone out of her hoodie pocket and checked the time, 11:30.
She's clearly awake if she texted me earlier.
Alex thought banging on the door again but yet there was still no answer. Alex stood there for a moment longer waiting to see if someone would come open the door but a few minutes went past and still nobody. Alex got back in her truck and shut her door running her hands through her hair angrily. She took a deep breath trying to calm herself as she backed out pulling back onto the road. As Alex was driving she quickly noticed that Henry was outside mowing then it hit her.
Oh crap, I was supposed to go over there today. Well better now than later.
Alex waved to Henry as he stopped his lawn mower and waved back. Alex went back to her house and jumped out of her truck quickly closing the door and locking it heading inside.
I can't just wear something like this over there.
Alex thought going through her closet looking for something to wear. She finally found a white long sleeve shirt that she decided to wear with jeans. She threw it also putting on her white converse that was oddly next to her bed. She slipped them on anyway without another thought and rushed out to her truck driving over to Natalie and Henry's house.
Henry wasn't outside anymore when Alex pulled into the driveway. She got out and quickly headed for the door knocking on it. Natalie opened the door giving Alex a smile. Alex returned the smile,"Please come in." Natalie said moving out of the way as Alex stepped in. She heard the door close behind her then she heard some shuffling coming from the kitchen. Alex tried peeking around the corner to see who it was but she couldn't tell. "Oh who knows what he's doing in there everyone knows he loves his snacks." Natalie said chucking. Alex laughed along with her following her over to the couch. "Oh Alex I almost thought you forgot about today." Henry said walking into the room. "How could I ever forget about a day like this." Alex said smiling at Henry who came and joined them on the couch.
After some tea and snacks Alex waved goodbye to Natalie and Henry as she walked out the door. She hopped into her truck and took a deep breath and she looked outside as the sun was starting to set. She ran her fingers through her hair as she started her truck and backed out heading back to her house.
Alex stepped into her house closing the door behind her as she slipped off her shoes but as she was taking them off she noticed something. Alex picked up the shoes and looked at the side of it which was signed by someone, the name read, Griffin with a heart next to it. Alex furrowed her eyebrows looking down at the name not recognizing it. She set the shoe back down next to the other on the shoe mat walking towards her bedroom and over to her computer. Her fingers typed away on her keyboard before she quickly tapped her mouse pulling something up.
Who are you Griffin?
Alex asked herself as she read the document in front of her.
Griffin Steinfeld, wait Steinfeld!
Alex said connecting the dots. She rubbed her face as she continued to read.
29 year old race car driver huh. January, 7, 1994.
After Alex got all the info she needed she shut off her computer and went and looked at the shoes again now knowing why a heart was next to it. She set the shoes back down deciding the just worry about it tomorrow. As Alex was walking back to lay down in her bed and relax for a little bit she stubbed her toe on something sticking out from under her bed. She scrunched up her face before pulling out whatever was under her bed. She pulled out a guitar case and looked at it for a second as her face saddened. She picked it up and sat it on her bed popping open the case. She pulled out her dad's old acoustic guitar. She set it on her bed as she saw something under the guitar. Alex grabbed a piece of paper and sat down on her bed as she unfolded it.
I knew you would find this eventually kiddo. Listen I know mom didn't like it very much but my life was music and I loved singing to you every night when you couldn't sleep or after mom got done yelling at you for who knows what. Every time I got this guitar out your face always brightened making my day that much better. I couldn't have asked for a better audience as you and your lined up stuffed animals sat there listening to me. I thought maybe you should have it because we all know mom would just throw it out along with the rest of my things. And plus as long as you have this I will always be right next to you singing along with you no matter the song. I understand how much you miss me and I know how sad this letter is going to make you and that makes me sad but I am writing this letter to tell you that there really is love out there whether it is with a person or a hobbie like me and music. I know me and mom didn't do to good at showing you that and I apologize for that but I hope this can bring a little bit of light into your life like you brought light into mine.
I love you kid,
Dad
A tear ran down Alex's cheek as she read the letter her dad had wrote for her so many years ago.
How did I not notice this earlier?
Alex asked herself as she folded the letter back up and set it on her nightstand next to her bed. She looked back at the old guitar and picked it up setting it in her lap. Her fingers grazed over the dusty strings. She looked back into the case and saw her dad's old pick that had a picture of him and her on it. She picked it up strumming the guitar which was terribly out of tune. Alex scrunched up her face as she remembered how her dad taught her to put it back into tune. She tuned the guitar and placed her fingers on the strings and strummed again as the guitar sounded way better. Her dad had taught her so many things about a guitar that she had forgot about until now. Her fingers grazed over more of the strings as she played more chords. Alex looked back at the note,
5 a.m. and I feel and I feel like crying
I knew I lost you, I lost a friend
Clock ran out at the worst of timing
I'm deeply troubled filled with regret
Alex stopped singing and quickly took her hands off the guitar. She quickly wiped another tear that was running down her face. She put the guitar back up and set it against the wall next to her bed before getting up and walking to the bathroom. She brushed her teeth then opened the cabinet and grabbed her pills popping them into her mouth. She put her pills back into the cabinet and closed the door. She headed back to her bed room and grabbed a hoodie and shorts out of her dresser putting them on. She laid down on bed as she looked up at the ceiling for a moment. She rolled onto her side as she saw the note on her nightstand. Alex looked at it for a moment as more lyrics popped into her head. She quickly got up and swung her legs over the side of her bed grabbing a notebook and pencil off her desk. Her hand moved across the page as more and more lyrics came into her mind. She sang them in her head as she wrote them down. Once she was done she was too determined to not put chords with the lyrics. She grabbed the guitar again,
5 a.m. and I feel like crying
I knew I lost you, I lost a friend
Clock ran out at the worst of timing
I'm deeply troubled, filled with regret
Moms, knees deep in alcohol
But I'm drowning, I'm drowning, I'm drowning
Sinking deeper, need your arms around me,
around me
'Cause there ain't nothing in this world
Nothing in this world I wouldn't do
To say one more I love you
Nothing in this world, nothing in this world I wouldn't do
To say one more I love you
Thunder hit but it felt like lighting
The night I lost you, I lost a friend
And pictures say you look just like me
Wish I could see you, see you again
Moms, knees deep in alcohol
But I'm drowning, I'm drowning, I'm drowning
Sinking deeper, need your arms around me, around me
'Cause there ain't nothing in this world
Nothing in this world I wouldn't do
To say one more I love you
Nothing in this world, nothing in this world I wouldn't do
To say one more I love you
One more I love you
One more I love you
Nothing in this world, nothing in this world I wouldn't do
To say one more I love you
Alex stopped strumming as she looked down at the guitar in her hands. She took a deep breath and looked at her alarm clock which read, 3:45.
Alex's eyes widened
I have class tomorrow.
She quickly put everything up carefully setting the guitar back on the wall next to her bed. She laid down and covered up with her blankets as she grabbed her headphones and slipped them in turning on her music and drifting to sleep.