I saw Alex a lot that week. His black Range Rover could usually be seen waiting at my school gates like Lassie. He’d pick me up and we would go into town and get lunch, or sometimes go back to his hotel room where we’d chatter nonstop. He introduced me to his music- original and favourites of other people. I loved to listen to him play guitar. When he sang he reminded me of the night I tried to jump off a bridge, and how much it calmed me. It still calmed me more effectively than a sedative ever could.
Although we talked a lot and got closer, we still left the topic off my attempted suicide untouched. It worried me slightly; maybe he’d forgotten, or decided he didn’t care, or realised that I wasn’t worth his time and was just humouring me.
He was leaving for LA early Saturday morning, to do writing and recording in the studio. Apparently the rest of the band were already there waiting for him there.
“I’ll miss you,” I admitted.
Alex looked at me, hiding a smile. “Really?”
“Really,” I nodded with a laugh.
“That’s great,” He said, “Because I... Well, I was wondering if you’d like to come up and visit us next weekend.”
“What?” I perked up, “Really?”
“If you’d like to,” He said nervously, “I’ve been talking to the guys about it, and they’re cool with it. We’re renting out this really nice house, right beside the beach? There’s a bedroom for you and everything. I talked to Aisling, and she thinks it’s fine. But it’s only if you want to, of course.”
“I’d love to?”
“You sure?”
“Yes!”
Alex dropped me back to the foster home late that night.
“I won’t see you tomorrow,” He said, as he pulled up outside the house. “But I’ll call you, I promise.”
“I don’t have a phone,” I reminded him.
He frowned. “Right... That’s right, you don’t.”
“But, I mean, you can call the landline?” I suggested, “And we can email or something?”
Alex chuckled. “Don’t worry your little head about it, Finley. I’ll call you,” He promised.
“Okay,” I muttered.
He walked into the house with me, and was immediately ushered into the kitchen by The Carer.
“Come have a cup of tea,” She said, “Or would you like some coffee?”
“Yeah, that’d be great,” He replied with a smile, “But actually- would you mind if I used your bathroom?”
“Not at all, darling,” She exclaimed, “Upstairs, first door on your left.”
“Thanks.”
“And you?” The Carer looked at me, “Do you want anything?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“So,” She said, as she filled up the kettle. “I hear you’re going to LA on Friday. You excited?”
“I can’t wait,” I admitted with a smile.
So Alex left. And it was okay. Because I knew that he’d be back. I knew that I could trust him to come back.
I didn’t like waking up before I had to. If I ever did, I usually tried to turn over and go back to sleep, but I was unfortunately one of those people who could never sleep once they’d woken up. So, when my eyes cracked open at 7am on a Saturday morning I wasn’t exactly ecstatic.
Something was vibrating.
Not just the kind of vibration you feel when you lean your head against the car window, the kind that you hear.
Vvvvv vvvvv vvvvv. Vvvvv vvvvv vvvvv. Vvvvv vvvvv vvvvv.
I sat up, my eyes slits. It was coming from the floor, underneath my bed. I kneeled down on the floor and began fumbling around in the dark. It wasn’t long before I came across something that wasn’t supposed to be there. I pulled it out, feeling it. A small, cardboard box. I leaned across to my nightstand and switched on the lamp, and light flooded my bedroom. I blinked, before focusing on the mystery object once more.
Only it wasn’t a mystery anymore. The Apple logo was printed across the box, along with iPhone 5. My eyes widened, and I opened it.
It had already been opened, but the phone sat inside, vibrating furiously. The Caller ID showed a selfie of Alex, and if I wasn’t the polar opposite of a morning person I would have laughed. Instead, I held it to my ear.
“Hello?” I said, my voice croaky.
“Finley?” I could tell he was smiling.
“Alex?”
My mind was too sleepy to comprehend what was happening. Where did the device come from? Why was Alex calling me on it?
Alex’s laughed crackled through the speaker. “Hey! So how do you like your present?”
“I’m disappointed that it’s not a lie-in” I replied grumpily. He laughed again, while I thought about how much iPhones cost. I bit my lip. “You didn’t have to, Alex.”
“Of course I did!” He said, “I needed some way to contact, you didn’t I? But I mean, I can change if you want. I kept the receipt, we could bring it back and-”
“No!” I cut him off, “No, I love it. I’m just... you know, they’re pretty expensive.”
“Oh!” Alex said in relief. “That’s what you’re worried about? Forget about the cost, Finley, it’s no big deal.”
“It is to me” I frowned.
“Aren’t I allowed to treat my soon-to-be adopted daughter?”
I hesitated. The thought of Alex and I being an actual family was still pretty alien to me.
“Finley? You still there?”
“Yeah” I said wearily, “I’m here.”
“And you’re okay?”
I nodded, but remembered that he couldn’t see me. “Fine. Just tired.”
“Finley.”
“Alex?”
Alex sighed.
“I am tired” I insisted, “It’s seven a.m., you know.”
“I know” He said cheekily, “I figured I’d give you an early morning wake up call.”
“But it’s Saturday” I complained, “You better not try any of this shit after you adopt me.”
I could almost see him smiling, a proud grin beaming off his face.
“No promises” He replied.
“So how’s LA?” I asked.
“I only just arrived,” He said,” Rian picked me up from the airport about an hour ago. The house is really nice, Finley, I can’t wait for you to see it.”
I smiled. “What’s it like?”
“It’s right beside the beach. Literally. There’s a few steps at the end of the garden that take you right down to the sand.”
“Really? That sounds amazing!”
“Yeah, it is,” Alex said, “The house itself is nice... big, with a balcony looking out on the sea. You’ll have your own bedroom and stuff- Hold on a sec, Finley.”
“Alex?” I said, but he was already gone. I could hear mumbling on the other end, and so I waited patiently.
Suddenly, there was a yell, some strange noises and a shuffling sound. I could hear thumping feet and heavy breathing.
“Hello?”
I frowned, “...You’re not Alex...”
The mysterious voice on the other end giggled. “Nope,” He said, popping the ‘p’. “But I know who you are.”
I opened my mouth to reply when another yell came through my phone. “Jack! Give me my fucking cell back!”
Jack, I assumed, replied with, “No! I’m talking to Finley!”, and then he began to talk to me again, “So anyway. As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, you would be Finley, right?”
“That’s me,” I replied, “And I’m guessing you’re-”
“Uncle Jack,” He said gleefully.
“Stop being such a creep!” Alex shouted from the distance.
“Never! I’m sorry I haven’t talked to you before Finley, but it’s Lexy’s fault really. He’s been hogging you this whole time and no one else has got to meet you yet, even though we’re all really excited!”
“Oh... Well I apologise for him.”
“It’s okay, Finley. It’s not your fault Alex is such a dick.”
“Jack! Get out of the fucking closet and give me my phone back!”
“No!”
There was a bang, some scuffling, and then Alex was back again. “Sorry about that,” He said sheepishly, “Jack’s not always that weird. I mean, most of the time, but not always.”
I laughed. “It’s fine. I think Jack sounds nice; I like him.”
“Yeah, well that makes one of us.”
A/N- So I'm a little late, but I hope you'll all forgive me. Let me now if you see any mistakes because I didn't edit this quite as well as I should have (oops). That pretty picture is done by backseatgatorade, I don't know how she does it!