Chapter 8 - Turning Tables
For the rest of the week, things were sort of good between Alex and I. Especially at school although we passed notes instead of talking. And I still found myself sitting alone during lunch. There was a gut feeling that maybe I should sit next to Alex but he was with his friends. Didn’t guys act differently when they were around with their guy friends? I swear I read that somewhere, this was all so confusing.
It was closing to be the weekend and I was isolated here at my table, left to my thoughts. I found myself smiling like fool now half the time. It must be Alex's doing. Believe me if it wasn't for Alex, I would still look like I want to kill someone for being in school.
I lazily picked at my food with my fork, wishing to be at a different table. Too bad I just didn’t have the guts. Besides, Alex seemed to be in a bad mood today. Seemingly the worse I had seen him in school but nothing compared to the day we went out for breakfast that still left me to wonder how exactly Alex knew them. And yet here I thought Alex was the only man on this planet who should get 'TROUBLE' tattooed on his forehead.
I lifted my head up from my food and got a nasty glare from Jennifer, who had been trying to get at it with Alex this whole week but was clearly failing. Ever since Tuesday when Mr. James said something witty to the whole class about the spotting of Alex and me on Sunday, the entire senior class was gossiping about it.
When I say word gets around in this school easily, it does. Literally.
Tuesday was a normal day until of course the last period of the day. I was sitting in my normal seat along with Alex. Mr. James goes over a few things and what he expects out of us for an assignment that is due soon. Alex passed a note to me, making me look down at the letter under the desk, with a big 'ole grin.
"Hey love birds in the back," Mr. James snorted with a laugh. This put the whole class' attention on us, making me want to run out of the room as fast as I could. But that wasn't practical. "Yeah that's right, I saw you two Sunday." He chuckled.
Just like any middle school class that freaks out when someone is called to the office, the 'woos' have risen from its grave.
I sunk deep into my seat, hiding my face with my binder out of complete utter embarrassment and shyness. I looked briefly at Alex who had his hands coiled into fists to his side. He was already grumpy enough today, this just had made everything downright worse.
Which now left me to where I sat on this Friday, I was in the last period of the day. Lunch was an hour ago. Alex simply looked like he had a lot on his mind. I wished I knew what I could do but I was hopeless with all the unknown things that came to my way. I wished I knew what was bothering Alex today. His grumpiness started yesterday and today it was horrid.
I finished my work fifteen minutes before the bell. I wrote a small note and passed it to Alex, his face changed into a more serious expression. I was in distraught at what could be bothering Alex. Was it me, perhaps?
He crumbled the note with an unbroken poker-face. Something snapped in me as the noise of the crumbling paper comes through my ears. I soon later found out it was my heart and it happens when you adore someone.
I no longer wanted to adore anyone.
It was finally time to leave and I was carelessly roaming the empty halls. My brother had texted me that he was going to be late to pick me up.
In one quick motion, I bumped into someone as I stared down at the floor. It was ironic who I bumped into once I got the courage to see who it was.
"What did I do wrong?" I blurted out frantically. Normally, I'd be voiceless and dumbstruck.
"Leave me the fuck alone." He hissed, and then tried to move pass me, but I instantly blocked him by putting my hands on his chest.
"Just tell me what's wrong!" It was my last hope to try to do anything.
"Fuck off." He slapped my hands and left me abandon in the vacant hallway with stinging hands. I wanted to cry but I did set myself up for this. I made a mistake for not listening to my brother.
Instead of 'Momma knows best.' it's more like, 'brother knows best.'
Shortly, my brother picked me up and didn’t question my gloom state. I knew I shouldn’t let this bother me as much as it did, but I couldn’t help myself any longer.
"Looks like it’s going to storm," He tried to make a conversation.
"Yeah," I murmured softly, looking at the dark clouds forming. I didn't want to talk to my brother nor did I feel like it. I just wanted to be left alone and sleep for the rest of the day.
We arrived home shortly and I bolted upstairs to my bed. All my body needed was sleep and maybe a hot bath. But sleep would do.
There was only so much I could take when it came to Alex being in different moods all the time. It was more than just tiring. It was exhausting having him one day content and then the next day having him the way he was today.
But it was interesting to me on the other part. What's eating him alive? Maybe most people saw him as a prick but maybe Alex had his reasons.
I shook my head and sighed disapprovingly. I had gone mad with all this thinking. Alex was indeed just another prick.
Once I fell sound asleep, I was jolted awake by the storm that was passing by, scaring the living day lights out of me. My room was gloomy from no light to be found. It left me with a depressing mood as I lay in my bed, watching the lightening from outside illuminate my room every few minutes.
It was only seven in the evening and all I wanted to do was to sleep again and forget about everything. Maybe that was why people drank alcohol. I guess sleeping was my alcohol in a way. Sleeping meant a break from reality, but then again, my nightmares would sneak up in my resting state.
"Laila! Down stairs now!" My brother called for me. "Family meeting!"
Feeling disturbed, I swung my legs over my bed and trudged out of my room, nearly tripping on the albums that were scattered on my floor.
Family meetings meant two things. One - It meant I was in trouble. Or two – I was in big trouble. There was no between, family meetings were basically the ‘you’re in trouble, Laila’ translation.
It was always for something I had done and I'd have to either take the blame for something that wasn’t a big deal, or try to fight back, but that would eventually lead to a hopeless case.
My brother and I sat at the dining room table that was used twice a year; for Christmas and Easter. My dad paced back and forth while my brother gave me the death stare from across the table.
After another minute of nothing, I had enough. "Well, great family meeting, family!" I sarcastically said and stood up.
"Sit back down, Lalia." My dad snapped, point at my chair.
Frowning, I sat in my seat with my arms crossed, rolling my eyes at my father’s demand.
"Who was here when we were gone Monday afternoon?" My dad firmly said. His dark eyes locked on mine, threatening for the truth.
I took in a deep breath. I had been caught and there was no lie that could cover this up.
"No one was here on Monday." I tried to give off the you-guys-are-kidding-me look to go along with the lie, but it failed terribly as my brother slammed a familiar flannel on the table.
"Then explain this.” Derek raised his eyebrow.
"Fuck," I merely whisper under my breath.
"You're grounded." My dad simply concluded.
"That's not fair!" I bolted out of my seat with my hands curled into a fists. "You want me to make friends but you ground me for having friends?"
Anger boiled over in me. I was far beyond just pissed. I was frustrated and all I wanted to do was run and get away and never come back.
And I exactly do just that. I rushed out of the house into the windy night that had a storm getting stronger and stronger by the minute, only waiting for the perfect time to release itself.
My legs began to move in a fast motion, picking up my pace as I could hear my name being called. The further I went, the fainter their hollering became. I didn’t bother to look back. I couldn’t stop now. My eyes were screwed shut as I ran. The cold kept my lungs freezing and my nose red. I only had twenty-five cents to my name and left my phone on its charger.
I didn't know my whereabouts are nor the direction I was heading to. I only just wanted to get away, not all of this. I was unsupported for the chilling wind, causing my skin to form goosebumps that made my spine shiver.
After I ran out of breath and my legs couldn’t take any more exercise, I slower my pace into walking. I tried to rub my hands on my arms to create warmth, but it did no justice. This was an awful mistake. The mist and fog that coated the sky heavily made it almost impossible to see. I knew that I had limited time until it would be completely dark out, and then I was certainly going to be vulnerable.
In thirty minutes of aimlessly walking, I found myself in a park, and soaked, just wanting someone to find me. There was a small bridge that I happened to be curled into a ball at as the storm released its anger. The downpour seemed endless as it drenched every part of my tired body. My sobs were muffled by the harsh wrath of the weather.
I was only tuned into the patter of the discreet noise of the rain. There was thunder off in the distance that gave me hope that the storm had passed by.
There was no one around, and all I wanted was to be taken home. But maybe there was no one trying to find me. The bitter gust only gotten worse and my entire body shuddered non-stop. My soaking clothes stuck to my skin uncomfortably.
A flash of light came towards my way, making me notice and lift my head up from my body. With my eyes filled with tears it was difficult to see. It was a shine of headlights that grew closer and closer.
It took a sudden stop and a door swung open. A wave of relief washed over me, but I was so weak to even stand up. The dense footsteps of boots approached me with splashing in puddles of water along the way. The heavy lights were still bitterly shinning into my eyes.
The large shadow reached to me, and kneels down to the grown.
"Jesus, Laila. You're absolutely freezing." He panicked when he touched my arm. Just by the sound of his raspy voice, I knew it was Alex.
His hand carefully dipped under my legs and his other holds my back, he picked me up so easily as if I weighed like a feather. He limped to his car and laid me down on the passenger seat gently. He reached over me and buckled me in with care. The car door was closed shut before he walked to the other side of the car. It was still raining and he was gradually becoming wet.
Once he got in, he immediately back out of the park. His foot pressed on the gas petal to drive me home.
"I don't want to go home." I mumbled, shivering from being so cold. The heat was blasting, but it only did so much.
"Fine." He grumbled, clearly still in a nasty mood. But yet it still seemed that he had a remaining bone in his body that stabled a small bit of caring for me.
Sooner or later, we pulled into a parking lot, outside of a large brick building. He cut the engine off and kindly helped me out of his car.
He leaded me to an elevator that took us up to level three. He searched his pocket for a key when we stop at a door that had C5 on it.
He giggled the key into the hole, opening the door, he allowed me to enter first. When I stepped into the apartment, he turned on the lights as he stood behind me. "Stay here while I find you something to wear. Don't touch anything."
I roamed around as he vanished. It was a mess was the least to say. It was clutter with random things and the tiny kitchen was filled with empty boxes of pizza and red solo cups. The living room was only a bit bigger than the kitchen, and it had a simple grey couch and television set, nothing much to see.
I wandered off into a room that had a queen size bed and a TV on a knee-level white shelf that had towering piles after piles of albums. My nosy-self began to look through one of the piles, seeing what the boy had in his collection.
"What do you not understand about not touching anything?" His voice startled me as it echoed loudly throughout the apartment.
"S-sorry." I immediately put back an album that I had in my hand.
He tossed me a wad of article of clothing. "It's the only thing I have clean. The bathroom door can be found in the living room, whhere you're supposed to be."
I duck my head lowly as I passed him and hurried myself out of the bedroom. The bathroom was almost shoulder-to-shoulder small. But at least I had a moment to myself.
My appearance made me cringe once I looked in the mirror as I changed into the gym shorts and oversized blue sweater. My hair was a soaking mess, my mascara smudged underneath my eyes. Luckily, the warmth of the sweater simmered down my aching cold body and my nerves. It smelled just like Alex; vanilla and cologne.
After I put myself back together, breathing in and out, I stepped out of the bathroom and saw Alex opening a bottle of beer. I shook my head out of disappointment.
"I don't need your opinion." He said before I could say anything. "Besides, you need to call your mom or your dad. They're probably worried sick."
"I'm not going to call my dad just yet. They can't report me missing until It's been twenty-four hours. And I'm eighteen." I stated before I sat down on his couch.
His apartment wasn't the best and the smell of it was cigarettes with a mix of booze. The walls must have had been paper thin and the pouring of the rain hammered on the window. It was also poorly lit, making it hard to see just about everything. The carpet was a nasty brown. It was probably white at some point.
It was only then I had remembered Alex told me that he had a roommate when I saw another door that possibly been to a bedroom. But his roommate is nowhere to be found.
"Where's your roommate?" I dared to ask.
He huffed as if it was a question that needed a long answer to it. "She moved out. Got knocked up."
My whole body froze into place like ice. My mind instantly thinking the worse. It was a She? Knocked up? With who's baby?
"God you can be so innocent sometimes." He tilted his head back and groaned. "She’s pregnant with her boyfriend's baby or whatever."
I sighed heavily in relief from the reassurance although I was a bit jealous for a strange reason that was unknown to me. I couldn't put my finger on it exactly.
"Enough about me. Why were you at that park in the middle of this fucking gnarly storm?"
Silence.
My eye trained on my hands that were in my lap. I picked at the end of my sleeves to the sweater, avoiding eye contact with him.
"Don't give me the silent treatment to me right now." He let out a bitter laugh as if it was unbelievable to him that I wouldn’t speak.
I shrugged my shoulders loosely. I was on the verge of crying, but I refused to let Alex see me powerless and emotional like that.
"Well it's late and you should get to bed." He said before taking a gulp of his beer.
"I'm not a child." I defend myself. I hated when anyone treated me less than an adult. It bugged me and it was one of my biggest pet peeves.
He scoffed a little with a laugh. "Okay, sure." Sarcasm rolled off his tongue like a snake.
"Why are you so rude all of sudden?" I snapped, my eyebrows furrowed as I glared at him.
"Oh and now she expects me to answer her when she doesn't answer me!" Again with my pet peeve of not being treated like an adult. "And for your information, I'm not being rude. You're just sensitive."
I had enough just as the words slipped out of his mouth. I stood up from the couch. I wanted to run up to his face and shout unthinkable things, but I kept my ground. "Am not!"
"Listen Tinkerbell-"
"What the hell is wrong with you?" I barked. My body rattled in anger as my hands were to my side, in strong fist "You bipolar prick!"
Something odd happened right after I said those three words. Something in Alex switched. His face softened and he put down his beer on the kitchen counter. His head hang low as he walked up to me. The sound of our breathing was the only thing left. I had to admit that he scared me in this moment.
He grabbed a hold of both of my wrist lightly, and his head dipped down to my level. I could feel his breathing down my neck and my body increased anxiously for what he had to say. The anticipation grew and grew as he stared into my eyes. He licked his lips and began to speak. "I'm sorry."
Alexander Gaskarth apologized to me once again. I had never had a boy apologize to me as many times Alex had. Maybe this was the last time Alex will ever have to, but I mentally accepted his apology.
"I'll take the couch. You can go sleep in my bed." He let go of my wrists and left into his room. I felt bad now. His voice held so much pain and I wished I knew what changed inside his mind.
I followed Alex into his bedroom without knocking. He was changing out of his skinny jeans just as I entered in, leaving me dumbfounded and shock at the sight.
"Don't you know how to knock?" He smirked deviously.
Right away, I covered my eyes, mortified at what happened. "I'm so sorry!"
I was about to leave the room until he spoke. "You can open your eyes. I'm dressed, angel."
I brought my hand down from my face and lifted my eyebrow. "Angel?" I questioned slowly.
He moved his shoulders up then back down. "You know what? I forgot that the couch is uncomfortable. Hope you don't mind if we share a same bed."
He took a seat on top of the bed that was already unmade. I eyed him suspiciously, unsure if I could trust him enough to share a bed with him. As I thought about it, I wandered in his room, looking at his album collection.
"Radiohead?" I questioned, picking up the album.
"Put the Cd in and play track number two." He ordered as he put his head against the headboard with his arms resting behind upper neck.
"I hereby claim that this song is dedicated to you, Laila Rose Grey." Alex spoke with an exaggerated deep booming voice. I couldn’t help but smile at his cheesiness.
"When you were here before
Couldn't look you in the eye
You're just like an angel
Your skin makes me cry
You float like a feather
In a beautiful world
I wish I was special
You're so fucking special"
Surprisingly, Alex sang along to the song. I was both in shock by two things. One - Alex can actually sing. And two - I've heard of this song before but just have no idea where.
"But I'm a creep
I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don't belong here" I began to hum to the relaxing song as it slowly came back to my memory.
When the song finished, my mouth was wide open by the sudden realization. "Creep by Radiohead!"
He smiled widely as if he was a parent who found out their kid got an 'A' on a math test. He nodded his head in approval.
"What fucking rip offs they are!" I expresse.
His smile quickly descended and his face turned into a frown with his head slanted from being completely confused.
"The Air That I Breathe by the Hollies!" I said ecstatically, it was exciting to know something about music that Alex was unaware of.
"By who?" He acted like he had never heard of the song or the band I mentioned.
"The Hollies!" I jumped onto the bed. "You gotta listen to the song sometime, dude!"
"I'll listen to them when I get a chance." He laughed as he eyed me suspiciously as if I was on drugs.
"Don't give me that look, peter pan." I yawned. My eyes were getting heavier and heavier.
"Maybe you should go to bed. Take it as advice from a friend who cares."
"Friend?" I retorted as I unthinkingly got under the sheets.
Awkwardness settled in once Alex turned off the lights. I had never once in my life shared a bed with a boy, in matter of fact no one actually. We were far apart from each other, but knowing we were under the same covers made me restless.
Alex twisted and turned constantly in the next thirty minutes. The rain calmed down but still enough to have the noise surged through the room. It was relaxing to have the sound of it to put me to sleep. But my mind said otherwise, keeping me up with thoughts that had no borderline.
"Laila?" I was almost certain that Alex was asleep until he said my name.
"Yeah?"
"Why were you at the park in the middle of a storm?"
I wasn't sure if I should tell him the truth, but what did I have to lose if I did?
"I got into an argument with my brother and dad. Well, not really an argument it was more like an outrage." I whispered so softly that for a second I didn't think he heard.
"Over what?"
"You, basically." I got to the point quickly. "They found your flannel."
"I was wondering where that flannel went to." He let out a short easy laugh.
After a few moments of silence and just our breathing, he spoke again. "They don't like me, do they?"
"Yeah but I have no idea why. They haven't even met you."
Another long silence occurred and this time I thought it was going to last for the rest of the night, but he said one thing before we fell asleep. "You're nourished with good things, Laila Rose."
Then, I heard him turn over again.
I didn't know exactly what he meant by that but that was the last bit of our conversation until I woke up in the middle of the night. Or maybe it was the morning but the sun hadn't risen.
But nonetheless, I had a sharp pain in my stomach that was hardly bearable. It woke me up from my slumber that was how dense the pain was.
"Fuck," I mumbled. Alex, of course, was snoring away peacefully as I hurried my way to the bathroom.
By the time I came back to Alex's pitch-black room, I was beyond embarrassed for what I was about to do But it was the only thing I could do.
"Alex." I whispered, hopefully he was not a heavy sleeper. He shuffled a little but didn’t wake up. "Alex!"
He groaned a bit and moved around under the sheets.
"What do you want?" His voice was scratchy and deep.
"Um can you drive to the pharmacy?" I bit my lip nervously.
"In what right of mind do you need me to drive you to a pharmacy at this hour for?"
A part of me wanted to giggle, but the sudden shame came through my mind. "I need you to pick up something for me?" The statement turned into a question by my tone.
"And what would that be?"
"Womanly things." I said under my breath.
"I can't fucking hear you."
I rolled my eyes…well maybe if you didn't have a pillow over your damn face it wouldn't be difficult to hear me.
"You know. Um womanly things."
"I still can't understand you." He sighed loudly, clearly getting annoyed.
If the light was on in the room, you could probably see the redness of my face from a mile away.
"I need fucking tampons!" I shouted out of complete frustration.
"Oh?" He probably was on the urge to laugh. After a minute of quietness, not even a sound from the sheets he was in, he spoke.
"Come on, I'll drive you." He huffed, but finally got up from his bed and retrieved his car keys.
____________
A.N
I laughed so hard as I wrote the ending for this. But it's reality and it happens to girls....but maybe not so much when you're in bed with the one and only Alex Gaskarth.
So I've chosen two ship names I like that you guys made up, so which one?
Lalex or Lailex? Leave a comment which one you like. Whatever name gets the most votes wins.
Creep by Radiohead is on the side, (or above the chapter if you have the new update) I recommend you to listen to it. It's seriously one of the best songs I've ever listened to.
I recently changed the picture of how Laila's bedroom looks, you can find the new picture on the side of last chapter.
Don't forget to vote <3
-Kc Jun.11.2014