I cant sleep but I sure can dream [three]
Alex's parents came home and didn't suspect a thing. They simply asked him how his day was at dinner and Alex lied and said it went really well and that he thinks it will be good, when really he knew by the stares and whispers that it wouldn't be and that skipping will become more regular. Alex's parents told him about their jobs and couldn't seem happier about moving and starting new. They also mentioned that their new neighbours would be coming around for dinner sometime soon even though Alex had no clue as to who they were.
"So, you figured out that I left you the car huh?" His mom asked happily. Alex nodded as he chewed on a piece of chicken. His dad laughed.
"That's your car from now on son, we're going to the dealership tomorrow to pick up our new one" He told Alex with a beaming smile.
"Oh...thanks" Alex said politely with a soft smile.
His parents getting a new car wasn't the least bit shocking for Alex. He knew his parents had the money, they were loaded and had inherited a lot of money from his dad's side.
"You're going to love it, it's slick, runs well, just fabulous" His dad babbled on proudly. Alex ignored him and quickly finished his dinner.
Once he pushed in his chair, he was ready to go back upstairs and then his mother called his name.
"Yes?" He replied.
"What are you going to do now"? She asked quietly, now lifting her glass of red wine to her lips.
"I don't know. I don't have homework so I'll probably play guitar or something" Alex answered slowly. She nodded. Alex raised an eyebrow at his dad who then shrugged. He then ran upstairs and locked himself in his room.
His room was his comfort zone. In there, no one bothered him and nothing annoyed him. He could get loss in his music and sort of feel at home.
The feeling of his fingers trailing down on the strong strings and the sound that filled his ears just helped him relax and get away for a while.
He usually covered songs but he had two original songs with not even David had heard when he was still around and that's saying something because Alex used to tell and show David everything. It was just something he couldn't not do. But his songs were for his ears only as he was insecure about his writing and music. He didn't feel it was good enough and now he still felt it wasn't and he also felt he wasn't good enough.
He had been told he had a good voice from his mom who only heard him sing once and accidently for that fact.
He hadn't heard his mom come home that day and was upstairs in his room with his guitar plugged into his amp and the chords were blasting out through the intire house. Alex couldn't have felt more alive. When his mom was walking up the stairs is when she began to be able to hear Alex sing. The words were filled with angst and his voice portrayed that well. Once she had arrived outside his door, she knocked very hard, making sure he heard and smiled as she heard Alex rapidly drop the guitar and run over to his door. He fumbled with the lock and finally opened the door. He stood there with his eyes bulging out of his sockets.
"You haven't heard me have you?" He asked nervously. She grinned and let out a squeal.
"You have a wonderful voice for that kind of music honey! Why have you never sang for us before?" She exclaimed proudly. Her smile was growing bigger after every word she said. Alex groaned and shut his foor.
"Don't tell anyone!" He shouted from the other side of the door. He waited for a response but only heard her laugh trail down the hall.
Now he settled for his acoustic guitar and quiet singing, even when no one was home, just incase.
Alex's parents went to sleep a little later than he hoped. Which left him lying in his bed last night, under the thick covers and in the silent darkness, staring at his ceiling.
They went to bed at around 1am which was a lot later than they usually did but by 1:30, he heard his dad snoring and his mom wasn't tossing and turning which meant it was safe to get out.
Once he was walking down his front lawn he realzied he didn't have his skateboard. He groaned and smacked his hand against his thigh, suddenly he heard a jingling sound which when he stuffed his hand down his pocket, he realized was his car keys. He smiled as he held the cold keys in his hand till he got to the car.
He climbed into the warm car and slightly turned up the music before he began to reverse out of his driveway. He knew it wouldn't wake up his parents, they were heavy sleepers. Such heavy sleepers that one time when Alex slipped down the stairs as a kid and kocked over a shelf with a lot of books, they didn't wake up till Alex wailed loud enough to wake up the entire neighbourhood.
Once he was out of his streets and the multiple others that surrounded it, he got a slight taste of what the city life of Baltimore looked like. The traffic lights and brightly coloured signs showed him the way around. He passed restaurants, cafe's and bars but they were all obviously closed at it was almost 3am.
Alex slowed down through the streets so he could examine the dark interiors of the restaurants and shops with fancy names, who's owners were probably sleeping. It was until he passed the port and drove up South Broadway and then turned to his left into Lancaster Street that he now cruised down.
Alex found a place which seemed to be closing. He parked outside it and turned his lights off. The street was quiet and all he could hear was his heavy breathing as the car got colder.
The bar was called '24' The sign had bulbs which had worn out over time and it was dirty white. It hang above the french doors of the bar which was in the middle of two wide windows.
In the left, Alex could see tall stools, lined up around the counter which was shiny and was reflecting off the incredibly dim lights. Behind the counter were shelves which held a lot of alcoholic drinks. The wall was covered in mirror and then suddenly and lanky man appeared from the arch at the far end of the bar.
He was looking down, his nose was large and curved and sat in the middle of his lightly coloured, thin face. His black fringe brushed lightly against his thick eyebrows. He had very high cheekbones and small thin lips. Light stubble grew around his soft jaw which now sligtly lowered as his plump lips slightly parted. His eyes then flickered open and looked past Alex's car. His eyes were like big brown orbs except they were warm. They bulged slightly and were curtained by his dark eyelashes.
It suddenly hit Alex, this was the guy he saw earlier in the alleyway. He recognised his slim figure. Alex couldn't help but stare at him because he was beautiful. Every conture of his face was interesting and just attractive. The way his slim torso hunched over the counter as he cleaned it and the way he lolled his head to the side as he sighed.
Alex assumed that he was closing the car. He wouldn't dare go in anyways.
Alex sighed and waited for him to go back through the arch, before starting up the car and pulling out of the empty, breezy street.
On the highway outside of the main streets of Baltimore was a gas station. The bright sign 'Gas and coffee' caught Alex's searching eye as he pulled in and parked outside the tiny cafe. He grabbed his issue of AP from the back before getting out of the car and locking it.
His feet were dragging on the sandy ground and slightly echoed throughout the dead gas station.
Once he got to the cafe, he pushed the battered door open and heard a bell go off, making three heads turn as he quickly looked down at his tatty converse. He sat down at the table right down at the end. The wooden chair was cold and stiff...uncomfortable to say the least. He tried to ignore it. He pulled up his legs on the chair beside him and set his magazine on the sticky, fake wood table, opening it to the contents page.
He heard footsteps come close and then forcefully come to a stop. His head shot up and his fringe fell back, out of his face.
"Anything to eat or drink?" An elderly woman now asked, sounding exhausted, her eyes were clearly fighting to stay open and the black bags under them proved that.
"Erm...can I have a coffee and...do you have donuts?" Alex asked quietly. She nodded and lazily wrote his order on a small notebook. She then slowly walked away, dragging her feet on the laminet floor, towards to counter.
Alex sighed and looked around the place which seemed to be crumbling to pieces and growing with stains.
After about 20 minutes, Alex finally got his order. He mumbled a 'Thank You' as she walked off slowly again. He tore off a piece of the donut and popped it into his mouth. It was stale and tasteless. Alex tried to wash it down with some coffee which to his assumption was just as tasteless. He pushed the mug and plate aside and opened his magazine to an article on New Found Glory.
Driving home, he couldn't help but think...was not going into the bar a mistake? No, it couldn't be, he would make a fool out of himself if he had, he thought. He was probably closing and Alex walking in there might have set him off and telling Alex he would have to leave would be incredibly humilating for Alex. His face would flush red and his lips would tremble. He was actually glad he left it, thinking about it. He could never go back though. What if he saw him in the car? He probably thinks Alex is a creep. What if he hadn't though? Would Alex regret never going back?
He really didn't want to know, his brain was caving and was shifting into over-thinking mode. As he pulled into his street, he sighed.
He hated when he got like this, he just wanted company. He was lonely.