What If?

baby

    "What?"I asked nervously.

   "Who told you my middle name?"He asked getting closer.

   "Why does it matter?"I dismissed him.

"Looks like I'll have to...force it out of you!"He said. I gasped and ran to the other side of the room.

"Stay back!"I pointed.

  "Emma"He cooed. "I won't hurt you... just come here."

"No! Go away"I said backing up. He lunged forward and grabbed me. He pushed me on the couch and hovered over me.

   "W-Wait I have asthma!"I struggled in his grasp.

  "Hm guess you'll have to suffer."

"Alec!" Before I could say anything else he began tickling me and I started laughing. I tried grabbing his hands to pry them off but he was too strong so I just held them instead.

"It was Wesley wasn't it"He asked...well stated. I couldn't stop laughing.

  "Fra-Frances"I managed to yell out. Alec stopped and looked at me in confusion.

   "Who?"He asked. I caught my breath and closed my eyes. Once I had calmed down I spoke again.

"My middle name is Frances. I'm not ashamed of it. It's just a middle name. They're no big deal. You shouldn't be embarrassed of your middle name."

   "I'm not embarrassed of it. I just wanna know who has my name in their mouth, hm? What else have you heard about me."

  "Nothing...why what skeletons have you got in your closet Mr. De Amato?"I asked looking him in the eyes.

   "I don't know go check"He said sarcastically then he flicked my forehead.  He stood up and walked over to the kitchen.

  "Hey you jerk!"I said sitting up and glaring at him as he grabbed his coffee.

  "Do you want coffee?"He asked.

"No thank you I don't like it very much"I admitted.

"So Frances? A little dated don't you think?"

    "My dad wanted to name me after Baby from Dirty Dancing. My mom hated the name Frances. She wanted to name me Emmalee after my great grandmother. So she compromised and made Frances my middle name"I stated.

"So you were named after Baby from Dirty Dancing?"He chuckled. "Why not just Baby? Why did he use Frances?"

"Emmalee Baby Johnson just doesn't have the same ring to it as Emmalee Frances."

  "I guess that makes sense"He hummed taking a sip of his coffee.

"Yes...and my brother was named after Brand from the Goonies. What can I say? My father was a huge eighties cinephile."

"You look happy when you speak about your father"He spoke.

  "I love him. Just because he's gone doesn't change the fact that I love him. I don't love many people, but my dad was the greatest. Exquisite taste in music and an extreme love for classic movies. He was non judgmental....always understood me when no one else did. Grandma always said I was a carbon copy of him."

"Are you?"Alec asked. I smiled sadly remembering my fathers smile.

"I wish. My father was patient, smart, and brave. On top of everything he was kind. He never raised his voice at Brand and I....not once. Even if we deserved it. He smiled a lot. As for me I pretty much just have his love for music and movies. And his morbid sense of humor. It helped me cope. It sounds bad but sometime I wish...."I stopped myself feeling tears in my eyes. I turned away from Alec.

"Wish it wasn't him?"Alec asked. "You wish it were your mother."

Even without speaking it aloud he knew my darkest thoughts.

"It's an awful thing to think"I spoke holding back tears.

"It's not. We're human. We're all flawed in some way. It doesn't make you a bad person."

     I fixed my dress. I shifted uncomfortably and Alec walked over to the couch and sat down.

   "You barely know me and I've already turned the morning into a morbid-"

"Sometimes I wish Wesley was never born. That he truly never existed. I blame him for things out of his control. In the end it doesn't matter. If you're uncomfortable go pick something out of my closet"He said taking a sip of his coffee. "Breakfast will be here in a bit."

"Okay...thanks"I said standing up and going back to his room.

I went into his closet and was surprised to see the array of clothing. After going through I decided on a pair of his sweatpants and a hoodie. I went to his bathroom and threw my underwear and clothes in the washer.

I stood there for a minute. He may have seemed cold and uncaring but he didn't judge me. Instead he shared a piece of himself. His tone and the look in his eyes as he spoke of Wesley surprised me. The look of disdain he had. Even so he still spent time with him. Acted as a big brother. Perhaps out of guilt?

When I was finished getting dressed I went back out and saw Alec still in the same place drinking his coffee. I laid across the couch and watched him.

"It's not polite to stare"He said.

"I didn't do anything...last night right? Like I didn't embarrass myself or anything?"I asked worried. "Aside from the uh...car thing. Which we will not discuss again...ever!"

"Well aside from the bar dancing, puking on Eddie, Katie was mortified by the way, oh and busting your ass in front of everyone...no you were fine"He said stoically.

"You're lying"I said feeling my heart start to race from fear and embarrassment. "Alec say you're joking"I said grabbing his arm and shaking it.

He cracked a small smile and I punched his shoulder.

"You're so easy to rile up"He said pinching my nose. I smacked his hand.

"Don't look so pleased with yourself. That's not funny!"I glared. He pinched my side and I slapped his hand again. In return he slapped mine back.

"Ow, Hey!"I glared. A knock at the door caused me to jump slightly.

"Alec!"A female voice called. Alec stood up knocking me off the couch in the process. I fell on the floor with a thud and groaned. Alec stepped over me and went to the front door.

"Jerk"I mumbled. I heard the door open as I picked myself up off the floor.

"Hey Caela."