The One Underneath

|| The Story ||

My phone ringing the next morning woke me up out of my sleep. I looked at it, Alex calling.

"Hello?" I answered. It was 8 AM and I was too tired to deal with his crap right now.

"Hey, we're going to the pool in about 20 minutes so get ready because I'm on my way to get you. Bye." He said quickly.

I put my phone back down on the nightstand and slowly got up. I couldn't believe I was actually going through with this. I dug through my suitcase and found a red bikini that I had packed in case I actually did go to the pool.

After I changed into it, I went and put a Vanderbilt Softball t-shirt on and a pair of Nike shorts, then put my hair up. A few minutes later, Alex was at the door.

"Hello, misses Pierzynski." He greeted me.

"Hello, Mr. Wood." I smiled as I joined him.

"Where is everyone else at?" I asked.

"They're down at the pool already." He told me, pressing the button for the elevator.

"Hey, um, I'm not good at apologies, but I just wanted to tell you I'm sorry for being a jerk recently." He told me as the elevator doors closed.

"I know that's just how you are. I've gotta learn to roll with the punches more and not be pushy or be a jerk." I admitted.

"You're not like that." He said as the elevator doors opened.

"Will you just tell me what your stupid tattoo means?" I pushed.

"When we're not around all these people, I will." He promised.

"I'm keeping you to that." I eyed him.

"Hey guys!" Folty smiled, patting Alex on the back. I left and went over to Chelsea.

"Chels, Alex is being so weird." I sat beside her.

"What's he doing?" She eyed him.

"Nothing, for a change." I laughed.

"He's being nice, right?" She questioned.

"Yeah, actually. And he offered to tell me about his tattoo."

"Wow... I don't even think Shelby knows, and they're best friends." She told me.

"I don't want to make him not like me. I want him to trust me, I guess is the right thing to say..." I replied.

"He will. You're a very trustworthy person." She smiled as Alex came over.

"Are you ever going to actually get in?" He questioned in relation to the pool.

I rolled my eyes, then pulled myself up out of the chair. I sat down on the side of the pool, just my ankles in the water as Alex got completely in.

"Not getting in?" He asked.

"I might." I looked down at him.

"You have your belly button pierced?" He questioned, looking up at me.

"Yep. I begged AJ for like, three months if I could get it done for my 16th birthday and he finally gave in." I stated, causing him to laugh.

"What?" I smiled as he kept laughing.

"You guys. Y'all are a hilarious family. I love it."

"Well thanks, I guess." I shrugged.

"Hey sis!" AJ sat down beside me, putting his arm around my shoulder.

"We were just talking about you I smiled over at him.

"Really? About what?" He asked, putting his sunglasses on.

"Woody claims we're funny." I giggle.

"We are! I'm hilarious." AJ crosses his arms, making Alex and I laugh.

"Okay, Pierzynski. Don't get too cocky." I joked.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So, when I was five, my dad enlisted into the marines." Alex started, a lit cigarette in his hand.

"I'm listening." I crossed my legs.

"Anyways, he went overseas a few times and came back. He always promised he would, but one deployment, I was twelve I believe, he wasn't sending his normal two letters a week," He rubbed his nose as his voice started to get a stutter to it.

"We weren't worried at first because the military is really fast paced and some things are out of your control. But one day, a man came to the house." He swallowed hard, his eyes starting to tear up.

"And I didn't hear what he said because I was outside playing catch with my cousin. But my mom came out and got me. She was crying so hard that she just sat face down on the ground and cried. She cried so hard," he wiped a tear away.

"I'd never seen her like that before. Her body was shaking, her sobs were more like screams. I was scared. So scared." He broke down, pulling his legs up to his chest as he sobbed into his hands.

"Alex, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." I grabbed his hand.

"No, I'm going to."

"I went over to her anyways and sat down on my knees beside her. She looked over at me, still crying. Her hair was everywhere, her makeup running down her face. Underneath her was a picture of my dad. She had a death grip on it. She choked out what had happened and it took me a minute to understand it. My aunt came and picked my cousin and I up, but I was scared to leave mom there alone." He put his cigarette out.

"I came back a few hours later and I," he took a deep breathe, still crying.

"I found her laying on the living room floor. There was so many alcohol bottles that I couldn't count them all. Jack Daniels, vodka, beer, everything. Then, I saw a gun. I just remember yelling at her. I don't know how many times I yelled, 'get up mom!' Or, 'you're not dead, mom!'." This time he straight sobbed, tears running down his cheeks and onto his neck.

"My aunt ran in and screamed so loud, then pushed me outside. I literally can't remember anything that happened until the day they brought dad back." He sighed, catching his breath.

"We sat at the airport, waiting for them to bring dad home. I wasn't ready for it, but I didn't have a choice. I just watched the men solute his casket as it was carried down to the hearse. The funeral is all a blur, but I still had to go through mom's."

"Alex, please don't tell me if you're not ready. I didn't know it meant this much." I begged.

"I'm telling you, quit trying to stop me." He snapped.

"I just kept thinking about how no kid should have to go through one parent's funeral, much less two in the same week, but I did. After their deaths, I moved in with my mom's sister and lived with her until I got my UGA scholarship. I took it and never looked back. I haven't been home since."

"And that's the story behind my tattoo."