The Odd One Out (Hailee Steinfeld)

Chapter 24

    After a few months of Tracy and Lizzie taking Alex to therapy, which was working great, she was finally able to stand. She was moving around a lot better and was even able to walk on her own. Tracy mindlessly gave Alex updates on Hailee and her new boyfriend whose name was apparently Josh Allen. Alex didn't even know who he was and was jealous of him. He was everything a girl would want, flawless skin, a built body, perfect hair, football player. Every part of him made Alex want to hurl. Even the mention of his name made Alex ill, as for Hailee every time she saw her Alex could barely bring herself to turn her head away, the way she walked, the way she did her hair, the way she smiled. Alex could stare at her all day and never get tired of her. Lizzie had to snap Alex out of her trance a few times as Hailee would appear on the TV. Hailee made no effort to even try and contact Alex so after a little bit Alex tried to shove her out of her mind. Even though no matter how much effort she used it was never going to happen.

  Alex sat on the couch by herself with her guitar in her lap. She had been playing her previous songs for a while now she has even tried to come up with new ones but nothing has worked. Alex tapped her pencil on her chin as she stared down at the blank paper. Suddenly Lizzie came busting through the door. Alex looked up at her in surprise because Lizzie was usually the calm one but right now she wasn't. "I got it!" She yelled holding her phone in her hand above her head. Alex looked at her for a moment furrowing her eyebrows. "You got?" Alex asked dragging out her question. "I finally got you an agent." Alex tilted her head, " An agent?" "Yes an agent dummy for all your songs and things." Alex sat there for a moment in silence trying to comprehend what was going on. "And he said he got you a gig tomorrow!" Lizzie squealed. Alex set her guitar beside her standing up as quick as she was able to. "What are you talking about?" Lizzie didn't respond still to caught up in her own world. Alex stepped in front of her grabbing Lizzie's phone out of her hand before reading the screen. Alex's jaw dropped to the floor as the words she read echoed around her head. "You got me an agent and you got me a recording spot tomorrow?!" Alex yelled trying to get Lizzie to stop jumping. "Yes I did" Lizzie said trying to get Alex to join in on the jumping but Alex was still a little weak so she decided not to. Alex took Lizzie's phone back over to her notepad writing down the number of the agent before giving her phone back. "He said he was going to call you later tonight but didn't give me an exact time." Lizzie said twirling on one foot in a little circle. Alex tossed her phone back at her staring down at the number as Lizzie caught it. "Where's Tracy?" Alex asked still trying to comprehend the whole agent thing. "She found some in her words "hot" guy at the store and went with him." Alex looked up from her notepad as her mouth fell open a little. "Actually why am I surprised. But you let her go with him?" Alex said as Lizzie came and sat down on the couch next to her. "I mean is there really any stopping her?" Lizzie asked sarcastically as Alex hummed in agreement. Alex picked her guitar back up setting it in her lap. "So you got anything new?" Lizzie asked not taking her eyes off the guitar. "I've been trying but nothing comes to mind every time I try and write." Alex set down her pencil and let out a small huff of annoyance as she stared down at her notepad in front of her. Lizzie grabbed the remote off the side table switching the TV on. Of course the news was on that's all Lizzie usually liked to watch because she had to know what was going on in the world at all times. Alex rolled her eyes trying to tune out the TV as she closed her eyes for a second until she heard it. She heard one of the news anchors say her name. Alex looked up just in time to see a picture of her and her new boyfriend. Of course she was all over him, laying her head on his shoulder or, he kissed her cheek. Alex rolled her eyes once more as she let out a sigh looking back down at the notepad. Suddenly Lizzie's phone started ringing as she quickly picked it up off the side table. "Tracy" Lizzie muttered to Alex before making her way out of the house and to her car, it wasn't long before Alex heard her car start up and drive out of the driveway. Alex sat there by herself with Hailee's name bouncing around the room every time one of the people on TV said it. Alex squeezed her eyes shut again trying to focus but nothing was coming to her. She eventually set her guitar down and made her way into the kitchen.

Alex grabbed a water bottle from the fridge before opening it and getting a small swig as she felt the ice cold water fall down her throat. She shivered as she went to go sit back down on the couch. Just before she sat down she felt her phone buzzing Alex quickly grabbed it looking at the caller ID seeing it said "unknown" Alex quickly accepted it pressing the phone to her ear as she put her other hand over her other ear trying to hear better. "Hello" Alex said in preppiest voice she could pull out of the depths.

"Hello, is this Alex West?"

"Yes this is she"

"Hello Ms. West I was calling to talk about that agent you wanted."

"Yes sir"

The conversation went on for a few minutes but after it was over Alex threw her phone to the side as she let out a small squeal. She ran her hands through her hair as she smiled so hard her cheeks were beginning to hurt. She had finally done what her father had only ever dreamed of doing. She closed her eyes as she quietly thanked him and her heart felt a little bit warmer after that.

Suddenly she heard Hailee's voice on TV making her look up. She almost gasped as she saw Hailee sitting perfectly in a chair with a gorgeous white dress on with her hair and makeup fixed up. Hailee's eyes were on the camera at the time making it seem like she was making eye contact with Alex. Alex stared for a few moments before some song lyrics started popping into her head just like they had before. She quickly grabbed a new piece of paper and her pen as her hand moved across the page as she wrote.

Oh I've heard all about you
All those things they had to say
You're a legend 'round this school
Locally famous drama queen

Turn my eyes, I see you stare
'Cross the room and right at me
Now you're smiling like you've got
Like you've got something on your mind

You're so beautiful
I don't want to turn away
You've been here before
Make me feel like you're a
Wild animal
Shaking I am your prey
I'm all you want

If I could go back in time
I'd shoot my shot
I'd risk it all
If I could go back in time
I'd shoot my shot
Just so I could have a chance with you
With you

You are always on my mind
Sitting here I am waiting
Ones like you they make me shy
Innocently intimidating

I still can't figure you out
You're the kind that drives me mad
Are you here looking for love
Or do you love being looked at?

You're so beautiful
I don't want to turn away
You've been here before
Make me feel like I'm a
Wild animal
Shaking you are my prey
You're all I want

If I could go back in time
I'd shoot my shot
I'd risk it all
If I could go back in time
I'd shoot my shot
Just so I could have a chance with you
With you
With you

Alex sat there for a moment looking down at the words as she scanned through them in her mind. She quickly picked her phone back up dialing her agents number. "What is the soonest time you can record?"