old fashioned • dj&ts

v. family

Alexis spent what felt like hours pacing back and forth in front of the phone. Her gut was telling her to call her family; tell someone she's okay so nobody comes looking for her. Would anyone even come looking for her? Sam's off at college enjoying his freedom, and her parents stopped caring about what she did with her life after she turned eighteen.

Suddenly the phone was dialing out. It rang for some time, and then she heard the voicemail tone.

"Hey, Sam," Alexis said quietly, gripping onto the phone. "I just wanted to let you know I'm in Los Angeles. I left Derek and made some new friends. I think you would really like them. Anyway, this is my new number if you ever want to talk. I'm sorry for not saying goodbye. I love you."

Alexis hung up the phone and watched the cord swing back and forth against the wall. She stood there and waited for a minute. She was the only one in the house, so she didn't want to miss him if he called back. He never did. Not that day, at least.

She was in the shower when everybody came back home, crying as she let her tears blend in with the water hitting her face. It was their first week in an actual house, and Karen had moved in a few days prior. The band invited her to join them as their keyboardist, thinking adding a girl into the mix would help them.

They all dried out their savings for the house and had nothing but the clothes on their backs until their families shipped the rest of their belongings. Alexis lost everything.

She's been wearing the same pair of jeans and rotating shirts she's taken from Camila or the guys. Eddie had reached out to his brother's girlfriend, and she was supposedly sending some of her old clothes. She would never reach out to Derek, and her stuff was probably long gone anyway. Until she got a job and got back on her feet, she had to get used to accepting hand-outs.

That night, for example, she was wearing one of Eddie's bigger t-shirts. After coming out of the shower and expecting to go right into her room, she bumped into Eddie. She didn't realize everyone was back already.

"Hey," he said, noticing the red in her eyes. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I just got shampoo in my eye," Alexis lied, crossing her arms in front of her chest. No bra and no pants. Classy. "How was your show?"

"Good. We have another one booked for next weekend," Eddie smiled. "I wish you were there to see it. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah," Alexis nodded. "I just needed a day to myself. This has all been a lot for me."

"Well, I'm right next door if you want a smoke or a beer," Eddie offered, pointing to his bedroom. "Or if you just want to talk."

"I know," Alexis smiled. "I might take you up on that, actually. I just need to put on more clothes."

"You don't have to," Eddie pointed out, making Alexis laugh. "You don't need to wear any clothes at all in my room, honestly."

"You're funny."

It wasn't a joke, he thought as he walked into his room and opened two beers. He listened to the music playing downstairs and knew everyone was celebrating after their first L.A. show, but he also knew he wasn't going to be joining them anytime soon. He felt closest to Alexis, anyway, so he'd rather spend his time with her. If she didn't want to join the group, he didn't want to either.

"Your shorts don't even go past the shirt, you might as well have not put them on." Alexis had walked back into Eddie's room looking no different than she did before.

"You just want to take them off," Alexis pointed out, raising her eyebrows. He handed her a beer. She wasn't wrong, and he wasn't going to deny it.

"Is that a bad thing?" He looked at her and saw her cheeks turn pink as she took a sip of her beer. He watched her eyes flicker before meeting his again. It took her a few seconds to think of a response.

Alexis considered the different ways this conversation could go that would distract her from her family matters. The only thing that stopped her from saying "no" was the fact that Eddie and the band were the closest she had to a family right now. She didn't want to screw that up by giving into a small feeling.

"You should go celebrate with everyone," she told him, loosely tangling their fingers together. She hoped her gesture would tell him what she wanted to say without actually having to say it. "I think I'm ready for bed, anyway. I want to get up early and make everyone breakfast since I couldn't make it to the show."

"Are you sure?" He asked, not exactly getting her message but not viewing her response as a rejection, either. Alexis nodded and he went to walk off, but she tightened her grip on his hand and pulled him into a hug. He held her, smelling her shampoo as she rested her head on his shoulder. "What's this for?"

"For being in my life," Alexis said quietly, trying her hardest to hold in her tears. "For wanting to be in my life."

A quiet sniffle gave her away. Any intention Eddie had of leaving the room went away as soon as he heard it.

"You shouldn't have to thank someone for wanting you around."

"I know, I just-" she stopped, taking a breath. Her head was still on his shoulder and he was stroking her hair. She felt comfortable with him. "I called my brother today and never heard back from him. I stayed home from the show in case he decided to call, but he never did."

"I'm sorry," Eddie whispered, goosebumps forming on Alexis's skin from the warmth of his breath. Neither of them wanted to let go of the other.

"I shouldn't be dumping this on you," Alexis retracted, being the one to pull away first.

"I want you to." Eddie pushed a piece of damp hair behind her ear and wiped a tear off her cheek. He touched her softly as if she were a porcelain doll that could break at any moment.

"I don't want to. I don't want to say or do something wrong and ruin all of this."

Alexis wasn't just talking about the conversation anymore. Eddie knew this. He wanted her to let him in, but he didn't want to push her if she wasn't ready to do that. He at least wanted to show her that he would always be there for her. So, he picked up the phone the next morning and re-dialed the most recent number.