The Boy Band Who Adopted Me!

Chapter 36 - New Start

Mason thanked me for the study help when both of us aced our midterms. Everyone else did just as great on theirs, and it seemed like, at least for the moment, things were looking up.

The class-wide Secret Santa didn't even put a damper on my spirits when the name that I pulled from the online randomizer happened to be Danica, Gavin's ex-girlfriend.

Alex, 1:19 PM: Mason, I'm your little sister's Secret Santa. What do I get her?

He didn't miss a beat.

Mason, 1:20 PM: galaxy-man merch. she's a huge nerd lmao. thank me later

I did notice her wearing a Galaxy-Man jacket once. I complied with Mason's advice and bought her a super-cool wristband that wasn't against dress code.

On Secret Santa day, I gave it to her. She looked surprised to see me.

"Oh, hey! Alex! Guess you're my secret santa, huh?" She opened the gift, then grinned at me excitedly, as if her wishes had been answered.

"Well, I noticed you wearing the jacket, so..."

"Oh-em-geeeeee," she squealed, before hugging me. "That's so cool of you! I have to go show Lexi."

She turned to go, but then turned back to face me.

"And... hey. It's cool with me, you know, Gavin. You guys make a good couple. I just hope he has time for you."

"I hope so too," I offered her, not knowing what else to say, but smiling to reassure her. She waved at me, then strode to the other side of the classroom.

Hopefully, I'd made a friend.

As it turned out, Emmett was my Secret Santa. As much as I loved sentimental gifts, if you wanted something luxurious, there was nobody better to have buying you presents.

I ripped open the black wrapping paper, and discovered that it was a pair of high-quality headphones stamped with MCR's Danger Days logo. I practically threw myself at him in a humongous hug.

"Emmett, what the actual hell! This is amazing!" I was about to cry. He just smiled and giggled, looking a little embarrassed. "I've officially won Secret Santa," I grinned.

--

I sipped hot cocoa on a date with Gavin. We'd just gone shopping for Christmas presents for the guys, since we were going to leave tomorrow. We had bags full of CDs and band shirts, and I was wearing my headphones proudly around my neck.

"Soooo, know what you're getting me? Personally, I hope it's a long, hot-cocoa-flavored kiss," Gavin said, a smile playing at one corner of his lips. I sighed and smiled back. "Unfortunately, it's a little more material than that. But I guess I'll see what I can do."

Gavin looked at me with a pair of hazel eyes rich in affection. They seemed to be brimming, wandering over my cocoa, my cold hands, my face buried underneath my bangs and layers of scarves and a kitty-eared hat.

"I didn't think we'd get so close," Gavin admitted. He was still smiling.

"Gavin," I started, but he stopped me with a simple tilt of his head.

"No, really. My only other girlfriend, I couldn't be with her, because, well... I kind of knew already that Cody told you. I was meaning to, but."

"It's okay, Gavin," I reassured him, "I knew you would eventually." His shoulders arced forward just slightly as he leaned to face me more fully.

"I would drop everything for you," he said. I could tell he was serious. "If I was told I could never play guitar again, never sing again, I'd be mute. I'd be mute and I'd never hold an instrument again. I'd only hold your hand."

I was blushing, and my heart was sprinting in leaps and bounds, but I still managed to tease anyway. "Cooooooorny," I joked. "Wow, I'm cringing."

Gavin just smiled at me harder. "But it's true," he said. "It's absolutely true." He reached forward and took one of my hands.

"It's true, Alex," he repeated, his voice a little softer, but his eyes harboring the same impassioned intent.

--

I went home for Christmas break with three new band shirts and a beautiful sterling silver skull necklace from Gavin. The other boys received band merch and CDs, but I got Gavin a limited-edition CD preorder coupon for SWS.

"It'll come on Christmas Eve," I said to him. "Make sure to video chat with me when you open it so I can see your face."

"Sure thing, lovely." He kissed me, and his lips were warm from the coffee he'd been drinking. I was already wearing his hoodie this time.

When my parents came to pick me up, they were polite to Gavin, but once again expressed some discontentment with my choice in dating partners. I simply ignored them, and enjoyed the ride with my new headphones blaring music.

Will assured us all that everything would be okay. Jamie seemed to be a little sad about Christmastime - "Having to see his parents is always hard for him," Will said - but even he looked excited to be going home for the break.

The best part of the whole break was that Gavin managed to alter my sad state of mind about being back at home by changing one of the routines I used to have with Matthew, just slightly, so that I had new memories to associate with it. I almost cried when it happened.

On new year's eve, Gavin texted me about something I'd confided in him about months ago - how I used to sneak out of my window and hop down onto the balcony to go see Matthew in the middle of the night.

It was close to midnight. My parents were at a party somewhere, promising to be back by 1 AM.

Gavin, 11:55 PM: Alex, you know that thing you used to do with Matthew? Sorry to bring it up, but hey, look outside.

I did as he said, my heart racing. Sure enough, Gavin was standing outside where I had told him Matthew used to wait for me, by a tree outside my window that I would climb down after hopping onto the balcony below. He was holding something - I wasn't sure what - but that wasn't the main thing on my mind right now.

All I could think was: Gavin drove two and a half hours... for me?

I opened my window quietly, and it hurt to think about the fact that I'd only ever done it when Matthew had been around, but Gavin waiting below seemed even more exciting now. He smirked up at me in the same way Matthew had, but now I could identify the differences.

At 11:58, I was standing face-to-face with Gavin in my front yard, over 150 miles from where he lived.

"I just really wanted you to be my new year's kiss," he spoke softly under the light of a nearby streetlamp. It reminded me of homecoming night, in all its perfection, even though it was colder now. I could see that Gavin was holding a bottle of something.

"Er, it's sparkling cider," he admitted. "Lucy wouldn't let me bring champagne." I giggled. I could hear popping sounds as large as the sky booming on the horizon, somewhere not-so-far away, where fireworks were being set off in backyards and in the middle of town. I could see lights flashing past the treeline, and smoke carried on the wind from spent fireworks. It blocked the stars, but I knew that still they shone down, and Matthew shone down too, in his own way; he had to be. He had to be shining somewhere else, because he wasn't here-- here was Gavin, who was shining right in front of me, sparkling, even.

I could hear it in the distance, from the town square. 

"Happy new year!" came a thousand happy, excited voices.

Gavin immediately kissed me, effortlessly, bringing his cold hands up to my cheeks, one hand still wrapped around the neck of the bottle but pressed against my face nonetheless.

Come to think of it, I said to myself as Gavin's friendship - not the romance, but his enduring care for me - saved me from my heartbreak;

Matthew lived down by the town square.

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AN: Hope you guys enjoyed! More chapters coming soon!