Cognizant (Adopted By Alex Gaskarth: Book 2)✅

Chapter 23

"Happy Birthday," A whispery voice said loudly. I turned in my bunk to see Jack.

"Jack, I fucking swear to God," I mumbled tiredly with half-open eyes.

"You need birthday cuddles!" I opened my arms for him to cuddle in next to me. I tiredly enjoyed how warm he was as we cuddled up tightly.

"I told you I don't celebrate my birthday, but I will always accept cuddles. Even if it's four in the fucking morning, you doorknob."

Jack tiredly giggled at me. "You celebrate other people's birthdays all the time. I told you that you will celebrate your own and you will." I hummed, too tired to argue with the guitarist.

.

"I can't believe my small child is seventeen," Alex exclaimed dramatically.

"I know," I replied loudly, hitting my head on the back of the couch in the bus. "I'm fucking old!"

"You? What about me? I feel like I'll start getting white hairs soon! I'll need a cane!"

"Woah, don't get too kinky, Grandpa," Jack piped up with a laugh. I giggled at him.

"Shut up." Alex tried not to smile, but a small laugh made its way through.

"And I can already start applying for colleges," I added. "I'm done with my junior year and most of my junior classes were technically senior classes."

"Shit, oh my God," Alex droned with a small laugh as he dramatically flopped onto his back. "I'm getting older by the second."

"I think we all are," Zack said as he walked by. Alex stuck his tongue out at him, but Zack used his palm to wipe Alex's own spit on his face.

"Ew, Zack!" Alex laughed and wiped his face. "Did you apply for any of the colleges you were talking to me about, though?"

I nodded. "Well, I finished them, but I didn't send them in yet. I need your consent on the application first since I won't be eighteen until after I were to start a college if I was accepted."

"I can do that. Give me the stuff and I can do it. Just as long as you're sure it's what you want."

"Yeah, it is. Are you wanting me to go a different route," I asked skeptically.

"Oh, no. I don't care what you do. If it makes you happy, you do whatever you want, whether it's some college or university, or music, or art, whatever it is, I'm here to support you. I just want to make sure it's what you want and not because you just think it will make somebody else happy."

"Yeah. It definitely is. Thank you," I replied sincerely with a nod. Alex and I had this talk when I was first able to start sending in applications last week. I had asked him what he wanted me to do, and he told me to do whatever it was I thought was best for myself, what I wanted, that it was my own future, mine to create on my own, and that he was only here to help support me. He had also told me that I shouldn't do anything anybody else told me to, either, because it's not their choice, it's my life and my choice. So, I told him I really wanted to go to either MIT in Boston or Savannah College Of Art And Design in Lacoste, France for a double major in Mechanical Engineering and Field Architecture.

"Great. So anything you need my help with or consent for, just give it to me and I'll do whatever it is I need to."

I nodded before leaning forward and giving him a tight hug. "Thank you."

Alex chuckled and hugged me back. "It's no problem. Love you, kid."

"Love you, too, adult," I replied with a small giggle.