The Definition Of Family

Chapter 2

Alex vaguely remembers being shaken awake and guided to a back room of the café with a couch, a pillow, and a blanket set up as a bed. Alex drags himself off the couch and checks his bag to make sure everything is still in place before going in search of someone.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" He calls.

"In here," another voice, a female one, replies. It sounds like the cashier from last night.

He follows the hallway adjoining the room, finding himself back in the main shop. The girl is tall and in uniform, her curly hair tucked into a neat bun. "Hi..."

Her face softens when she sees Alex's tense shoulders and wide eyes. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna bite."

"What's your name?" Alex prompts.

"Julia. Yours?"

"Alex." He pauses. "Sorry for intruding... I live a ways away and I guess I was more tired than I thought."

"It's no trouble, Alex. Do you want to order some coffee? You look like you need it." She beckoned him closer to the counter.

"Yeah. Just- ah, coffee? Your dark roast, if you have one." He takes his wallet from his pocket, fishing out a hundred.

She eyes it suspiciously. "You have any smaller change?"

"Yeah, but I want to pay for the night." He looks down and scuffs his heel against the floor.

"You don't have to, but I won't complain if you insist." She holds out her hand, taking the bill. "I'm only going to charge you thirty for the night. Just don't make a habit of it."

"Alright, thank you."

She punches a few things into the register and hands him a fifty and a twenty in change. After he tucks his change away she grabs a mug and starts up the coffee machine, waiting until the light goes off before filling the porcelain mug to the brim. "Here you go. I suggest going and checking in to the place right down the road pretty early, they fill up fast. How long are you staying in town?"

"I... I don't know. As long as I can."

She raises an eyebrow, deep brown eyes burning with questions.

"It's a long story." Alex shrugs, but she continues to stare. He sighs. "Do you know about Merianne Erikson?"

"The rich pig who lives down the road? Everyone around here does." Julia scoffs.

"I'm... I'm her son. But she doesn't know I left, not yet. She, ah- she called me a faggot. And I was sick of her. So I took what I could and left." He sighs, perching on the barstool on his left.

Julia mutters something to herself. "I don't know... She might..."

"Who?"

She jumps a little in her seat. "Oh, nothing! Good luck, and try to stay under the radar for a bit. I'm sure she'll try to make a big deal of finding you for a couple weeks for publicity's sake."

"Thanks. If she tries to come into town could I hide out here? I'll pay you again, I swear!" His eyes are wide and hopeful as he sips from the mug in his hands.

"Of course! And don't worry about paying, kid. If you ever need help come on by." She laughs affectionately and ruffles his hair. "Now get going so you can get a room. Beat the tourist crowd."

"Of course. Thank you for the coffee!" He hops off the stool and exits the café, dragging his stuff behind him into the biting wind. As the wave of frost hits him he shivers, biting on his chapped lower lip.

A five minute walk down the road drops him at the inn, a touristy place with rows of doors set in baby blue walls and frosty white roofs. He enters the main building, freezing when he sees his mother's bodyguards looming over the front desk. They haven't seen Alex yet, but if he ran they would see him for sure. Instead, he pulls the hood of his jacket into place, slipping past them into the bathroom.

"That didn't take long," he mutters to himself. He vows to stop by the bank as soon as possible to pull money out of his account, if it isn't frozen already.

He stiffens when he hears talking coming from the other room. Two gruff voices- his mother's guards- and a cheerful exclamation.

"Hi! How may I help you?"

"Have you seen Alexander Erikson?"

"We believe he may have been kidnapped."

His room must have been wrecked by the wind. No wonder she's sending out people so early.

"I'm afraid there's no one here under that name. Would you like me to contact you if someone does?"

"Yes."

A pause.

"This number, correct? Alright. Thank you both."

He strains to hear footsteps, then the sound of a door slamming shut. Alex waits for a minute before exiting.

"Hi, how may I help you?" The concierge smiles at him; however, nervousness betrays itself in his face as he looks down at the poster with Alex's face on it and immediately flicks his eyes towards the dark corners of the room as though looking for someone.

"Please don't call them. Please? I can't go back there. I just need somewhere to stay." Alex cautiously approaches the man. "I can go somewhere else; hell, I'll pay you to keep quiet. Just, please..."

"Don't worry, sir. Everyone in town knows how that woman is. You're safe here. You said you wanted a room?" The man relaxes considerably, although his eyes keep flitting towards potential hiding spots for a kidnapper.

"For 7 nights. At least for now." Alex pushes the hood off his face as the man nods.

"I'm going to put you in under 'unlisted'. For all intents and purposes, you aren't here. We have a couple rooms free; I'm assuming you want the cheapest one?" The concierge hesitantly scrolls through a computer, hurriedly typing in a few words.

"Yes, please. May I pay in cash?" He holds the wallet in his hands.

"Of course! It'll be five thirty two for the 7 nights." The man held his hand out and Alex places the appropriate change in it. He knows he's running low on money; at least he'll have somewhere safe to stay for the next week. "Here's your key. Your room is number seventy three, down the hall to the left."

"Thank you so much." He takes the key and turns away, following the markings towards his room with his bag clutched tight in his grip.

Once there, he slides the key into place and opens the door. The room itself is cosy, but small; it's still more than enough for just him. He drops his bag next to the twin bed and moves towards the television propped up on a small chest of drawers. Alex examines the remote and the packet next to it; there's wifi, but it is most definitely not free and he doesn't want to waste money before he checks his account.

"Speaking of which... I might as well do that now. There's an ATM in the lobby and I don't want to risk going to the bank in town," he mutters, leaving the room and making sure the door is locked behind him. It's large, probably one of the main offices, so there's always a risk of running into someone who knows his mother.

Edits as of 7/27. Two more chapters to get up to date until we're back to the regular schedule.