The Remembering (Alex Gaskarth Fanfiction)

24. Empty

  Chapter 24 - Empty

  "Alex, it's probably best if you didn't stay." Derek said. It was more of a demand to leave rather than a suggestion.

     He was just about to turn around, until I stopped him in his tracks.  I needed Alex.

     "He stays." I hastily said. It was urgent that he did. They couldn't dodge the topic of Alex for any longer, the time was now.

    "Laila, c'mon, it's better if I just left." Alex was even on their side. It made my face turn red and my whole body surge with heat in my veins that my own boyfriend wasn't even on my side.

    I shake my head stubbornly, taking his hand to sit down at the chairs near the table. Dad didn't look to pleased that I insisted for Alex to stay, but he'll have to deal with it.

     Dad shifted uncomfortably in his seat in front of us. Alex's hand slipped out of mine and into his lap. In the corner of my eye, I see his legs shaking, he's clearly nervous from the waist down, but upwards, he was poker face. 

     "What's there to talk about?" I smugly said. I was still pissed that they ruined all my papers. Plus, I was eager to hear what they had to say. But what if things take for the worse? What happens if they still tell Alex to stay away?

    I rubbed my eyes, tired from all the constant thoughts.

    "Alex we appreciate for the help last night." Dad spoke. "But -"

    I cut him off. "There is no but. There shouldn't be one." 

    "But -" Dad repeated the word louder, obviously a little annoyed. "there's things in our lives right now, including Laila, that I'm assuming you are aware of."

       He was referring to Kenize and the minute he did, I could hardly bare it. I hated thinking about her, what happened to her, and how still to this day, our family is still greatly affected by it. I hated it all.

    Alex slightly nodded his head, keeping it neutral as possible.

     "Derek and I," Dad wavered his hand to Derek, who was pursing his lips and nodding his head in agreement to whatever was about to be said. "want the best for Laila, and –"

        I cut him off for the second time. I knew where this was going. "No. You can't fucking do that." I stood up in fiery. "I know exactly where this is going." I pointed my finger directly at them.

      "Laila," Derek barked, terrifying me as he did so. It caused my confidence to vanish but still my anger was boiling into degrees that were uncontrollable. I was bound to explode soon.

     I sat down on the edge of my seat. Alex still looked blank but I knew him all too well. He wanted to say something, defend me, but he was trying to control himself. Yet here I was doing a terrible job at my own behavior but it's harder than most would think it is when the one you loved the most was sitting right next to you in the most hopeless situation.

     "Again, we just want the best for our daughter." He repeated himself once again. His tone was like a therapist – I hated it. I hated it when they forced me to go to the therapist after the death of Kenzie. "We know you. We know your parents. We knew your bro-"

       That's when something ticked in Alex, leaving me clueless to what my father was about to say before Alex entirely flipped out. His face boiling with red, his hands coiling into fists, he was screaming so loud I could barely make it out what he was saying.