Crescendo

Chapter 27 - Back Home

THREE DAYS LATER

DANTE

It's a simple thing.

A single, golden coin encased within a wooden picture frame. The most distinguishing factor is the engraving of a tiara on the small disc. It's simple yet precious. Alex stares down at it resting in his careful hands, thinking back to when he first got it.

The little girl who gave it to him called it "a Princess Polly penny." Each of the guys has one. They got them at the first show they ever played. The show being a children's birthday party some mega-rich guy was throwing for his kid. When they were first starting out, Sky signed them up to do all kinds of performances, including ones involving bouncy houses. They ended up playing hippy dippy songs about rainbows and ponies, all the while with Alex hiding his tattoos. Christian also had to take out his piercings before the gig.

When they finished, the uppity birthday girl, a rotund little seven-year-old, waltzed up to them. "You're okay, I guess," was her response to their act. She handed each of them a single Princess Polly penny as "payment." Some token off of a little girl's Monopoly-esque board game. Alex was ready to laugh it off. But Sky, the eternal believer, proclaimed it as their first sign.

A sign they were going places.

"This is the start. This one friggin' Patty dime is the beginning of something big. Remember this," Sky had said.

After his words, the object took on a new meaning for Alex. It had felt powerful, symbolic at the time. They were in it together, they were going to make it, they...were falling apart. Now, at the end of the road, everything is a mess. Honestly, Alex doesn't understand how they're going to be able to get past their issues.

Melissa's voice startles him out of his inner reverie.

"Yes, Mother...No, I haven't thought of flower arrangements yet," she says, sounding exasperated as she deals with her mom over the phone. Alex brings himself back to the present, where he's sitting on the couch in his and Melissa's apartment. He and the guys got back to L.A. a few days ago, but for Alex, the comfort of being at home is being overshadowed by his frequent reflections on the past.

"Of course I'm not going to go dress shopping without you," Melissa speaks into her cell phone, but throws Alex a tortured look of "kill me now." Alex's lips quirk into a reassuring grin although he has no real desire to smile. Regardless, he needs to be supportive. Plus, he doesn't want Melissa to realize how bummed he is because then she'll want to talk. He inwardly cringes at the very idea. Emoting all his woes to his fiancée is not on his to-do list.

"Uh huh. Okay, Mother. Yes, I'll tell him. Bye." Before Melissa can hang up, her mother tells her something else; whatever it is, it has Melissa scowling.

"My lasagna tastes fine!" She snaps. Clearly, that's the last straw since she hangs up without another farewell. Alex raises his eyebrows, questioning silently.

"She says hi. You should have heard her, hounding me left and right about every detail. Our engagement literally just happened! And she's acting like I should have everything planned already. Ugh, that woman..." Melissa fumes.

"And back to the lasagna bit?" he asks.

"I told her I was cooking for you tonight, and she said she hoped it wasn't lasagna because mine tastes like rubber shoes."

"Ah. And you're mad she knew what you were making," Alex says, glancing towards the kitchen—where Melissa has, in fact, pulled out all the ingredients necessary for the Italian dish.

"No, you big dummy. I'm mad she said it was bad. Obviously!"

"Oh, yeah. Makes sense." He averts his eyes to the show on T.V.