Bits and Pieces - An Unedited Collection

Across the Hall - Tub Convos

T U B   C O N V O S

a l e x i s   &   n a t e

"Nate?" Alexis called from her room. "Nathan, is that you?"

She glanced at the clock; two am. Wearily, she got off her bed and made her way towards the commotion, grabbing the umbrella by her door.

"Nate, scream if it's you," she called into the dark again. There was light under the bathroom door, so she cautiously grabbed the handle, bracing herself.

As she flug open the door, instead of needing to stab someone with the umbrella, she dropped it and sighed in relief.

Nate was drunk off his ass, sitting in the bathtub, and cradling a bottle of vodka in his arms. Alexis gently shook her head and walked over to him where she crouched down to try and wake him up.

"Nate. Nate, wake up."

He opened one eye to peek at her, then groaned. "Let me sulk Al."

She rolled her eyes. "You can sulk in your bed, come on."

She grabbed his arm and tried to get him up, but he was a rock. Giving up, she dropped his arm and sunk down against the wall next to the tub.

"Talk to me," she offered.

He sighed again and took a swig from the bottle in his hands before he spoke.

"What's wrong with me?" he asked, leaning his head back and squeezing his eyes shut.

Alexis gave a dry laugh, trying to lighten his heavy question.

"You're going to have to be more specific, because I could go on and on."

"I mean in relationships. Am I not enough?" He turned to look at her, and she him. Their faces were close, but the question caught her so off-guard she ignored it. Usually Nate seemed so assured and secure in himself.

"Why would you ever ask something like that?" she asked in disbelief as she stared into his eyes. They were so open and vulnerable. She suddenly felt the urge to cry and hold him tight.

Of course he was enough, he was more than enough.

"Everyone, Kristina, Lucy, Mikayla, they were all looking for something...more. They always said something was missing," he sighed as he turned to look straight ahead, taking another swig.

"What happened with Mikayla tonight?"

He was supposed to be partying at his friends house tonight then spending the night with Mikayla, not sitting in the bathroom tub and drunk-venting to his roommate.

"Dave happened." He laughed, but it was dry and humorless.

"We weren't great together," he continued, "but... I don't know. Maybe I was trying to hard to make it work when I knew deep down we were doomed. But come on!"

He took another swig.

"Dave?" he asked rhetorically, disgust written all over his face.

Alexis sighed. Mikayla was a good person and one of Nate's close friends, but their feelings never seemed to be truly mutual. She'd have to ask him more about what happened when he wasn't intoxicated.

"Give me a swig," she lied. He handed her the bottle without looking at her, and she took it. Instead of taking a sip, she set it down beside her and got on her knees, turning her whole body towards him. She forcefully grabbed his face with both hands and forced him to look at her. When there were eye to eye, she leaned in and head butted him with a bit more force than intended.

They both moaned in pain and cradled their heads.

"The hell Al?" he exclaimed, rubbing his head.

She huffed in frustration and stood up, holding her hand out to him to help him out of the bath.

"Come on, it's late."

He sighed, but grabbed her hand and pulled himself out of the tub.

"Let's go to bed," she said, letting go of his hand. He nodded silently behind her, and they made their way into the hallway and towards their rooms. Stopping at her door, she turned back around and called out to Nate before he shut his door.

He turned to her.

"You're so much more than enough. They're the ones missing something, not you." He gave her an unconvincing smile, then turned back around and closed the door.