(2) Overnight Sensation: An All Time Low Fanfiction Romance

Chapter 28: Daniel

        Lunch was quiet on Thursday. You could tell something was up, but I didn't dare ask. Alex's hand rested on the table, headphones plugged in and much too loud for. I wasn't what came over me when I was interested in what was wrong, but I did anyway.

        I glanced at him confused, kicking him under the table. He glanced at me, eyes too tired.

        "What's wrong?" I mouthed at him, and he shook his head and rolled his eyes before wrapping his arms around his hair. He continued to get lost in his music, and I let out a deep breath. Adam sat at my side, hand around my lower back lightly.

        "Daniel, Saturday," Kara answered without saying anything else. Jack and Rian found sudden interest in their lunches, finding the conversation uncomfortable already. Even with the few words, I knew exactly who they were talking about. Alex's brother.

        "Who's Daniel?" Adam asked curiously. I shook my head, looking at him. I knew Alex didn't like to talk about his brother. I knew that he liked his private life private, so I respected that. Instead of answering him, I picked at the food in front of me. I didn't know it bothered Alex this much, that he acted like this around the day he died.

        "Kara, can I talk to you for a second?" I asked suddenly, disappearing from Adam's grip and walking towards the bathrooms. I wanted to know more. I watned to know why he looked so terrible. It seemed like there was more to this than a few nights without sleeping.

        I didn't have to look behind me to know that Kara was following. We had this way of knowing when we needed to talk. We both ahd this tone that said it all; it was freaky considering we've only been friends a few months.

        I pushed open the bathroom door and allowed it to shut. The sinks were empty, but I wanted to be cautious. I went to each stall and pushed open the doors, every single one was empty.

        By the time I was walking back towards the stalls, Kara was shutting the door behind her, waiting for my questions. "What the hell is up with him?"

        "Well, Stella, his brother died..."

        "No, Kara. That's not what I meant. It doesn't look like he's been losing sleep. It looks like he's died himself," I tried to explain while running my fingers through her hair. She let out a sigh and rubbed her temple roughly.

        "He's probably hung over from last night," she mumbled quietly, seeming afaid to admit it herself. She cleared her throat and crossed her arms over her chest.

        "Drinking on a Wednesday?" I spat, confused. Why would he do that? Kara sighed and shrugged once. She glanced around the room uneasily.

        "He never drank before Daniel died. Once he died, he drank for weeks. I didn't know them extremely well, but I knew it was all Alex did. I know that last year almost every night around the time of his death he drank, and I'm sure he wants to keep up with the tradition," she seemed concerned at the idea while letting out a worried breath. "He is really messed up from it still."

        "Every night, for how long?"

        "However long he feels like it. We tried telling him to stop last year, but he wouldn't listen," she seemed emotional at the idea. Even if she was friends with Alex, Jack, and Zack because of Rian, she has known them for so long. They are her best friends too; she cares about them the same way I do, and she is worried for a guy that itn's all that nice sometimes. She loves them like her own brothers.

        "I'd never think Alex would be so worke dup about something."

        "Well, I'm not surprised. Daniel was only two years older than us. When he killed himself he was just about to graduate. Everyone loved him, he was a nice kid. All the girls thought he was gorgeous. Alex was the mistake child for a long time -- never passed his clases like Daniel. Once Alex got into music, and made a nema rond here, his parents focused on him. They were set on him finding his passion. I can tell he blames himself, and no one can make him stop.

        "Whenever he is drunk around this time, he always says he should have done something. He talks about how he is an idiot, and it's entirely his fault. I know when he is sober he hides it all, but when eh's drunkf or these next few weeks, its his only way to cope."

        I felt my heart swell, feeling uncomfortable in my own skin. Alex blamed himself for what happened with Daniel. How could he believe that? He might have been a jerk, but he would never be responsible for something like that.

        There was no more time to talk when three freshman girls wandered into the bathroom. Quickly I moved to the sink, pretending to look at the nonexistent make-up on my face while they eyed Kara walking out of the bathroom in a rush. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were the grossest shade of green, they looked like dead grass to me.

        I tried to ignore the fact that the guilt that was riding Alex's heart was similar to the guilt that was on mine as well. We were both convinced we could have done something to change the future and not allow it to become what it has. I didn't want to become my mother, and Alex wanted to save his brother. We both seemed to lose the battle within ourselves.