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

Chapter 39: Dinner

        "Wat are you doing after school, Alex?" my dad asked casually from his seat on the couch. I stood in the doorway awkwardly, lingering around both of them.

        This was the second time Alex had been over to my house as my -- well, whatever he was beacuse he never really asked. I could tell my dad was slightly bitter that Adam was no longer a huge part of my life, and that made my heart hurt. I wanted my dad to love Alex the same way he did when he first met him, and not hold a grudge for Adam.

        So, here I am offering to make a dinner that I hadn't planned well, and hovering in case Alex needed to be saved in any given moment. He seemed relaxed and appeared to have no problem with the hostility of my father. I was sure he was used to the judging looks at thi spoint from the few girls that he had a somewhat serious relationship with him.

        "My band is signed to a record label as of this school year, and they're starting us off on a tour as soon as school lets out," I tried not to cringe at the idea of an entire summer witout Alex near me, thousands of miles away perfroming while I sulk in my room alone.

        I was trying not to be so attached, considering we had only been together a few weeks. What we had before we were even dating was what started me off, because I've had feelings for logner than I was dating Adam. I was trying my hardest not to seem clingy and annoying. It physically hurt my heart to think about how much I wanted him to stay.

        "Touring? That seems nice," My dad admitted reluctantly, nodding. Alex did have a set future, at least for the first year after high school. "What kind of music do you play?"

        "I think we have our own sound. Everyone thinks that," Alex grinned, and my dad nodded. "I guess it would be categorized as punk rock. We're playing for Warped Tour the wholes ummer and then start opening for a few bigger names in the fall."

        "So, looks like you and Stella will have a long distance relationship then?" He seemed concerned at the idea, and he glanced up at me from his seat. Alex turned slightly, unsure of what to say. I felt my stomach twist into a knot while crossing my arms over my stomach.  I picked myself off the door frame quickly.

        "We'll figure it out as we go, I guess," I mumbled, turning into the kitchen and going to the stove. I pulled open the oven to see the lasagna cooking steadily. I sighed deeply after closing the stove, running my hand over my face.

        I really hated to think about the guys being away, and I knew that Kara would be with them for the majority of the summer. She had already planned it before I got here, before she knew what would happen. All my friends were leaving for the summer, just like that.

        "Hey, what's with the face?" Alex asked, and I jumped at his voice. I looked over my shoulder and saw him leaning against the island, looking at me.

        He must have excused himself from my dad somehow, and I realized he offered to get drinks, grabbing a Vitamin Water and a Corona for my dad. I shook my head, pulling the lettuce that I'd left in the sink out of the sink to chop it up. I cut the tomato I'd rinsed and tried to focus on anything else.

        "What's your deal?" Alex came up behind me, fingers moving my hair off my back. He kissed it lightly, trying to tease me. He bit it jokingly and I couldn't help but smile as he blew on my neck. I laughed, setting down the knife and turning around int he small space that he allowed me. He kissed my jaw lightly, trailing down my neck. I was almost nervous that my dad would see, but some college game was on, and I knew he was distracted. Plus, the angle from the living room to the kitchen allowed for some privacy.

        "What are we going to do?" I asked softly, fingers feeling his chest. My hands created small circles through his t-shirt.

        He shrugged, continuing to kiss my neck. I wanted his attention so badly, but his mouth on my skin just felt so wonderful. I pulled myself away, causing me to bend backwards awkwardly over the sink while he continued to try. I laughed softly, lifting his chin to look at me. He was hungry for attention, but I wanted to know the answer to his question. We only had so much time before school was over.

        "Seriously, Alex," I sighed as he quit trying, and leaned off me. I bent back up straight and looked at his face. He seemed unsure, and confused. He shrugged again and I let out another breath. "Well, what do you want to do? Do you want to.." I paused, feeling my stomach turn sour at the thought, "stop hanging out?"

        "Why are you worrying about this now?" he smiled at me goofily. I sighed, looking to the side and running my fingers through my hair. His fingers held both sides of my waist, body close.

        "I just want to know if I should even bother waiting around for a phone call," I said quietly, meeting his eyes once again. He seemed confused, and bit the inside of his lip. His finges slid around my back, rubbing against my skin soothingly.

        "I think it's sort of cute," he smirked suddenly, "seeing you worry about this."

        "Yeah, you would think that," I rolled my eyes, turning around towards my salad bowl once again. I was done with this conversation if he wasn't taking it seriously, and I knew he realized that too.

        He groaned softly, making sure not to draw any attention from my father. I scooped the contents that I was chopping into the bowl, moving out of his grip and to the stove. I removed the food and set it on top, waiting for it to cool.

        "Dinner's ready, dad," I called out, not wanting to sit here anymore. Alex eyed me from where he was standing. I brushed past him, fixing together what I'd created for dinner.

        "You drive me crazy, El," Alex laughed incredulously. It faded when my dad appeared in the room. He didn't seem to mind that the drink he asked for never showed up as he grabbed it off the counter and walked to the table.

        I shoved the bowl of salad into his grip, eyes guarded while cutting up pieces of lasagne. I put it on three white plates and brought them to the table. I didn't make eye contact with Alex while I set his plate down, or my fathers. My dad didn't notice my mood and continued to chat and warm up to Alex. Alex tried his best to ignore looking in my direction while he was speaking to him.

        I stood in the kitchen for a long time, pretending to be busy doing something. I pushed around dishes in the sink and got more than one cup of water and drank them slowly. I almost considered texting Kara to ask if we could talk later, but I fought the urge and decide it was time to sit down at the table.

        I brought my plate over, and sank into my seat. Alex's eyes landed on me more than once, but I kept mine on my plate while I pushed around my food. My dad ate more than one helping, like he normally did when I had the time to make dinner. He continuously told me how awesome it was, and I gave him a small half smile before sulking once more.

        I drowned out both their voices when they spoke because I was too busy feeling sorry for myself. I knew it was something that I really needed to work on, but I couldn't get sympathy from anyone else at this point.

        Alex was going off to do his own thing. He was going to be a rock star and take the hearts of millions of people every day. I would be in Maryland, unsure of what my future held. I know that Kara can realte, but she and Rian both knew they loved each other. They are completely aware that there is no one else in the world that they need.

        I feel like I'm the only one in this relationship, and Alex is just here for the ride. I didn't want to be crushed the same way my dad was; not by someone who is supposed to mean everything to me. I didn't want to hurt that way; never in my life did I want that. At this point, I don't believe I had much of a choice.