Misery Business
The Angel From My Nightmare
Chapter inspirations: A Daydream Away – All Time Low & I Miss You – Blink 182
It was a warm Tuesday afternoon in 2005. Springtime was well on its way and it started out with a bang, the temperature outside hitting just seventy degrees. The windows were all open in Victoria’s house as her parents were out, leaving her alone with the person she wanted to be alone with most.
She laid on her kitchen floor, listening to Alex strum his acoustic guitar and humming a tune to himself. They munched on a bag of Doritos as the fan above them blew their hair at every stupid angle. Victoria looked up at her boyfriend, seeing the way he closed his eyes and felt the melody shake through his own bones as he strummed.
“Sing me something.” She smiled to him, popping a Dorito in her mouth.
He opened his eyes, looking down at her interested face and threw her a lopsided grin. “It’s not really finished yet.” He said, retuning the acoustic.
“I want to hear what it sounds like so far.”
“You’ve always been a bit too curious.”
She let out a snort. “I wonder where I developed that from.”
He only smiled again as he held the guitar tighter and started plucking the strings lightly, which soon turned to a faster motion. His eyes seemed to move from hers to the ceiling as he started to sing―
“Forever’s never seemed so long as when you're not around.
It’s like a piece of me is missing.
I could have learned so much from you, but what’s left now?
Don’t you realize you shot this family a world of pain?
Can’t you see there should have been a happy ending we let go?
“Sing me to sleep, I’ll see you in my dreams,
waiting to say, ‘I miss you. I’m so sorry.’”
He strummed the instrument for an extra second before retuning it again and blowing out a sigh. Victoria wished she hadn’t asked for him to sing, knowing the meaning behind the song. “Is that …” She swallowed down the lump in her throat. “Is that about your half-brother?”
His eyes remained on the guitar as he nodded. “I don’t even know if I want to finish it.”
She sat up, scooting closer to him on the floor. “It’s a beautiful song.” She traced her thumb along his cheek, making him look at her. “I want you to finish it.”
His brown eyes held hers for a minute, and he soon gave her a small smile. “You really know how to make a guy feel better, Hamilton.”
“It’s a gift.” She shrugged, looking from both of his eyes until she finally breathed out, “I love you.”
That was it. It was―in technical terms―the first time she said it herself. Just over a few months ago, he had remembered saying it on stage at the Snowflake Dance, and of course she hadn’t really said it back because he was up on the stage. He knew she was always a person of taking her time, so he didn’t rush her to say it. But here she was, saying it to his face and meaning it. She could finally clarify it to him so he never felt like an idiot for loving her so much that it made his heart hurt.
And despite the mountain of emotion crashing down on his insides at those three little words, all he managed to say with a proud smirk on his face, “Thanks, I’ll take that into consideration.”
---
Alex woke up in his own sheets, noticing they had been almost kicked back and off the bed on his side. He breathed heavily as he wiped the sweat off his forehead, realizing the other trails that glided down his back and bare chest. He looked around―yes, he was in his own home. But it felt so real.
At least, he wished it was real.
“Baby, are you okay?” Lisa fluttered her eyes a couple times as her delicately manicured hand found Alex’s shoulder.
He rubbed a hand down his face, shaking his head to keep his mind straight. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”
“Did you have a bad dream?” She sat up, massaging his shoulder while looking at him with concern.
“Nah,” he shook his head and blinked his eyes, “it was―it was a really good dream.”
“Well, in the wise words of a good friend, ‘They’re just dreams. Don’t let them cloud your vision of reality.’”
He slowly turned his head to hers. “Who said that to you?”
“Victoria.” She smiled and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. “Now, go back to sleep.”
And as she wrapped her arms around him while they laid back down on the mattress, he knew he couldn’t go back to sleep. She was literally everywhere. She had been haunting his dreams for the past nights and seemed to be mentioned everywhere he went. But it wasn’t just others who put her out there, it was he, himself, who couldn’t stop her name from running in his head. He was making himself go insane.
He needed to talk to her soon.
It was a warm Tuesday afternoon in 2005. Springtime was well on its way and it started out with a bang, the temperature outside hitting just seventy degrees. The windows were all open in Victoria’s house as her parents were out, leaving her alone with the person she wanted to be alone with most.
She laid on her kitchen floor, listening to Alex strum his acoustic guitar and humming a tune to himself. They munched on a bag of Doritos as the fan above them blew their hair at every stupid angle. Victoria looked up at her boyfriend, seeing the way he closed his eyes and felt the melody shake through his own bones as he strummed.
“Sing me something.” She smiled to him, popping a Dorito in her mouth.
He opened his eyes, looking down at her interested face and threw her a lopsided grin. “It’s not really finished yet.” He said, retuning the acoustic.
“I want to hear what it sounds like so far.”
“You’ve always been a bit too curious.”
She let out a snort. “I wonder where I developed that from.”
He only smiled again as he held the guitar tighter and started plucking the strings lightly, which soon turned to a faster motion. His eyes seemed to move from hers to the ceiling as he started to sing―
“Forever’s never seemed so long as when you're not around.
It’s like a piece of me is missing.
I could have learned so much from you, but what’s left now?
Don’t you realize you shot this family a world of pain?
Can’t you see there should have been a happy ending we let go?
“Sing me to sleep, I’ll see you in my dreams,
waiting to say, ‘I miss you. I’m so sorry.’”
He strummed the instrument for an extra second before retuning it again and blowing out a sigh. Victoria wished she hadn’t asked for him to sing, knowing the meaning behind the song. “Is that …” She swallowed down the lump in her throat. “Is that about your half-brother?”
His eyes remained on the guitar as he nodded. “I don’t even know if I want to finish it.”
She sat up, scooting closer to him on the floor. “It’s a beautiful song.” She traced her thumb along his cheek, making him look at her. “I want you to finish it.”
His brown eyes held hers for a minute, and he soon gave her a small smile. “You really know how to make a guy feel better, Hamilton.”
“It’s a gift.” She shrugged, looking from both of his eyes until she finally breathed out, “I love you.”
That was it. It was―in technical terms―the first time she said it herself. Just over a few months ago, he had remembered saying it on stage at the Snowflake Dance, and of course she hadn’t really said it back because he was up on the stage. He knew she was always a person of taking her time, so he didn’t rush her to say it. But here she was, saying it to his face and meaning it. She could finally clarify it to him so he never felt like an idiot for loving her so much that it made his heart hurt.
And despite the mountain of emotion crashing down on his insides at those three little words, all he managed to say with a proud smirk on his face, “Thanks, I’ll take that into consideration.”
---
Alex woke up in his own sheets, noticing they had been almost kicked back and off the bed on his side. He breathed heavily as he wiped the sweat off his forehead, realizing the other trails that glided down his back and bare chest. He looked around―yes, he was in his own home. But it felt so real.
At least, he wished it was real.
“Baby, are you okay?” Lisa fluttered her eyes a couple times as her delicately manicured hand found Alex’s shoulder.
He rubbed a hand down his face, shaking his head to keep his mind straight. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”
“Did you have a bad dream?” She sat up, massaging his shoulder while looking at him with concern.
“Nah,” he shook his head and blinked his eyes, “it was―it was a really good dream.”
“Well, in the wise words of a good friend, ‘They’re just dreams. Don’t let them cloud your vision of reality.’”
He slowly turned his head to hers. “Who said that to you?”
“Victoria.” She smiled and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. “Now, go back to sleep.”
And as she wrapped her arms around him while they laid back down on the mattress, he knew he couldn’t go back to sleep. She was literally everywhere. She had been haunting his dreams for the past nights and seemed to be mentioned everywhere he went. But it wasn’t just others who put her out there, it was he, himself, who couldn’t stop her name from running in his head. He was making himself go insane.
He needed to talk to her soon.
Notes
I miss writing Alex and Victoria in high school ;-;
Since I already finished this yesterday and I can't update for tomorrow because it's Christmas, here's my early Christmas present to all of you<3 Happy holidays!
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Rock on \m/ :D
Old account was hacked, reposting and continuation of The Rock Show here
2/6/14