Chapter inspiration: You – The Pretty Reckless

In the next couple of days, Victoria and Jack had finally moved all his stuff into the apartment. It wasn’t much, thankfully. Because half of his year was spent on tour, they only needed the main essentials at the apartment. Before she wanted a roommate, she had been using her extra room as an art studio for her work, but now it was Jack’s.

Victoria threw Jack a water bottle as they finished moving his boxes. Jack had never been more thankful for Victoria coming into their lives again. She was going to be the answer to all their problems. She was the answer to his homing situation first, and all she needed was to reconnect with Alex again and things would be just like they were in high school. What about Lisa, you may ask? Well, Jack hadn’t figured that out yet.

Alex. That reminded him. Alex had walked right off that elevator a few days ago like Victoria was invisible. How did he not see her? How did he not notice his high school sweetheart? No, they were more than high school sweethearts―she was the love of his life and Jack knew it. He did say he’d come back for her when they were young, and despite that turning out wrong, fate had made them cross paths again. Don’t forget the fact that he forgot about their last day here. But this all begged the question in Jack’s mind: Did Alex really forget about Victoria? He had a fucking tattoo for them, and that didn’t give him a hint?

“Do you need any help unpacking the boxes?” She asked from the kitchen.

“Nah, I’m okay.” He smiled and strode into his new bedroom. It was small, but it could work.

He looked down at all the boxes, and then up at the walls. He stood in awe at all the paintings and sketches scattered along the walls. Jack walked around, looking at every single one as if they were gold. They were amazing. She was amazing, actually.

“I knew I should’ve taken those down before you moved in.” Victoria shook her head as she walked in.

“You told me you’re working at the movie theater.” Jack said, turning around with wide eyes. “I don’t get it. These are fucking amazing. Why aren’t you pursuing a career in art?”

She shrugged, standing beside him and looking at one of her old sketches. “I tried. I even went to college for it, but an art career is really hard to make work. I tried for a year to get my work in galleries and sell them, but I never really made it.”

“You should’ve, because these are great.” He looked to the small sketch in front of him. “Is that―is that Alex’s house when he lived next to you?”

She remembered how she could never focus on that sketch when Alex moved in. But after he left for Cali, she had all the time in the world to finish it. His parents even let her sit outside sometimes and finish the details and shading. “Yeah,” she finally answered, “I worked on that during senior year of high school.”

Jack smiled to her, and not that cocky and sulky smile he always had, but a genuine one that really told her how good she was. After not making it in her art career, she kind of gave up on it, feeling as if she weren’t good enough. Jack gave her the hope she needed to possibly continue, and she appreciated it more than anything.

A knock on the door snapped them out of their thoughts, followed by a loud, “Dude, where are you?” She knew that voice.

They walked out and saw Alex standing in their mini hall into the living room. This was it. This was the time Alex would see her and ask her about that offer he put up so many years ago. The elevator situation had been a fluke, and she was ready to be in his arms again after so long.

He looked at Jack, and then at Victoria. “You have a roommate?”

Victoria’s face sunk. Alex was looking at her right now―staring at her actually―and not remembering who she was. Did she have to scream her name to him to make him remember? What about that tattoo? Did he ever look down on it and wonder who the hell he got it for? Did she honestly look that different from when they were in high school? Did he actually forget about her? He forgot about his first best friend and love?

He had, and that was something that Victoria hated to admit the most.

“Jack, we have to go to the studio. Flyzik’s calling.” Alex then looked to Victoria, holding out his hand. “Oh, um, hey, I’m Alex.”

That made her want to fucking die. He had just introduced himself to her. Was this really happening?

She didn’t want to introduce herself again, but before she could, Jack cut in and said, “Okay, let me get my jacket.”

Alex whistled as Jack walked into the next room, leaving Victoria staring at him as if he were a monster with three heads. He looked over to her, noticing her staring for the first time since she saw him. “Did you really agree to being his roommate? Like no …” He thought of the right word. “… fuck-buddy situation, right?”

She wanted to break down and cry. Yes, she wanted to cry over some stupid boy she met in high school who didn’t remember who the hell she was. All she could do was hold it all in and shake her head.

Jack finally came back out, hugging Victoria and whispering in her ear, “We’ll talk after I get back.”

She nodded and waved as they walked out. Alex waved back, but it was a gentle wave, one that said, “Bye odd stranger.”

She almost fell to the floor as tears fell from her eyes. Alex really forgot about her. She never knew seven years could erase so much. “Tides will bring me back to you …” The voice echoed in her head a thousand times.

What a load of shit.

Notes

I got all my essays done early so I could write this! It's a really important chapter ;)
But I can now already tell that some of you guys may hate me for some of the plot XD Sorry, I just love drama!
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Rock on \m/ :D