Login with:

Facebook

Twitter

Tumblr

Google

Yahoo

Aol.

Mibba

Your info will not be visible on the site. After logging in for the first time you'll be able to choose your display name.

Smooth Criminal

sixteen.

Billie Joel Armstrong sang faintly in the background as I teetered around the war zone that had become my bedroom, packing for the weekend I was about to be spending with Amanda, the guys, and Jack and Rian’s moms in Texas. I had been on my best behavior around the house lately - picking up extra chores, making dinner, staying home after school and on the weekends - in order to keep up the act of the sweet, perfect angel my parents wanted so badly to believe I still was. The better I acted at home, the less likely my cover was going to be blown over this whole trip. My mom and I decided to tell my father that I was spending the weekend with Amanda and her mother in North Carolina to visit her aunt, and, after a not so very pleasant argument and lecture, he finally agreed to letting me go.
“You are to text me every time you make a stop, when you get there, and you are going to call me every night,” my dad had instructed me, a very bone chilling “no bullshit” look haunting his eyes. I, of course, nodded my head vigorously and (crossed my heart, hoped to die) swore that I would. My friends were more than shocked at my announcement when I told them that my dad had totally bought the story and was allowing me to go, but no one dared to question his judgement this time. So here I was, folding a week’s worth of clothing into a suitcase that I’d only be needing for three days, getting ready to leave for Texas in a mere two hours.
“So you’re gonna tell me how the show goes, right?”
I jump, startled by the sudden loudness of Parker’s voice invading the quietness of my room.
“What?” I asked him dumbly. He gave me a look that immediately told me that he wasn’t buying any of my bullshit and I let my shoulders slump slightly.
“Amanda doesn’t even have an aunt,” Parker said knowingly with a raised eyebrow. I twitched my nose and stared at him, not sure how he even knew this fact.
“She has an uncle,” I defended my lie, holding on to any partial truths I could use to save my ass.
“And he lives in fucking North Carolina?” Parker let out a snort and I felt myself blush. “I didn’t think so. I don’t understand why you think I care where you’re actually going, Stells. I thought I was supposed to be the one in this family who knew everything about you.”
I lowered my head, a pang of guilt bubbling inside my chest. He was right. Parker knew everything about me and he knew all that occurred in my life. I wasn’t sure why I was so set on keeping him in the dark about this particular plan.
“I just need to know where you’re going so I can keep my inner overprotective brother instincts at bay.” He let out a soft chuckle and stepped further into my room.
“All Time Low has this mini tour thing in Texas,” I finally admitted to him and his face immediately relaxed. “Amanda is going to be with me at all times. And Mrs. Barakat and Mrs. Dawson are going to be there too.”
“I trust you.” Parker smiled down at me and enveloped me in a bone crushing hug. “Just be safe. And if Alex tries anything, I will drive down there and personally kick his ass.” I rolled my eyes at this, but giggled none the less.
“He doesn’t have the guts to try anything,” I say jokingly. “He doesn’t even have the nerve to ask me to officially be his girlfriend.”
“He’s stupid if he doesn’t,” Parker said softly, squeezing my shoulders lovingly. “He has one of the greatest girls in the whole universe right in the palm of his hand. Any guy would be out of their fucking minds to not want someone as amazing as you.”
I wrapped my arms around my brother once more, nuzzling my head in the crook of his shoulder.
“I love you a lot, you know that?” I mumbled into his t-shirt. He rests his cheek on the top of my head and nods.
“I love you too, kiddo.” Parker released me and heads for my door. “Seriously though, I want you to update me on what’s going on as much as possible. Not to sound like Dad or anything, but I just want to know you’re alive.” I smiled at my brother and nodded my head.
“I pinky swear I will text you, send you pictures, and buy you something ridiculously Texan for covering my ass.”
“You fuckin’ better,” Parker joked with a wink and then walked off to his room, leaving me alone with my packing once more. I grabbed a pair of jeans and began placing them into my suitcase when a tapping noise was heard coming from my window. A look of sheer confusion fell over my face as I whipped my head around to see what it was and let out a gasp of shock when I saw Alex smiling at me through the glass.
“What the fuck are you doing?!” I whisper-yelled at him, opening the window to let him in. “You could fall and break your neck!” Alex stumbled into my room and landed in some type of ninja roll by my bed.
“It wasn’t as hard as you’d think it would be.” Alex shrugged at me and then his infamous, heart melting smile was being flashed in my direction. I immediately felt myself relax and I walked up to him, wrapping my arms around his lanky torso.
“Hi,” I muttered, nestling my head into his chest. I felt his chin rest on the top of my head and my smile widened.
“Hey there, pretty lady,” he said tenderly, placing a sweet kiss on my hair. “Are you almost ready?” I pulled my head away from his body, our arms still around one another, and glanced around the disaster that was my room with a small chuckle.
“I mean, I’m about a quarter of the way done?” I offer to him, squinting my eyes with uncertainty as I spoke. `
“Stella Lucille, you are such a slacker,” Alex teased me, fluffing my hair with his fingers. I swatted his hands away and let go of him, starting to pack for the millionth time. “Matt’s picking us up at my house in about an hour and a half. Knowing him, he’ll be there in less than an hour… So we should probably hurry.”
I rolled my eyes at the boy and threw a pillow at his face. “You’re so damn sassy today, Alexander.” I threw my selected pairs of underwear and bras into the suitcase, which caught Alex’s attention.
“What’re those?” A sly smirk creeping on his lips. I stare at him with a blank expression.
“I thought we had to hurry, Alex,” I mocked him, popping my hip out slightly, placing my hands firmly on my sides.
“Is that lace I see?” He totally ignored my comment and grabbed the pair of jet black laced panties I had purchased a few months ago from Victoria Secret. “And they’re black?” He let’s out a faux gasp. “Stella, you’re such a dirty girl. I am appalled.” I rolled my eyes and hastily snatch the undergarments from his grasp, stuffing them back into the suitcase while rolling my eyes so far to the back of my head, I’m genuinely surprised they didn’t get stuck back there.
“You are such a child,” I muttered under my breath, stepping past him to go to my bathroom and retrieve my toiletries for the trip. “Stay here and do not make a single sound. My dad is home and I have no fucking clue where he’s at.” I give him the most serious look I could possibly manage to form and he nods his head while zipping his lips closed. I arch my eyebrow, silently saying ‘I’m serious’ and close my bedroom door securely behind me. I saunter to the bathroom Parker and I shared and grabbed my makeup bag, throwing in the essential products I knew I’d need, assuming that Amanda would be bringing her entire toolkit of makeup and brushes. I grabbed my hair straightener and shampoo and conditioner and then headed back to my room to make sure that Alex was still intact. Upon opening my door, I saw Alex sitting on my bed, going through the photo album that had been hidden underneath my bed. My heart sank into the pit of my stomach as I looked at the photo he was studying. A picture of a younger Rory looking at the camera with her arms wrapped tightly around a guy’s neck as he stared admiringly down at her, a massive, toothy grin plastered on both of their faces. The love between the couple was so powerful, you could physically feel it through the glossy paper several years later.
“I miss him so much,” Alex whispered, his voice cracking as he spoke. I walked over to my bed and sat down behind Alex, my legs straddling his body as I wrapped my arms protectively around his waist. I felt his body lean back into mine and I rested my head against his shoulder blades,
feeling the rise and fall of his shallow breaths as he tried to keep his composure. “It’s not fair.”
“I know, babe,” I confirmed quietly. “We all miss him. I know she sure does…”
I never knew Tom personally, but I had heard so much about him from Rory. She would always come into my room after they had just gotten done hanging out and relive the day as she gushed on and on about the love of her life and how amazing he was. She even kept this journal full of plans for their future together somewhere in her room. I don’t know if she still had it, but I remember the wedding dresses she had cut out of magazines stolen from Mom’s bathroom and the flowers and rings she had found in books or any other source she could get her hands on that appealed to her. It all seemed a little stupid (and, at the time, super creepy) to me, so I never really paid any attention to her when she would sit on my bed while I did my homework, slaving away at the details of her future together with Tom. That was when Rory and I actually had a solid relationship. That was before Tom… Died. I heard Alex sniffle, not sure if he was actually crying or if it was just from trying not burst into tears. I placed a sweet kiss on his right shoulder blade before hopping off the bed and getting the rest of my packing done so that we could get going.
“You ready?” I finally asked, zipping up my suitcase and grabbing the backpack I had stuffed with all my extra gadgets. Alex closed the album and gave me a small smile, nodding his head, before climbing off my bed.
“I’ll meet you in the car,” he says quietly, placing a kiss on my forehead. I closed my eyes and take in the feeling of butterflies soaring through my belly at the contact, loving the rush of being with him. I double check my room to make sure I wasn’t forgetting anything and then head downstairs to say goodbye to my mom in the kitchen before I took off.
“Bye, Mommy,” I chirp happily as I set my stuff down to give her a hug.
“Oh, my baby girl,” she gushed as she crushed my bones in a bear hug that lifted me a few inches off the ground. “Have fun and be safe. I know I raised you to make good decisions.”
I gave her a soft, loving smile and nodded my head. “You know I will, Mom.”
She took in a sharp breath, gazing down at me. “I love you so, so much, Stella.”
She brings me in for one more, less intense hug. “I love you, too, Mom,” I tell her, kissing her temple. “Amanda’s here though, so I have to go. I’ll text you when we stop somewhere and I’ll keep you updated on what’s going on. I’ll see you when I get back.”
Reluctantly, my mom finally lets me go and I’m making my way to the front door when I realize that I haven’t said goodbye to my dad yet. I brush off the thought, not exactly caring all that much.
I cross the street and go a bit of ways down the sidewalk where Alex was parked.
“We’re going to Texas,” I say once we started the brief drive back to Alex’s house, where everyone else was probably already waiting on our arrival.
“I fucking know, dude. This is insane.” The excited smile that graced Alex’s face reminded me of a young child on Christmas morning and caused a similar smile to come across my own face. He was too goddamned cute. Lacing his own hand with mine, Alex turned on to his street and the first thing I saw was the massive van parked down the street in front of Alex’s house.
“I hope you don’t have issues with personal space,” Alex mused as he pulled up in front of his house. “Because that thing is our home for the weekend.”
“I think I can handle it,” I tell him with a sassy smirk. He raises an eyebrow at me, challenging my honesty, but I was being dead-ass serious. Nothing sounded more fun to me than being stuffed in a van with my six closest friends and three other people for a long road trip across half the country. The change of what had become my reality was suddenly hitting me hard and my insides flared with immense, sincere happiness. I wanted this feeling to last a lifetime and I knew I’d do anything to keep it like that.

Notes

Comments

This was one of my absolute favorite stories. I am very curious to know if you are going to continue with this? Because I have to know what happens next.

BreaClift. BreaClift.
6/14/21

I want to know if there is going to be sequel to this story?

BreaClift. BreaClift.
3/26/19

I don't remember anything. I need to restart this. Damn, all I remember is loving this. Only more reason to read it all again.

Haha, keepin' it real. :) No worries, the only one that was kind of concerning was the Blink-180 because I think that's the first time I've ever seen that. XD But I figured it was a typo.
:)

Nanook Nanook
1/4/19

@Daydreamers her big reveal will be in the last chapter ;) hang tight.

katybear18 katybear18
1/4/19