"Take a shot!"
"Take a shot!"
"Take a shot like a wildcat can!"
"If you can't take a shot like a wildcat can, then you shouldn't have a mother-fucking drink in your hand!"

Everyone around me was screaming the chant, hooting and hollering as I watched Emily tip her drink back. Trying her hardest not to laugh as she chugged the rest of her mixie down. She flipped the now empty SOLO cup upside down before chucking it out into the crowd. It flew clean over everyone's hands as they flew up into the air and tumbled into the grass off in the distance.

Laughing hysterically, I ran over to her. Throwing myself with all the force my small frame could muster into her side and crushing her in my drunken hug. "THAT'S MY GOD DAMN ROOMMATE!" I screamed. Shaking my best-friend as I pointed dramatically to her. Everyone around us continued to cheer. They weren't a hard crowd to please.

Emily turned to me laughing just as loud as I'd been. Her long blonde dramatic pig tails whipping around in the dry breeze. "I love this school!" She announced loudly. Her tongue peeking out between her words was dyed bright red from the mixed concoctions we'd been drinking all day.

"I never want to leave!" I proclaimed, throwing my arms up in the air. "I LOVE THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA!"

I could hear the cheering that followed my remark fade from my ears as I came back to. Left with no buzz or excitement from the flashback from where I sat on the floor of my living room.

After being awoken by my father knocking a pile of boxes over on his way to work that morning. I'd finally decided to start sorting through everything we'd brought back from my dorm room. Wanting to understand more of my life outside this town after talking with Alex the other day. And also make the space livable again for my father and me.

I'd been shifting through a box of photographs and wall décor. Now blinking back at a photo of Emily and I dressed to the nines at a football game tailgate. Emily had on this almost ridiculous looking faux cheerleader skirt that looked like it came straight from the 90s. Her long blonde locks pulled half up with large child-like pig tails on top her head. Whereas I, on the other hand was sporting a much simpler, while still over the top look. Pristine white overall shorts, with just one button done up, exposing a red makeshift 'Arizona' tube top I'd probably cut myself.

We looked insane. And incredibly drunk. But above all else we looked incredibly happy to be there with one another again. I'd been getting small flashes and brief memories all morning. A lot of which included her. And from what I'd gathered, we'd both made the collaborative decision to go to that school together and be roommates. Something that I guess worked out well for us from the evolution of photos I'd had in the box from varying years there.

Overall, I hadn't gotten much done at all in terms of unpacking and sorting through what I wanted to toss into storage. But I'd been remembering more and more the longer I went through everything. So, as far as I was concerned that day hadn't been a total loss.

I reached back into the box and pulled out another photograph, a small little polaroid this time. It captured yet another memorable moment of me and Emily that probably would have been forgotten in the morning had it not been taken. The two of us were pictured in slightly less crazy outfits this time, perched on top of a keg. Clinging to one another in the bed of a large red pick-up truck.

I laughed loudly to no one at all looking at it when the doorbell rang. Brows furrowing, I placed the photo back in the box and climbed to my feet. Slightly confused as I hadn't been expecting anyone that day, I slowly made my way towards my front door. But sure enough, when I looked through the peep hole in the wood, I knew instantly who it was. Even just by the top of his warped looking head.

"Alex?" I laughed, swinging the door open and calling the boy's eyes upward from his sneakers. His eyes met mine with a smile which quickly faded. Soon to be replaced with a worrisome expression.

"Are you okay?" He asked. And he soon thereafter motioned to his eyes in response to my equally as confused stare. A questioning smile on my lips, I reached up and touched the area he'd been motioning towards on my own skin to feel small drops on my cheeks.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine!" I quickly explained, wiping away the tears I hadn't even realized had fallen. "I've just been going through some stuff from my dorm and started remembering some things."

He smiled widely now at my response, eyes glistening bright. "That's good, isn't it?"

"Very," I sighed smiling back at him. Relieved that I've started to remember anything again after the week of radio silence I'd had. Both between me and Alex; and my memory and me. "But, can I ask you what it is you're doing here exactly?"

"Oh, right!" He laughed nervously. Scratching at the back of his neck as though he'd momentarily forgotten his reason for showing up at my door like he had. "A group of us were planning on heading down to the reservoir and having a drink. I didn't know if you'd be up to tag along or not?"

His eyes were big and curious but his words were soft and stumbled as I listened to his proposal and bit down on my lip. "I would, but I can't really drink," I explained, motioning to my head, "That's why I didn't have anything at the drive in last week."

"Oh, right, that's right." He hummed. Rocking on his heels and seeming to think for a moment. "But if you're going through some things, I actually have a box with some of your stuff at my house!"

"You do?" I inquired, propping myself up in the wooden doorway. Curious, but attempting to ignore how genuinely peculiar that statement had sounded. Just assuming I'd known that for certain before everything that happened.

"Yeah, you can come take a look through it if you want," He offered, shoving his hands in the pockets of his shorts and continuing to rock. "They won't wait up for me, and it might help you remember something, you never know."

I hummed, tucked my short-dyed hair behind my ear and looked over my shoulder back at the living room. I'm sure there were only so many more memories in one day I'd be able to have of tailgates and frat parties. And Emily wasn't right in front of me like Alex had been to explain them all in greater detail. Biting my lip, I turned back around and nodded. Because what harm could truly come of this.

"Sure," I told him, watching a smile spread across his lips once again, "Just give me a second to change, okay?"

"Yeah, of course!" He beamed, "I'll be in the truck!"

______________________________
Alex’s room looked just as I’d assumed I would have remembered it. Just as any boys room might.

Dark navy paint coated the walls. Rich hardwood floors which were only covered in clothes in select corners and spots. By the cluttered dresser, and just shy of the hamper perched by the closet. His bed was a tangled mess of tan sheets and blue blankets. The space only being illuminated by the sunlight creeping through the cracks in his drawn shade.

I stepped into the space after him, my loose shoe laces snapping against the smooth panels. Looking around, I examined the few select posters and photographs splattered along the single wall beside his bed. Eyes wide and senses alert as I took in the rich scent the room possessed. It was sharp like black pepper, but subtle enough to just linger in the air. Notes of cedar and musk blended perfectly with the hint of vanilla I could detect.

It smelt just like the traces I’d been picking up from the boy himself whenever he’d been close enough. Only stronger now and settled evenly through the entire room. My eyes averted to the bed once again and a small smile started to play at my lips as I could sense the comfort radiating from the tossed comforter and worn in sheets.

Without even thinking I sauntered the last few feet over to it and plopped down on its edge. A soft chuckle from my friend called my attention to him as I sank into the mattress. He was smiling at me from his closet when my eyes met his. Large mahogany irises hardly visible between the slivers that his lids had been pressed into by his grin. Amusement radiated from him for a moment before he returned to what he’d been doing just before.

And I just sat, swinging my legs over the side of his bed and watched him. He dragged the closet door the rest of the way open and exposed the true teenage boy in him. Which was thrown inside the small space at the bottom of the pile of clothing that had been hidden from sight. Suppressing a giggle, I tried to remain silent while Alex rummaged around for a bit before eventually retreating with a medium sized cardboard box.

“Well, here it is!” He beamed, placing the box down on the bed beside me before sitting down as well just on the other side of it. “It’s not a lot, but this was all either left here by accident when you went off to school, or stuff that I borrowed and never gave back…”

I laughed loudly at the end of his remark. The tall boy was already blushing when I reached over in order to playfully smack his arm. “You thief!” I squealed, mock offense on my face. He blushed madly still, swatting my hand away and demanding I go through the box.

Rolling my eyes, I shot him one last smirked look just to bask in his embarrassment for a moment more before I finally complied. There wasn’t much in the box at first glance. A balled up white hoodie with something glistening right on top. On closer examination I realized it to be a necklace. My brows crumpled my forehead as they rose and I reached for the small silver piece of jewelry.

“I gave that to you for your eighteenth birthday.” Alex explained softly, sweet sincerity flooding his lowered tone. His gaze burned hot on my skin as he watched me examine the piece with screwed lips. Eyes squinted at the delicate silver bar pendent as I gently ran a thumb over the Roman numerals engraved in it. VIII.XXVII.MMII. A date, I had immediately assumed.

Doing the math in my head I looked to Alex with confusion adorning my features. “What’s August 27th, 2002?” I asked him. Watching closely the way he reacted.

His countenance was soft and thoughtful as a small smirk began to tug on his lips. A playful twist on his usually troublesome expression as his lips pressed his dimple into the rough stubble on his cheeks. Cheeks which were slowly dying red with the subtle presence of a blush once again. “That’s the date of the first day of school our freshman year,” He admitted sheepishly, golden eyes glistening in the sparse light of his bedroom. “The day I met you.”

My cheeks began to heat with a blush of their own at his words. And I could feel my heart practically start to swell in my chest, as cheesy as it may sound. My lips fell ajar and I looked back down at the thin necklace in my hands to investigate it further. Although nothing new came into view, and nothing came back to me as I ran my thumb across the letters once again. It was the sweetest thing I couldn't remember someone ever giving me.

"Do you remember it?" Alex softly asked, and I looked to him. Hesitant curiosity was masking his features. Eyes wide and lip caught between his teeth, he watched me replicate his expression, shaking my head.

"I'm sorry." I hung my head. But his hand was quick to reach out and clasp itself over one of mine.

"It's okay." He quickly added in. "I didn't really expect you to."

I frowned at the necklace. Disappointed at myself for not being able to instantly understand what it had once meant to me. And despite his words, I knew deep down there had been a hint of sadness in Alex's assurance. Deciding not to dwell on the past, or my lack thereof, I placed the necklace down carefully on his sheets and moved on to the next item in the box.

Pulling the article free, the body of the hoodie fell into view and I took in the text scrawled across it. The blue and red letters made out the words 'Property of Central Catholic Raiders' which popped in stark contrast to the pristine white fabric of the sweatshirt. It was fairly large, and certainly not mine. And although there wasn’t a state or context on the hoodie, I knew innately it wasn't one of Alex's either.

I couldn't even begin to help the way my eyes fell shut as I brought the hoodie close to my face and breathed in its scent heavily. It was thick with the remnants of a boy's cologne. But, was distinctly different than the notes filling the air around me of Alex's signature scent. It was more citrus based and sharp against my nose. Hints of coffee, orange, and some form of muskier wood. And for some reason by the scent alone I knew exactly who that hoodie belonged too.

"Jake" I sighed my brother's name as I lowered the hoodie. Looking once again at it in my lap. Remembering that Central Catholic was the name of the High School he'd attended back in Massachusetts. The one I was supposed to go to with Emily right before moving to Maryland. Alex said nothing as I balled the hoodie up into my lap, holding it close as I looked back into the bottom of the box. My eyes tripled in size in an instant when they ran over a small collection of vinyl record casings. "Are these all mine?"

Alex was already starting to laugh by the time my eyes reached his. Long brown locks flopping with his nodding head. "This is the part of the box that goes from your forgetfulness to my petty theft." He reluctantly admitted between clenched teeth, his hand moving to ruffle the hairs at the nape of his neck.

"I don't think I like you very much Alexander," I tsked, shaking my head and reaching into the box to flick through the wide array of music collected inside. "What kind of friend steals something like this?"

He shrugged with a soft chuckle. Placing his own hands over the edge of the box. "I guess one who can appreciate someone's good music taste."

I didn’t fight my eyes from rolling at his weak remark. Smirking to myself at our friendly banter. It was rather strange to already be back to exchanging shots like those again with the boy. After a week of radio silence between us. It was peculiar yet comforting to have an unspoken understanding between us once again. It was a sensation I didn't quite understand but felt in myself that was right to trust, and disregard as something that was normal between the two us to do.

My hands subconsciously grasped one record inparticular and retrieved it from the box to examine. It was a Bob Segar and the Silver Bullet Band record, Nine Tonight. And something about it was radiating familiarity. Peeking my large blue eyes over the record's edge, I smirked at Alex. And although he couldn’t very well see the expression I had hidden away. I just had a feeling he could tell what I was doing anyway.

"You want to play it, don't you?" He smirked back at me, a knowing flair in his eyes. A spark that caught fire once I started to nod like a child who'd just been offered a waffle cone for their ice cream. And he released a bellowing laugh at the sight, shaking his head one second and snatching the record from my hands the next.

I felt like a giddy school girl as I watched Alex move across his room to the small dusty record player perched on the top of his dresser. His shoulders shaking violently as he continued to laugh at me. But still, he didn't stall for a second to slide the large record from its red case and place it carefully on the machine.

"If I can place this damn thing right, this is your all-time favorite track off this album." Alex muttered from across the room. Shifting on his feet as he fiddled with the pesky needle of the record player for a moment, fumbling with it before finally placing it down. And it wasn't long before he was tossing his hands in the air and proclaiming, "I AM A GOD!" Before turning around to grin at me.

A rippling laugh fell from my lips as I cocked my head at the advancing boy, listening as a track started to fade away. But not more than a second passed between the popping and skipping of the record's static and the start of the next song. With a punch and a kick from the old black disc, beautiful music began to swirl through the air. A perfect symphony of drums, guitars and bellowing saxophones flooded my skull with the over two generation old recording. I shut my eyes as my body subconsciously swayed to the music.

"You guys feel funky tonight?" Bob Segar's striking voice rang through, bringing my mind back to somewhere new and unexpecting in an instant. "This is an old Memphis song, old Memphis song!"

"I used to smoke five packs of cigarettes a day, it was the hardest thing to put them away." I sang, running my hands through my long brown hair and stretching the strands out on the carpet I found myself laying on more often than not. "I drank four, five bottles of wine. I kept a glass in my hand all the time!"

I kept my eyes shut, letting the vibrations of the music vibrate through my body from where I laid unmoving, sprawled out on the floor of Rian's basement. My legs stretched upward towards the ceiling, propped against a large black speaker that wasn't blasting the music around us. Enjoying the break from the loud and rough sounds of the boy's music for a moment.

As routine called for, the boys had unanimously decided to take a brief break from their band practice to sit around for even just a moment. And I'd instantly decided to take it upon myself to slide something onto the old record player in the corner. Something we often did in their spaces of relaxation.

An unspoken agreement to always play something drastically different from their own creations when just hanging around. A mental break from the heavy drums and electric guitars. And I'd of course chosen my favorite record, Bob Segar.

"Hey Kenn," Rian called my attention away from the daze I'd been in. My foot still tapping through the air where it hung as I looked over to him. "You're coming to our show tomorrow night, right?"

"Of course, I am!" I exclaimed, propping myself up onto my elbows to get a better look of the scruffy headed kid. Still sat on his tattered stool behind his drum set. "Wouldn't miss my favorite band I know preforming for the world!"

"We're the only band you know..." Zack tested, shooting me a look thick with sarcasm from across the room where he'd slowly been placing his base back on its stand. His remark making my chuckle.

"Doesn't make it any less true, Zacky!" I teased, poking my tongue out at the boy. A notion which only had him rolling his eyes at me.

"No, it just makes you fake!" Jack laughed loudly, swiping his bangs from sight as he stepped up behind the speaker with narrowed eyes. "Because all it means is we aren't your favorite band of all time!" He reached out with his remark, being quick to tickle the bottom of my foot.

The swift act caused a high-pitched shriek to squeak from my throat as I pulled away. Tossing my legs recklessly over my head and backwards rolling to my knees in a ridiculous looking maneuver. "Watch it!" I screamed, straightening my spine to send him a look that could kill. "I don't have to go to anything, you know!"

Jack then, just looked my pointed finger in the eye with a knowing smirk. Slowly daring to advance towards me causing my previously slivered eyes to blow large and wide. His thick brows disappeared into his dark hair as he raised them, his smirk growing more and more sinister with every step closer to me he took. "Oh, is that so?" He taunted, his long skeletal fingers wiggling their way towards me as panic set inside me.

"Don't you dare, Jack!" I warned, crooking my legs up in order to scoot away from both the amp and the approaching guitarist. The scene unfolding causing the other three boys to bellow out their own strings of laughter. "I will punch you in that pretty face of yours and not feel bad about it!"

"You think I'm pretty?" He cooed, his smirk spreading into a malevolent smile as he moved forward even more. Successfully trapping me in the corner of the sectional couch.

"I think you're bat-shit crazy!" I proclaimed, trying to feel an escape route in the cushions behind me without ever moving my eyes. Just watching as his slender body casted a shadow over me from his towering stance.

"YOU THINK I'M PRETTY!" He laughed, his hands extending outward. Digits hovering by my sides with obvious intentions which had my pupils blown out of the confines of my irises. "ADMIT IT!"

"I will admit no such thing!" I insisted, crossing my arms over my chest. Both in mock protest and as a feeble attempt to block my sides from his hands which were rapidly closing in on me. "Jack Bassam Barakat, DON'T YOU DARE!"

"ADMIT IT!" He shouted. My warning a moment too late. And his hands matched the speed of his words as they graced my sides causing my body to jolt in shock and laughter. "Admit you think I'm pretty!"

"No!" I cried, trying my absolute hardest to control my fit long enough to sound stern. Failing miserably of course, smacking his arms and hands as he continued his tickle attack on my sides. "Jack stop!"

"Just admit it!" He snickered, digging his fingers harder into my stomach as I fought him.

I tried to fight him for as long as I could. But my attempt to silence my screams of laughter proved subpar sooner than I'd been hoping. "Fine! You're pretty!" I caved, laughing still when he finally stopped his assault of my sides.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" The raven-haired boy laughed. Cupping his hand behind his ear and smirking more. "I didn't hear you."

I puffed, crossing my arms over my chest and attempting to suppress a giggle. "You, Jack Barakat, are the prettiest girl in all of the land, OKAY?"

"Oh, stop it, you!" He chuckled, flicking his wrist dramatically. "You're making me blush!"

Notes

THOUGHTS??
I thought it would be fun to start adding more and more of everyone else because I know how Alex heavy this story has been thus far. And even though its and Alex/OC fic, I think everyone else is just as important obviously!!

SO LEAVE ME A COMMENT AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!! I've been absolutely LOVING all the comments you guys have left so far! I love hearing from you and your thoughts and opinions!

-Sarah

Chapter Image!
CLICK HERE to listen to her favorite Bob Segar song! (bc spoiler alert its also my fav!)