I'm Better Than Liquor

  • Sweet.Persephone

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    "Yeah, that might be good," Monica said softly, giving him a small shrug. "Just have to wait and see once we are done with our hike. I will have to go home at some point..." Looking up at him, Monica gave him a small smile. She liked the idea of going on the hike because it came her time to clear her head and get over her hangover, but it felt like lunch might be pushing it. As good as it sounded, she did need to go home at some point. Monica needed to be able to deal with her boyfriend, and maybe pack up as much as possible. She doubted there would be anything he could say to make her want to stay with him. 

    After tying her boots up, Monica moved back up and leaned against the back of the seat. She turned her head, looking out of the window, watching everything pass by them. It would be interesting to see where his favorite hiking spot was. 

    Once a few minutes had gone by, Monica popped open the trail mix. She poured a little bit into her hand before turning to Alex and offering him some. "Would you like any?"
    July 10th, 2019 at 03:40pm
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    Alex gave a quick nod of his head, deciding that he would leave it up to Monica whether they headed out for lunch. He had no idea when she would want to go back home to confront the situation that she'd discovered the night before. He let out a sigh, nodding as he ran a hand through his hair. "Whatever you end up wanting to do works," he agreed with a nod of his head. Alex wanted to reach out to offer Monica comfort because he could only imagine what she was feeling but he kept his hands to himself; not wanting to make her uncomfortable or anything of the sort.

    Silence enveloped them but he found that it wasn't an awkward sort of silence which he was definitely relieved about. Alex glanced toward her, offering a light smile when she offered some of her trail mix.

    "No, thanks. Still pretty full from breakfast," he explained, not wanting her to think he was being rude for saying no. "Do you have somewhere you can go other than your apartment? Like, once you've gotten our things?"
    July 12th, 2019 at 04:28am
  • Sweet.Persephone

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    Monica was quiet for a moment as Alex asked his question. She glanced out one of the windows, thinking about it. In truth, Monica hadn't thought much of it through. She barely knew what she was going to say to her boyfriend once she faced him. There were a lot of things that Monica wanted to say but all of it was jumbled in her head as a large mess. And she didn't know what he would try to do once she confronted him about it. But where would she go once it was all over?

    "Not really." Monica told him after a moment. "There are only two friends that I could stay at where he wouldn't be able to hunt me down but I don't think I could stay with them for very long. One of them has a cat that I'm allergic to and the other is going to have her baby any day now.... I suppose I could stay in a hotel for a little bit? Put my things into storage and find an apartment as quickly as I can." She gave him a little shrug.

    "It's not preferable but at least it would be better than living with him." Monica hissed a bit.
    July 13th, 2019 at 10:30pm
  • castle.

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    Alex rolled his eyes even before Monica finished speaking, after her mention of a hotel. He started to shake his head, speaking before he even realized what he was offering to her. "You can stay at my place for as long as you need. I mean, I know it's not really ideal but.." he trailed off, shrugging his shoulders. "But you need to be looking at paying for a damage deposit, not paying for a hotel room at the same time. And besides, I'm out until the early hours of the morning most of the time.." Alex offered, his face scrunching. He felt like a mess, offering a woman he barely knew to stay with him.

    "So I can sleep on the couch. It's really not a big deal. It won't be forever anyway," Alex finished with a huff, glancing toward her. His nose scrunched slightl yas he noticed the look on her face. "I..I'm sorry if it's too much. There's no pressure. I swear. If you don't want to, you don't have to."
    July 19th, 2019 at 03:10am
  • Sweet.Persephone

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    Monica was surprised when Alex offered to let her stay at his place. He didn't know her, didn't know anything about her expect for the situation that she had been in. So it was strange that he would do so much for a woman that he barely knew. A look of confusion moved over her face, her head tilted slightly as she looked at him. For a moment she wondered if he had an ulterior motive. Maybe there was something more going on here than Monica could realize that. Though even as she started to think that way, it didn't quite feel right. It didn't seem like that would be the case to her.

    "I'll think about it." She said after a moment, giving him a gentle smile. The embarrassment that Alex must have been feeling was clear to Monica as she noticed the look on his face. It certainly was an odd proposition, but she didn't want him to feel odd for trying to help her. "It's a very kind thing for you to offer, and I appreciate it. But I will need to think about it." It wasn't the best case scenerio, staying in the apartment of a man she didn't know. But her alternatives weren't all that good for her either.
    July 21st, 2019 at 05:18pm
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    Alex gave a quick nod of his head, glancing toward Monica. He flashed her a light smile before turning back to the road. "It's totally up to you, okay? Absolutely no pressure one way or another. I just know it'd suck if I was in your position and didn't know where I was going to turn. You shouldn't have to stay with your boyfriend especially if he's treating you the way he has... it wouldn't be fair to you," he grumbled slightly at his words.

    "If we're going to be spending a few hours with each other, we ought to get to know each other. I'll start but after you answer my question, you've got to ask me one. Okay?" Alex prompted her in a low voice. He glanced toward her, humming under his breathe as he tried to think up a question to ask her. "Have you ever travelled overseas?"
    July 23rd, 2019 at 09:30pm
  • Sweet.Persephone

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    A curious look came over Monica's face, wondering what the first question he would ask was. The way his voice went low had Monica concerned but intrigued. Though once the question was asked, a warm smile moved over her face. It seemed that this was going to be a lot calmer than she had originally thought. "I have been overseas twice. The first time I went, I had gone to Spain. Which was for a school trip. The second trip was to Beijing with my family."

    Now that it was her turn to ask a question, Monica was quiet. She tilted her head from side to side, trying to think of what to ask him. Alex was a stranger to her, but he was one that she wanted to get to know better. Though once something came to mind, she smiled and looked over at him. "If you were in a band, what would the band name be and what position would you be in?" 
    July 24th, 2019 at 10:07pm
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    Alex found himself nodding at Monica's answer, his head tilted to the side as he waited for her to ask her first question. He let out a small laugh as he shook his head, his lips pursing as he debated what sort of answer to give her. "I think I'd be a guitar player... probably in like, one of those indie bands. I know you probably think I listen to something hard but I like easy music. Music that... soothes your soul instead of making you angry or sad, y'know?"

    He drummed his thumb on the steering wheel. "Oh!" Alex exclaimed, pointing his finger to show he'd just thought of the perfect question. "If you were a mythological creature, what would you be? And why?" He asked, relaxing back in his seat. He was surprised by just how easy it was to hold a conversation with Monica, they weren't pulling tooth and nail just to have a sort of decent conversation.
    July 25th, 2019 at 07:31am
  • Sweet.Persephone

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    "I am a little surprised about that, but it makes sense," Monica responded. She had been expecting him to like a bit more energetic music. Though as she thought about it, it did make sense that Alex would be one of those guys to play in an indie band, as fas as she could tell, he was a really laid back guy. It was actually really nice. 

    A small hum came from her at Alex's question, a light smile coming over her face soon after. She rather liked the question, it was an interesting one. "I think I would want to be a forest nymph," Monica responded. "In charge of protecting the area but they can also be mischevious to those who come in. Sounds like fun."

    Once the car was parked, Monica slid out of her seat, stretching out a little before glancing out at the area they were going to be hiking soon. It looked nice and not particularly difficult, thankfully. "When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? 
    July 26th, 2019 at 09:33pm
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    Alex couldn't stop himself from smirking at Monica's comment about being mischievous. He hadn't really been expecting that from her because she seemed like a gentle girl; someone who was content to just life her life. Happy with someone to love and to travel the world with. He realized he could be pegging her entirely wrong but Alex had a feeling that he wasn't completely wrong. Monica had been heart broken over being cheated on but she was ready to go on a hiking adventure with him the next day.

    He had no intention of taking advantage of her but he thought he was realizing what Monica wanted in life. He planned to show her what a real man would and could do for her, even if it wasn't going to be him. Alex cleared his throat, glancing toward Monica with a faint grin.

    "I wanted to be a famous baseball player. Even went to college for it but then I broke my arm when I fell during a game," Alex grumbled, his face scrunching. "But I guess it just means that I have to figure out another path to go down." There were still times it frustrated him but he had started to come to terms with it.

    Alex pulled into the usual spot that he parked for this particular hike. He knew it probably looked a bit strange to Monica but it was closer to the exit of the trail. It was a ten minute walk to the entrance of the hike but at least it was only a few minutes from where they would let out.

    "Swear I'm not going to murder you," Alex joked as he nodded toward where they needed to head. He pulled his bag onto his shoulder, starting to lead her in the right direction. "It's just better to park here than if we park in the lot because it's closer to where we let out. That way we can start heading home right away, y'know?"

    "What season do you like the most?"
    August 1st, 2019 at 03:36am
  • Sweet.Persephone

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    "That is too bad about your arm." She said softly, looking over at him. It must be something that still bothered Alex. To be able to get so close but only to lose it all to a broken arm? That sounded rough. "But at least the world is full of thousands of options. You just need to choose the path that you want to take, right?"

    Monica hummed and nodded in response to Alex explaining why he had parked there. She understood why he felt the need to do so. It was a weird area to park and it certainly didn't look like the hike's entrance. However, she was able to see the exit of it so she believed his story. Besides, even if Alex was a murderer, it was a little too late to worry about that. 

    "No funny business or I might actually punch you in self-defense." Monica joked back with him, a light smile on her face. She didn't really like she had to worry about it. He really didn't seem that bad. If he had, she would have hurriedly made her way home by now. 

    She grabbed her things and followed him off to where the entrance was. "Fall." Monica told him immediately. "Spring is my second favorite." Those seasons were certainly the best. Not too hot, not too cold and everything was so pretty during that time. "What is your favorite animal?"
    August 2nd, 2019 at 04:11pm
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    Alex ndoded his head, letting out a small sigh at the thought of the career that he had lost out on because of his arm. It still bothered him if he thought too much about it but he was doing his best to ignore the reality, chewing on the inside of his lip as he grabbed the back pack out of the truck of his car. He tossed it over his shoulder, leading Monica toward the entrance of the trail. He started up it, his water bottle dangling from bag.

    "I have to agree. They're not too extreme in either direction. Just warming up or cooling down," Alex said, nodding as he glanced toward her. he gave a funny grin at her question. "It's going to sound so cliche but I love wolves. You always hear about the pack mentality and everything, How close they are, how everyone has a role in the pack," he said. It was cliche, he damn well knew it, but it was the truth. He saw no reason to lie to her over something so simple.

    "Favourite vacation you've gone on?" Alex asked, glancing toward her. He smiled easily, tilting his head to the side. "It's actually really nice out today. We're so lucky," he said, sidestepping a tree trunk that had grown in the middle of the path.
    August 6th, 2019 at 07:06am
  • Sweet.Persephone

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    Monica gave Alex a warm smile as he explained why wolves were his favorite animal. "They are pretty amazing, I will give you that." She reassured him. "I like wolves as well but they aren't my favorite." She gave him a small shrug before turning ahead and continuing on. Monica remembered him saying that the hike wasn't too bad but she was also curious as to what his definition of easy was for a hike. All she could really do now was hope that she didn't feel the need to collapse once it was over.

    "My favorite vacation has to be when I went to Italy. It was absolutely amazing." Monica told him with a bright smile. "I don't know any Italian so that was a bit odd but there were so many amazing things to see there. Oh, and the food was amazing! I think I had gelato almost every day that I was there."

    Once they were at the start of the path, Monica turned to him and smiled brightly. "Well, here we go." She said before heading up with him. So far it wasn't too bad but it was only the beginning. "Do you think Pluto should be a planet?"
    August 6th, 2019 at 07:47pm
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    "Oh, I'm sure that Italy is beautiful," Alex said, nodding his head. He had never been but it was somewhere that he always liked the idea of visiting. "Italian food is my favourite on cheat day," he said with a silly little grin on his face. "There's nothing like a bunch of carb loading with pastas," he said, tossing his head back as he groaned. "Best thing ever, huh?"

    "Gelato is pretty good, too," Alex commented, starting up the trail. It was pretty mild, only steep in a few places for no more than a few minutes at a time. He glanced toward her after a few minutes had passed, raising an eyebrow. "How are you feeling?" He asked, wanting to make sure that she was doing okay even as they moved up the path.

    "Fuck yes!" Alex exclaimed, becoming a bit too excited at the question. "Pluto should absolutely be a planet. I mean, Jesus Christ. It was a planet for such a short amount of time that it didn't even go around the sun once before it was declared not a planet any more! It's bullshit!" He said, throwing his hands up into the air. He looked a bit sheepish as he dropped them, grinning slightly. "Sorry. I just totally think it's ridiculous that it's not."

    "Do you think aliens are real?"
    August 6th, 2019 at 10:26pm
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    "I am feeling pretty good so far! Though we only just started." Monica told him with a bright smile on her face. She let out a laugh at his alien question. "Of course aliens are real. Do you want to go storm area 51 together?" She joked lightly, even giving him a light nudge.

    It took them a while to get to the top of the hill. The hike ended up not being as bad as Monica had feared. And by the time she had gotten up to the top, her hangover was gone and she was feeling in pretty high spirits. She had almost forgotten about everything that had happened the day before, almost. Though, for now, she was feeling rather accomplished.

    Looking out, Monica took a moment to soak in the beautiful scene before them. She let out a happy hum before turning to him, a bright smile on her face. "This was a really great idea, Alex. Thank you for taking me." She told him before turning her head again to look at everything.

    After a minute or so had gone by and Monica felt like she had gotten a proper amount of time to take in the beauty, she turned back to him. "I think it is my turn to ask you a question." She said, knowing that she was going to ask him something a bit deeper than they had been playing with so far. "Why do you want to help me? Like why bother bringing some girl you don't know on a hike or offering to let her live with you for a while?"

    (I am going to skip to the top of the hill. Hope you don't mind!)
    August 6th, 2019 at 10:46pm
  • castle.

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    Alex gave Monica a gentle smile as he nodded his head, looking out over the lands in front of them. It was a breathtaking view, one that he knew well. He had made this hike more times than he should probably admit, after he had suffered the shoulder injury. Alex had even contemplated something worse - something that would have been final. He would never return from the hike if he launched himself off of the side of the cliff. It had been a horrible time in his life, he had questioned just about everything during the following months. He was just lucky to have come out on the other side.

    "Any time," he answered easily, shrugging his shoulders. To Alex, bringing Monica on this hike was intimate in a way because of everything that he had managed to work through on top of this mountain. But Monica had no way of knowing that so he brushed his feelings to the side. Alex raised an eyebrow, a small grin on his face. "We've been asking questions for away, haven't we?" He teased softly.

    Alex tensed slightly Monica's actual question, shrugging his shoulders as he turned away from her. "Everyone needs a second chance sometimes," he explained quietly. He refused to look toward her, a bit more uncomfortable about the question than maybe he shoulder have been.

    "I saw how upset you were yesterday and there was no way you could go home in the state you were in so I decided I'd bring you home. Make sure that you weren't.. attacked or something awful," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "And like I said, I know that you're not in the best position right now. If I can help out, I should, right? I mean, I know what it's like to need another chance and if that's what you need, and I can provide it.. then shit, I'll do it." Alex felt like he was rambling but that he needed to tell Monica the truth about it.

    He grimaced slightly. "Does that make sense?"
    August 7th, 2019 at 03:25am
  • Sweet.Persephone

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    Monica's eyes softened as she listened closely to Alex. "Yes, it does make sense." She said, her voice light as she spoke. For a moment, she was quiet, looking back over the view. It was beautiful but there was something more about it. Monica had a hard time putting her finger on what it was but just being there, having gotten to the top, well it stirred something in her.

    Slowly, she turned back to Alex, completely facing him. Monica took a moment to look him over, almost as though he was the view she wanted to see at the top of the hike. Though once her eyes reached his, Monica spoke. "If you are sure about it, I would really like to stay with you while I look for a new place. I promise I won't stay long and I will try to be the perfect roommate."

    It was a leap of faith that she was taking, trusting a stranger, trusting that this might be a good idea. Though there was the possibility of it all going well. And if she was honest with herself, Alex was the best chance she had at moving on as quick as she could without going broke doing it.

    Plus there was something about Alex that she liked. Something about him that made her feel at ease. Just being near him had managed to calm the emotions that kept stirring up in her. She didn't feel the need to scream and cry and lose her mind over her boyfriend. Monica still wanted to but right now, she didn't feel like she had to.
    August 11th, 2019 at 12:40am
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    Alex hoped that if he was in need of a helping hand, someone would help him. He knew that it was outrageous for a stranger to help him. Strangers were willing to do simple things here or there for others but not to the extent of offering his apartment to someone he barely knew. If Monica turned out to be a crazy woman, Alex had no clue what he would end up doing. He was just hopeful that she didn't, that he wouldn't end up regretting his decision to offer his apartment up to Monica.

    He was sure that it wouldn't be forever but he hoped that they could get along once they started living together. After all, Alex knew that people started to find things about each other that they didn't like if they lived together.

    He gave her a gentle smile as he nodded his head, tilting his head to the side. "I offered. I meant it," he answered softly. Alex shrugged as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. "It would be kind of shitty of me if I didn't try to help somewhere. You shouldn't have to stay with a cheating ex... or risk going completely broke or in debt," he pointed out.

    "Besides, I honestly am never home unless I'm sleeping. I go to the gym every morning and then by the time i get home, I have to shower and get ready for work. So it'll hardly be like we're living together. Should be easy, so long as we clean up after ourselves and don't step on each others' toes. You know?"
    August 23rd, 2019 at 05:58am
  • Sweet.Persephone

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    "I don't think it would be shitty of you to not offer, especially after everything else that you have done to help me. But I appreciate it, greatly." Monica smiled softly at Alex. "And it's like you said, we probably won't run into each other much anyway. I have work during the day and I promise that I'll be quiet in the morning when your sleeping. And I'll clean up after myself, no problem."

    She was really going to try and be the best roommate that she could be. And Monica really hoped that she wouldn't intrude on his offer for long. Hopefully, she could move in and move out in a short timeframe. Monica didn't want to take advantage of Alex in the least. Preferably, she would be there for only a week or two. Maybe three if things really went wrong.

    Monica let out a large breath before completely turning to Alex. A hand came up to her chest before she started to speak. "To be honest, I just... I just feel such relief knowing that I have somewhere to go that my boyfriend won't be able to find me at. I know things are going to get a bit hectic once I talk to him. I don't think it's going to end well."
    August 26th, 2019 at 11:55pm
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    "You don't have to be that quiet. If I wake up, I'll just go into the bedroom so you can keep getting ready," Alex offered with a quick shrug of his shoulders. It was an easy idea to him. It might be a bit hard because Monica would likely be living out of suitcases while she was living with him but he was sure that they could make it work. He had already offered and Monica had agreed, they didn't really have a way to back out of it now.

    Alex gave her a small smile as he nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets as he looked out over the landscape in front of them. "Life is going to get a lot rocky once you talk to him. Just know that the best option is to distract yourself. You have to find things to do so that the douchebag isn't the only thing that you think about, you know?"

    His shoulders sagged slightly as he glanced toward Monica. "I have the day after tomorrow off, too. If you need help moving, then.. I can help," he offered, wishing that he could help her more than he felt like he was. He could only imagine how lost she felt at the moment and there wasn't really anything that he could do about it.
    September 2nd, 2019 at 02:09am