Coffeshop Soundtrack

Alex woke up disoriented. He looked around the room confused because he couldn’t find his familiar posters, his guitar or his dresser. Eventually the light wasn’t so bright and he was able to recognize that the room belonged to Emily.

‘That’s right, Emily,’ he thought to himself, then rolled over in the bed, burying his face in her pillow.

Soon after waking, Alex searched the room for his clothes, quietly putting them on. Once he was dressed, he ventured out of the room briefly wondering about Emily’s parents being up, but put the worry out of his mind when he heard a gentle snore coming from the master bedroom.

"Mornin’," Alex said groggily walking over to Emily, planting a kiss on her forehead. "I was surprised to see you gone when I woke up," he grinned slyly, "Pulling a Gaskarth move on me, eh?" He joked with her.

Alex watched a small smile appear on her face and heard her mumble something under her breath. “What’d you say ma’dear?” He asked gently grabbing her arm so she would face him.

"I’m sorry Alex, I need a shower, I’ll talk to you later," Emily answered quietly. Alex couldn’t help but notice how she never made eye contact.

"Want some company?" he said playfully, lifting her chin so her eyes were looking into his face.

"Go home Alex, you got what you wanted. I’ll see you later, okay?" Emily said, her hands framing Alex’s face.

"Alright Em," Alex bent down and kissed her on the lips. Alex broke the kiss and began to walk out of the kitchen, but not before calling out to her.

"Em?"

"Hm?" she said looking up at him.

"Are you alright? You seem distant lately," he looked at her worriedly.

"Yea Alex, I'll be fine," she replied, not supplying any information much to Alex’s dismay.

He walked towards her, and grabbed her into a friendly hug. "Emily, were still best friends. You know you can tell me anything," he reminded her.

"Yea Alex, it's okay, I just really need a shower right now to wake up," she said breaking free from Alex’s hold.

"Bye Em," Alex replied letting himself out of the house.

Alex stood in front of Emily’s house for some time before he even thought of walking down the sidewalk to his own home, three houses down and across the street.

He fumbled with his keys but finally made it into his house where he quietly went to his room and fell onto his bed. He laid there for a while thinking about his current situation with Emily, thinking that if he didn’t act soon, he might end up losing her forever.

Alex pulled out his old tattered notebook and turned to the familiar but ever changing page. Even though his band has already recorded the song, he couldn’t help but try and make the song do the girl it was written about justice.

Eventually he realized that trying to perfect the song was a lost cause and he closed the note book, placing it on the bed side table.

After deciding to take a shower to help sort out his thoughts, Alex decided that he needed to talk to somebody. He knew exactly who he wanted to talk to, but she was currently angry with him about something; even if she was trying to hide it from him.

Although his first option was out, he did have someone else that he could talk to. And as soon as he was dressed, he was out the door and on his way to Jack Barakat's house.

"Hey Jack, hey Em," Alex said walking the length of the roof towards his two best friends, not surprised at all that they were on the roof.

"I have to go," he heard Emily quietly tell Jack.

"Uh bye," Alex said shocked, then when he heard her begin to climb down the tree he asked Jack, "What's her problem?"

"You're so oblivious, Alex," Jack told him.

Silence consumed the two friends as they watched Emily get in her car and just sit there for a couple minutes until Jack decided to speak again. “So, what’s wrong?”

“It’s a long story,” Alex sighed.

Jack smiled. “I’ve got time, Alex.”

Alex heaved a sigh, not knowing where to begin. He sat and overlooked the neighborhood, thinking of his words carefully. Finally, he began, “Emily and me—we’ve been—“

Alex let out a frustrated sigh the same time Jack supplied “Doing the dirty?”

“No! Not that,” Alex said, not really hearing Jack’s response at all. When he chanced a look at Jack, he became confused. “Wait, what did you say?”

Jack looked at him like he was the dumb one. “You. Two. Have. Been. Sleeping. Together.”

Alex look dumbfounded. “How did you know?”

Jack smiled, “Lucky guess. So, why did you guys start?”

Alex smiled at the memory. “That girl Jessica ditched me at prom, and the entire night, she just kept setting me up with insinuation after insinuation, and then there was Em, as beautiful as ever, bringing me a beer and telling me to forget about her.”

Alex looked away from the chimney his eyes were focused on and chanced a look a Jack. He was pleased to see that Jack wasn’t judging him yet. Alex’s eyes drifted back to the chimney. “Don’t get me wrong, I’d had my eye on Emily for a while, but since she was always dicking around with us, I couldn’t separate her from friend to potential girlfriend until then.”

“You know she’s liked you for a while?” Alex’s head snapped towards Jack. “I mean, anybody can see that, and I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but it didn’t exactly help her self esteem that you were so…easy for anything in a short skirt.”

Alex sighed. “I’m an asshole, aren’t I? I’ve just ruined the best friendship I’ve ever had for sex. I mean, for a while it’s been like she’s sand slipping though my fingers. I can feel her distancing herself from me, and I don’t know what to do to make it stop.”

“Have you tried talking to her?”

“It wouldn’t do any good. She only sees me as her friend.” Alex had moved his focus from the chimney to his fidgeting hands.

“If you just came to ignore anything I say, get off my roof. But I’m positive if you talk to her, you two will work things out. You have too. You’re best friends.”