Come Around

Hoe, what are you doing?

Cassie couldn't help but laugh at the text message she had just received from a number she didn't recognize. After staring at it for a few minutes, she pressed the call button in hopes of easily figuring out who it was.

"Girl, what's crackin'?" an unmistakable voice answered.

Cassie laughed again, "Bert, how did you get my number?"

"Easy," he said, "I called that magazine you work for and I told some guy named Justin that I needed to speak with you urgently about the article you did about my band, and he gave me this number."

"Nice to know that fucker gives my number out so easily. Was there something wrong with the article?" she asked.

"No, I actually just wanted to tell you that we're taking a break from recording for a couple weeks and we're going to be in your 'hood next week. We should kick it. Get fucked up or something," he said.

Cassie's eyebrow raised, "Really?"

"Yeah. Oh, and how's that guy I talked to on the phone when you were here? Jepha told me to ask."

"Alex?" she asked, and as if on cue, Alex walked into her living room, phone pressed to his ear, "He's good. Actually, he just got here."

"So you're still talking to him," Bert said.

"Yeah, of course I am," she said, winking at Alex.

"Is he your boyfriend?"

Cassie laughed, "Yeah. Listen, just call me when you're in town and we'll hang. My brother's calling on the other line, so I have to talk to him," she lied before hanging up.

Alex flopped on the couch, laying his head in her lap, phone to his ear still. Cassie smiled and leaned down, placing a kiss on his forehead. He grinned at her and puckered his lips but she shook her head, pointing at his phone.

"I know it's been a long time," he said into the phone, "I miss you too. And I'll try to visit soon. Okay. I love you too," he said, pausing to let the other person talk. After a moment, he spoke again, "Mom, can I call you back? I'm with a friend right now. Yes, it's the girl I told you about."

Cassie's ears perked and her eyebrow raised. Even though they'd been together for awhile now, it surprised her that he had told his mother about her.

"I don't know, her job keeps her pretty busy," he said, winking at Cassie, "Yeah, I'll ask her. Okay, love you too. Bye," he said, pulling the phone from his ear and dropping it on the floor.

"You told your mom about me?" she asked, trying not to sound as surprised as she was.

Alex laughed, "Of course I did. Haven't you told your parents about me?" he asked.

"Well, yeah. But I've always been open with my parents about the guys I date. I didn't think you really shared that much with your mom about the girls you see."

He shrugged, "She wants to know if you're going to come when I go home to visit," he said.

"When?" she asked.

"I haven't given it much thought. I just said I'd try to visit soon. I don't know if it'll fit into our schedules though. Who were you talking to?" he asked.

"Bert McCracken. He said that his band is taking a break from recording and are going to be in town next week and they want to hang out," she said.

"Did you tell him you have a boyfriend?"

Cassie laughed, "Yes. But he didn't mean hang out like that."

"Trust me, he did."

She rolled her eyes, "Well, regardless, there's only one boy I'm interested in," she said.

"He must be a lucky guy. Can I meet him sometime?" Alex asked.

"Sure can," she said, leaning down and pressing her lips to his.

The two sat in comfortable silence. Cassie let her fingers run through his hair while he tapped his own fingers on his stomach. The more time they spent together, the less necessary talking had become. They had, rather quickly, moved past the new couple stage of the relationship.

For Alex, it was a bit unsettling. He liked being with Cassie, but feeling like they'd been together forever, when it had really been less than three months was new to him. While he couldn't deny that they just seemed to fit, he wasn't sure he wanted to settle down yet. Twenty is young still and his life felt like it was only just beginning.

But he knew he had it bad for her. Every time he looked at her, all he wanted to do was hold her, kiss her, be near her in any way possible. It wasn't even about sex. It was about the way his heart beat faster when they touched in the most innocent way.

And the way he dreaded leaving California when they finished recording.

"Rian and I are thinking about buying a house," he said.

Cassie's eyebrow lifted, "Oh yeah? In Maryland?" she asked.

"No, silly," he said, looking up at her, "Here, in Los Angeles. So we can be here with you and Angie when we're not on tour. And Zack has been talking about moving in the Runner Runner guys anyway," he shrugged, "Jack would either go home or live with Rian and me. Or both."

"Are you sure that's what you want? I mean, moving across the country is a big deal. What about your family and your friends back home?"

Alex sat up and stared at Cassie, "Are you saying you don't want us to?"

"No, Alex, no. I would love having my boyfriend and my best friend here. What I'm saying is that you have to think about what it really means. You and Rian both have lives back home. And moving out here means, essentially, giving those up," she explained.

"You did it."

"Yes, I'm aware of that. I was also sixteen and the only ties I had to Maryland were my parents and Rian and his family. I didn't have any friends there. When I became known as the Catholic school slut, all my friends parents' stopped letting them talk to me. I was starting a new life by coming here."

"Maybe I want to start a new life too," Alex said quietly.

Cassie laughed, "Your band is your life, Alex. You can't start a new life unless you give that up. And we both know you don't want to do that."

"But I want to be with you."

"And I want to be with you as well. But I don't want to be one of those couples whose worlds revolve around each other. I want both of us to be able to have our own lives while still being together. You know what I mean? You have your band and your friends and your parties. And I have Angie and Nessa and Rian and my job. And then we have each other. And sometimes our separate lives will overlap, especially because of Rian and Angie. Am I making sense?" Cassie asked.

Alex scratched his head, "Yeah. I'm just not sure how I should feel about that," he said.

"Why?"

"I don't know. I guess I've just never had a relationship like this before. I mean, I haven't had a girlfriend since All Time Low started touring full time so I've always been able to do whatever I wanted to on tour and I didn't really have anyone to answer to.. And all my relationships before that were, like, I don't know how to explain it. I was just always with the girl all the time," he said.

"I'm a very independent person," Cassie said, "If anything, that's the one thing you should really know. And you're also pretty independent. There's no reason that should change for either of us just because we're in a relationship."

"I know. It's just different for me."

She smiled, "Well clearly your ex girlfriends thought you had a wandering eye," she said, "But I trust you. You haven't given me any reason not to. I mean, I know you look at other girls, but what guy doesn't? And what girl doesn't look at other guys? It's human nature to appreciate beauty."

"Why are you so different from every other girl I've ever met?" he asked.

Cassie shrugged, "My experiences have just been different. And the things I've learned from those experiences are what created the mold for who I am today."

"That question was supposed to be rhetorical," Alex said with a laugh.

"But I had an actual answer for it!"

Alex laughed and shook his head a little, having no response to her statement, "Where are Rian and Angie?" he asked.

"They're being mushy and cute and celebrating their three month anniversary," Cassie said, pretending to gag, "They really do make me want to barf sometimes. But anyway, are you going out tonight?" she asked.

He shrugged, "I don't know. I was thinking about it, but I would kind of rather just hang out with you and watch movies or something."

"Are you sure?" she asked and Alex nodded, "Alright, go pick out a movie then."

Alex jumped up and began to scan through her movie collection. While he was doing do, Cassie's phone vibrated. Assuming it was Bert or someone being equally obnoxious, she rolled her eyes and looked her phone, surprised by what she read.

"Holy shit," she said, her jaw dropping.

"What?" Alex asked, still trying to decide on a movie.

"My ex just sent me a text," she replied.

He turned to look at her, "Which ex?" he asked.

"Nathan."

"Nathan, the one you almost married?" he said, his forehead scrunching, and Cassie nodded, "What did he say?"

Cassie sighed, "Well, apparently he is also going to be in town next week and wants to catch up."