Sequel: Walls ›
Status: finished. the story continues in the sequel.
Story of a Girl
Coming to Terms
Alex was sitting in English, what Sydney had said replaying in his head over and over again.
That would explain why she hadn't been able to come to practice that Thursday. She still had his jacket, but that was the last thing he was worried about. He could still hear the sadness in her voice as she told him of her home. He could still see the tears running down her pale cheeks. It had broken his heart. She hid things so well, he'd come to figure, because he never would've guessed that about her.
He wanted to see her again.
He just wanted to know more about her. She was a different kind of friend to him. He didn't feel like he had to try and impress her by being someone he wasn't.
He was just himself.
When the bell rang he rushed out the door and to his car. He threw his school stuff in the backseat and sped off to her house. When he was at the stop light a few blocks away he saw her. The rain was pouring down, but he could make her out. He pulled over and she looked up, and walked over to the passenger side to his car. She climbed in, dripping and telling him sorry, ever so quietly. He drove them to his house and once inside, gave her a towel. She dried off her body as much as she could and then he brought her some clothes of his to change into. She took them and walked into the bathroom.
"Alex, tell me more about that girl." His mom asked. Alex looked over and sighed.
"I'll tell you what I can."
"Her last name is Maxwell right?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Alex, I don't know if you know this, but the Maxwell's are very....particular." he rolled his eyes.
"I'm just telling you son. And, didn't she accuse that boy of abuse?"
"Yes." his mother paused.
"Well...was it true. Did he abuse her?" Alex bit his lip.
"You can't treat her different, no matter what I tell you." he said carefully. "Syd wouldn't like being treated like a wounded animal." his mom nodded.
"I promise."
"Yeah. He abused her." his mothers hand went to her mouth.
"Now, you promised." his mom nodded and then Sydney walked out. She had her wet clothes in her hands and his mom took them from her.
Sydney sat on the couch next to Alex. Even for her she was being unusually quiet. Alex wrapped an arm around her and she leaned into him.
There was no need for words yet, Alex knew that. So he just held her. He knew she was crying and he picked her up and carried her to his room. They laid on the bed, Sydney cuddling up to it, welcoming the comfort. She burrowed into the sheets and cuddled up to Alex too. He held her, knowing that she'd talk when ready.
"He was there when I woke-up." she said softly. "he was waiting for me. He knew when my parents would be out and used the hideaway key to get in. He was watching me, Alex." she said, tears coming faster out of her green eyes. "He wanted me to see him watching me. He wanted to see what he did to me. God Alex..." she said sobbing. He brought her closer to him.
"Maybe you could stay with Amanda for a bit?" she shook her head.
"I don't want him to hurt anyone else. He'll target anyone I know." she wrapped her arms around his torso as she sobbed more into his chest.
Alex hated seeing Sydney like this. This wasn't the cool confident Sydney he knew. This was the frail and vulnerable Sydney that was under that shell. He was sure that she wouldn't show this side to just anybody. He felt his heart jerk.
Alex Gaskarth realized that he was falling in love with Sydney.
That had to be why he was like this. Sure, he cared so much about her as a friend. And the reason he wanted to get to know her at first was because he was attracted to her. But when he actually began to get to know her, that fell by the wayside. He was friends with her. She treated him like a normal person, not just an attractive musician. And he treated her like a normal girl, not like all the guys who only wanted to make out. Alex genuinely cared about Sydney, and seeing her like this tore him apart. He knew he had to distract her.
"What's your favorite alcohol?" he asked softly. he felt a slight smile against his chest.
"Jager."
"Jager is so sweet though." Alex said and she looked up at him and their eyes locked. she smirked.
"What's your dream band to tour with?"
"Blink-182." he replied immediately. She nodded and then sighed, yawning. She snuggled into him again.
"Thank you, Alex. This means more than you know." she said softly and then fell asleep.
That would explain why she hadn't been able to come to practice that Thursday. She still had his jacket, but that was the last thing he was worried about. He could still hear the sadness in her voice as she told him of her home. He could still see the tears running down her pale cheeks. It had broken his heart. She hid things so well, he'd come to figure, because he never would've guessed that about her.
He wanted to see her again.
He just wanted to know more about her. She was a different kind of friend to him. He didn't feel like he had to try and impress her by being someone he wasn't.
He was just himself.
When the bell rang he rushed out the door and to his car. He threw his school stuff in the backseat and sped off to her house. When he was at the stop light a few blocks away he saw her. The rain was pouring down, but he could make her out. He pulled over and she looked up, and walked over to the passenger side to his car. She climbed in, dripping and telling him sorry, ever so quietly. He drove them to his house and once inside, gave her a towel. She dried off her body as much as she could and then he brought her some clothes of his to change into. She took them and walked into the bathroom.
"Alex, tell me more about that girl." His mom asked. Alex looked over and sighed.
"I'll tell you what I can."
"Her last name is Maxwell right?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Alex, I don't know if you know this, but the Maxwell's are very....particular." he rolled his eyes.
"I'm just telling you son. And, didn't she accuse that boy of abuse?"
"Yes." his mother paused.
"Well...was it true. Did he abuse her?" Alex bit his lip.
"You can't treat her different, no matter what I tell you." he said carefully. "Syd wouldn't like being treated like a wounded animal." his mom nodded.
"I promise."
"Yeah. He abused her." his mothers hand went to her mouth.
"Now, you promised." his mom nodded and then Sydney walked out. She had her wet clothes in her hands and his mom took them from her.
Sydney sat on the couch next to Alex. Even for her she was being unusually quiet. Alex wrapped an arm around her and she leaned into him.
There was no need for words yet, Alex knew that. So he just held her. He knew she was crying and he picked her up and carried her to his room. They laid on the bed, Sydney cuddling up to it, welcoming the comfort. She burrowed into the sheets and cuddled up to Alex too. He held her, knowing that she'd talk when ready.
"He was there when I woke-up." she said softly. "he was waiting for me. He knew when my parents would be out and used the hideaway key to get in. He was watching me, Alex." she said, tears coming faster out of her green eyes. "He wanted me to see him watching me. He wanted to see what he did to me. God Alex..." she said sobbing. He brought her closer to him.
"Maybe you could stay with Amanda for a bit?" she shook her head.
"I don't want him to hurt anyone else. He'll target anyone I know." she wrapped her arms around his torso as she sobbed more into his chest.
Alex hated seeing Sydney like this. This wasn't the cool confident Sydney he knew. This was the frail and vulnerable Sydney that was under that shell. He was sure that she wouldn't show this side to just anybody. He felt his heart jerk.
Alex Gaskarth realized that he was falling in love with Sydney.
That had to be why he was like this. Sure, he cared so much about her as a friend. And the reason he wanted to get to know her at first was because he was attracted to her. But when he actually began to get to know her, that fell by the wayside. He was friends with her. She treated him like a normal person, not just an attractive musician. And he treated her like a normal girl, not like all the guys who only wanted to make out. Alex genuinely cared about Sydney, and seeing her like this tore him apart. He knew he had to distract her.
"What's your favorite alcohol?" he asked softly. he felt a slight smile against his chest.
"Jager."
"Jager is so sweet though." Alex said and she looked up at him and their eyes locked. she smirked.
"What's your dream band to tour with?"
"Blink-182." he replied immediately. She nodded and then sighed, yawning. She snuggled into him again.
"Thank you, Alex. This means more than you know." she said softly and then fell asleep.