Alcohol and Hope
Chapter One
Madison couldn’t contain her disgust any longer. With an apologetic smile toward the guy she had been talking to, Madison grabbed her coat and left the house where another alcohol fuelled party was taking place.
Alcohol. Madison twisted her face into a picture of fury at the word. To Madison, alcohol was the monster that took her best friend away from her. Madison knew it wasn’t just the alcohol that changed Alex; it was the entire Party Scene itself. Madison could understand the allure of the parties, the attraction of the alcohol, the chances of dancing with pretty girls and handsome boys. Madison could just about get her head around the meaningless sex with people you barely knew. But the one thing Madison could not comprehend was why Alex allowed himself to be changed by the alcohol. Why Alex allowed himself to become dependent on the substance he functioned best without.
Madison couldn’t stand to be in the same room as Alex when he was drunk. He had two girls draped over his body, his hands running up and down any exposed flesh he could find. The girls were giggling at the words that passed through his lips. Madison knew what was going to happen; Alex followed a routine whenever he was at a party. He would pawn one girl off onto one of his vulture-like friends who were ravenous for the female attention, then lead his chosen girl upstairs. Once they’d finished having sex, Alex would either leave the girl to begin another search for his next victim, or he would hold her and whisper already-broken promises into her ear.
It was the lies that got to Madison. Whoever said drunken mouths speak sober thoughts were wrong, at least, they were when it came to Alex. There had been several occasions when Alex had professed his undying love to Madison, only to forget he had said anything the next morning. Madison also knew from firsthand experience that Alex was a horrible, cruel drunk. One night in particular sprang into Madison’s mind; it was a night she wouldn’t be able to forget any time soon.
“Alex, you’re home now. Do you need anything?” Madison questioned, unlocking the door to Alex’s apartment. She hauled him in and helped him down onto his couch.
“I need you to get out of my fucking face,” Alex hissed, “I don’t know why I bothered to stay friends with you. You won’t fucking put out, you won’t drink with me. Fuck you.”
It took Madison a few second to realise that Alex’s fist had collided with her cheekbone. Alex didn’t seem to care, he stumbled off toward his bedroom, and Madison slowly exited his apartment, her entire body numb with shock.
“You’re a monster, Alexander Gaskarth,” she whispered as she made her way home.
Madison had refused to speak to Alex since that incident. He couldn’t work out what he had done wrong, he didn’t remember lashing out at Madison, and so he simply labelled her as jealous because he wasn’t interested in her. His close friends knew why she wouldn’t walk to him, why she refused to be in the same vicinity as him. They were disgusted with his actions, Rian especially. Rian wanted to murder him with his bare hands, but Zack and Jack were able to talk sense into him. Rian was infatuated with Madison, but Alex had always told him to keep his distance, and Rian respected his friend’s wishes.
Madison liked Rian, he was a great guy whose smile made her heart melt and caused her knees to turn to jelly. Alex had kept the two of them apart because he was selfish. He wanted to keep Madison to himself because she was the only person he could rely on to make sure he got home safely at night. Never once did he worry if she got attacked on her way home; he was safe and that was all that mattered. Alex didn’t see he was treating Madison badly, he laughed off his friends’ warnings, Madison was his friend and he thought she couldn’t cope without him.
If Madison was being truthful to herself, there was a tiny part of her that couldn’t function without Alex, much like Alex being unable to function without alcohol. Madison wasn’t going to be someone’s punch bag, however. She knew that if she didn’t walk away from their friendship now, she would receive many more bruises from the boy Madison used to call her best friend.
Alcohol. Madison twisted her face into a picture of fury at the word. To Madison, alcohol was the monster that took her best friend away from her. Madison knew it wasn’t just the alcohol that changed Alex; it was the entire Party Scene itself. Madison could understand the allure of the parties, the attraction of the alcohol, the chances of dancing with pretty girls and handsome boys. Madison could just about get her head around the meaningless sex with people you barely knew. But the one thing Madison could not comprehend was why Alex allowed himself to be changed by the alcohol. Why Alex allowed himself to become dependent on the substance he functioned best without.
Madison couldn’t stand to be in the same room as Alex when he was drunk. He had two girls draped over his body, his hands running up and down any exposed flesh he could find. The girls were giggling at the words that passed through his lips. Madison knew what was going to happen; Alex followed a routine whenever he was at a party. He would pawn one girl off onto one of his vulture-like friends who were ravenous for the female attention, then lead his chosen girl upstairs. Once they’d finished having sex, Alex would either leave the girl to begin another search for his next victim, or he would hold her and whisper already-broken promises into her ear.
It was the lies that got to Madison. Whoever said drunken mouths speak sober thoughts were wrong, at least, they were when it came to Alex. There had been several occasions when Alex had professed his undying love to Madison, only to forget he had said anything the next morning. Madison also knew from firsthand experience that Alex was a horrible, cruel drunk. One night in particular sprang into Madison’s mind; it was a night she wouldn’t be able to forget any time soon.
“Alex, you’re home now. Do you need anything?” Madison questioned, unlocking the door to Alex’s apartment. She hauled him in and helped him down onto his couch.
“I need you to get out of my fucking face,” Alex hissed, “I don’t know why I bothered to stay friends with you. You won’t fucking put out, you won’t drink with me. Fuck you.”
It took Madison a few second to realise that Alex’s fist had collided with her cheekbone. Alex didn’t seem to care, he stumbled off toward his bedroom, and Madison slowly exited his apartment, her entire body numb with shock.
“You’re a monster, Alexander Gaskarth,” she whispered as she made her way home.
Madison had refused to speak to Alex since that incident. He couldn’t work out what he had done wrong, he didn’t remember lashing out at Madison, and so he simply labelled her as jealous because he wasn’t interested in her. His close friends knew why she wouldn’t walk to him, why she refused to be in the same vicinity as him. They were disgusted with his actions, Rian especially. Rian wanted to murder him with his bare hands, but Zack and Jack were able to talk sense into him. Rian was infatuated with Madison, but Alex had always told him to keep his distance, and Rian respected his friend’s wishes.
Madison liked Rian, he was a great guy whose smile made her heart melt and caused her knees to turn to jelly. Alex had kept the two of them apart because he was selfish. He wanted to keep Madison to himself because she was the only person he could rely on to make sure he got home safely at night. Never once did he worry if she got attacked on her way home; he was safe and that was all that mattered. Alex didn’t see he was treating Madison badly, he laughed off his friends’ warnings, Madison was his friend and he thought she couldn’t cope without him.
If Madison was being truthful to herself, there was a tiny part of her that couldn’t function without Alex, much like Alex being unable to function without alcohol. Madison wasn’t going to be someone’s punch bag, however. She knew that if she didn’t walk away from their friendship now, she would receive many more bruises from the boy Madison used to call her best friend.
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Again, purely fiction, not real life. I'd like to know your thoughts on this. I'm torn over it =/Oh, and it might be easier to pretend that All Time Low didn't exist in this story.