11:11

“So, what have you guys been doing?”

“Recording,” Zack answers, his tone indicating that he thinks I’m an idiot for even asking that question.

“No, I know that. I mean what have you been doing in your spare time?”

“Well,” Alex starts, “We went bowling yesterday. We took Andrew with us.”

“Yeah. And the other day we went to the zoo,” Rian adds.

“Oh. Sounds like fun times.”

“Yeah. But now that you’re here, it’ll be even better.”

I feel Alex’s arm wrap around my shoulder and he rests his head on mine.

“Get off me. Your head weighs more than you think it does.”

He doesn’t answer. Instead I feel him drawing patterns on my leg.

“Actually, Lex, tomorrow we have off,” Rian tells me.

“But… didn’t David say he’d see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah, because we’re watching Andrew. He’s taking his wife to visit relatives who live an hour away.”

“Oh. Well that’ll be fun…” I trail off, because I’m not totally convinced. I didn’t really come here to babysit a little kid.

“It will be!” Alex assures me. “He’s adorable, Lex. We can go to the movies and see that Ice Age movie!”

“Yeah, sure. That’s a good idea.”

“You don’t sound very excited…”

“No! No I am! As long as I’m with you, I’m fine.”

Alex takes my answer as an acceptable one. He stands up and checks his watch. “It’s late.”

“So?” Zack wonders aloud.

“Do you want to go to bed?” Alex asks, the question mostly directed towards me.

I just nod and stand up next to him. “Night guys,” I say to the rest of the guys before Alex pulls me out of the room. He lets go of my hand when we reach the steps and he takes them two at a time. I follow him at a normal pace, much to his displeasure.

“Come on, you’re such a slowpoke!”

“I’m sorry that I like to take my time.”

He smiles when I take his hand and wait for him to take us to whatever room we’re staying in.

And then that’s when I get a little bit nervous.

“This is the room I’ve been sleeping in,” Alex tells me, pushing open the second door on the right. “It’s the one with the biggest bed, thankfully.”

“Oh, well that’s good,” I say, trying my best to hide how nervous I actually am.

He doesn’t buy it.

“Are you okay?”

“What? I’m fine…”

I sit down on the queen size bed and absentmindedly trace a pattern on the bedspread.

“You sound nervous.”

“No, I’m not nervous.”

“Would you be nervous because you’re going to be sleeping in the same bed with me?”

“I just told you that I’m not nervous.”

“Well, I just decided that you’re lying. And besides…I’ll admit, I’m kind of… nervous, I guess, too.”

I look up at him with a small smile. He knows me way too well.

“It’s not that I’m nervous, exactly…It’s just…”

“No I get it, baby. I mean, whenever we have sex we’re obviously in the same bed, but that’s completely different. . . It’s really hard to explain, but you know what I’m saying.”

“Yeah, I do. But hey, let’s forget it. I’m going to go change.”

I stand up and go over to my bags that Jack had brought upstairs earlier. I pull out my shorts and tank top and go across the hall and change in the bathroom. Once I’m dressed, I stare at my reflection in the mirror. I look like crap. It’s nearing midnight and I haven’t really slept that well the past few days. My hair’s a mess and there are dark circles under my eyes. How does Alex find this remotely attractive?

I shrug to myself. There’s really not much I can even do with my appearance right now and I’m about to go to bed. Why even bother. So I flip the light switch and walk back to the bedroom we’re sharing.

Alex is standing next to the bed playing with the alarm clock. He’s only wearing boxers and I feel my heart flip. I can’t help myself.

“Don’t try too hard, Alex. You might hurt yourself,” I say, obviously startling him because he almost drops the clock.

“You’re so funny, Lex.”

I laugh quietly to myself and lift back the covers on the bed and get under them. “Are you going to be joining me any time soon?”

“Yes… once I figure out how to- Ah! I got it. It’s set for 7:30. That’s when David’s coming.”

“Okay.”

He puts the clock back down on the table and then stares at the bed. I look up at him from where I’m curled into a ball on the right side.

“Get in.”

“Oh. Right.”

I close my eyes and rest my head on the pillow, finding that it’s much easier than trying to stay awake. I hear Alex flip the lights off and then, maybe 30 seconds after, his arms are around my waist and he’s kissing me. When we pull away for air I can’t help but want to pull him back for more. I missed him.

“I love you,” He says, touching his nose to mine. “And I missed you.”

“I love and missed you too. Two weeks was way too long for me.”

“I know… But it’s gonna happen again.”

“Yeah. And it’ll be even longer when you guys go on tour. Whenever that happens.”

“I want you to come with us whenever that happens.”

“I’ll be in school.”

“Fuck school.”

“Yeah… I feel that way about it sometimes. But it’s worth it once I graduate. And if you think about it, I can be the band photographer or something,” I joke, and I see him smile through the darkness.

“You could be, though. I’ll look into the details.”

“Yeah, you do that. I still have to 3 and half years left though.”

“That’s not too long. You’ll graduate at 22, marry me by 24 and live your life however you want.”

“Life is sounding pretty damn good right now.”

He stays quiet for a minute before asking another question. “Do you think the band will make it?”

I put my hand in his and squeeze it gently. “Of course I do. You guys are fantastic.”

“But…There are so many new bands out there right now… How the hell are we possibly going to stand out?”

“Because you guys are actually good.”

“As if that matters anymore,” he says with a sigh.

“Don’t be like that. I believe in you.”

“… And I guess that’s all that really matters in the end, isn’t it?”

*