Someday

“Sophie!” I smiled manically while my name was yelled. I kept my eyes closed and snuggled into my pillow. There was a sly smile on my lips as I tried to keep in giggles. “Sophie!” He shouted it again, but this time he was closer. The curtain to my bunk pulled aside and I could see the light through my closed eyelids. “Aw, is baby Sophie sleeping?” He cooed while a cool hand cupped my cheek. “I guess she’ll have to ride the bus all the way back to California then.” He sighed and my eyes popped open. He was smirking.

“That’s not funny, Alex.” I pouted while he chuckled and let my head rest in his palm.

“Well, we have arrived at our last stop and it’s time to get in a real bed that is so much more comfortable than this icky bunk, so come on.” He chuckled lightly as I rolled my eyes and slowly sat up. He retracted his hand and I missed the calming, cool feeling.

“Will you carry me?” I tilted my head in a curious fashion. This boy befuddled me almost all of the time. First, he saved me. As lame as it sounds, Alexander did save me. And now, there was practically nothing that I asked for that he wouldn’t give me or give in to. Maybe it was because I never had someone like him in my life before.

“Of course, Soph.” Alex scooped me up and gracefully pulled me out of the bunk. “Anything for you sugar.” He had my favorite smile on. The one that made me smile too. The one were the left corner of his mouth raised higher than the right, and a little dimple appeared on his left cheek.

I giggled as my hands easily locked behind his neck and we entered the front area of the bus. “Bye Sophie!” Jack waved like crazy as we passed him.

“Why are you saying bye when you have to come inside to see my mom?” Alex stopped at the top of the stairs as he turned back to him.

“Cause maybe I forgot.” Jack defended as he stood up from the couch and followed us. “Peace out homies!” He hollered over his shoulder at the rest of the guys. There were a few more goodbye’s exchanged before we descended the stairs and stepped onto the sidewalk.

My stomach dropped as the bus pulled away. I sneaked a peak over Alex’s shoulder at my old house. It looked about the same as I remembered it from a year ago. There was something off about it though. I didn’t let my eyes linger to find out what was so off. Instead I buried my face into Alex’s chest.

He held me closer and rubbed my back soothingly, as if he could read my mind. I dismissed the thought as we stepped inside the house and he stood me back on my feet. “Ma, we’re home!” Alex shouted a bit too close to my ear and I jumped. “Sorry sweets.” He muttered in my ear before placing a tender kiss on my cheek.

“Oh my! You boys are actually on time for once!” There was a voice I wasn’t familiar with, but it sounded warm and inviting. Then she appeared from the kitchen. The woman I’d heard so many good things about stood before me. She was thin and I immediately recognized the deep, chocolate toned brown eyes.

“Mama G!” Jack exclaimed and enveloped her in a hug. She laughed and hugged him back. She was visibly shorter than Jack, but then almost everyone was. The boy was freakishly tall.

“I missed you too Jack.” She had a sparkle in her eyes as she pulled back from him and continued laughing lightly. Next she opened her arms in Alex’s direction. “You’re not too old for hugs yet, so get your arse over here.” There was more laughing while the two hugged. I suddenly felt out of place and déjà vu washed over me. It was the same feeling I used to get when I was around my parents.

“Oh, mom!” Alex pulled away from her quickly and I was surprised when he grabbed my hand. He yanked me and I stumbled over toward them. “This is Sophie.” He smiled brightly as he gave me almost a prideful look.

“Ah, the magnificent Sophie, I presume.” My mouth opened from my shock and stayed open since I was at a loss for words. “I’ve heard so much about you dear, from all the boys. Though mine seems to have taken a severe liken to you.” Her eyes slide over to Alex and then back to me. “Feels like you’re already part of the family.” I was still in my slight state of astonishment as she encircled me in a hug.

“Don’t scare her ma,” Alex teased. She lightly smacked his arm after she pulled away from me.

“There will be no such thing; she’ll be welcomed here longer than you will.” She smirked and winked at him before turning toward the room she’d entered from. “I made brownies while I waited for you lot; if you want any, they’re in here.” Jack practically trampled her after brownies was mentioned. Both of their laughs could be heard from the spot I still stood in with Alex.

“She makes the best brownies in town.” Alex chuckled as he tucked his hands in his pockets. “You want any?”

I shook my head slowly. “I just want that bed you promised for now.” I mumbled, still slightly in my strange daze.

Alex chuckled some more as he nodded. “Alright, a nap does sound pretty damn good.” His arm draped over my shoulder as he started to lead me toward a staircase. “Now, for the time being, I only have one bed. So, you don’t mind sharing, do you?” There was an edge in his voice, like he was anticipating my answer.

“I shared a bus, and on some nights a bunk, with you. I don’t mind sharing a bed with you.” I couldn’t help the grin that toyed its way onto my face as we walked up the stairs side by side.

“Good.” Relief was as clear as can be in his voice. I wasn’t sure why he felt it, but I could feel it from him. The rest of the walk to his room was silent. We even stayed silent as we entered his room. I stood close to the door while Alex shuffled around the messy room. I bit my bottom lip as I looked around my surroundings. It was a typical teenage musician boy’s room. “Ignore the clothes and crumbled up paper all over. I didn’t really clean before we left.” He seemed a little embarrassed as he kicked clothes out of the way and made a small path from the door to the bed.

I didn’t even notice myself drift toward his one window. My mind wasn’t thinking as I pulled the curtain aside and my eyes transfixed on the dreadful house once more. I was mesmerized as I stared at the window directly across the street. My window.

There was warm air on the back of my neck and I turned around fast. I didn’t want to look at it anymore. Alex was inches away from me. His nose was almost touching mine. He exhaled again and the warm air caressed my face again.

“They moved, you know.” The words were simple but I swear my heart skipped a few beats. Alex’s eyes strayed from mine as he looked past me and out the window, toward the house. “A week after we left, my mom said she saw a U-Haul out front. There was lots of moving and then it was just quiet. But an eerie, peculiar quiet that gave her chills.” Alex snorted at the last bit and his eyes slide back to mine. “She believes in all that weird supernatural stuff.” He shrugged and it got quiet again.

My expression didn’t change, but his smile slowly vanished. His cool hands reached up and embraced my neck. His touch was so light, like I was extremely fragile.

“Do you regret it?” It was barely audible, but there it was. I squeezed my eyes shut and took a deep inhale before opening them again. I raised my hands to his.

“I told you someday I would get out of there, and you helped me. But I don’t regret it.” I breathed and felt him relax at my words. “And I will never regret it.” I leaned forward just the little bit and rested my forehead against his.

“That’s good.” His thumbs softly rubbed my cheeks. “Cause I think I’m falling in love with you, Sophie.” There was more shock, as if I hadn’t had enough shock for today.

“Alex,” I stopped and thought. Love was such a funny little concept to begin with. It was more of an idea that movie makers came up with than an actual emotion, or so I used to think. I never really had a loving relationship with my parents.

But this boy was different. He was sweet and kind to me. He listened when I talked and cracked jokes to make me laugh. He cared about me, and I cared about him. I cared about him. I cared deeply, deeply enough to call it love.

“Alex,” I tilted my head back so that I could look into his eyes, his worried-that-he-said-too-much eyes. “I think I might be falling in love with you too.” There was a strange lurch that my stomach took once I said those words.

His grin appeared and widened before he leaned in closer to me. There was a small moment where he hesitated and I didn’t breath, and then his lips were on mine. A light pressure was applied behind them as he pulled me closer, against his warm body. Nothing felt more perfect than this moment.

Then it was over.

He was staring at me with those gorgeous eyes and he was pulling away from me. “Nap time?” He sounded a bit more seductive than usual and it made giggles bubble from my throat.

“Nap time.” I agreed and pushed him toward the bed, making him stumble into it and fall backwards on it.

“May I just say, you are irresistibly stunning.” He murmured as he pulled me down on top of him, crashing are lips together. I pulled away first and let a smirk take over.

“No, you may not.” I giggled as he rolled his eyes and squeezed my waist.

“Alright, time to close your eyes and your mouth.” Alex situated us so we were stretched out the right way on his bed. “Night Sophie,” He whispered and I smiled at the light pucker of his lips on my forehead.

“Night Alex,” I yawned as my eyelids turned heavy and my head rested on his chest. His arms were protectively around me as I drifted off.

This is where I belonged.