The Only Exception

Alex had managed to avoid California all summer.

It had been easy, in all honesty. The record had been extremely popular, and that popularity had gained them a summer long headlining tour. There had initially been outrage from the fans, and he had been forced to beg in the most undignified manner in order to achieve it, but California was excluded from the tour. It had been a whirlwind three months, and Alex had tried to let himself love every minute of it. It had been easier without Charlie, as he had insisted that she couldn't stay the entire summer. That conversation had ended in a fight, with Charlie accusing him of not being over Sunday.

It was something that he had tried to lie to himself about since he had last seen her at her father's house in Malibu. He had hoped that, eventually, if he told himself he could forget about her enough, he would. Unfortunately, it didn't work like that, and Charlie's accusation caused him to admit that he wasn't over Sunday and that it might be a very long time before he was. She had been so special, so beautiful and wonderful and delightful in her own way. He missed her but for some reason, couldn't bring himself to call her.

"Are we really doing this again?" he whined as he handed his ticket over to the worker behind the gate.

"You owe me," Matt countered with a shrug. "I put up with you fucks all summer."

"We pay you for that!" Alex pointed out. "Speaking of that, you should probably use that money to see a doctor about this obsession of yours. Seriously, Matt, I think this is the fifth time we've been to Disneyland in the past two years. Do you realize some kids don't even go this much?"

"I was obviously one of those deprived kids," Matt explained. "I didn't spend nearly enough time here as a child and now have to make up for it."

"As much as I hate to say this, I'm with Fucktard Number One on this one," Jack interjected. "You have a problem, Matt."

They collected in a small circle in front of the statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse, knowing that Matt would want a picture with it, as always. Zack, Jack, Alex and Rian all wore exhausted, exasperated expressions, even though it was only 10 in the morning. "Why did we even agree to this?" Alex demanded, sweat beading on his forehead in the September heat.

Zack rolled his eyes. "We all agreed to it because it was the better alternative to sitting around watching you stare at Sunday's house," he explained, "even though she doesn't even live there anymore."

Alex couldn't think of a reply, so he simply flipped Zack off. It was hard being in California, and he had hesitantly accepted Zack's invitation to spend a few weeks of much needed relaxation on the beach. In the end, if it hadn't been for Jack nearly packing for him and dragging him out of his house, Alex probably would have stayed in Baltimore.

"What's on the list now, Flyzik?" Jack asked as he watched Matt squeal over the picture of himself with Walt and Mickey.

"Teacups?" he suggested.

Alex finally let himself grin, although it was a rather wicked smile. He had a knack for managing to spin the cups so fast that everyone complained that they were going to vomit. "I'm in."
______________________________________________________________________________

In a not too far away part of California, Sunday nervously shifted her weight between her feet, trying to alleviate the pain that her heels were putting on her toes. She was trying her best to remember to smile, try to talk to people, and be normal, but it was difficult when all she could think about was how much her feet hurt and the assignment on the Parthenon that she was itching to start.

"This is nice, isn't it, Sunday?" her grandmother asked with a smile.

'Nice' wasn't the first word that came to mind, so she glanced at Amber for some other adjective, only to discover that her friend was engaged in an animated conversation with a man in a suit. "Well, I suppose so," Sunday finally relented. "I just don't know why there's been so many of these lately."

Her grandmother laughed. "Sunday, you should be excited for your father. All of the awards and write-ups have been very good for business, which is why he was able to open this new restaurant, darling," Ann reminded her.

She had a point. Since the divorce, her father had been incredibly focused on work and throughout the spring, he had spent long hours at the restaurant. His work had paid off, and in early June, he had recieved what Sunday had been told was a very prestigious award for a chef. She thought it was silly, as it had been shaped like a whisk, but had dutifully attended the presentation ceremony and party with her father and grandmother. Sunday had discovered that for some reason, her mother was angry with Grandmother Ann, and she had therefore been staying in Malibu with Sunday, Greg and Pepe.

"It's just that these parties are so long," Sunday sighed. "And my toes hurt. I don't like these shoes." She had allowed Amber and her grandmother to force her to go to Nordstrom for a new dress, as they had insisted all of her old ones weren't suitable for the opening of L.A.'s newest and most anticipated restaurant. Somehow, she had been forced into a sequin black blouson dress with a V in the front and back and turqouise stillettos that Amber insisted were necessary.

"Well, you look lovely, Sunday," her grandmother added as she accepted another glass of champagne from one of the nearby waiters. "You should keep those earrings," she added, gesturing to the turquoise drop earrings that she had leant her granddaughter.

"I couldn't, grandma, you wear them all the time," Sunday countered.

Her grandmother bit her lip, and for some odd reason, Sunday felt her stomach sink. Ann took Sunday's hand. "Darling, let's step outside and talk for a moment," she said.

"Okay." Sunday grabbed her turquoise clutch and virgin Shirley Temple and followed her grandmother to the outdoor gardens of the restaurant. She instantly felt more relaxed as they sat down on a stone bench. It was a warm September day, but there was still a breeze that made the weather bearable.

Ann set her champagne glass down and took both of Sunday's hands. "My dearest, there's something I have tried to keep from you but fear that I no longer can," she began.

"Okay," Sunday replied. Instantly, she felt her muscles tense. What if it was about Alex? She had tried her best to avoid thoughts of him all summer. When she had visited her mother, she had avoided the beach, insisting that they go to parks, the theater, or restaurants. She hadn't allowed herself to look at Zack's vacant house; when her father had presented her with an iPhone, she hadn't transferred his number; she hadn't gotten silver flowers in months. It was hard to not think about him, to not miss him, but she was doing well, and she didn't want that to end.

"I'm ill, Sunday."

In some ways, it felt like a weight had been lifted from Sunday to know that it wasn't about Alex. But then she thought about the statement and confusion furrowed her eyebrows. "Do you need me to take you to the doctor?" she asked. "We could probably go tomorrow. I don't have class until ten on Monday's."

Ann laughed, but her eyes were filled with tears. She cupped Sunday's cheek in her hand. "No, my darling, you've misunderstood. I have cancer, Sunday," she explained.

"Oh." Sunday nodded, although the news still didn't quite make sense to her. Cancer couldn't happen to Grandma Ann. "That's why you're living with us, isn't it?" Her grandmother nodded. "Are you going to lose your hair during your treatments?" asked Sunday. She wasn't sure why that was the only thing that she could think of, but she made a mental note to buy her grandmother a wig, because she was sure Ann Rintali would not like being bald.

Ann choked back a sob, and Sunday's frown deepened. "Grandma, don't cry," she pleaded. "It's going to be okay."

"Sunday, my love, this is why your mother has been upset with me," Ann countered. "I'm not getting treatment, darling."

Empty. All of the thoughts about Alex and wigs were gone, and Sunday suddenly couldn't think of anything. "I don't understand," she admitted finally.

"It's pancreatic cancer, Sunday," Ann explained. "It's advanced, and there is very little that the doctors could do for me."

"So you're not even going to try?" Sunday demanded. Suddenly, she felt hot. It was too stuffy outside, she felt flustered, and being close to her grandmother made her uncomfortable. "You're just going to give up," she accused her, feeling angry and like she was being deserted. Because that's what was happening, wasn't it? Her grandmother was choosing to deny treatments, knowing that her illness would only end one way.

Sunday jumped off of the stone bench, ignoring her grandmother's pleads for her to return. She stalked out of the back gates of the restaurant, unsure of what to do or where to go. She had been to Los Angeles a few times, but she wasn't exactly sure how to navigate the city or where she should go until she simmered down. She just knew that she couldn't go back to the restaurant's grand opening and pretend that she wasn't mad at everyone in the world at that moment.
__________________________________________________________________________________

"Just go ask for her number!"

"That's weird, she's a damn fairy!"

"There's a girl under that wig, you fucktard!"

Alex stabbed Jack with the pirate sword that he had bought near the Pirates of the Caribbean ride earlier. "Shut ye whore mouth, or I'll make ye walk the plank," he threatened.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Why does everyone think I'm the immature one?"

"Because you wanted me to go bang a fairy," Alex shot back. "Not exactly mature."

"Only because I don't think you could score with a princess," Jack refuted.

Rian just shook his head. "How do I live with you two?" he muttered to himself.

"Hey, we're not the ones about to wet ourselves because we just saw a giant mouse," Alex countered, using his sword to point to Matt.

Matt blushed, even though they were all aware of his Mickey Mouse obsession. "I shouldn't even bring you guys anymore," he huffed. "You just bring me down."

Alex and Jack threw their arms around each other. "Thank you, Jesus!" Alex yelled, as Jack pretended to sob with happiness.

"Seeing how happy the prospect of never coming back made you guys really put things into perspective for me," Matt sighed, clapping his friends on the back. "We're doing this after every tour."

So Alex threw his pirate sword at him and went to talk to the fairy, hoping that maybe if he was suggestive enough, security would kick him out.
__________________________________________________________________________________

As she stood in line, Sunday felt incredibly silly. Disneyland was the only place in L.A. that she had ever really been to, and she felt like it was the last place that any of her family would look for her in. "One ticket please," she smiled at the worker as she handed over her credit card, which was strictly for "emergencies". She figured that her grandmother having cancer and refusing to do anything about it counted as an emergency, more or less.

The lady eyed Sunday's outfit before handing over her ticket and credit card and wishing her a wonderful day. When Sunday walked into the park, she was surprised by the vast number of kids dragging their parents around and the general happiness of everyone. It didn't seem like a single person was in a bad mood.

She meandered towards the enormous castle, finally finding a vacated spot on the curb and sitting down. She exhaled deeply and pulled her knees to her chest, kicking off the horrendous turquoise shoes. Instantly, she felt a little better. It was nice to think that magic existed, even if it was only inside a theme park. She wished that she had something to draw with, but as she hadn't been prepared for her impromptu trip, she simply examined the castle with her eyes, taking in as much of the detail as possible so that she could recreate it later when she finally could work up the courage to return home.

"Excuse me."

Sunday looked up, shielding her eyes from the brightness of the California sun with her hand. "Hello," she chirped in reply, smiling at the man that was standing above her.

"I'm really sorry about this," he began, "But my nieces over there," he gestured to two little girls who were giggling by the Dumbo ride, "think that you're a princess and want your autograph. I told them that I'd go make sure, but Gillian insists that you are. Do you think you could just sign something?"

Sunday's eyebrows furrowed together. "But I don't look like a Disney princess," she countered.

"She thinks you're a real princess," he further explained. "I'm really sorry, you know how kids can be."

Suddenly, Sunday smiled. It was nice, to think that she was an actual princess. "Of course!" she smiled. She took the pen from his hand and scrawled 'Princess Sunday' on the presented autograph book, dotting her 'i' with a heart and making sure that her cursive looked pretty. "There you go," she smiled as she handed the book back.

"Thanks, Princess Sunday," the guy laughed as he looked at the page. "I'm Liam." He held his hand out for her to shake, and Sunday tentatively placed her palm in his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Liam," she replied. She smiled at him, one of those beautiful Sunday smiles that she didn't quite understand the effect of; although she was completely oblivious to it, Sunday's smiles captured hearts.

"Do you mind?" he asked, gesturing to the seat on the curb beside her.

Her eyebrows wrinkled in confusion, inwardly wondering why on earth he thought she would mind if he sat down on the curb as well. It wasn't as though she was dictator of the curb and gave people permission to sit down. "Of course not," she shrugged.

Almost as soon as Liam was sitting beside her, the two little girls scuttled to his side. "Uncle Liam," one of the little girls whispered, pulling on her uncle's shirt, "Did you get her autograph?"

Liam laughed. "I did," he confirmed, handing the autograph book back to its owner. "Gillian, meet Princess Sunday."

"That's a silly name," Gillian giggled at Sunday.

Sunday jumped to her feet, curtseying at the little girl. "Pleasure to meet you, Gillian," she smiled. "And it is not a silly name if you're a Princess of Days, like me."

"Princess of Days?" Gillian asked, her eyes lighting up. "Are those real?" She giggled again, looking excitedly from Sunday to her uncle.

Sunday bent down in front of Gillian, straightening the crown that had been falling off of her curly brown hair. "Why, of course there are!" Sunday exclaimed. "There are princesses everywhere." She dropped her voice to a whisper and took Gillian's hands. "Like you. You look like a giggle princess to me."

"Really?" Gillian gasped, totally shocked and thrilled by the idea of being a princess.

"Oh, of course," Sunday confirmed, "And it takes a princess to recognize another one. I simply can't be mistaken about this, you see. You, Gillian, are certainly a princess."

Gillian turned to her friend, and they both began jumping up and down excitedly at this revelation that Gillian was a princess. "Uncle Liam," Gillian gasped, turning on her guardian, "If I'm a princess, I have to go get a pretty dress like Princess Sunday!"

Liam pulled a credit card out of his pocket and handed it to the little girl. "Have at it," he offered before watching the little girls run as fast as their little legs would carry them to the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique. "Thanks," he added, smiling at Sunday, "You're really good with kids."

"I like kids," smiled Sunday. "Out of all of the people in the world, they make the most sense."

"So do you come to Disneyland in cocktail dresses often?" he asked, grinning at Sunday.

She gave a small laugh before she turned her attention to Liam's face. Amber would have called him hot. What Sunday found the most attractive about him was his bright blue eyes. They reminded her of the water that she saw in pictures of places like Greece. He looked completely engrossed in their conversation, and he was looking at her in a way that only Alex had ever looked at her before. When she realized that she had been staring at him too long, she embarrassedly cleared her throat and shook her head. "It's been a bad day," she shrugged.

While it was obvious that he would have listened if she chose to talk about it, Sunday couldn't bring herself to discuss her grandmother's illness. Just thinking about it made her cheeks flush with anger, and she didn't want to be angry around Liam.

"I know exactly what you need," he declared after a moment. He stood and offered his hand to Sunday. She smiled, put her feet back into her horrendous shoes, and allowed him to help her up, quickly pulling her hand from his once they were standing. Liam shook it off before gesturing ahead of him, towards the store that his niece and her friend had rushed towards.

When they collected the little girls, they were both clad in princess dresses, squealing about how pretty they looked. Sunday giggled with them, instantly offering her own compliments. She was rewarded by Gillian, who begged her uncle to buy Sunday a tiara as well. She then crowned the older girl with much ado, causing the entire store to applaud when Princess Sunday received her crown.

When the four left the store, Liam declared, "Princess Sunday is having a bad day, Gill. What should we get her to cheer her up?"

Instantly, the little girl replied, "Dole whips!"

Sunday laughed. "What's a dole whip?" she asked.

Liam groaned. "You've never had a dole whip? And to think you seemed like such a nice person..."

"Stop it," she giggled, playfully shoving his arm. "Princess Sunday orders you to explain what these dole whips you speak of are, Sir Liam."

"Impossible," responded Liam. "You can't describe their perfection. You're simply going to have to taste one for yourself." Then he offered his hand to Sunday, making it seem very casual and normal. She looked from his hand to his face for a moment, and just as Liam smiled reassuringly, telling her that it wasn't a big deal at all, and was about to drop his hand, she grabbed it, lacing her fingers through his.
__________________________________________________________________________________

With a groan, Alex pulled himself up, looking around. Jack was devouring a pizza by himself while Rian and Zack were comparing who had gotten more pictures with hot female characters over the course of the day. Matt, of course, was anxiously looking at the area over the Disney castle where a firework show was supposed to start soon.

"This has been the longest day of my life," Alex sighed as he fell back onto the pavement, not even caring that parents were giving him strange looks and admonishing their children when they tried to lay on the ground like Alex.

"This is the best firework show," Matt declared. "We're not leaving until its over."

"You're buying me alcohol tonight," snapped Alex. Around three o'clock, he had become downright grouchy and had been petitioning to leave the park for the past six hours. In some ways, he felt bad. While he usually gave Matt a hard time about Disney, he had never been so disagreeable on a trip before. But being in California was hard for him. All he could think of was the fact that Sunday was so close, and he couldn't be with her. He made a mental note to request that they go to Disney World next time.

"Fine," shrugged Matt. "You at least have to pretend to enjoy the firework show though."

A burst of green sparkles exploded above the highest tower of the castle, capturing the attention of everyone around him. Alex heaved a sigh and pulled himself to his feet, crossing his arms and glaring at the bursts of shimmering lights. Matt had a point. It was a pretty great firework show, but he just wanted to be away from all of the happy people around him.

He turned his attention to the family closest to them, noticing how happy the kids looked as they jumped up and down excitedly and pulled on their parents' arms, clothes, and bags. A small smile turned up the corners of his mouth. He had never thought about having kids before he had started seeing Sunday. He wondered if she liked kids. He could imagine her being a wonderful mother.

The picture formed in his head of what it could have been like. He imagined Sunday, smiling her heartwarming smile as always, excitedly instructing her daughter to look at the beautiful firework display. The little girl would adore Sunday, of course, as people usually did.

And then Alex realized he wasn't imagining it. He'd know her anywhere, and there she was, only a few yards in front of him. There was a little girl in a Belle costume holding hands with Sunday, swinging their arms excitedly as she gestured to the different shapes in the sky.

For the first time all day, Alex smiled. He couldn't believe his luck. The person that he had been longing for, pining for, was there, right in front of him. He reached out, grabbing Matt's arm. "I know," sighed Matt as he looked up at the firework display. "It's amazing."

"She is," grinned Alex. He had been stupid to let her go. It wasn't what was best for either of them. Before meeting Sunday, Alex hadn't really believed in soul mates or being destined for someone. But there was no one else in any inch of the world that was more perfect for him than Sunday. He had fucked up once, and it seemed like he was getting a second chance, like someone was telling him, go get her and don't let her go. And that was just what he was going to do.

He was halfway to her when a man holding a sleeping child in a Cinderella costume approached her. He gently took her hand, and Sunday looked at him, smiling widely before she laced their fingers together. Alex stopped, feeling as though the wind had been knocked out of him, and he quickly retreated to Matt.

A searing pain brought tears to Alex's eyes, and he heard himself gasp for air as he struggled to regain control over his emotions. His vision blurred, and beside him, Matt glanced over at him, doing a double take when he realized how suddenly distraught Alex was. "Dude, what's wrong?" Matt demanded, grabbing his arm to steady him.

"Sunday," he choked out, looking at her again. She was way overdressed, but she looked as gorgeous as ever, a tiara framing her wavy brown hair.

Matt took in the scene, the two children and the man holding her hand. "Alex, you have to go talk to her," Matt instantly said.

Alex watched as Sunday turned her head to the man beside him, laughing at something that he said. She looked happy, as happy as she had looked when she had been with him, Alex. "No," he shook his head. "He's probably some great guy with a normal job that treats her like a damn princess."

"You don't know that," scoffed Matt.

"I think better than anyone I can tell when Sunday's really happy," Alex sighed, "And right now, that girl is over the moon. I'm not going to mess with that." He watched Sunday lean on her tiptoes to a plant a kiss on the guy's cheek, blushing furiously afterwards when the guy smiled at her and broke her grasp momentarily to caress her cheek.

Alex turned and walked away, done with the day from hell. He would wait by the car if he had to, although he figured Matt was probably pointing Sunday out to everyone else and that his friends would join him soon.

He had really lost her. In his arrogance and stupidity, he hadn't thought about what would happen if Sunday ever found someone other than him. At the time, it hadn't seemed like a possibility. He felt so damn stupid. How could he think that someone wouldn't see how absolutely wonderful she was and wouldn't fall as in love with her as he was?

He sank to the ground beside the car, burying his face in his hands. It hadn't hit him until now, but in that moment, he realized that it was really over.