Just Another Reason I Could Never Forget You.

"Now, are you sure you want to do this?" Maria asked from the driver’s seat of the car she and Kara had used to get down here. The cab I had seen her exiting had been her ride from the car park she had left this in, as it had been further from the venue than she had expected. It was currently 7pm the day after the boy's show, and she and I had decided that we would take the car to Charlotte after our long day of shopping, following the route through Baltimore - her claiming she needed to see her parents about something, and me claiming that we'd decided it would be a good way for us to get to know each other even better.
"Yes, I'm positive. Christ, it's not a bad thing!" I told her for the tenth time in an hour. It was beginning to get more and more frustrating.
"Well, it's better than us getting there and you changing your mind. Now, do you have everything?" I rolled my eyes. We were already half an hour away from Cockeysville and now she was asking me if I had everything?
"Yes, mother."
"Sorry, this is what dating Jack does to a person," she told me, shooting me a sympathetic look. I laughed, knowing fine well she was right. Every time you went anywhere with Jack you'd hit the highway and he'd realise he'd forgotten something, so you'd go back about five times in total before you're about two hours behind schedule. Believe me; I'd found it out the hard way.
Half an hour later we were pulling up outside the familiar house, and I couldn't stop fidgeting with the necklace I had around my neck - a nervous habit I couldn't shake. The nerves had kicked in about five minutes ago when we'd actually crossed into Cockeysville. I didn't realise how nervous I'd actually be doing this, but I knew fine well that there was no need for it.
"Get out of my car now," Maria ordered, giving me a stern look. I chuckled. "I'll pick you up tomorrow at about 12-ish. Jack and Alex are gonna meet us in Baltimore around one, so you're free to skip back to your normal bus then, okay?" I nodded, and she smiled. "Well, hurry up and get in there!"
"See you tomorrow," I smiled weakly, pulling my hood up to protect my hair from the rain and getting out of the car. I had almost forgotten Baltimore in the autumn, but what I did remember never did do it justice. This was the best part of Maryland - the changing of the seasons. Arizona seemed season-less. I walked up the garden path, hugging my jacket close as Maria pulled away. Pressing the button on the doorbell, my fidgeting got worse, so much so that had my jacket been woollen the entire thing would have unravelled before the door opened.
The woman that opened the door looked at me in shock - eyes wide, mouth hung open and hand on heart.
"J-James!" She cried, eyes not leaving me for fear I would disappear. "Come here, quick!" A man of about forty-five come up behind her, hair greying and an annoyed look on his face. Obviously she had just torn him away from the TV. His expression mirrored that of his wife when he looked at me.
"Hi, mom. Hi, dad," I greeted weakly, smiling at the pair in front of me.

"Where have you been?!" My mother cried. After the initial shock had worn off, we'd gone inside, me making my parents tea to calm their nerves - still knowing exactly what they needed and where everything was. They hadn't changed a bit.
"Phoenix," I said, not even looking at either of them.
"And you couldn't call?!" I sighed. I'd known it was coming, but I forgot how hard it would be.
"I didn't want you to make me come back. I couldn't come back, and I knew you'd wear me down. I know I should have, but I didn't."
"Well, you're staying now," my dad stated. I scoffed.
"I'm not. I'm going back to work tomorrow." The pair looked at me expectantly, probably expecting me to tell them I had some high ranking job out in Phoenix that I couldn't tear myself away from. "I sell merch for my friends’ band. They need me. Plus, I can't hang around in Baltimore for too long. I will come back this time though, I swear."
I felt my phone vibrating my in my bag, pulling out my newest one, I was confused at the lack of, well, anything there. I wasn't one to think that my phone was going off when it wasn't - never had been. My bag vibrated again while I was staring at my phone, it suddenly dawning on me that I had brought my Sidekick 2 also, intending to leave it in my wardrobe upstairs tomorrow. It didn't do me good to dwell on the past right now.
'Someone told Alex you're home - Jack just called me.'
Marissa. I gulped, now knowing who the next text was from.
'So you come home when I leave?'
The idea that he had text this phone when I had never replied before was strange to me. Why would he think I still used it? Granted, I did every once in a while, but that's beside the point. The phone buzzed once again.
'I'm coming home. You dare leave again and I swear I will find you this time. Don't test me.'
'Is that really what Stella would want you to do? Hunt down your ex-girlfriend?'
It was a long shot, but I had to try. It was better than nothing. My parents were staring at me. I laughed dryly before the next sentence came out of my mouth.
"Alex knows I'm home."
"As in the Gaskarth's son Alex?" My mother asked. I nodded. "Is- is he why you left?" I sighed.
"Yes." They didn't speak as I looked down at my phone again.
'She trusts me. If this helps sort me out, she'd let me. I'd let her talk to her ex.'
'You sound like a fifteen-year-old. Just don't come. Stay where you are. I'm not causing anything between the pair of you, and you shouldn't either.'
I clicked open a message to Marissa.
'If Jack asks, I'm devastated Alex wants to go see Jasey. Okay?'
"I'll come back in a bit, I just need to sort Alex out," I smiled sympathetically at my parents. I finally come back after two years and this is what happens.
'She knows what she means to me. I'm falling in love with her, talking to you might help.'
… You’re falling for her?'
My heart sped up. He couldn't possibly be falling for me at all. He was supposed to fall for somebody else - I shouldn't be making him fall again.
'Yes. It feels like when we first met all over again. :/ look, I won't come out. Just let Maria see you at least?'
'I'm going to see her in the morning before I head home. I'm with my parents right now.'
'Okay. I'll let her know. Avoid Baltimore tomorrow, and I'll stay clear of Cockeysville.'
I sighed, closing my phone. That took more effort than necessary. Sometimes I was glad Alex gave up on me after that trip to Arizona - it was better that way if we wanted a fresh start.
Somehow I knew that this little charade was coming to a close. Alex was going to need to be told who I was and soon.