Status: Ongoing
Ain't Love Grand?
Grudge
"Money grabbing bitch!" I yelled in the dressing room after Atreyu's most recent home-town gig. Brandon was trying to calm me down, but even he recoiled when I kicked one of the chairs that nobody was sitting on. I pulled at my hair, supressing the urge to just scream at the top of my lungs.
When I paused to take a breath, Brandon moved back towards me and settled both of his hands on my shoulders, making me calm slightly and look at him. "Calm. Down." He spoke slowly – sternly – staring straight into my eyes. "She's not getting anything."
SHE was Rhiannon. The girl from high-school who had broken Alex's heart when she'd become bored of having him as her boyfriend. I hadn't seen her in years, and to my best knowledge, neither had Alex. But we both had tonight.
I'd been standing beside Alex at the bar after the band had finished their set and she'd sauntered up, a slutty little smile etched on her face and a skirt so short it could have passed for a belt. "Long time no see," she'd said as she placed her hand on his shoulder, tilting her head at him. "You're doing good for yourself, huh?"
I'd watched her from the corner of my eye, standing as close to Alex as I could without being actually in his arms, making sure she knew that he was mine now. She'd given me the evil eye and some kind of false little laugh as I downed the Jack and coke that I'd had in my hand, then her attention went right back to him. "I guess chasing dreams pays off."
He felt awkward, I could tell with the look on his face and the uncomfortable smile he gave back to her. "Yeah, I guess so," he'd agreed, nodding his head and shrugging his shoulder away from her hand.
"Never knew you were so talented," she'd told him, moving her hand from his shoulder and running it through her hair. "I'm impressed."
"Thanks," was his response and the smile that came with it was more genuine than the one he'd offered before. I watched her carefully, not that I was worried that Alex would go off with her, but because I hadn't forgotten what she'd done to him all those years ago. The way she'd cast him aside and left him crushed without a second thought. He'd loved her, and she'd broken him. I'd never seen him cry properly before her.
"You're welcome." She ruffled her hair with her hand again, and then slipped a piece of paper into his. "Call me some time. Maybe we can hang out. It's been a while... we need to catch up."
I'm almost positive that I'd growled at her suggestion and she must have taken the hint, because she didn't even wait for him to respond, just gave him a little wink and sashayed back over to her friends. That's when I'd grabbed Alex by the hand and all but dragged him to the backstage area.
"I don't believe that," I huffed, clenching my teeth. "Just because you're getting somewhere now, she thinks she can just waltz back into your life after all these years? Fuck her."
Alex rolled his eyes, wrapping an arm around my waist as we walked. "Relax, baby, don't worry about it," he soothed. "I haven't forgotten what she did, either." It was as if he'd read my mind, and that's what I loved about him. He knew me so well.
"She's such a... UGH!" With my grunt of frustration, I buried my head into Alex's chest and he rubbed my back, laughing slightly.
"Relax," he told me again, kissing the top of my head. "Don't let her get to you. It's not worth it. We've had a good night, don't let her ruin it."
I nodded in agreement and said nothing as we headed back to the dressing room, and then he went off to shower. That's when I'd flipped in front of Brandon, going off on some rant about how she'd heard how he was becoming successful and was now regretting letting him go.
"She's lucky I didn't smash her face in!"
Brandon shook his head and laughed. "What would that achieve? Just... be the bigger person and let it go. Alex isn't stupid, Leese. He's not gonna go back to her. He's happy with you. She's just...something from the past."
"Something from the past that should have stayed in the past," I grumbled, flopping down in to a chair and letting out a deep sigh. I couldn't believe I'd let her rile me up so much. I wasn't worried about Alex leaving me for her, because I knew he wouldn't. He loved me. I just couldn't believe she'd resurfaced after so much time. I wasn't even bothered about her trying to steal him from me, like I expected her to. I just couldn't let go of that grudge. I'd never forget the way she broke my best friend.
When I paused to take a breath, Brandon moved back towards me and settled both of his hands on my shoulders, making me calm slightly and look at him. "Calm. Down." He spoke slowly – sternly – staring straight into my eyes. "She's not getting anything."
SHE was Rhiannon. The girl from high-school who had broken Alex's heart when she'd become bored of having him as her boyfriend. I hadn't seen her in years, and to my best knowledge, neither had Alex. But we both had tonight.
I'd been standing beside Alex at the bar after the band had finished their set and she'd sauntered up, a slutty little smile etched on her face and a skirt so short it could have passed for a belt. "Long time no see," she'd said as she placed her hand on his shoulder, tilting her head at him. "You're doing good for yourself, huh?"
I'd watched her from the corner of my eye, standing as close to Alex as I could without being actually in his arms, making sure she knew that he was mine now. She'd given me the evil eye and some kind of false little laugh as I downed the Jack and coke that I'd had in my hand, then her attention went right back to him. "I guess chasing dreams pays off."
He felt awkward, I could tell with the look on his face and the uncomfortable smile he gave back to her. "Yeah, I guess so," he'd agreed, nodding his head and shrugging his shoulder away from her hand.
"Never knew you were so talented," she'd told him, moving her hand from his shoulder and running it through her hair. "I'm impressed."
"Thanks," was his response and the smile that came with it was more genuine than the one he'd offered before. I watched her carefully, not that I was worried that Alex would go off with her, but because I hadn't forgotten what she'd done to him all those years ago. The way she'd cast him aside and left him crushed without a second thought. He'd loved her, and she'd broken him. I'd never seen him cry properly before her.
"You're welcome." She ruffled her hair with her hand again, and then slipped a piece of paper into his. "Call me some time. Maybe we can hang out. It's been a while... we need to catch up."
I'm almost positive that I'd growled at her suggestion and she must have taken the hint, because she didn't even wait for him to respond, just gave him a little wink and sashayed back over to her friends. That's when I'd grabbed Alex by the hand and all but dragged him to the backstage area.
"I don't believe that," I huffed, clenching my teeth. "Just because you're getting somewhere now, she thinks she can just waltz back into your life after all these years? Fuck her."
Alex rolled his eyes, wrapping an arm around my waist as we walked. "Relax, baby, don't worry about it," he soothed. "I haven't forgotten what she did, either." It was as if he'd read my mind, and that's what I loved about him. He knew me so well.
"She's such a... UGH!" With my grunt of frustration, I buried my head into Alex's chest and he rubbed my back, laughing slightly.
"Relax," he told me again, kissing the top of my head. "Don't let her get to you. It's not worth it. We've had a good night, don't let her ruin it."
I nodded in agreement and said nothing as we headed back to the dressing room, and then he went off to shower. That's when I'd flipped in front of Brandon, going off on some rant about how she'd heard how he was becoming successful and was now regretting letting him go.
"She's lucky I didn't smash her face in!"
Brandon shook his head and laughed. "What would that achieve? Just... be the bigger person and let it go. Alex isn't stupid, Leese. He's not gonna go back to her. He's happy with you. She's just...something from the past."
"Something from the past that should have stayed in the past," I grumbled, flopping down in to a chair and letting out a deep sigh. I couldn't believe I'd let her rile me up so much. I wasn't worried about Alex leaving me for her, because I knew he wouldn't. He loved me. I just couldn't believe she'd resurfaced after so much time. I wasn't even bothered about her trying to steal him from me, like I expected her to. I just couldn't let go of that grudge. I'd never forget the way she broke my best friend.