Back to December

“No, no, I got it. Don’t come empty handed,” Alexandra smiled in to the phone. “I’ll call you when I’m close to your house, alright Mom?”

“They like alcohol,” Her mother called out. “They’ll drink anything you put in front of them.”

“EXCEPT RUM!”

“Except rum,” Her mother repeated. “Zack says don’t bring rum.”

“I won’t,” Alexandra promised. “I’ll just bring the Jack Daniels and a case of Guinness, sound good?”

“Sounds perfect dear. Call me when you get here.”

“I will. Tell dad and Zack that I love them.”

“Will do. Bye honey.”

“Bye mom.”

Alexandra looked out the passenger window of her friend Libby’s car. The two of them were currently road tripping back to California in the midst of the holiday season to spend time with their families. The two had met in college in Chicago where Alexandra was studying to be a makeup artist and Libby was studying to be a record producer.

California would’ve been the better choice to pursue their careers, but each of them had their own reasons for leaving.

Libby left to escape her brother’s gaining fame in the movie industry. She hated how he would come home and act like he was a hot shot just because he got a commercial deal with some unknown brand of shaving gel.

Alexandra, well she left to just get away for a while. To see what life was like outside of her little Californian town. Actually, she left because she couldn’t face her brother’s friends anymore. Even that was proving to be difficult, since they had gone from this little, who the fuck cares band to this oh my god you’re fucking Avenged Sevenfold band.

“I’ll run inside and buy the liquor,” Libby announced, putting the car in park in front of a little shop in a strip mall not far from Alexandra’s house. “You call your mom and tell here you’ll be there in a little bit.”

“But-“

“Just call your mom Al,” Libby said with a stern face. Alexandra sighed and pulled out her phone, scrolling through the contacts in it. While she was waiting for it to pull up, a black fifteen passenger van pulled in to the parking spot two spaces from her. Normally she wouldn’t have even noticed, but when a short man wearing a hat and aviator sunglasses popped out, walking in to the store. She shook her head and thought nothing of it.

Next thing she knew, a tall, lanky man with spikey black hair jumped out of the van and walked in to the store behind him.

Alexandra hung up the phone just before her mom answered as Libby came back to the car laughing her ass off and holding on to a bag full of liquor and a case of Guinness.

“Oh my god,” She gasped, putting the goods down in the back seat. “Some guy just tried to carry five 40’s and dropped one of them in the middle of the store,” She laughed.

Alexandra shook her head, laughing as well, seeing the tall man that had walked in to the store walk back out, stumbling and laughing too. He opened the door to the van and bent over, holding his stomach and laughing in to the seat.

“Oh, that was funny,” Libby sighed, finally sitting down in the driver’s seat.

“Sounds like it,” Alexandra giggled, looking over at the man who still bent over in the van. She could see another chubby figure sitting there, holding a green sidekick in his hands. She furrowed her brow, wondering if she recognized the person.

“Hey, I think that chick’s looking at you,” Johnny said, returning to the van with a bag that held all the 40’s.

“I think that’s my sister,” Zacky pointed out.

“Well why don’t you go see if it’s her?”

Zacky just stared at Johnny like he was an idiot. “If it’s not, that’s gonna be hella awkward.”

“Ya think?”

“Well, you better think fast, because they look like they’re going to leave,” Matt commented from the driver’s seat, looking over at the girls.

“Hey!” Libby turned her head, seeing the man who had dropped all his beer in the store.

She tried to hold a straight face. “Oh, hey there.”

“Are one of you Alexandra Baker?”

Zacky smacked his palm against his forehead, as did the rest of them.

“You idiot,” Jimmy mumbled under his breath.

“Uh, yeah,” The green eyed, dark hair beauty said from the passenger’s seat. “I’m Alexandra.”

Brian heard her sweet voice from his seat in the back of the van; A voice that he hadn’t heard in years. Usually Zacky and his family went to Chicago for the holidays since Alexandra was always busy with work or in school. She had the apartment to herself since Libby always came down to see her family and dearest brother.

It had been so long since he had heard that angelic voice. The way she would mumble his name against his lips when he was about to kiss her; how loud she would scream his name during the dark of the night.

And the very same voice that told him it was over.

Brian walked up the driveway to the Baker home. He knew that Zacky had moved out a few months ago after purchasing his own home in the hillside, inviting his long time girlfriend to come live with him. But Brian wasn’t here to see Zacky. He was here to see Alexandra.

Everyone knew of Alexandra and Brian. It was almost like knowing about Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson. They were just together for longer than anyone could remember.

Lately, Alexandra had been avoiding him, saying she had things to do, complaining about all the things she had to do to get ready for college. Brian knew she wasn’t going to stay in the state for school and was okay with that. He promised he’d visit her as much as he could when he wasn’t touring, or if he was in her town during touring.

Little did he know, she was planning to leave her life behind in California to start over in Illinois.

She was nineteen, ready to experience the world. He was twenty, starting his career in the music industry with his band that her brother was in.