Rhythm of Love

Alex's Point of View

I finished packing and turned away. My side of the room was bare; everything was in a box or bag. I picked some stuff up, nodded at Ivan, who was coming to grab some more stuff, and headed down to my car.

Connor was blasting Green Day, and I recognized Welcome to Paradise, which was ironic in two ways.

The first, that we named our band before realizing that Green Day had this song. The second, we were currently in the slums.

Ivan came down with the rest of my things and I tossed them into my trunk, slightly annoyed. It was currently eight P.M., five hours after Eli had said to expect him. Ivan nodded at me and left in his car while Connor continued to bump Green Day and I leaned against my truck.

A car pulled into the lot and a few minutes later, Eli climbed out of the drivers side. He waved once and started toward me as the owner of the car got into the driver seat and drove off.

Eli almost walked past me but stopped when he realized I was there.

"You're late," I growled.

"Whatcha gonna do, mom, ground me?" he said sarcastically.

"I'm not putting up with your bull shit tonight, Eli. I'm just warning you that when you step through that door, Mom's gonna bitch a fit, and you won't come outta there untouched."

"What did you do!?" he asked, alarm flashing in his eyes.

"What did I do!? I defended your lying, smoking ass is exactly what I did!" He glanced in my truck.

"Why-?"

"Mom threw me out. You can pack your stuff and come, or put up with her bull."

Eli was silent. "I'm staying." I shrugged.

"If I get any notification that you skipped school, your ass is grass," I said, getting in my trunk and driving away without another look at my brother.

Getting to Connor's mini-mansion was easy, and his parent's butler helped us unload my things, but the whole time I was thinking about Nora. With a sigh of annoyance, I told Connor I would be back and left. I knew Xavier was still at my uncle's bar and restuaraunt, no doubt tasting new recipes, so I headed over and walked in.

It was virtually empty, with a few families eating and two people crashing at the bar. I recognized Xavier and sat next to him.

"Ivan told me," he said as my uncle walked over. "Sorry Alex." I shrugged.

My uncle plopped a beer in front of me. "You look like you need it," he said. I gulped half of it down and sighed, pressing my forehead to my hands. "How'd Eli take it?" I shook my head.

"I have no idea. First he was pissed, then he found out why I was kicked out, and he had no emotional response."

My uncle left me another beer and Beech pranced out of the kitchen.

"Hey Lex," she said with a smile. "Cyn told me to give this to you." She handed me a note and I smiled at the childishness of it. "What's it say?"

"Like you didn't read it," I said, rplling my eyes. Beech smiled and I finished my second beer and opened the note, expecting a love letter from Cyn.

Meet me at the park. 9:30 P.M.
~N.M.

I stared at it for a while, then hopped off my stool, ruffled Beech's hair, and walked out, walking to the nearest park. Someone was sitting on the swings. I sat on the swing next to them and we were silent.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"For what?" I asked in surprise. No way could she know I'd gotten kicked out.

"For what happened way back when."

"Oh." Silence stretched between us. "Well it was a long time ago. It doesn't matter now." Another period of silence. "How was France?" She looked at me, shocked.

"How'd you know I was in France?"

I wanted to lie and say Beech had told me, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. "I found out the day before you left. I got dared to ask you to prom, but then they told me you were moving and the dare was off."

"Oh." The silence stretched again, and I broke it.

"Why so late?" I asked. "It's nine thirty. Why not earlier?"

"I was with someone," she said, looking away.

"Who?" I asked curiously.

"His name is Eli." I froze and anger boiled inside me.

"So you're the reason Eli was five hours late getting home!"

"I- what?"

"Because of you guys, my mom got on my ass for Eli being late! When I tried defending him, she kicked me out!" I stood angrily and walked away a little. "Eli probably got his ass beat when he got home. I have to burden my best friends parents!" I glared at her accusingly. "You're like a curse on my family! You never should have come back!" Tears flew from her eyes down her cheeks. I stormed away from her in anger.



Ivan drove me back to Connor's house and I fell asleep on the couch.

I woke up in my bed with one of the worst hangovers I've ever had.