Pieces of a Life

There was a car in Alex’s driveway when he pulled in. He, unfortunately, knew who it belonged to. “Shit,” He spat, huffing. “Why can’t she just leave?”

Leila looked thoughtfully at the car. There was nothing telling about it. It was a small black car with no bumper stickers, it was clean and unscathed. It wasn’t Alex’s car was all she knew. He exhaled heavily and closed his eyes.

“Leila, there’s something you need to understand.” She pursed her lips and looked at him, one eyebrow raised. When he spoke like he was about to apologize she didn’t usually like what was coming next. “That car…this girl,” Alex groaned, frustrated. “Okay. Her name’s Vanessa. She’s—she’s a total icicle bitch and I can’t stand her. But I can’t get rid of her. So she’s here. I…I’m sorry.”

Leila rolled her eyes. As flirty and charming as he was, Alex was never good with girls. Sure, he could probably win any girl over given the opportunity. He had the chase down to a science. But when it came to actual, real life, functioning interactions—she wouldn’t dare say relationships—it was a whole different league and he wasn’t as well-armed. He’d never admit it. But he didn’t have to.

“But you slept with her.” She said flatly. He blushed, just barely, and tried to stutter a response. “Alex, I’m not stupid. Look, I don’t care who she is or what you do. I really don’t.” Leila shrugged and looked at him.

He blinked. “Oh.” He said. “Okay.” He paused, unsure now. That was not a standard Leila response, but at least she wouldn’t have her feathers all ruffled. Then, quickly, “She’s not my girlfriend. She’ll probably try to tell you different, but she’s not. We—we haven’t even…well, not for a while anyways, I mean it was only like once, and you know—” Leila was giving him a look that made him think of a cat. Very disinterested, very judgmental. “Well. I don’t know. I just…just be careful, Lei. She’s not a nice person.”

The look on her face very blatantly said she thought he was an idiot. “What’s she doing in your life, then, if she’s so terrible?”

Alex blinked and thought for a minute. Vanessa was a snob even when he first met her, when she was at a party for one of those over-rated fashion things Evelyn did. He hadn’t liked her then and he didn’t like her now. But somehow she was very manipulative and always managed to show this characteristic when Alex’s judgment was compromised. Well, usually when he was drunk. He wiggled his nose and replied without looking at Leila. “She’s very forceful, I guess. Manipulative. I…I don’t know.” Frustrated, he hastily left the car.

Leila casually followed him into the house, comfortable in Jack’s shirt and Evelyn’s over-priced jeans, probably still smelling of alcohol and not looking at all like the quiet little dancer she tended to be. Or at least that she used to be. She wasn’t sure of anything anymore, really. Alex tugged on a lock of her hair. “You need a haircut,” He smirked and opened the door, walking in first to protect her if he had to.

Vanessa was sitting complacently on the couch, a villain lurking in a lair, smiling in a way that was not at all friendly or pleasant. She was dressed like an evil fairytale Queen would’ve been on a modern runway and she had the air of someone who knew exactly what power they held over other people. That was something that first weakened Leila in the second she saw Vanessa. Her hair was light, her eyes were dark, and she exuded superiority. Leila was instantly defensive.

Alex looked knowingly at Leila and whispered, “Don’t let her get to you.” Then, for Vanessa to hear: “Vanessa, this is Leila Willows,” his voice was expressionless as he gestured between the two girls. “Leila, this is Vanessa Andersen.”

Vanessa smiled like a shark and the two locked eyes. Leila could feel conflict beginning. And then, terribly: “I’ll be right back.” Alex said, leaving the room.

It was quiet for an awkward second until Leila carefully sat in an armchair. Vanessa still had her toothy smile. “So,” she said, never looking away from Leila. “You’re Leila Willows.”

Leila just nodded. She could feel Vanessa’s stare on her, but she just looked at her lap. “I’ve heard plenty about you,” Vanessa smirked, crossing her long legs. Leila doubted this was true, but nodded again. “Yeah, Alex has said a lot.” Leila didn’t even nod at that. It was an out-and-out lie; she knew Alex would never so much as even mention her in passing, especially to someone who didn’t know her.

Leila tried to put Vanessa out of her mind and looked around at Alex’s house. She saw a dog bed in a corner and smiled slightly. Alex was such a mama bear with Sebastian. Well, from what she’d heard anyway. She’d never met his dog; she was gone before he arrived. Leila turned her head, eyes scanning the room, looking anywhere but at the shark-toothed girl sitting on the couch. There was a picture frame, a cute little Gaskarth family photo on an end table, and she picked it up.

“You don’t talk very much.” Vanessa noted, eyes flickering over Leila.

“Alex didn’t mention that?” She asked nicely, looking at the picture. She glanced up at Vanessa for a second and smiled.

A snake of a smile crept across Vanessa’s face and she narrowed her eyes at Leila’s veiled way of calling her out. Leila smiled pleasantly in response and blinked, looking down again at the picture she held. Alex’s hair was blonde in it, which was funny to her. What could he possibly be doing now that was taking so long? Vanessa hadn’t stopped staring at her since she’d walked in and she was feeling uneasy.

“So you dance, huh?” Leila nodded yet again. “Hm. I didn’t know people actually, really did that. You know, for a living.” The blonde just kept staring. Leila shrugged. “Yeah, Alex told me all about you.” She tried again.

“Did he now?” Leila murmured, disinterested.

“Alright, listen here you scrawny, pathetic bitch,” Vanessa hissed, eyes flaming. Leila looked up and stared, horrified. “You stay the fuck away from him, you hear me? I don’t know what the hell you think you’re going to accomplish but you’re not going to get very far, you fucking understand?” She snarled. Leila stared, horrified for a few more moments, before she could think again. Jesus, what was she doing? What just happened?

“Seriously?” She gave the angry blonde a rather condescending look. “Alright, for one thing, I know Alex never said a word about me to you. If he ever mentioned me, I’m sure you brought it up—yeah, I said sure, I mean it—I am sure,” Vanessa was fuming. Leila was angry, too, but she was much more controlled. A career in performance was good for that. “And I’m not trying to accomplish anything—if I wanted to, I wouldn’t have to try,” She smirked. “Alex is my best friend, and he has been since we were babies—yeah, babies, much longer than you’ve known him. He’s my best friend. And you,” Leila smiled. “Well, you’re nobody. I didn’t even know who you were until I walked into this room. You’re nobody.”

Vanessa rose from her seat, screeching. “I am sick of spoiled, rich bitches like you using Daddy’s money to get whatever they want! You think I’m nobody?” Leila was blank faced as Vanessa got increasingly threatening. “Well, you were right about one thing: Alex never once mentioned you. Best friends forever, right? He never mentioned you because you’re nothing, you are nothing, you stupid rich cunt!”

That word made Leila want to throw up. Vanessa’s face was getting red and she was screaming, absolutely screaming. Alex had to hear her, Leila knew he had to, but she didn’t know where the hell he was or what he was doing. Vanessa breathed loudly and the red came out of her face. She took a few small steps toward Leila’s chair and spoke softly now.

“You’re nothing,” She hissed. “You—you’re a fucking ballerina for a living, you’re a dancer for a living! As if that’s not enough of a joke, these people in your hometown, these people you claim love you?” Alex appeared in the doorway and stood silently, listening. Vanessa didn’t notice. “They want nothing to do with you. Evelyn, she can’t fucking stand you, I can tell you that much—Jack hates your guts. And Alex?” Vanessa smirked. In the doorway, Alex looked up at his name. He glanced at Leila, who was strangely calm, and then looked again at the sneering blonde. “I could tell you all about it, sweetheart. I could tell you all about how much Alex can’t fucking stand even the sound of your name. You should’ve seen him watching the news about your father dying. He didn’t even want to admit he knew you. And for being best fwiends,” She mocked. “He never talked about you. So it seems like all you’ve got left is yourself. Especially now that all that’s left of your dad,” Her ever-present sneer grew. “Is his bank account.”

Leila got angry quickly at that. She could sit there all day and hear Vanessa’s insults about her; she could take what she said about Alex because it was a lie, but her father? He was not up for discussion. “If you say one more thing about my father, anything, I will ruin you.” She narrowed her eyes.

Vanessa laughed. “Oh, you’ll ruin me? What, with Daddy’s money?” She laughed and stood confidently, one hand on her hip. Leila shrugged and smiled.

“Sure, since I’ve got so much of it.”

Vanessa rolled her eyes. “What are you going to do when you can’t dance anymore, hm? What?”

“I guess…” Leila clucked her tongue, pretending to ponder this question. “I guess I’ll start a career in comedy, right? Since ballet’s such a big joke and I’m one of the best dancers in the world, I must be hilarious.” Alex smiled and shook his head, still lurking in the doorway.

“You think you’ve got everything all safe and sound in your precious little corner of the world, don’t you?” Vanessa smiled. “Well, I can tell you what, honey. You made the choice, coming back here to Baltimore. You made the choice, and it was a bad one. And I know you feel it.” Her eyes flickered. “I know that you know you made a bad move. You just don’t know how bad a move it was. At least, not yet.”

What, she was making threats now? Admittedly, Leila was feeling a little nervous at what Vanessa said, but Leila was a little skittish and Vanessa was a little…well, evil. The dark-eyed blonde was still smiling like a barracuda when Alex finally walked into the room. She heard him and looked quickly, her mouth falling open. She stared and said nothing, realizing he must’ve heard everything she’d said. All she could manage was a stupid, “Uh.”

“Don’t,” Alex said sharply. “Don’t even try. You know, you really outdid yourself, Vanessa. Just when I thought I couldn’t dislike you any more,” Alex smiled, shrugging. “Well, that performance, really. That right there just really took the cake. So I think what’s going to happen now is you’re going to get the fuck out of my life,” He raised his voice. “And you’re going to stay out.” Vanessa was frozen to the spot, so Alex continued. Her lanyard of keys was lying on the coffee table and he picked it up, flicking through them and detaching one when he found what he was looking for. “It’s also weird as shit that you stole my spare key. Now leave.” Vanessa just blinked when he was done, shell shocked.

“Leila?” Alex looked at Leila now, reaching and grabbing her hand. “I have a present for you.” And with that, they left Vanessa to stand by herself until she could swallow her pride and get out.

Alex put one hand over Leila’s eyes and led her with his other hand. She had no idea what the present could be—knowing him, it could be a bag of store brand marshmallows—or why he had a present for her, but she enjoyed him enough that she went willingly.

“I hope she doesn’t key my car,” he mumbled. Leila fumbled to find his hand and patted it.

“Willows money,” She assured him with a playful half smile. He laughed, letting go of her hand and uncovering her eyes with a flourish.

“Ta-da!” He sang, beaming. They were in the kitchen, which Leila thought could possibly be a feminism joke, but decided that probably wasn’t a present. She frowned and looked around. The table was set and she could smell peanut butter.

“Oh my God,” She grinned at him. “You didn’t.”

Alex wiggled his eyebrows and dramatically pulled out a chair for her. “Oh my God, I did.” He smirked.

“This whole time you were in here making me waffles?” She crinkled her nose in amusement.

“Not just waffles!” Alex protested. “Peanut butter chocolate chip waffles. Our favorite.” He clinked their glasses of milk together in a toast. “Besides,” he said after a sip. “Vanessa was screaming like a damn banshee, so I heard everything.” He gave her an apologetic look.

Leila smothered her waffle with butter and syrup without a second thought. “Why didn’t you say something? She’s…God, she’s a monster.” Leila made a disgusted face but quickly put a bite of waffle in her mouth.

“You were actually doing pretty well for yourself, Leilabug. You didn’t need me.” He, too, took a bite.

“Aw,” She pouted. “I always need you.” Alex snorted and rolled his eyes at Leila, who smiled widely. This, she thought, this was where she was supposed to be. And then she panicked at that thought, because what if it were true? What if she had made the worst decision of her life when she boarded that plane, alone, on a cloudy morning those years ago? What would’ve been different in the years that had passed; who would she be? Would her father be alive, happy and healthy? She really did always need Alex, he was good for her, but honestly: what was she doing here?

The first second when he hugged her for the first time in years, when he bought her ice cream she didn’t eat, that stupid drunk party, minutes ago the fight with Vanessa. Now, comfortably eating at his house, just the two of them. She took a gulp of her milk. She shouldn’t be acting like this. It’d just make things worse when she left again. What was she doing?

But she just took a bite of her waffle and smiled. “Waffles are good, babe.”

Alex winked and took a bite too. Vanessa had been right, that Leila knew coming back was a bad idea. But in Leila’s opinion, she was wrong when she said that Leila didn’t know just how bad it was yet. She knew it was terrible. Sitting here eating waffles with her best friend, she knew that. Coming back was one of the worst decisions she’d made in her life. In only a matter of days she’d put herself through stress and misery and it wasn’t done yet. It was a terrible decision to come back. But it was nowhere near as bad as her decision to leave.