‹ Prequel: Nothing Left to Prove
Status: In progress
We Learned How to Love
Ten
“You has some s’plainings to do!” Were Stephen’s first words to Alana when she entered the house around lunchtime the next afternoon. Stephen was sitting on the sofa a coffee in one hand and his girlfriend Ryan curled under his other arm. With her shoes in hand, lipstick smudged and messy she looked typical of a girl who had been out all night.
“Who else knows?” She asked throwing a small smile to Ryan, just because Stephen was awful to her didn’t mean she could try and be friendly to his girlfriend.
“Well Brian knows so that means the whole town will know.”
“Fuck.”
“You sound ashamed.”
“He makes me a hypocrite. He’s rude, moody, everything I hate but by sleeping with him I make it seem I like him which I don’t. I’m going to sleep I don’t want to talk about it.” She started up the stairs, Stephen shouted up.
“JOHN WANTS A WORD ABOUT IT.” Alana let out a frustrated groan which made the couple laugh, Stephen wanted to get out the video camera for that conversation.
“Well Jobe’s obviously awake, I might call him.”
“Stephen don’t try and get dirt.”
“Come on Ryan you have to admit it’s funny.” She shook her head knowing she wasn’t going to win.
Josh drove to Starbucks after dropping off Alana in what he could only describe as the most awkward care journey in history. On tour either Josh or Alana would go back to their hotel room or to the van before the other would wake up but waking up next to each other took it to a new level for them, neither knew what to say. They both laid there for a while, it was ten minutes until Alana mumbled something about going back. When she got up it was hard for her to walk, she put it down to the alcohol but knew the real cause was what Josh and her had done the night before. He told her to stay where she was before getting dressed and walking out the room. After twenty minutes Alana got fed up and went to leave but Josh walked in with his car keys explaining he picked up his car and would drive her back if she wasn’t feeling well. Since he was in his car he decided to go and get some coffee, he had plenty at home but could do with the drive and fresh air to sort out his head. He was pretty sure Alana was everything he hated; she was loud, brash and in your face; everything Amber wasn’t. He thought back however to how shocked everyone was because Amber wasn’t his usual type and it confused him even more. Alana wold have been just the type of girl Josh would have been all over but Amber changed that, she changed him Josh couldn’t decide if it was for the better or not. There was something which drew Josh back to Alana time and time again, he just didn’t know what.
“I know you have a reputation Alana but my best friend, really?” Alana rubbed her temples. She had a nap and walked down to the kitchen looking for food, unfortunately she ran into John and he saw her before she could leave.
“I’m sorry won’t happened again.” Alana didn’t know if that sentence would turn out to be the truth or not.
“Alana I want you to be serious for a minute, why Josh out of everyone?”
“I don’t know John I was drunk it happened, you do it sometimes it’s not a big deal.”
“Not a big deal? Jesus Alana I have been so patient with you. It’s like Stephen and I have been playing good cop, bad cop and I’ve been the good cop but last night you showed such a lack of responsibility and morals.”
“Why? Because I slept with your best friend? What makes him so different to anyone else?”
“He’s in a bad place you going on fucking his head up isn’t doing him any favours! I have done nothing but try and defend you and you go off and prove everyone else right by getting drunk and sleeping with a vulnerable dude. Maybe everyone was right about you!”
“Oh yeah John everything is my fault just like it always is! Never mind that he was more than willing to, never mind that it had happened on tour. Of which I freely helped you out worked my ass off but what do I get? A load of abuse and not even a thank you! I’ll tell you something John I’ll tell you something right now I left New York for the same reason I quit my job but do you care just what that reason is? No you’re just lining up waiting to criticise me. Has anyone ever talked to me about my drinking seriously? About the guys? About the fights? No I just get scorned no one bothers to think about me and think why I behave like I do they just get ready to tell me what a cheap nasty slut I am.” Alana turned round and stopped dead in her tracks, of course Josh heard her outburst it was just her luck. He watched intently as she pushed past him not making eye contact. From the stomps and slams it was obvious she went to her room in the way a stroppy teenager might. Josh suddenly felt awful; he was guilty of all the things Alana was talking about. It never occurred to him it was all an act, he thought she was incapable of feelings but he only assumed, he never asked. He never even had a conversation with her about her life; the more he thought about it he realised she shrugged off personal questions. He put it down to her being a bitch but now he knew better and it made her even more appealing to him, he was going to figure her out.
“Who else knows?” She asked throwing a small smile to Ryan, just because Stephen was awful to her didn’t mean she could try and be friendly to his girlfriend.
“Well Brian knows so that means the whole town will know.”
“Fuck.”
“You sound ashamed.”
“He makes me a hypocrite. He’s rude, moody, everything I hate but by sleeping with him I make it seem I like him which I don’t. I’m going to sleep I don’t want to talk about it.” She started up the stairs, Stephen shouted up.
“JOHN WANTS A WORD ABOUT IT.” Alana let out a frustrated groan which made the couple laugh, Stephen wanted to get out the video camera for that conversation.
“Well Jobe’s obviously awake, I might call him.”
“Stephen don’t try and get dirt.”
“Come on Ryan you have to admit it’s funny.” She shook her head knowing she wasn’t going to win.
Josh drove to Starbucks after dropping off Alana in what he could only describe as the most awkward care journey in history. On tour either Josh or Alana would go back to their hotel room or to the van before the other would wake up but waking up next to each other took it to a new level for them, neither knew what to say. They both laid there for a while, it was ten minutes until Alana mumbled something about going back. When she got up it was hard for her to walk, she put it down to the alcohol but knew the real cause was what Josh and her had done the night before. He told her to stay where she was before getting dressed and walking out the room. After twenty minutes Alana got fed up and went to leave but Josh walked in with his car keys explaining he picked up his car and would drive her back if she wasn’t feeling well. Since he was in his car he decided to go and get some coffee, he had plenty at home but could do with the drive and fresh air to sort out his head. He was pretty sure Alana was everything he hated; she was loud, brash and in your face; everything Amber wasn’t. He thought back however to how shocked everyone was because Amber wasn’t his usual type and it confused him even more. Alana wold have been just the type of girl Josh would have been all over but Amber changed that, she changed him Josh couldn’t decide if it was for the better or not. There was something which drew Josh back to Alana time and time again, he just didn’t know what.
“I know you have a reputation Alana but my best friend, really?” Alana rubbed her temples. She had a nap and walked down to the kitchen looking for food, unfortunately she ran into John and he saw her before she could leave.
“I’m sorry won’t happened again.” Alana didn’t know if that sentence would turn out to be the truth or not.
“Alana I want you to be serious for a minute, why Josh out of everyone?”
“I don’t know John I was drunk it happened, you do it sometimes it’s not a big deal.”
“Not a big deal? Jesus Alana I have been so patient with you. It’s like Stephen and I have been playing good cop, bad cop and I’ve been the good cop but last night you showed such a lack of responsibility and morals.”
“Why? Because I slept with your best friend? What makes him so different to anyone else?”
“He’s in a bad place you going on fucking his head up isn’t doing him any favours! I have done nothing but try and defend you and you go off and prove everyone else right by getting drunk and sleeping with a vulnerable dude. Maybe everyone was right about you!”
“Oh yeah John everything is my fault just like it always is! Never mind that he was more than willing to, never mind that it had happened on tour. Of which I freely helped you out worked my ass off but what do I get? A load of abuse and not even a thank you! I’ll tell you something John I’ll tell you something right now I left New York for the same reason I quit my job but do you care just what that reason is? No you’re just lining up waiting to criticise me. Has anyone ever talked to me about my drinking seriously? About the guys? About the fights? No I just get scorned no one bothers to think about me and think why I behave like I do they just get ready to tell me what a cheap nasty slut I am.” Alana turned round and stopped dead in her tracks, of course Josh heard her outburst it was just her luck. He watched intently as she pushed past him not making eye contact. From the stomps and slams it was obvious she went to her room in the way a stroppy teenager might. Josh suddenly felt awful; he was guilty of all the things Alana was talking about. It never occurred to him it was all an act, he thought she was incapable of feelings but he only assumed, he never asked. He never even had a conversation with her about her life; the more he thought about it he realised she shrugged off personal questions. He put it down to her being a bitch but now he knew better and it made her even more appealing to him, he was going to figure her out.