Come Wake Me Up

The warmth of the California sun complete contradicts every Christmas I’ve ever known. I’m not saying that I hate the sunshine, but I wouldn’t mind being curled up on the couch in thick blankets while watching It’s A Wonderful Life and drinking hot chocolate. With Virginia, of course. I set the headphones back around the microphone and walk out of the sound booth, rubbing my neck.
“Sounds like a good take,” Flyzik says as he replays it.
“Sweet,” I answer, snatching up my water bottle and polishing it off.
“You good, man?” Jack questions. I pick up my phone and read the text from Virginia letting me know that she’s safely landed and on her way to her house.
“Yeah, just tired and kind of anxious to see Virginia.”
“It’s been like two weeks, tops.”
I shrug. “ I know.”
Jack lets out a small laugh. “You’re absolutely in love with her, dude.”
“I know I am,” I admit. “I mean, cut me some slack. I’ve spent every day for the past three months with her.”
“True, but we’re going on tour soon. You’re going to have to learn to live without her. She’s got school, and we can’t build a tour around her.”
“I know.” I heave out a breath of air.
“Are you sure everything is okay? You just don’t seem…happy.”
I furrow my eyebrows in confusion. “I am happy. I think this is the happiest I’ve been in a long time…”
“Alright.”
Part of me is glad Jack just dropped the topic, but part of me wants to actually figure out why I feel like shit. Then again, it’s something I can talk over with Virginia when I see her later.

“Alex.”
I hum a response as Virginia plays with my hair, my head lying in her lap.
“Are you alright?” I lift my head and look at her questioningly.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”
“I don’t know. You just seem off to me.” She shrugs, and I pick myself up off her lap. “Alex?”
“Jack said that to me earlier today, too.”
“Maybe it’s just an off day. Everyone has them, babe.”
I shake my head. “This isn’t what one of my off days feels like. I don’t get depressed on an off day, I just get pissed off at everything.”
“Then what’s eating at you?”
“I guess I’m a little upset with not being with my family this year for Christmas. I don’t know. It’d be the first time we’re not all together.” She nods sympathetically and crawls into my lap, resting her head in the on my shoulder.
“I know it’s hard to be without your family.”
“At least I have you here,” I wrap my arms around her, and she smiles and looks up at me. “I love you, you know.”
She places a kiss on my jaw and replies with, “I know.” She wraps an arm around my middle and rests her head back on my shoulder for a few minutes. She springs up from the couch, actually startling me. “I have an idea.”
“What would that be?”
“I want to show you around—where I grew up, where I went to school, all that.” A smile pulls onto my face, and I’m actually flattered that she wants me to see everything, wants to show me everything.

I let out a round of laughter. “I can’t believe that was your high school! It’s so much nicer than Dulaney.”
Virginia sticks her lip out in a pout. “I loved that school, but Dulaney isn’t that bad.”
“No, but it’s no California school. Where to next?”
She bites her lip nervously. “Can we go see my house?” Her house. The same house she spent her whole life in. The house her parents live in. “We don’t have to, but it’s just that my parents have been dying to meet you. And don’t even get me started on Cody.“ Cody—her oopsie-baby little brother.
“Yeah,” I answer. “We can go.”
“Are you sure? We don’t have to go today. I know I kind of sprung this up last minute, and you’re having a bad day.”
“Babe, it’s fine,” I assure with a small laugh. She smiles widely and leans across the car to peck my lips.
The drive to her parents’ seems to take too long, but maybe it’s the nerves of finally meeting the two that raised what could probably be the best thing that ever happened to me. Pulling up on her house, it’s exactly what I thought it’d be. A large, white house with the lawn perfectly mowed and two nice cars parked in the driveway.
Virginia excitedly exits the car and waits for me, holding out her hand. I follow her, lacing my fingers through hers. “You’re still sure you want to do this now?”
“Yeah, despite the nerves coursing through my body.”
She laughs and rests her hand on my cheek. “They’ll love you, Alex. I don’t think you quite understand how much I’ve changed since I met you.”
I take a nervous breath in and exhale slowly. “Let’s go.”
My heart is practically leaping out of my chest from the moment she pushes open the door until the moment her parents come into view. From then on, I think it entirely stops.
“You must be Alex,” her mom greets.
“Yes, ma’am,” I reply politely. She embraces me tightly, and it kind of catches me off guard.
“It’s great to finally meet the man that’s changed my little girl.”
“Mom,” Virginia groans.
I laugh a little until her dad’s hand thrusts in my direction. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too, sir.” I shake his hand, and most of my focus goes into having a firm grip.
“Is Cody home?” Virginia asks, glancing towards the stairs.
“He’s at Seth’s house right now, I think. Something about having to practice for his gig,” Virginia’s mom answers.
“He’s in a band?” I wonder.
Virginia nods while her parents kind of shrug. “He’s a drummer. He’s really good.”
“Playing music isn’t going to bring in an income. It’s not a job,” her dad enforces. I feel my eyebrows raise, and Virginia quickly snaps at her dad.
“Dad, you need to turn your filter on.”
He glances at me disapprovingly. “Honey, you know that’s what Alex does for a living, right?” her mom mutters.
“I get that a lot,” I chime in, “but honestly, if you’ve got what it takes, you make more than a living off of it.”
“Not everyone’s got what it takes,” he shoots back.
“No, not everyone does, but you can fake it to make it. Isn’t it the same with any job? It’s all a political rat race. Someone’s always going to be better than you, and you’re always going to be better than someone. It’s no different than any other career.”
I glance at Virginia whose mouth is parted in slight shock. I begin to wonder if I said something wrong, but I disregard that thought. I’m a musician, and people hate on me all the time. I haven’t taken it from anyone else, and this is no different.
“I’m the head of a multi-million dollar business, son. I didn’t get there by playing a guitar.”
“But I did,” I object. “No offense, sir, but it shouldn’t matter how I bring money in if it’s acceptable and it supports myself and those I care about, like your daughter.” Her dad crosses his arms. “And, yeah, there’s bands better than us out there, but there’s businesses better than yours out there, too.”
The atmosphere of the room is heavy and anxiety-ridden until her dad speaks up. “I like this kid, Virginia.” She heaves out a sigh of relief, and I feel myself relax as well. “Takes a lot to stand up to your girlfriend’s father the first time you meet him. The other kids I’ve done this too wouldn’t have dared.”
He holds his hand out for another shake, and I grip his hand tightly again for a shake.

We’re halfway through dinner when the front door opens and shuts. “Smells good in here,” a younger voice says. Virginia smiles and looks at me. “Virginia?”
She shoots out of her chair and embraces her little brother. They don’t look at all related. He’s bleach blonde with blue eyes and looks like a surfer while she’s got light brown hair with green eyes and looks like a fucking model. The only thing similar is their height and the shape of their nose.
“I didn’t know you were home already!” he greets excitedly, picking his sister up and spinning her in a circle. He stops with his back to me, and Virginia casts a glance over his shoulder.
“I just got in today. There’s someone I want you to meet, though. Remember my boyfriend that I told you about?” The smile on Virginia’s lips is one I’ve actually never seen before. She told me she loves her younger brother with her whole heart, and he practically idolizes our band.
“Yeah, Alex or whatever?”
“You still haven’t put two and two together, have you?” she laughs, ruffling her brother’s hair. His head tilts slightly to the side. “Alex,” she calls. I rise from my chair and brush off my lap.
Cody turns around, and the look on his face is priceless. “So, you’re the little brother I’ve heard so much about.”
“V-Virginia…that’s Alex Gaskarth. He’s in our house right now.”
Virginia laughs, and I actually think her eyes well up with tears.
“Dude, you’ve got to get this all the time, but you’re my inspiration,” Cody informs me, coming in for a handshake.
“I get it a lot, but it still means just as much every time. Thanks, man.”
I look past him at Virginia, and she’s wiping a tear off of her face and smiling at me. It occurs to me then that just maybe I’ve done more for her than I think.