Breakout

Chapter 7.

Alex and I have gotten closer that week. I've been coming to his band practices a lot. They've been letting me hear old and new songs. I could say they are the most amazing writers ever. Jack thanks himself for locking us in Rian's basement where we made up. I couldn't argue. If it wasn't for Jack, Alex and I still would've been fighting. When I told Samantha we made up, she literally started crying. Right now, we were both at lunch. Alex didn't have lunch with us, but Rian decided to sit with Samantha and I. Rian was talking about this concert that he might be attending with the guys. The band, Blink-182, they've all been talking about. I still don't know who they are.

"What do you say? Come with us?" Rian asked me. He just asked me if I could come to the Blink-182 concert. They had two tickets left. One was for Samantha and she gladly accepted it.

"Um, I don't know. I have no idea who they are," I said.

"Please Marie! I promise you, you will love them," Rian begged. I sighed. I've never been to a concert in my life. So I don't know what goes on at those type of things.

"Fine," I said. "I'll go."

Rian cheered and Samantha clapped. "I guarantee you, you'll have a great time!"

"She said yes?" A voice said behind me. I knew that voice anywhere. I turned around and found Alex sitting at our table. I laughed.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "Aren't you supposed to be in study hall?"

Alex shrugged. "Yeah, but I ditched. Wanna spend quality time with my best friend," he said, putting an arm around me. I blushed a little but quickly covered it with my hair. Since we've been hanging out a lot lately, I might've gotten a little crush on Alex. I couldn't help it.

"So she's coming to the Blink concert with us?" Alex asked, letting go of his arm around my shoulder.

"Yep!" Rian said. "I'm excited now. What if we actually meet them?"

"Doubt it, but it's a possibility," Alex shrugged.

"I have to meet Travis. He inspired me to play the drums," Rian daydreamed. I smiled. Travis Barker was Rian's drum role model. I thought it was cute that he looked up to him.

"While you daydream about meeting Travis, I have to show Marie something," Alex said. I turned to him.

"What?"

"Oooh," Samantha teased. "I wonder what Alex wants to show you."

"Shut up, Henderson," Alex glared. He turned his attention to me. "Come here." He grabbed my hand and made me stand up from my seat. He then dragged me down the hallway.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"It's surprise," Alex smirked. He continued to guide me down the hallway. Then we ended up at the end of the school.

"This is your surprise?" I asked. Alex shook his head.

"Nope, it's up this staircase." I looked to the right. And sure enough, there was a staircase. Alex let go of my hand, and we both walked up to the top of the staircase. We ended up at a door. Alex opened it up and walked through it. I followed him. I felt a breeze up against my arms. We were on the roof of the school. The view was breathtaking. You could see all of Baltimore. It looked amazing. It was a fairly good looking day. The sun was shining high in the sky with a few clouds. In the middle of the roof, there was a guitar. Alex walked up to it and strapped it around his neck. He then sat on the floor, tuning his guitar.

"What are you doing?" I asked. He patted the spot next to him.

"Come here," he said. I hesitated and sat down next to Alex.

"So I wanted to sing a song for you."

I blushed. "You do?"

Alex must've noticed because he smiled. "Yeah. It's not going to be on our EP, but hopefully it'll be on our second album."

I smiled. "I wanna hear it."

"Okay. Well the song is called 'Six Feet Under The Stars'. Hope you like it." Alex took a deep breath before playing the strings on the guitar.

"Time to lay claim to the evidence. Fingerprints sold me out but our footprints washed away from the docks downtown. It's been getting late for days. And I think myself deserving of a little time off," he sang. "We can kick it here for hours and just mouth off about the world and how we know it's going straight to hell."

I loved the song so far. I'm still blown away by his writing skills.

"Pass me another bottle, honey, the Jager's so sweet. But if it keeps you around then I'm down. Meet me on Thames Street. I'll take you out though I'm hardly worth your time. In the cold you look so fierce, but I'm warm enough. Because the tension's like a fire. We'll hit South Broadway in a matter of minutes and like a bad movie, I'll drop a line. Fall in the grave I've been digging myself. But there's room for two," Alex took a deep breath for continuing. "Six feet under the stars."

After the verse, chorus, bridge and the other chorus, he stopped and looked at me.

"So what do you think?"

"I love it! Alex it's amazing!" I leaned forward and hugged him. He chuckled and hugged me back, setting the guitar on the ground next to us. We just sat there hugging what seemed like minutes. We both pulled away and looked at each other.

"So what do you say?" he asked. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"What?" I asked.

"Meet me on Thames Street?"

It took me a while to understand what he was asking me. Then it clicked. He wrote the song for me.

"Oh, um, sure," I giggled. "When?"

"Tonight?"

I groaned. "I can't tonight. I have to study for my Spanish test."

"You've been studying all week, last week. I think it's time for a break," Alex said.

"No, I need to study."

Alex pouted. "Please. Please meet me on Thames Street tonight?"

I couldn't help it. He looked adorable when he was pouting. The look just gave me butterflies. I sighed.

"Fine."

Alex hugged me and gave me a hug. "Thanks, I promise you won't regret it."

---

I stepped outside of the cool night air. I was wearing jean shorts, a tshirt and a sweatshirt. I locked my front door behind me and started walking down the street. I didn't have a car since I don't know how to drive. I continued walking down the sidewalk. I was curious on why Alex wanted me to meet him on Thames Street. It seemed kinda weird to me. My mind flashed back to where Alex was singing, 'Six Feet Under The Stars', to me. I still can't believe he wrote it about me. No one has written a song about me or for me ever. It was amazing. Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I took it out of my pocket and looked on who had texted me. It was Alex.

Alex: hey, you are thames street yet?

I thumbed a reply.

Marie: not yet. about five more minutes.

I clicked my phone shut and continued walking. Five minutes later, I was at the lamp post of Thames Street and South Broadway. I looked around. Alex wasn't anywhere to be seen. Just then, a pair of hands, covered my eyes and I instantly knew who it was. I pryed Alex's hands off me and faced me.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey," he said. I intertwined our fingers together making me think of back when we made up. I blushed.

"You blush too much," he said.

"Sorry, it's a habit."

"I figured."

"So what are we doing here?"

"I wanna try something out," he said, brushing his thumb against my hand. I smiled.

"At that would be?"

"I'm going to take you to dinner. My treat."

I looked down on the ground. "Okay."

"Come here," Alex let of of my hand and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. We walked along the sidewalk until he came upon a little restaurant. It was called Shuckers Restaurant and Bar. I haven't been here but I've heard about it. Alex guided me inside and we took our seats by the window. Alex sat across from me.

"Question ten. What songs can you play on the piano?" Alex asked. I was confused for a second until I realized I told I played the piano.

"Oh, I can play A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton. It's probably the only modern song that I can play."

Suddenly, a waitress appeared at our table.

"Hello. I'm Fiona and I'll be your waitress for the evening. What do you want to eat and drink?" I glanced up at the waitress. She had brown, curly hair and looked about 23 years old. Alex looked at me if saying, you should go first.

"I would like the," I started off but then looked down at the menu. "Shuckers classic wings and some Sprite."

Fiona jotted down my order and turned to face Alex. "And you?"

"I would like the Shuckers classic wings as well and a glass of wine," Alex ordered.

"Aren't you a little too young to drink?"

"I would like to think so."

Fiona rolled her eyes. "You're getting Sprite."

Alex pouted when Fiona walked away. I laughed.

"What are you laughing at, Marie Chambers?"

"Oh nothing," I giggled.

Alex scowled at me. "Right."

I smiled at him. "It's just because you're so cute when you pout." My face turned bright red as soon as I said that. I can't believe I said that out loud and in front Alex. Alex laughed.

"Well, thanks! You too," he winked. I looked down at my fingers under the table.

"Question eleven. What are you doing this summer?" I asked.

"I don't know yet. Put Up or Shut Up may get realized in the summer. And I've been begging our record company to let us play Warped Tour 2006."

"What's Warped Tour?"

"It's a tour where bands of punk rock, pop punk and pop rock, come together and play this huge tour all summer. I went with Jack last year and we saw Sum 41. They were amazing. And now since we're a band, we should be able to attend this year."

I nodded. "I'll come to one of the shows."

"You don't have to. After all, I'm taking you with me."

"What?" I asked.

"Since you've been there for us, I feel like you should come to experience the actual real live thing. I owe you."

I bit my lip and started playing with my fingers again. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

Fiona showed up at our table and handed us our meals. Alex and I sat quietly and chewed on our chicken.

"Question twelve. Are you excited about going to the Blink concert with us on Saturday?" Alex asked.

"A little," I admitted. "They actually seem really cool."

"They are. And they're so good live."

We sat there in silence again and by the end, we ate all our food and stopped eating.

"Come on, I wanna take you somewhere else." Alex got money out of his pocket and put it on the table for a tip. We both got up and exited the restaurant. Alex looped his arms through mine.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked.

"It's a secret surprise, my little lamb chop," Alex said in his British accent which made me laugh.

"Lamb chop?"

"Let's what we British say back in our homeland."

I laughed once more. We started walking down the sidewalk and we ended up near small like with a bridge over it. We walked up the bridge until we were right in the middle. The lake shone in the moonlight and the stars. The street lamps twinkled in the reflection of the water. Alex unlooped his arm and slung it over my shoulder, pulling me close. I couldn't help but blush at that. I also couldn't help but feel myself fall for him. Just a little bit. This night so far, has been amazing. I feel like it brought us closer than before.

"You know, you're really pretty you know that?" Alex whispered. I looked up at him.

"No, I didn't know that."

"It's true."

Alex then unslung his arm around me and put his hand on my waist. What was he doing? I felt my body turn towards him. He started leaning in and my breath caught in my throat. Was he about to kiss me? Suddenly, I felt his hands loosen at my waist and his fingers tapping it. Then I realized he wasn't about to kiss me. It was tickling me. I let out a quiet giggle.

"Alex, stop," I said.

"No," he said. He continued to tickle me until I was full on laughing. I pryed his fingers off of me and ran down the bridge with Alex following me. I continued laughing as Alex chased me around the pond.

"Stop!" I laughed.

"Never!" Alex then suddenly slipped and fell into the pond with a big splash. I gasped and ran toward the mini pond.

"Alex!" I called. "Alex!"

He didn't come back up. Uh oh. I then jumped in after him, getting my clothes soaking wet. A gasped up for air and splashed through the water looking for Alex. Suddenly, I felt arms wrap around my waist and pull me down under. I gasped and came back up for air. Alex was laughing behind me.

"You douche! Don't ever do that again!"

"Come on, Marie! It was funny!"

"No, it wasn't!"

"Calm down, will you? Let's get out before we get yelled at."

We both climbed out of the pond. Our clothes were stuck to our body, clinging to our skin. We both ignored it and started walking down the sidewalk, our shoes making wet tracks behind us. Alex again put his arm around me.

"What's with you and putting your arm around me?"

"Nothing, I just like doing it."

I smiled. We both didn't say anything for while until we came to the lamp post of Thames Street and South Broadway. Alex stepped in front of me, letting his arm fall to his side.

"Well that was fun," he said. My mind flickered to the eventful evening.

"Yeah it was," I smiled.

"I can't wait to actually do it for real tomorrow night."

"What?" I asked, confused.

"I'm going to do the same thing with Jasey. I'm starting to like her again."

My smile fell from my face and my heart stopped. He wants to do the same thing with Jasey? So this night meant nothing to him?

"Now I know this wasn't a date, but it was fun. Hope we can do it again sometime soon," Alex said. "Well I should really get going. School tomorrow. See you, Marie." Alex then walked off in the other direction, leaving me alone by the lamp post. It took me a minute to find out what was going on. This whole entire night was just a test. A test to see if Jasey will like it. Since I'm a girl and Jasey's a girl, Alex would assume since I liked it, Jasey will like it. I felt tears forming in my eyes. And the song Alex sang for me, 'Six Feet Under The Stars', wasn't written for me. It was for Jasey...I stood there for a few minutes staring to the place where Alex disappeared from. Looks like Alex looks at me only as a friend. And that hurts. It hurts a lot.