If These Sheets Were the States

"Alex, will you please put that damn phone down and pay attention?"

My thoughts were broken by the sound of my best friend and band mate, Jack Barakat. We were in the middle of a jam session, trying to record another demo so that we could land a gig at a local venue. I couldn't focus, though. My phone buzzed, alerting me that Lexi had sent me a new email. I allowed my eyes to graze over Jack for a moment, before I held up my hand and asked him to wait just another moment.

A smile broke through my lips when I read the words my girlfriend had carefully typed out. Apparently, since this was her first year in the home schooling program, she was given a Summer vacation just like the other kids in her town. Apparently, this was in hopes that she could keep up with her social life. In reality, this meant that neither of us had a strict schedule to work around. We could talk freely anytime we wanted to now.

"I don't know why you're so wrapped up in thie girl," Jack commented, a blank expression on his face. "What if she's like, some old man, masturbating when you guys have cyber sex?"

"I'm not concerned about that for two reasons. One: I've talked to her on the phone before, Jack. Several times. Two: We don't have cyber sex. It's not like that with Lexi. Sex isn't even part of the reason why I'm in love with her. She's beautiful and all, but our relationship runs so much deeper than that."

"Someone bring Gaskarth some tissues," Jack shouted to the rest of the band. "We've got an honest-to-God chick flick unfolding in Zack's basement!"

Jack earned a laugh from our other two band mates, but I didn't find him to be at all funny. Constantly, I was being poked fun at because I was dating a girl he'd never met. Not one of my friends, or even my family, understood why I would pick a girl who didn't even live in the states. It wasn't something I could easily explain, either. Lexi just got me. She understood every word out of my mouth, every thought in my head, as if it were her own.

We met when I was sixteen. It was a few months after I created my email account, when her name appeared on my new messages list. I was curious, so my eyes scanned the words and I decided to respond to the girl, being kind enough to tell her that she'd sent a message to the wrong person. Lexi instantly replied with an apology note, feeling terrible that she'd wasted his time. I knew from that moment that I didn't want her to ever stop talking to him. Our bond grew from there. First, we were internet pen-pals, but we quickly became friends and a few months later, I'd fallen for her.

"She's lives in Canada, Alex," Rian sighed, plopping down on the couch beside the me. "Do you ever really think you're even going to met her? Bro, there are so many girls around here that would kill to have a moment of your time. You could be pulling in more ass than Baraslut."

"I'm not into that anymore," I shrugged simply. "I remember what it was like to hook-up with girls and toss them to the side. What are you guys not understanding when I tell you it's different with Lexi?"

"Jack may have worded it badly," Zack shrugged, his eyes gentle to his words, "but he's right. You don't know who you're really talking to."

"I'm sure her friends say the same thing about me. I don't look like an old perv, do I?"

"Well, you're definitely a perv," Jack snickered, punching his best friend in the leg. "And your hairline makes you look like an old fuck."

"Ha-Ha," My eyes rolled. I pulled my body off of the couch and flipped my friends the bird. "You guys finish up without me. We can record tomorrow."

As my feet climbed the stairs, I could hear groans coming from my friends. They would never understand how I could be in love with a girl he'd never met. Lexi was the sweetest, most amazing girl I'd ever had the pleasure of getting to know. If it wasn't for her, I'd still be drunk every weekend, hooking up with any girl that would have me. If it wasn't for her, I'd have no hope in humanity or even believe that love was a real thing.

Lexi Gregory may have been a mystery, but she was mine, and no one had a right to try and make me feel bad for that. This girl was like gravity, keeping me glued to the Earth when the simple mention of her name made me want to float away. I was determined to get to her someday, even if it was the last thing I did. I would honestly give my last breath just to see her smile.

And that's when I knew exactly what I was going to do. Come tomorrow night, I'd be on my way to her embrace. Even if I had to walk a thousand miles, I was going to get to her and I was going to prove everyone wrong.