The Story Of My Life

5 years later – June 2012 - Baltimore, Maryland, USA

“I’m home honey!” I shouted as I walked through the door to the apartment, only to be met by a loud noise coming from what I worked out to be the bedroom.

I dropped my keys on the kitchen counter, and grabbed myself a bottle of water from the fridge and an apple from the fruit bowl in the middle of the island, before making my way towards the bedroom. I opened the door to see Alex dancing on top of our bed, the music blasting from the iPod dock on the windowsill. I immediately recognised it as that irritating Miley Cyrus song, and he had my hairbrush in his hand, back facing the door and singing as loud as he could into it.

I picked up a pillow which had been strewn on the floor and lobbed it at his head, watching with satisfaction as he jumped out of his skin, and running to turn the music off.

“Do you always have to dance on top of the bed I work so hard to make in the morning?” I teased him as he started making his way towards me.

“It’s just too irresistible, especially when that song comes on,” he smirked, wrapping his arms around my waist, as I wound mine around his neck.

“Hey,” he smiled down at me.

“Hey,” I grinned back, before he leant down to briefly connect our lips together, before we pulled away too soon from each other.

“So care to explain why you’re naked?” I laughed, gesturing to his boxer-clad body.

“I was trying to make an informed decision on what to wear for tonight,” he groaned.

“But Miley was so much more important?” I rolled my eyes. Typical Alex.

“Miley beckoned me to dance,” he pouted, “and then I couldn’t remember what I was doing, so carried on. I think I listened to that entire album…”

“Well I’m here now to keep you focused my dear,” I smirked, “what was the problem?”

“Blue shirt or white?” he asked, knowing this routine by now.

“I like it when you wear white,” I laughed, watching as he nodded and went to retrieve the white shirt hanging in the wardrobe.

“Red or black tie?”

“Black.”

“Skinny jeans or those horrible dress trousers?”

“Skinny jeans, it’s not that posh.”

“Awesome, what’re you gonna be wearing?”

“I was thinking cling film,” I teased, watching as he rolled his eyes.

“You can only wear that when we’re alone,” he scolded jokingly.

“Maybe I’ll save some for later,” I winked, causing him to roll his eyes again.

“No in all seriousness, I was thinking just that black dress,” although Alex had lost interest, and
was now concentrating on doing up his tie, and I laughed as he stuck his tongue out in concentration.

I went over and fished out the dress from the cupboard, and started fixing up my makeup and hair after I’d pulled it on over my head.

I was just doing the finishing touches, as I heard a knock on the door of our apartment, and I heard Alex, who was in the living room watching the football, go to answer it.
I gave myself a once over in the mirror before walking out to the rest of the apartment to greet whoever it was at the door.

“Wow,” Alex gasped, looking me up and down, “you look amazing.”

“You really do,” came the voice of Alex’s best friend from behind him.

“Thanks guys,” I blushed.

“Well now I feel under dressed,” Lily, Jack’s girlfriend, laughed.

“You look lovely, hun,” I assured her, after noticing she did in fact look amazing as she came over to give me a hug.

“Right, well we’ll be waiting downstairs,” Jack announced, pulling Lily out the door, and I went to follow, but was stopped, as I felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around me from behind, and pull me into a body.

“You really do look amazing love,” he whispered in my ear, before leaning over to kiss my temple, “Happy Birthday.”
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20 minutes later and we’d arrived at a fairly posh restaurant, and I clambered out of the vehicle.

“Happy Birthday Maya!” Cassadee smiled, attacking me with hugs and kisses as soon as I got out of the car.

“Thank you!” I laughed, hugging her back, before turning to embrace Rian, who wished me a happy birthday as well.

“You look amazing Maya!” Zack smiled, pulling me into a hug.

“Stop hitting on my girlfriend dude,” Alex joked, pushing Zack away and wrapping an arm around my shoulder.

“Shall we go in?” I suggested, looking around at our little group, watching as they all nodded their agreement, and we made our way into the restaurant, and then making our way to our table.

Alex sat to my left, whilst Cass sat to my right at a big round table in a private room we’d been given. Alex lay an arm around the back of my chair, and I leant into him, inhaling his scent, the one that made me realise I was home, as he ordered drinks for everyone. I watched as Cass and Rian whispered to each other, and Zack, Jack and Lily were all engaged in conversation, and a smile spread across my face. These were all my friends, and I loved it.

“Do you want your birthday present now?” Cass spoke up from her private conversation to turn to me, before pulling out a gift bag which was overflowing with tissue paper and glitter. Cass never did things by halves.

“Thank you,” I smiled, taking the bag from her and starting to delve into its depths.

I found a fairly small box inside, and opened it to find a beautiful silver watch.

“Thank you so much!” I grinned, pulling Cass into a side hug, and reaching back to thank Rian as well.

“Our turn! Our turn!” Jack exclaimed, thrusting a large box at me.

“Ok, thank you Jack,” I laughed, watching as Alex rolled his eyes at his best friend.

I opened the box, and inside was a new jumper from Glamour Kills and a big woolly scarf, “for winter” Lily explained.

“Thank you guys,” I smiled, walking round to hug each of them individually.

“Zack’s turn,” Alex smirked, watching as the bassist handed over an envelope.

I ripped open the envelope to see two tickets for the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, as me and Alex were visiting London just before Christmas.

“Aw, thank you so much Zack!” I jumped up again to give him a hug, laughing as he muttered something about “no big deal…”

“Alex’s turn!” Jack said excitedly.

“Alex has already given her ladyship her present,” Alex laughed, and I subconsciously twirled the beautiful earrings he’d gotten me around in my ears, and I thought back to the various CD’s and DVD’s lying on the coffee table in the living room.

“Well Alex is no fun,” Jack groaned, and I had to laugh at the small exchange.

“Alex is plenty of fun, just not with you anymore,” Lily joked, and I laughed at the way Alex’s eyes blew wide at the comment as he put his arm back around me.

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3 hours later and I’d maybe had too much to drink after we’d moved onto a local bar, whereas Alex was very much sober, as my designated driver and my chaperone.

“That wine goes straight to your head, I promise you Lexy, I didn’t have that much!” I smiled up at him, trying to do my puppy dog eyes but failing miserably as I tripped up and he had to reach out to catch me.

“I’m sure you didn’t Maya, but either way, you’ve had enough for tonight,” he chuckled as he pulled me towards the entrance to the bar, “you gonna say bye to everyone?”

“BYE EVERYONE!” I shouted to the bar, hearing the big shouts back from my friends, as well as Alex chuckle from beside me, as he lead me out to the street, and I looked around for his car but coming up blank.

“Where’d you park again?” I asked, scratching the top of my head in puzzlement.

“In the car park, love,” he smiled, and I pouted at that answer. It meant we had to walk.

“Piggy back?” I grinned up at him, and he rolled his eyes, leaning down, and I jumped on his back, ignoring his half-hearted protests.

I rested my head on his shoulder, feeling my eyes grow heavy, and the regular movement of his steps was bringing me down from my buzz.

“You ok up there?” he asked, but I was so out of it, I could only give him a little grunt of recognition.

We reached the car park and he shifted to grab his keys from his pocket, before I heard the small click as it unlocked. He shifted my weight against his back again as he leant down to pull open the door, and then he knelt down to move me gently off his back and into the seat, pulling my legs around into the car for me.

He shut the door, causing me to jump slightly, and I moved to do my seatbelt up, hearing him get in the car beside me and start up the engine, the radio coming on quietly.

“Are you OK Maya?” he asked me, and I looked over to see his caramel eyes were filled with concern, and I smiled up at him.

“I’m fine, can we just go home now?” I asked quietly, not wanting to break the atmosphere.

“Sure love,” he smiled down at me, although his concern was still there. I knew it would still be there until I recovered from my hangover tomorrow evening. He always worried about me, even when it wasn’t necessary.

“I had lots of fun tonight, Lex,” I mumbled sleepily, knowing he’d also worry about whether I had had a good time.

“I’m glad sweetheart,” he grinned at me, “I had fun too.”

“I love you Alex,” I whispered, closing my eyes to fall asleep but staying awake long enough to hear him reply the traditional “I love you too. So much.”