I held the old photograph in between my fingertips delicately. It was ten years old, so the picture was a little faded. But just because the picture was old and faded, that didn’t mean my memory of that night was. I mean, I haven’t thought about it in a long time, but that didn’t mean that I completely forgot about it. In fact, whenever it did pop into my head—like when I heard someone mention the word “prom” or anything that could spark my memory—I recollected it with what seemed like exact detail. I could practically feel my thumb skating across Alyssa’s rosy warm cheeks. I could nearly taste her lips on mine. I could hear the way she breathed and hummed when we danced together. The picture was withered, being stuffed away for all of these years, but the image of her in her beautiful dress and even more beautiful smile was sharp in my head. I smiled a little, but the nostalgia in my chest eventually made me frown.

“Vic?” I shot my head up, spotting Kayla in the door of my room. I smiled at her and casually folded the small photograph of me and Alyssa at her prom into a small square. I took my wallet out of my pocket and stuffed it in the spot behind my ID. “Whatchya doing?” she asked, leaning in the doorway and then tilting her head to the side, so the top of it was touching the frame.

I shrugged my shoulders and stood up, slipping my wallet into my back pocket. “Just looking at old stuff,” I said nonchalantly.

“Oh, yeah, I do that sometimes, too,” she said. “You know,” she crossed her arms over her chest and smirked a little. “I have yet to see baby and high school pictures of you.”

“That will never change,” I laughed, shaking my head.

“Aww, come on! I’ll show you mine,” she said, poking my stomach.

“Hell no,” I shook my head again. “We do not discuss those times,” I said lightheartedly, although I was very serious, too. She laughed and pouted.

“I bet your hair wasn’t that bad!” she teased.

“And I bet your teeth were wonderful.”

“How did you know about that?” she exclaimed.

“About what?” I laughed.

“That I had braces my senior year,” she crossed her arms again. I burst out laughing again, shaking my head.

“That’s unfortunate,” I stuck my tongue out at her.

“I’m sure you were just as unfortunate as I was back in the day,” she rolled her eyes sarcastically. I bit my lip and forced another laugh. I continued to walk forward and luckily she turned to walk with me, so she couldn’t see my face that was probably briefly struck with pain as I remembered. I shook it out of my head, though. I didn’t need to think about those times. Things were going too great for me to stress over the past.

But now the past is knocking on your present door, I reminded myself, biting my lip as Alyssa floated into my thoughts again. She was flying in today. And to Mrs. Perry’s request, we were all going to her house for a way over due family dinner. I couldn’t decide if I was going to tell Kayla about it, though. Did she really need to know that Alyssa was here?

Kayla. I shook my head again to refocus my distracted and over-thinking head on her.

“When did you get here, by the way?” I laughed, blinking a few times to bring myself back into reality. I didn’t really care—Kayla tended to pop out of nowhere on a regular basis—but it was the first thing I could think of asking to get my mind off of Alyssa.

“A few minutes ago. Mike let me in,” she shrugged her shoulders.

“We should do something today,” I said.

“That’s why I’m here,” she smiled, nudging me. “What do you want to do?”

I turned my wrist to check the time on my watch, seeing that it was already one o’clock in the afternoon. “We could go out for lunch, and then we can go to the mall or something?” I suggested.

Kayla smiled and held her hand up to her chin, pretending to think. “As long as you go into Victoria’s Secret with me,” she said.

“No promises,” I laughed. She giggled and took my hand as we walked out of my room and down the stairs.

“Where are you going?” I asked, spotting Mike swiftly walking towards the front door. He was wearing a t-shirt and jean vest, black jeans, printed vans, a hat lopsided on his head, and sunglasses already covering his eyes—he definitely looked like he was going somewhere.

“LA,” he said.

“Why? Are you not going—”

“No, that’s your thing, not mine. And I’m going to LA to see someone,” he said. I raised an eyebrow.

“Someone?” I asked.

“I’ll wait in the car,” Kayla said softly, patting my arm before exiting the house. I turned to Mike more directly.

“Why are you not going to the Perry’s tonight? Everyone is going,” I frowned.

“Like I said, it’s your thing, not mine.”

“It’s not my thing! It’s Tony’s mom. Tony is our best friend. And yeah I knew her before you and Jaime but she’s just as motherly to you guys as she is to Tony and I. Besides…” I sighed and scratched the back of my neck. “You know Alyssa is going to be there.”

Mike frowned and his facial expression visibly softened—although I couldn’t really see his eyes. “But, you guys are mature adults now. It shouldn't be that horrible,” he tried. I frowned and shook my head.

“I’m anxious. I don’t know what it’s going to be like. And it’s my fault we haven’t spoken in so long—”

“It’s not your fault. She could have called you, too. And she’s the one who hasn’t come home in a few years, even on Christmas, to see her brother and mother,” Mike said sternly. I nodded.

“I’m just nervous, that’s all,” I said.

“That’s understandable, dude. But it’ll be okay. Like I said, you’re both mature adults. If anything, it will refresh you a little to see her,” he said. I nodded again. “But I still can’t go. And I’m sorry. I’ve had these plans for a while.”

“It’s okay, Mike. I appreciate what you said, anyway. What are you doing, though?” I asked.

“I’m helping a friend out with a photo shoot. It would be a dick move to back out last minute,” he said.

“Okay, well, have a good time then,” I said.

“Oh, I will,” he said with a small smirk, his eyebrows wiggling. I laughed and shook my head.

“See ya whenever,” I chuckled, turning away from him. He mumbled a “see ya” as well and I walked over to Kayla, who was waiting in the car.

“You good?” she asked.

“Yes,” I smiled.

“So where are you taking me for lunch?" Kayla asked, her mouth uplifted into an excited grin. I tried not to think of Alyssa when she did that; they were alike in many ways.

No Vic. Kayla is Kayla and Alyssa, Alyssa; that’s all there is to it, I reasoned with myself. A few seconds of silence ticked by as I frowned out of the windshield lost in my own head, focusing too much on not thinking about Alyssa even though she was just about ruling my head right now, with her impending arrival, before I realized that Kayla had asked me a question and I hadn't even answered her.

"I was thinking maybe Project Pie?" I suggested. Her eyebrows lifted and a fake smile was plastered across her face as she nodded. I chuckled as I realized she had no idea what Project Pie was, although she was trying to act like she did. "It's the best pizza place in San Diego," I explained with a smile. I loved that place. You got to customize your own pizza and it always turned out delicious.

"Pizza? I approve," she clapped her hands together in excitement and that made me smile wider. I turned away from her quickly though because Alyssa yet again flashed in my head, because that was something she would say. The car made a slight chugging sound beneath us as we sped along, it was comforting and consistent, keeping us quiet yet not painfully silent at the same time, just what I needed.

Just like I promised her, the pizza was the best we'd ever tasted, and her smile was continuous throughout the whole lunch. I made small talk, about the weather and how I'd like to trade my car in for a better model. I told her she looked pretty because she did, her hair was half tied up and she'd put a few small curls in it, her lips were shaded a light pink and her eyelashes were extended by mascara.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She questioned almost blushing, I hadn't even realized I was still staring at her with such admiration. I wiped my mouth with a napkin, removing the remnants of the pizza from around it.

"I'm just happy," I shrugged reciprocating her almost blush. She put her hand on my shoulder and gave me her bedroom eyes, something she did often. I chuckled and shook my head.

"After shopping." Her smile turned into a smirk and I smirked back, "come on, let's go." I took her hand as the waiter began to clear the table, I thanked him and tipped him a couple of dollars because I was in a good mood. Today was a good day, I had to keep reminding myself that. I was spending the day with my girlfriend and then I was going to reconnect with my family. It had to be a good day. I kept beating that into my head to try and further convince myself, and put myself at ease. He smiled fondly and tucked it away in his pockets depths and we left hand in hand.

We got to the mall about fifteen minutes later, it was hot and stuffy, maybe the air conditioning was broken. I don't know but the air felt a little too thick. It was probably just me, though. I smiled anyway because I was with Kayla; that was supposed to make me smile, so I did.

"That shirt would look so good on you!" Kayla exclaimed, snapping me out of my thoughts immediately, but before I could follow with my eyes to where she was pointing to she was strutting away into a close-by store. I followed behind her absentmindedly. She was sifting through some clothes racks when I caught up to her, she flipped her hair off of her shoulder, a small action that reminded me a tiny bit of Alyssa. Although Alyssa would have done it in a nervous kind of way, not in the sassy way Kayla did it, dominant, confident.

I shook my head, why was I comparing the similarities (and differences) between my ex and current girlfriend?

"Vic, baby, look." Her voice cut through my whirling thoughts and I looked to her, she was standing with a smile plastered on her face, holding up a pink polo shirt. "You would look so hot in this!" She explained and I wrinkled my nose with a slight shake of my head.

"Pink really isn't my color," I replied, it wasn't even the color that bothered me, I just never ever wore polo shirts, ever, and I didn't want to start to either.

"Aw come on!" She pouted, "for me?" I chuckled and wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her closer.

"How about instead you pick something for yourself and I'll buy you it?" I suggested. Anything to get her away from that awful shirt.

"Really?" She gasped excitedly, "Okay!" She planted a quick kiss on my lips and strutted off, swaying her hips from side to side as she did.

I needed some air, the store was even hotter than the actual mall, add that to the San Diego sun beating down outside and I was on the verge of collapsing. I was used to heat here but sometimes the humidity was suffocating. I stepped outside the store for a few moments, my head a little dizzy, I didn't know if I was light headed because of the heat or the fact I was going to be seeing Alyssa tonight...after six years. My stomach rolled with nerves.

Then all of a sudden the reason she was coming back struck me in the chest—Mom was ill. My stomach rolled again, that woman had practically raised me, which said a lot about my parents considering you weren’t supposed to need anymore raising at nineteen years old. She'd shown me what a mothers love was supposed to be like (as corny as that sounded) so I no longer felt like I'd never really had parents who loved me, she had put all of Tony's and my broken pieces back together. She'd been a mom, a dad, and—even at times—a therapist.

I felt better about tonight, with these thoughts, not because she was sick but because I was so utterly grateful for everything she'd done for me and I couldn’t wait to see her. I did, however, feel like shit for avoiding her the past few years, too. Things had been so busy with the band lately, with extensive touring—we went all over the world, for the entirety of this year—and album writing, I was almost never home and even when I was home I was too tired or too busy to make it over to Mrs. Perry’s. What did that say about me?

I sighed and I pulled my phone from the depths of my pockets, the screen lit up and showed that I had a missed call from… Alyssa. I haven’t seen her name pop up on my phone in so long. It’s been even longer since I’ve tried calling her, to stay connected. About a year after we broke up—after dating for nearly five years—she stopped answering, I stopped calling, and that was it. It was becoming too much for both of us to try and continue being friends when we were so far away from each other. I have had my fair share of drunken nights spent contemplating shooting her a text message or even a phone call. I have never followed through, though. I wondered if she ever spent time debating whether or not to press send.

Well, clearing she had pressed send, today. I considered calling her back...what could she possibly want to speak to me about? Did this mean she was in town, now? My Alyssa—Alyssa, just plain Alyssa, she wasn’t mine anymore, was home, less than ten miles away at this very moment. My stomach did a little flip with all the possibilities.

"Vic!" I heard Kayla's voice again, I locked my phone and pushed it back into my pocket before looking up and smiling at her.

"Hey baby, did you find something?" I asked smoothly, she twisted her hair around her finger for a second and then grinned with a nod. "Yeah, come see." There was something mischievous in her smile and it made me curious to follow her. I kind of had a feeling as to what she was up to, though.

She dragged me half way around the store and just before I decided that she was taking me on some kind of annoying tour of the store, she stopped suddenly, almost causing me to bump into her because my mind was elsewhere and my reflexes were shit. It took me a second or two to realize that we were in the lingerie section, and then a sudden smirk appeared on my features. She picked up red-laced panties and the bra to match and held them in the air, looking at me with a smirk and her darkened bedroom eyes. I grinned and easily took them out of her hands, motioning over to where I could pay for them.

She clapped her hands together, "I knew you couldn't say no." She giggled and we were off.

"Today has been so much fun." She chirped as we were on the way home, she looked on top of the world sat there in the passengers seat and it was good to know I could make one person happy, even if I'd been fighting with my brother and conflicted about seeing my ex after too many years. My mind felt somewhat at ease as I drove, with her smiling happily next to me.

"Yeah it has," I agreed.

"Thank you, baby," she reached across the console to hold my hand and I smiled at her.

“No, thank you,” I smirked with a wink. She bit her lip and squeezed my hand, smiling sheepishly at me. “You’re too much,” I chuckled, shaking my head a little.

As soon as I parked into the lot and exited the car, Kayla was clung to my back, her legs wrapped around my torso and her arms loosely around my neck, just enough to keep her up but still have room to bury her head into my neck. I gripped under her thighs and walked with her on my back up to her apartment, struggling to hold her because my knees were weak with the way she was kissing my skin and also I wasn’t the strongest guy, after all.

She dangled her keys over my shoulder and I grabbed them, unlocking her apartment door and shoving it open. She slid down my back and her feet connected with the floor with a light thud, and she moved close to my side with her arm wrapped securely around my middle. I closed the door behind us and she turned me so we were facing each other. She leaned forward and up, surprising me with a gentle and sensitive kiss.

“Shall I change?” she asked with a wink. I bit my lip and nodded, gripping her face in between my hands and kissing her firmly this time. She pulled away reluctantly and grinned, skipping off to her bathroom to change. I laughed a little and headed off to her room. When I reached the doorway, I took a few elongated steps and belly flopped onto her bed, sinking into the mattress. I heaved a sigh and remained sprawled out on her bed, mentally and physically exhausted—although I wasn’t sure why I was so physically tired, I didn’t even do that much today. My mind started to drift again, but before I could get to thinking about who I was going to be seeing later, I pulled my thoughts back to the present, to Kayla who I was seeing now.

“Vic,” I heard her laugh. She gently tickled my back and the bed sunk in, she climbed on top of me, straddling my lower back and leaning over to speak in my ear. She curled her fingers into my hair and kissed the back of my head. “Wake up,” she giggled.

“Vic,” I heard someone whisper softly, nudging my shoulder. I reopened my eyes and turned my head, gazing up at Alyssa.

“Hi,” I grinned.

“You fell asleep,” she giggled, climbing over to me. I kept my head turned and half of my face pressed into the pillows, and she hovered over me and planted a kiss on my exposed cheek.

“Really?” I yawned.

She chuckled. “Yes, really,” she straddled my lower back and leaned over, kissing the back of my head. Her wet hair dripped across my face.

“You smell nice,” I smiled.

“Thanks! It’s french vanilla.”

“It’s wonderful.”

“I’m glad you like it,” she laughed. She rested back and gently slapped her hands down on my upper back. “Ready?” she asked, sliding off of me and landing on the ground.

“Yes,” I sat up and shook my limbs out, waking myself up. “Aw,” I said when I got a better look at her now that I was sitting up.

“What?” she asked, flipping her hair and towel drying it.

“You look pretty.”

“Vic, what the hell?” Kayla pulled me back from my small memory, slapping her hands down in defeat on my upper back just like Alyssa had done, but with more irritation.

“Huh?” I blinked and turned my head, seeing her frowning at me, a true scowl decorating her pretty face.

“You zoned out again! Sorry I’m not interesting to you,” she continued to frown, sitting back and crossing her arms over her chest.

“Oh, shit, I’m sorry Alyssa—”

“Excuse me?!” she yelled, her eyes wide and angry. I widened mine, too, in horror.

“Fuck,” I muttered.

“Oh my, God, Vic!” she exclaimed.

“Kay—”

She growled at me and swung her leg over. I didn’t even get any look at her before she huffed off to the back of her door, slipping on a robe that was hung up.

“Babe, I’m so sorry—”

“Don’t babe me!” she exclaimed, storming across the room but then storming back to the door, like she didn’t really know where to go or what to do with herself—I didn’t blame her.

I finally brought myself to roll over and tentatively got up. I scratched my face nervously, staring at the fuming Kayla.

“What the fuck, Vic?” she raised her arms in exasperation. I scratched my head. I didn’t know how to explain myself. “I thought you said she was in New York! You’re fucking cheating on me, aren’t you?” she yelled.

“No! I swear, I’m not! Kay, I promise you,” I said quickly, taking a few steps towards her.

“Ugh! Then what was that?”

“I don’t know…”

“For fucks sake, Vic! You asshole!”

“Kayla, I’m not cheating on you!” I exclaimed. “When would I have time to cheat on you, anyway? We’re always together! Jesus Christ!”

“Oh, I’m sorry, is that a problem?” she asked, putting her hand on her hip and staring at me severely.

“That’s not how I meant it,” I sighed through my teeth.

“It sounded like it,” she crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. I took a few steps closer to her so we were a few feet away. She turned a little, still in her pout, not wanting to face me directly. Her eyes were watering; she was trying to be angry but I could tell she was hurt.

“Kayla, I’m sorry,” I said quietly. “I just remembered something about her for a second, I have a lot on my mind, and I don’t know how to process it all. But that doesn’t mean anything,” I said.

“You’ve been thinking of her? Why?” she asked. Her voice was a little shaky and I felt horrible for making her upset, especially after the nice day we had.

I bit my lip. Now wasn’t exactly a good time to tell Kayla that Alyssa was going to be in town, was it? “I don’t know,” I said in a small voice. “Mike’s been bugging me about her for some reason, so it has my head spinning. I swear it—”

“Okay,” she interrupted, although her voice was soft and quiet.

“Okay?” I questioned. She sighed.

“I guess I understand. I don’t like fighting with you but I also don’t like how you zone out so much and you’re always thinking of her,” she said, turning back to face me.

“I don’t like fighting either,” I said with a small frown. “And it’s not always… you know that. It’s just here and there, and this time I really fucked up and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I don’t know what else to say. It was a mistake.” She nodded slowly. She still looked uncomfortable but I honestly had no excuse to give her—not one that she would like to hear, at least.

“You think too much,” she said quietly.

I nodded. “I know.” That would never change.

“I just, ugh,” she secured her arms around herself and frowned again. “I just don’t understand why she would pop into your head in that moment! Do you understand how horrible that makes me feel?”

“I’m sorry, Kayla! I can’t control it when memories pop into my head. I know, it was bad timing, I know. I’m sorry.” She sighed and ran her ringers through her hair.

“She meant a lot to you, didn’t she?” she asked, scrunching her mouth up a little in thought. I nodded.

“But that doesn’t mean—”

“I know, Vic,” she sighed. “Just… you’ve been so unraveled lately. Get yourself together, okay?” she sighed again, shaking her head.

“I will. I promise,” I declared. She nodded and then looked at the floor. I stepped forward slowly and closed the distance between us, wrapping her in a gentle and apologetic hug. She sighed lightly and buried her face in my shoulder, eventually hugging me back. “Sorry for ruining the moment,” I added, my face pressed into her hair.

“It’s fine,” she said, pulling away. “I’ll catch you by surprise, next time,” she said with a small smile that eventually turned into a smirk. One of the things that I liked about Kayla was that she was usually very forgiving. She could be hot headed at times but only when it was really called for, she was never out of line and usually understood and tried to fix the problem to the best of her ability. She really was a sweetheart, hence why I kept her around. I wouldn’t be dating her if I had a probably with her personality. I felt like shit for what I had done to her—even though Alyssa was on my mind, Kayla didn’t deserve being ignored like that.

I pulled her back with me and fell backwards onto the bed. I curled up with her, my head on the pillows and her head on my chest, our legs intertwined, my arms resting droopily across her lower back, and her arms wrapped around my neck loosely. “Are we okay?” she asked quietly. I felt bad because she asked the question as if she was the one who repeatedly dragged her ex into conversation.

“That’s really up to you,” I said.

“Okay,” she said. “But, is there something I’m doing that—”

“No, Kayla,” I interrupted, shaking my head. “You’re fine. This is all on me.”

“Okay, then,” she said quietly. “Why are you so stressed, baby? Why are you thinking so much?” she asked, picking her head up to look at my face, while she lifted her hand to brush her fingers through the side of my hair.

“I don’t know,” I shook my head. “Actually, I do know! I haven’t had the time to think in a really long time, because of touring and writing and stuff, and now that I have free time my brain is forcing me to process shit that I should have processed years ago,” I said.

“That actually makes sense,” she nodded. I was glad she understood; although I felt guilty because she didn’t really know the truth.

We laid there for a few more minutes—I didn’t know how long. I still felt horrible but I didn’t let it show and she didn’t let show that she was angry or upset with me. Calling your girlfriend someone else’s name was probably one of the worst, unforgiving things ever.

I looked down, seeing Kayla’s eyes closed and she was breathing evenly. Seeing that she had fallen asleep, I gently slid out from under her, she hardly even stirred, and went to her bathroom. I scrunched up my face in the mirror, I just looked really tired in general. I still haven’t recovered from the rigorous touring schedule. I yawned a little and turned the faucet, then I splashed my face with water. That honestly made me feel a little better. I shook out my limbs and stretched a little. I dried my face with a nearby towel, stretched out again, and returned to Kayla’s room.

She was lying on her stomach, her head turned so her left cheek was on a pillow. Kayla had a lot of energy, it was only a matter of time before she crashed like this. I sighed a little and kicked off my shoes, climbing back up onto her bed carefully. I hovered over her and brushed her hair off of the side of her face; I gently kissed around her ear and on the side of her neck. She sighed softly. I tenderly swept her hair back more, turning my head so I could kiss the back of her neck. She shifted a little from underneath me and her eyes fluttered open. She smiled contently and sighed, reclosing her eyes as I continued to pepper her skin with soft kisses.

“Mm,” she sighed again, as I brought my lips back to around her ear. She tried to turn and roll over, but before she could I put my hand on her right side, holding her into me.

“Shit,” I mumbled, as I glanced at the time.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice was quiet and distant, dreamy almost. I bit my lip and sighed, lowering myself completely on top of her. She turned her head so her breath was on the side of my face.

“I just realized,” I started with another sigh, “That I have to go.”

She stuck her bottom lip out and rolled her body over, this time I let her. I wrapped my arms completely around her and relaxed my head into her shoulder.

“Why?” she asked.

“I have to go to my mom’s,” I said, the words just slipping out. Did I really have the right to call Mrs. Perry my mom, after not being around for so long? My thoughts over the past few days were really beginning to eat me alive.

“I thought you said your parents died?” she asked curiously. I couldn’t help but laugh. My biological parents were still alive and kicking for all I knew, but I decided to give them a taste of their own medicine, acting like they were dead because honestly, that was what they were to me. I lifted my head up to see Kayla giving me a funny look. I sat up and so did she, both of us sitting with our legs crossed and our knees touching.

“Uh, yeah, sorry. By my mom I mean Tony’s mom—”

“Aww, that’s so cute!” she exclaimed. I raised my eyebrow at her. “Just like, you guys are all close now so their moms are your moms,” she clarified. “It’s so adorable. You guys are like a little family!”

I smiled and laughed with a nod. “Yes, that’s true.”

“So, you have to go now?” she asked. I nodded.

“Yeah, uh, I have to check in on her,” I said. I scratched the back of my neck. I definitely wasn’t going to tell her that Alyssa would be there. Especially after what I did earlier, maybe now was not the time. I crawled out of bed and rolled my head around my neck, cracking the building stress out. Kayla followed quietly behind and gently grabbed my hand as we walked out of her room and into the main room.

“Oh, she’s sick, right?” she asked softly.

“Yeah,” I sighed. “And I’ve been really bad, not visiting enough,” I regretted. “But we’re all going over there to see her.”

“Oh, okay,” she nodded. “I wish her well,” she smiled gently.

“Thanks, Kay,” I smiled and leaned over, kissing her cheek. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” I said. She nodded. “And, I’m sorry about before. I’ve been really shitty, I’m sorry,” I murmured.

“It’s okay, Vic, I understand,” she said with a small nod. I smiled weakly and so did she, we leaned forward and I kissed her softly. “Have fun,” she said, just as Lilly came into view and Kayla scooped her up in her arms. I smiled and turned, leaving her apartment. I walked slowly down the stairs, my nerves building up. I just had to keep Mrs. Perry as my top priority—but even that made me nervous, too.

“Hi, Vic,” I heard. I looked ahead to see Jen, Kayla’s friend, entering the complex. Her straight white teeth dug into her bright crimson-colored lips. I couldn’t help but chuckle at her.

“Sup, Jen,” I greeted her. She brushed my arm as I passed her and I just shook my head, quickening my pace to my car. I checked the time on my wrist—I was supposed to be there ten minutes ago. I cursed silently to myself and buckled up in the driver’s seat, starting the car.

I hastily pulled out of the parking lot and sped my way to the Perry’s. I tried not to think too much while driving, although I could already feel my nerves tingling. I haven’t felt this way in a long time; my heart was pumping and I couldn’t stop tapping my fingers against the wheel. Sure, I got nervous before shows, but not like this. This was the kind of nervous where my head felt light and the top of my throat closed and I felt nauseous.

Sooner than I preferred, I was parked on the street at Mrs. Perry’s house. I reached across to the passenger seat and grabbed my phone. My stomach flipped, as I remembered that Alyssa had called me and I never did get back to her. I didn’t know why she called but I figured she was already in the house, that I had missed my opportunity to talk to her privately. I shoved my phone into my pocket and shut off the car. I took off my hat, ran my fingers through my hair, and then put my hat back on. With a heaving sigh, I exited the car and looked up at the house I was approaching. I shivered, nostalgia twisting in my chest again. It has been so long since I have personally been here—Tony has, over holidays, but I was always busy and preferred to spend the holidays just with Mike. Or I was just a coward. I felt more and more sick the closer I got to the house. Before I knocked on the door, I wiped my face with my sleeve and took a deep breath. This was where I met Alyssa. This was where my life was saved… This was where I fell in love…

“Vic!” I blinked and suddenly there was Mrs. Perry, the door wide open but her arms open wider.

I smiled and stepped into the house, allowing her to engulf me into a big hug. I hugged her back carefully but I did, for a moment, close my eyes and rest my head on her shoulder. I felt so home here. “Hi,” I said in a small voice.

“Oh, look at you! You look so handsome, Vic!” we pulled away and she continued to smile at me. She lifted her hand and gently patted my cheek. “It’s been too long,” she scolded gently. I blinked again and frowned with regret, nodding. “But it’s okay. You’re here now! I’m so happy to see you. And look at how healthy you look,” she mused, leaving her hand on my cheek for another moment. She stared at me for a moment, her eyes lit up with pride and they were also a little watery. I smiled and hugged her again. “Well! Everyone’s here. Come on in, Vic,” she said.

I smiled, but then I shuddered. There was definitely something lodged in my throat because I suddenly couldn’t breathe. “Wow. I can’t get over this. You’re such an adult now. You look great,” she continued to go on and on, eventually mumbling things to herself while holding my arm and pulling me into the all too familiar living room. As we did, we passed the stairs leading to the second floor. I gazed at it longingly for a moment, thinking about how many times I have gone up and down those stairs, to see and be with Alyssa. I shook my head and continued on with her. She squeezed my arm, as if she knew that I was internally freaking out over being here.

“Look, it’s the cat that finally decided to drag in!” Jaime called.

We all laughed at Jaime. “Jaime can’t talk good,” I chuckled, shaking my head and rolling my eyes playfully. Mrs. Perry released my arm when we arrived into the small kitchen. I closed my eyes for a second because when I opened them I knew who I would see, and I wasn't sure how well that would go. I swallowed the pit in my throat and forced a genuine smile, in Alyssa’s direction.

She was sitting on the counter, her legs swinging and her head down. She didn't even notice that I was here. Her fingers were tracing patterns on the top of her thigh. She was in her own little world, her silky, dark brown hair falling in front of her face. She was wearing, what looked like, high-waist denim shorts, a black tank top underneath, and one of those big, bulky, designed sweaters that went down to the end of her shorts. I was glad she hadn’t looked up yet, giving me a moment to take in the image of her. I looked around—Jaime and Tony were goofing around while helping Mama cook. Alyssa was still just sitting there and I was standing there dumbly, by myself.

I took a breath and decided to man up. I casually walked over to her, slowing down the closer I got because I didn’t know what to say. I bit my lip for a moment and then gently tapped her shoulder. Her head shot up and she stared at me for a moment, while I stared at her, melting in her eyes and fighting the urge to touch my hand to her soft, tan cheek. She still looked just like the Alyssa I used to know, just more slimmed out into maturity. Her mouth stretched into a smile, a smile I couldn’t help but return.

“Hi, Alyssa.”

Notes

dun dun duuunn!!

Lot's happened in this chapter, I feel like. Oh, and the wonderful Fuentits helped me write this, specifically Vic and Kayla's date and she just helped me in general be able to write this because I was feeling uninspired. Go read her stories and stuff :P

Soo what do you think is going to happen? We have some interesting stuff coming up, yaay :) Let me know what you think and comment and stuff! Thanks for reading! <3