Chapter Text
After all that has happened to Alex in the past year, he was having a hard time finding a reason to get out of bed in the mornings.
He was having an even harder time ignoring the banging and ringing of the door bell.
Turning to his side with his pillow tight over his ears, he noticed how quickly fall had taken over The Valley. Long gone was his favorite season, his already-fading tan, and beach days with Haley. In its place was dying trees, brittle grass, and overwhelming amounts of shades of orange.
“Alex! Boy, get the door! Make it stop!” George barked down the hallway, his eyes never leaving the TV screen.
After a deep sigh, Alex finally got out of bed to find Haley blowing up his door.
“Finally! My Yoba, I thought you had died. What took you so long?” Haley took in his appearance and pushed her sunglasses, the ones Alex had just gotten her for her birthday, on her head. “You’re looking extra scrubby today, what’s up?”
Alex caught a glimpse of himself in her sunglasses, immediately understanding what she meant. “My life is a shit show.”
Haley winced. “Ew, you sound like that Sebastian kid.”
Another reason my life sucks.
Alex sighed. “What do you want, Haley?”
“No need to be rude! I was actually inviting you out tomorrow night! You need it.”
Before taking the rest of this conversation outside, Alex peeked into the living room to find Grandpa George immersed in the TV, and shooed Haley onto the porch.
“You know I can’t leave at night! What if he needs me and I’m not there?”
Haley crossed her arms, like a school teacher about to scold her student. “Alex, you’re working yourself to death over here, you need a break.”
“I can’t get one! Everyone thinks Harvey’s pricing is bad till they get a Zuzu City medical bill. Plus, I think I have to get some wood for Robin due tomorrow morning, and some fruit to find for Kent.”
“And after?”
Alex threw his head back in desperation, wishing she’d take no for an answer. “I don’t know! Maybe sleep? Hide away for the rest of the year?”
“Enough with the dramatics! If I find someone to look after George, will you go? There’s a new band playing at that club you like, Hot Addiction. The band is supposed to be pretty good. Pleaseeeeee?”
Haley had stuck out her bottom lip and clasped her hands together, almost begging her now reclusive friend to socialize. Her pure blue eyes seemed to shimmer no matter the weather, and complimented her blue sparkly nail polish she definitely borrowed from Emily. Over the years she’s mastered the almost-no-makeup makeup look and dressing herself to highlight her best ‘assets.’
If Alex was straight there was no doubt in his mind he would date Haley. There wasn’t anything about her he didn’t like, other than the fact she wasn’t an emo asshole who smoked cigarettes, rode an obnoxiously loud motorcycle, and spent all his days on the computer.
“I don’t know Hales, I kinda haven’t been the most social since I moved back. I don’t think anyone wants to help me out or anything.”
Alex met her eyes and knew there wasn’t any chance that she was going to let this go, and perhaps he owed her a night out. He knew he was a bummer to hangout with these days.
Exhausted already, he gave up. “Fine! If you can find someone to watch a dementia patient, who for some reason thinks he’s still working in the mines at night, I guess I’ll go with you.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow! Be ready by seven! And make sure you shower AND shave, you don’t pull off that stubble.” And with that, Haley turned on her heel and headed straight back to her house.
Why the fuck am I going? I don’t even like going out anymore!
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“Alex! You’re done early!” Robin exclaimed.
Early is not how Alex would put it. It was already six, and he still had to go home and get ready for this stupid night out with Haley.
“You can set the wood right there next to the other piles.” Robin gestured him into the house, taking some of the wood out of his hands. Alex dropped the stacks and made his way to the store counter, where Robin was gathering his payment.
“Can I ask what you’re doing with all the wood?” His tone was somewhat curious, as Robin usually had her customers bring their own wood.
“Oh! Well, it’s supposed to be a surprise, but since you two don’t talk I’m sure it’s fine. Mayor Lewis has approved building small homes where the old quarry used to be, and seeing as Sebastian will be twenty next season, I’m sure he’ll like living there instead of the basement.”
This caught Alex off guard. Other than Evelyn’s funeral, he hadn’t seen Sebastian since he’s been home. He’d figured he had moved away and only came to the funeral because of the nagging of his mother. Alex hung his head down sheepishly, fighting the red from blushing his cheeks, and losing.
“Right, I didn’t think he still lived in the Valley.” Alex mentioned, not meeting Robin’s eyes.
“Well, you were gone for a while, and then Evelyn’s passing, I don’t blame you for being a little out of the loop.” Robin gave Alex that pity smile he was all too familiar with.
She handed him his payment, thanked him, and went to sort the wood when she remembered something.
“Oh! Alex!”
“Yes?”
She looked the young man up and down. “You’re pretty strong wouldn’t you say? I already have some other people asking for small homes at the quarry, and I’m going to need some help. Would you be interested?”
She’s offering me a job out of pity.
Construction, or the gathering of construction materials, is not what Alex imagined his future to be. He was supposed to be on the Gridball field, lights shining down on him. He’d become one of the best players, receiving all the love and attention he never had, maybe have a wife and a couple of kids. Instead, he was technically unemployed, having to take care of his Grandpa who didn’t remember his name most days, and got off to fucking Sebastian of all people in the shower.
Alex awkwardly shoved his hands in his front pants pockets. “Uh, I would have to think about it. I can’t be out of the house for too long, you know, because of my grandpa and stuff.”
“Right! Sorry! I could work around that of course! You just let me know.”
“Thank you, Miss Robin.”
On his way back to his house, Alex took note that even though the Valley had changed in appearance, with the now thriving community center and the quarry getting revamped, some of the people didn’t. Robin was still as patient and caring as she was in high school, where Alex and Sebastian would be sent to the principal's office almost every week after getting into it with each other. She’d always take the time to hear both sides of the story, even scolding her own son for his part in the fights. Of course, these values weren’t passed down to her son, and Alex still thought Sebastian had it out for him.
Opening his front door, Alex was met with Haley at his kitchen table, hair curlers in and doing her makeup, while George and Emily seemed to be reading a book together, out loud, on the couch.
Anybody else can take better care of him than me.
Haley broke his self-pitying thought. “I told you I’d find someone!” Alex took the empty seat next to Haley and watched Emily and his Grandpa.
“Why is she reading to him? One of his weird game shows is coming on.”
Haley barely seemed to notice that he was talking to her, focusing on her mascara application. “He picked it out! Said he was tired of TV or something. Now go shower! No girl is going to dance with you when you smell like that.”
“We’re still doing this?” Alex groaned, thinking she would settle for a couple hours at the Saloon instead.
“Yes! I didn’t agree to take on the house chores for a month just so you could back out!”
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In the shower Alex thought about all the other stuff he’d rather be doing instead of going to a too loud club, with girls he’d never be able to find attractive, and alcohol that has no appeal to him.
The best he could come up with was going to sleep and never waking up again, but Haley would find a way to get his undead body out of bed anyway. He was lucky she still stuck around, considering Alex's “Asshole Gridball player” phase didn’t falter for her.
Alex got out of the shower, shaved his five o'clock shadow, got dressed, and took a minute to look at himself in the mirror. He still had most of his muscle mass, which looked really good in the shirt Haley had left out on his bed for him, along with the semi too tight pants. His hair was growing out a little too long for his liking, but it wasn’t anything some gel wouldn’t fix.
He was considering if asking for some concealer to hide his massive undereye bags would out himself to Haley when she interrupted his self examination.
“Alex Mullner! Stop feeling bad for yourself and hurry! We don’t wanna miss the band!” She whined, right outside his door.
He groaned, took one more look at himself, and headed to the door.
Suck it up for a few hours and you’ll be able to sleep the next day away.