alex-caldwell

[alex-caldwell]

Alex felt like he was staring at Val too intensely, but he was almost afraid that if he looked away, she'd disappear before his very eyes. The moment had evaporated just as soon as it had begun, and now he felt like he was floundering.

"Um, yeah," he confessed, expression as confused as it was sheepish. "It is... a lot. A lot of change."

He hesitated, when Val told him to go ahead. Like, he knew it was what she was saying, but was it what she actually wanted? His eyes searched her expression for some glimmer of something, some clue, but it was neutral. And now he felt acutely aware of how empty his hand felt, where hers had once been.

"Okay..." The single syllable, muttered slowly, was almost a test. He let it hang in there for just a moment too long, like he was daring her to stop him, to tell him to wait, to say... something concrete, something he could grasp onto.

But it never came. He turned, only halfway, to walk back toward whereabouts he thought he saw Farrah and Emmy earlier, when he left to use the facilities. Val didn't stop him, so he kept going. Then, Alex couldn't help it, he took a glance back. He just couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed between them just now. And it wasn't for the better.

END.

The second she felt his fingers loosening their grip on hers, Val's fears were confirmed. There was something going on with Alex, something he wasn’t exactly coming all the way out and saying. Maybe he was just too nice to say it to her face, but as his hand slipped away, she felt a chill settle over her. At her big age, she was misinterpreting things, letting her own feelings slip into territory the very nature of their... dynamic said neither of them would go. But now, with this weird distance between them, it was painfully clear that she wasn’t reading the signs as well as she thought she had been.

"Wow, that must be a big change for you... and Emmy." she said finally, forcing herself to keep her tone light. Her gaze flicked down to where their hands had just been, and she tried not to flinch at the empty space he’d left.

"You go ahead, I'm sure you guys have lots to catch up on." The lighthearted urging felt heavy as it slipped past her lips, taking so much more from her than she cared to admit. She just hoped it would at least ease some of his nerves, even if it left her standing alone, painfully aware of how much she’d started caring.

[alex-caldwell]

Coming to Briar Ridge hadn't exactly been easy on Alex by any means, but he thought it would all sort of... level out. Instead, things had more so reached a fever pitch. So, when Farrah had suggested she spend a weekend with Emmy, Alex was grateful for the time 'off,' even if he missed his little mini-me the second she was out of his sight.

It was sad, really, that he'd ended up at the bar alone, especially considering he had enough friends to not be, but... Callum was also Gen's friend, so he felt weird calling him, considering where things stood between himself and Gen. He'd somehow royally messed things up with Val and hadn't the faintest idea how to fix it, so she was out. Farrah wasn't ever really an option considering she'd probably cuss him out and then hang up on him under normal circumstances, but considering how thoroughly he'd pissed her off the last time they'd spoken, it was a miracle she hadn't blocked his number, broken his nose, or both. He had no idea what to say to Cam, or Gen, for that matter. Marco was definitely working.

He hadn't wanted to bother Leyla in the first place. considering she probably had Billie and also a life of her own that didn't involve bailing him out of something stupid, but then by the time last call came, he ended up texting her anyway. She knew he was drunk right away; maybe it was the extra letters at the end of his 'heyyyujyyy.'

In any event... "Leyla to the rescue!" He exclaimed as his friend came to a stop beside him and he greeted her with a big smile, both hands braced on her passenger's side door through the open window. "Hi. Thanks for coming. You're so nice to me."

WHO — closed starter for @alex-caldwell WHERE — outside golden hour WHEN — late saturday night

Leyla pulled up outside the bar, the familiar neon lights flickering in the dark like a beacon of chaos — one she knew all too well. The sound of laughter and clinking glasses filtered through the late evening air, but her attention was fixed on Alex, who was swaying slightly on the sidewalk. A goofy grin was plastered across his face, and she could tell he was definitely in no state to drive. She rolled her eyes with a smile, and rolled down the passenger window. Picking him up at this hour was practically a rite of passage. When Alex texted, she'd just about gotten in her pyjamas, but she didn't mind being designated driver if it meant keeping her friends safe—especially for Alex. Leaning toward said window, she called out with a playful smirk, "Get in, loser! We're going shopping!" She couldn't help but chuckle at how fitting that phrase felt in this moment. "Come on, get in. Stop making me feel like a creep. Your uber's here."

[alex-caldwell]

Alex glanced at Lia, almost impressed by how easily she'd just offered up so much information about herself. He was always trying to tell people as little about himself as possible; it was refreshing. "Oh, so you moved away and came back? What's the story there?" A beat later, he realized just how intrusive the question sounded. "Sorry, feel free to tell me to shut up. I was just curious. That seems to be a common theme around here. The leaving and coming back, I mean."

Just the mention of Emmy brought a smile to Alex's lips, but he was always trying not to be that dad, who was always yapping about his kid; so he kept it to a minimum. "She's 2 now, and really not so terrible, for the record."

He laughed quietly, but allowed the conversation to naturally move on. "Out West, like California? I've never been further than Vegas. Dyed in the wool east cost dweller, I guess. Manhattan, actually. My aunt was retiring, asked me if I wanted a bit of a quieter place to raise a kid, and I jumped at the opportunity. New York was a good place for a bachelor, less so for an overwhelmed single dad."

Especially one who was coming off a high-profile affair and ensuing divorce but, really, who was keeping track?

"I never even thought of that, hopefully we can find a couple at least." It had been a while since she'd walked the halls of her old high school, but it didn't look like it had changed much. "God, it's so weird being back here. I left town so soon after I graduated, this is the first time I've been back since. Almost feel like I should be in my cheer uniform again, moaning about my GPA." Glancing up at Alex, she offered a small smile before she gestured for them to take a left at the end of the corridor. "Oh really? How old is she?"

Crossing her arms as they walked, her hand gently rubbed against her arm to try and take some of the chill away. "I've been away for a while, but it's really not a rare occurrence. Generally, you'd just stay home and hunker down or you leave town if there's an evacuation if it's really bad, being right on the ocean makes it worse for us generally." Reaching for a door handle, she was grateful when the staffroom door opened and she could step inside. "I'm more used to earthquakes after living out west for so long, but you'll get used to it, just always be prepared." Grabbing a rogue sweater from one of the hooks, Lia tugged it on before stepping back out of the room. "Right, library and raiding vending machines, let's do this."

Rolling up the sleeves a little, she led them back down the corridor. "So where are you from originally? What made you move down south?"

[alex-caldwell]

Arguing with Farrah had been fun and sexy when it was playful, and when it ended... other ways than this. But now? Now, he was just pissed off. It was just like her to disappear and then think she could just pop off like they were still on the sort of terms where he would take it from her. "You can drop the bullshit nonchalant act, Farrah. You wouldn't be here if you didn't care. I think you're forgetting that I know exactly where to look to find all those weak spots you try so hard to hide." Despite the low pitch of his voice, it was all venom, as if every sound had clawed its own way out through his gritted teeth.

When he'd clumsily sort of fallen into their affair, it had never occurred to him they'd fall out like this — this badly, or this publicly — but if it had, he might've taken a little more precautions. Now, they were inextricably linked, in the form of the little girl who bore exactly fifty percent of each of their DNA. And they could only really agree on the fact that she deserved the moon, sun, and every star in existence. Go figure.

I had an entire child that I didn't think you needed to meet at all. Okay, ouch? "Emerie is as much my kid as she is yours, so I would've found out eventually. Or did you think you were so much smarter than everyone else that you could hide the existence of entire human being from me, when at least 3 people in this restaurant have recognized you since you walked in here?" He leaned forward, desperate to scratch that itch for confrontation, and knowing the perfect sparring partner was sitting right across from him. Alex could sense the urge for a fight practically rolling off of Farrah in waves, and he wasn't above giving in. Not right now. "Tell me, did it bother you when you looked into her eyes and all you could see was me? Is that what tipped the scales in favor of just leaving her behind?"

farrah fights the growing urge to roll her eyes at alex's teasing, but she can't help the way a dark brow arches sharply and she also she can't help but feel a twinge of regret for allowing him to get to know her well enough to understand which buttons to push. and that annoys the shit out of farrah because that was all on her. ❛ okay, and? if you want a cookie, you're in the right spot to get one. ❜ farrah settles herself more comfortably into her seat, a bit of relief as alex made the decision to abandon the pleasantries and dive straight into it. thank god for that; the last thing she wanted to do was dance around the issue, trading niceties that felt entirely pointless in the current context. she'd much preferred to tackle the core of this mess. after all, there was something undeniably fun about arguing with alex. they're both great at it.

❛ i had an entire child that i didn’t think you needed to meet at all. ❜ she retorts, her tone laced with blunt venom, the words whip out like harsh reality. ❛ i carried her for ten months, i cared for her for another year and loved her every minute of every day. don't make it sound like it was an easy decision. ❜ there was so much more farrah could articulate, an entire torrent of words and feelings bubbling just beneath the surface, eager to escape her lips. however, as she clamped down on her inner cheek with her teeth, the sharp pain served as a reminder to hold her tongue. a part of her was acutely aware that the actions she had taken that flipped alex's life upside down were anything but fair; farrah recognized the unfairness of her decisions and how they had impacted him.

yet, unfortunately, the other side of farrah — her more combative nature — was rising to the occasion. it thrived on conflict, and relished the adrenaline that came from confrontation. this combative spirit seemed to whisper in her ear, encouraging her to defend herself, to push back against any feelings of guilt or regret, and to rationalize her behaviour. ❛ keep that in mind going forward. ❜

[alex-caldwell]

Alex studied Gen's expression, and he couldn't help feeling like there was something lingering there under the surface. Something more than just the circumstances of their would-be reunion that was winding her up. Green hues zeroed in on the bottle of wine clutched in her grasp, and wondered if the slightly odd demeanor could be blamed on that. "Uh, okay, but just a bit for me, though. I drove over here from work and then I have Emmy tonight."

He turned to lock the glass door behind him, then followed Genesis in the direction of the couches in the waiting area. It was weird to be in her space, when they were both adults. His last memories of her were colored by youth, but she'd seemed so... larger than life, then. With dreams too big to remain confined in a town like this.

Distracted by those thoughts, he shook his head, then spoke — the nerves were taking over. "Listen, I know this probably isn't as big of a deal to you as it was to me, but you just left. You just left, and it was right after my mom, and it just fucked me up. But that doesn't mean you need to, y'know, feel bad about it forever. It's fine."

Except, it hadn't been fine to teenage Alex. It had been devastating, and that knowledge was for some reason embarrassing to him. He just wanted this all to be over with. Why had he agreed to come?

It was honestly difficult to believe that Genesis had managed to make it through the work day. From nearly the second she'd opened her eyes that morning, the woman had been running through the words in her head, rehearsing every possible way of telling her truth, along with all of the many probable outcomes. She had also unsuccessfully attempted to eat breakfast and lunch, the nerves making her stomach churn with anxiety. Even the thought of being in a room alone with her first love was enough to make Genesis feel sick.

At the sound of his fist against the door, the woman jumped, her doe eyes darting toward the glass windows just before Alex could announce himself. Quickly, the stylist rushed over to the door, nearly greeting him as she would any other client. "Hi. It's good to see you. Uh, I mean, thank you for taking the time to meet with me today. Why don't you come in and take a seat. Would you like some water, or maybe even a drink? I know I could sure use one," she giggled nervously, holding up the bottle of wine along with a pair of matching glasses.

[alex-caldwell]

reveal!

📲 G ❤️

JUNE 19, 2004 ALEX: I cant figure out how to tell you in person but im in love with you Genesis Ortiz and i always have been i think since the moment i first met you and im so (1/2) Sending... (!) Sending Failed ALEX: scared (2/2) Sending... Sent ALEX: wait what Sending... Sent ALEX: shit Sending... Sent ALEX: i didnt mean to send tht Sending... Sent

[alex-caldwell]

For as grateful as his counterpart was for his help, Alex was grateful someone else was helping him keep Emmy occupied while they waited to meet up with Farrah. With all of the sights and sounds to take in, the little girl was chomping at the bit to run off and explore. As her initial shyness had worn off, he'd learned that his little girl was actually quite loquacious for a two-year-old, and had no problem prancing off to make new friends. The issue with that was the initial heart palpitations that always came, upon learning she'd slipped away once more.

The repetition of his admonishment of mint chocolate chip ice cream had Alex worried he'd offended their would-be friend, but then he instantly breathed a sigh of relief at her agreement. "Oh god, I'm so glad you agree. There's not another ice cream shop for miles, I couldn't have alienated you or this little one would've taken me out," he piped up with a laugh, then gazing pointedly down at his daughter. "What's your name, hm? You know it." With her head tipped back and a downright mischievous smile on her lips, the two-year-old introduced herself 'Emmyyy.'

"Less importantly, I'm Alex. And more importantly, I've officially fixed your dress. I think?"

Nodding at his advice, Kira wrapped the strap around her wrist as he moved to her shoulder to try and remedy the near malfunction with her dress. "Both flavours? Wow, that's super lucky. I own the shop and I don't even get two flavours at once." Grinning down at the little girl, Kira chuckled slightly at her reaction before glancing back to her shoulder, checking that no hair was getting in his way. "Toothpaste flavour? Wow, are my ice creams really that bad?" She couldn't help but chuckle again before shaking her head, her eyes checking that the little girl wasn't going to test just how much of a grip Kira had a hold on the strap. "I'm kidding, I hate it as well. I make it because it honestly sells everyday, but it really isn't for me."

Checking the other strap was still in place on her shoulder, Kira smiled as she glanced back to her helper. "Kira. It's nice to meet you properly and who are you two?" Looking back to the little girl who was starting to move around them to explore, Kira quickly came up with an idea to keep her still. "You know, as a special thanks to your dad for helping me, if you tell me your favourite dessert or candy bar, I can try and make it into an ice cream for when you next come in." Glancing at Alex, Kira smiled again. "You too, of course, because I really am grateful for your help."

[alex-caldwell]

Alex wasn't exactly sure what reaction he was expecting from Val, but it wasn't that one. He couldn't figure out what had just happened, but some imperceptible shift just happened between them and his efforts to fix whatever was going wrong felt fruitless. Instead, he realized Val was staring at their conjoined hands, and now he worried he'd read the moment entirely wrong. He froze, he panicked, he... freed her hand from its entanglement in his own, in favor of shoving it back through his hair. "Yeah, it's... complicated. But she did just move here. I think, anyway." He'd made an effort to mumble the last part because, really, he hadn't actually spent any time talking through any real logistics with Farrah since her arrival.

But that admission resulted in an even more confused expression from Val, and it felt like he was ruining whatever this was, without even trying. "Oh, I, um... Well, I guess I could. I should. Right? I.. I should go," he finally managed to stammer out, but he only took a half step back. Like he wanted her to ask him to stay.

She almost thought he was going to let go of her altogether, but when his hand slid down to find hers, Val couldn’t help but smile at the warmth that spread through her at the continued contact. She gave his hand a squeeze and as his eyes finally met hers, she hoped her smile reassured him enough to chase away whatever awkwardness he was currently feeling. 

But then he was explaining and suddenly Val felt like she was the one who was unsure. Emmy’s mom was in town? She was pretty sure that from the very little Alex had said, that that was a new development. The two of them hadn’t really talked much about their pasts, relationships or otherwise, and it had never bothered her before, but suddenly, she was overwhelmed by the sensation that she had been incredibly stupid for not asking more. Especially now that she was realizing her feelings might have actually gotten involved somehow.

Was he saying that it was awkward that he and Emmy’s mother weren’t together because he wanted to be? Val was struggling to understand what exactly he was trying to tell her. Did he want to get back together with the mother of his child? 

She was overwhelmed by questions but realized, probably 30 seconds too late, that he was waiting on a response from her. What was she supposed to say? Glancing down at their interlocked hands, she chewed on the inside of her bottom lip, “Oh. Wow. Umm… Did she just move to town?" This is so awkward. “If you need to get back to the two of them, don’t let me keep you.” she offered, trying her best at putting on a light, airy tone to her voice, meanwhile she was barely able to meet his gaze. 

[alex-caldwell]

Alex chuckled, offering an open palm in the direction of the hallway he presumed they were heading down so Lia would take the lead. It wasn't like he knew where he was going. "I think we should make a break for the library, get one of those like rolling carts they put books on." His eyes glanced around the decorated walls as they strolled, brows raised in amusement. "I guess I'd better get a good idea of the layout, since my kid will be going here before I know it." I think. He thought better than to say that part out loud.

"I'm not from here, so I gotta ask. Does this happen often? People seem so... ready I guess. To be mobilized, in response to this thing. I'm... Well, I'm a Northerner, so this sort of thing doesn't usually happen too much up there," he confessed, hands shoving down deep into his pockets, just to give them something to do while he fretted and worried and tried to keep up some small talk to keep his mind from wandering to Emmy and Farrah.

She had managed to get through to the people closest to her that hadn't been at the festival when she had first got to the school and having seen the majority of the rest of her friends in the same hall she had been in, she felt somewhat a sense of relief. Her family were safe but as her signal kept dropping out, it was almost too easy to convince herself otherwise. At least now, she'd have a distraction.

"No, you're fine, normally I would to but dancing around on the beach in the middle of summer doesn't really call for sweats, right?" Shivering again, Lia reached out to shake his hand, a smile on her face as she did so. "Nice to meet you, Alex. Then let's make your childhood dream come true. Which classroom do you think we'd most likely find a something on wheels? We could maybe load the drinks up and wheel them to the hall rather than carrying them back and forth?" Nodding towards the corridor, she smiled again as she began to walk down it. "It's been a long time since I've walked these halls, so hopefully I can remember all the vending machine locations. Pretty sure nothing changes around here.."

[alex-caldwell]

sad

📲Callum Flynn ALEX: I thought coming here would be a good way for me to start over, but I feel like everything is so fucked up right now. ALEX: And it's weird but I swear I feel like Em can just tell I'm sad. ALEX: So I feel like I'm letting her down. ALEX: Sorry for dumping all that on you.

[alex-caldwell]

closed starter for @genortiz, at the beauty & the beach salon, just after close.

It was stupid that Alex still felt so wound up and bitter over something that was nearly a lifetime ago, but he couldn't help it. Ever since he'd come to realize that Gen was... Gen, he'd been fucked up over it. Maybe what everyone said about your first love was true; you just never really forgot them. And it was probably harder to do so when you inadvertently move to their hometown.

Since he'd had to pay his babysitter for longer than normal, he'd stayed at the office much longer to read through more pages of his latest discovery for his newest case and, as a result, he'd turned up to the now darkened salon still donning his suit. He'd ditched his tie in his car before stepping out onto the curb, but he somehow still felt ridiculous as his knuckles rapped gently against the glass door of the salon.

"Gen, it's Alex," he said flatly. He didn't know what to expect from this conversation, but he was already dreading it, and ready to get it over with.

[alex-caldwell]

TIRED.

📲 RIVER WALKER ALEX: So like I know this is a long shot and you were probably kidding when you threw this out there... but I am exhausted. Any chance you feel like babysitting my kid, who's currently obsessed with goldfish? I could use a nap, and she thinks you're way cool. ALEX: It would just be for a few hours. 3, tops

[alex-caldwell]

sad - marco

📲 MARCO SANTOS ALEX: I haven't seen you in forever. ALEX: That is definitely my fault, and I'm sorry. ALEX: We should grab a drink or something. Soon, yeah?

[alex-caldwell]

drunk - val

📲 VAL FLORES ALEX: things feel so weird between us right now ALEX: and that like sucks because I really really like you UNSENT ALEX: like a lot UNSENT ALEX: probably way more than I should UNSENT ALEX: i miss you ALEX: I d on't know why I texted you Im sorry for bothering you ALEX: have a goodnight val

( @valentincflores )

[alex-caldwell]

ALEX: Hi Gen. I didn't block you. ALEX: Sounds good. Just tell me when and I'm there.

TEXT 📲 @alex-caldwell

GEN: Hey Alex, it's Gen. Hopefully you haven't blocked my number since the masquerade lol. GEN: I know it's probably really weird to see me again after all these years and I would be lying if I said it hasn't affected me as well. I know we were kids, but I'm sure you probably have a lot of unanswered questions and I would love the opportunity to finally sit down and explain, so long as you're willing to listen. GEN: With us both living in Briar Ridge, I would really love to clear the air.

[alex-caldwell]

ALEX'S INBOX. | MAX'S INBOX.

Send a word for a specific text from my muse to yours.

Send ‘drunk’ to receive a drunk text from my muse. Send ‘sad’ to receive a sad/down text from my muse. Send ‘mad’ to receive a mad/angry text from my muse. Send ‘happy’ to receive a happy/excited text from my muse. Send ‘tired’ to receive a slow/sleepy text from my muse. Send ‘busy’ to receive slow texts from my muse. Send ‘bored’ to receive a disinterested text from my muse.

BONUS: Send ‘reveal’ for a text where my muse reveals their true feelings for yours.

[alex-caldwell]

ALEX: Well, don't let me stop you... ALEX: Can you just text me later so I know you're safe? UNDELIVERED

END.

FARRAH: 🖕🏾🖕🏾 FARRAH: 🖕🏾🖕🏾🖕🏾🖕🏾🖕🏾🖕🏾🖕🏾!!!!! Not Delivered(!) FARRAH: 🖕🏾🖕🏾🖕🏾🖕🏾🖕🏾🖕🏾🖕🏾❗️❗️❗️ FARRAH: Half of my messages are going through. This is so STUPID. Not Delivered(!) FARRAH: Okay! Fuck this! I have to fucking concentrate on plywood.