Discharged

A/N: Here's the next chapter, I hope you guys enjoy.

November 10th, 1983

It was a little after 5am when his dad showed up to pick him up from the hospital after filling out the necessary paperwork for him to be discharged. He kept his face pointed out the window as the scenery around him was briefly illuminated by the cars headlights before disappearing in back into the darkness. The two of them haven't said a word to each other until now.

"I'm really glad your okay." Jim said as he turned up the heat in the just a little bit more. His relationship with his son wasn't the best every since his daughter died. It's funny in a way, he swore when he became a dad that'd he never be like his father but inadvertently he's just been repeating the same cycle ever since Sara's death.

"Okay." Alex replied, leaving it short and simple.

Jim sighed and gripped the steering wheel tighter, he knew he'd have to make an effort to if he wanted to build and have an actual relationship with his son but at the moment he didn't know how to reach him. Maybe he let work take over his life, it'd be another reason for his divorce aside from Sara dying. Yet, then again his son was exactly how he was when he was a teenager. Rebelling against his parents from having complete control over his entire life, and simply just doing whatever it is he wanted. He never came around before his father passed and it still bothers him.

The two of them didn't say another word to each other on the rest of the ride home. Jim pulled up to the trailer and put the car in park as Alex hopped out of the car. "Thanks." Alex muttered before he shut the passenger door.

Jim watched his son head into the trailer "You're welcome." He muttered to himself before backing up, putting it in drive and heading down the road to start work. Alex headed down the hall and into his room. Grabbing a plain white t-shirt, jeans, along with a pair of socks and underwear he headed into the bathroom and turned the knob on the shower. Stripping out of his clothes, Alex climbed in and let the water pour over him. At first it was cold but within a few seconds it finally got hot.

Closing his eyes he stood there just listening to the running water before he started showering. If anything he was going to try and wash away everything that had transpired and just start anew. Today was a brand new day, he was alive and healthy. Besides it's the 1980's, it's here and now and he's going to soak up everything there is in life before he dies.

After he finished washing himself, Alex stood there just a minute or two longer as he didn't want to get out of the shower as the warm water was too enticing to leave, but he had to. Turning the knob back all the way to the left. The water stopped as the remnants ran down the drain. Pulling the curtains back, Alex stepped out and grabbed a towel from the shelf and dried himself off before he got dressed and began blow-drying his hair. School didn't start until for another hour so he had plenty of time to get ready, especially since he'd already eaten a healthy breakfast at the hospital before he was discharged, courtesy of Mary.

Grabbing his hairbrush, Alex brushed his hair and held his strands out with the brush and made sure to hit them with the warm air from the blow-dryer. It was a somewhat tedious task to look good but Alex was very vain about his appearance. In elementary school he had glasses, in middle school it was braces, which he got taken off the summer of 8th grade and focused on improving himself in every aspect possible. By the time he entered high school, while he wasn't rich by any means he was definitely elevated to the popular kids thanks to his self-improvement and good looks. Since then life's been good. It also helped that he was in a band and actually had a personality. He'd wager if he wasn't that good looking, that the crowds at the bands gigs wouldn't be that large as heavy metal just really isn't as big as it should be where he lives, but he doesn't expect that in small town middle America.

Grabbing his hairspray, Alex felt all around his hair incase he missed any spots that were still somewhat damp. After confirming that his hair was dry 100% he began styling his hair and making it a bit poofy. Once he was satisfied with how it looked he headed back into his room and grabbed his aviator sunglasses and jacket. Putting his sunglasses on along with his dark blue button up winter coat. Grabbing his running shoes which were now the only pair of shoes he has, he put them on. Alex grabbed his backpack and slung it over his shoulders as he headed out of his trailer, locking the front door behind him and putting his key back in his backpack in the small side compartment.

Heading around the back of the trailer, Alex looked at the lake for a moment before he grabbed his Honda CT125 motorcycle and climbed on it. He pulled the ratchet lever out and placed his foot on it before kicking it down and twisting the throttle as nothing happened the first time. Leaning over to his left he pulled up on the choke valve to open it, allowing more fuel to the engine. Trying once again to start the motorcycle, he kicked down on the lever and twisted the throttle as the motorcycle came to life. The motorcycle roared as Alex twisted the throttle. He kept giving the throttle a little bit of a twist until the bike was warmed up, pushing the choke valve back down and the ratcheting lever back parallel with the motorcycle, Alex grabbed the clutch and shifted down from neutral to 1st gear and began riding. Hopping on the paved road, Alex quickly began shifting through gears as he picked up speed and was going from what started as 25mph to 65mph in about 20 seconds.

He knew these streets like the back of his hand and knew they wouldn't be crowded. Worst case scenario a cop tries to chase him down, he just jumps into the woods and evades them. However there weren't that many cops out at this time of day as typically their all at the station for briefing. As he unleashed everything the bike had to offer, the cold wind blowing all around him and through his hair, Alex felt alive again. Howling as he sped down the quiet streets on his way to school.


"Barb, I'm telling you once he's back out in the public eye, he's not gonna see you or even notice you." Nancy said as she sat in her bestfriends car in the school parking lot. She was trying to be logical to her friend who seemed to be developing a crush on Alex. She knew all to well what it was like to crush on someone and not have it reciprocated, it sucked but that's a part of life. If anything she was more concerned for Barb because as far as she knew this is Barb's first crush. In truth she couldn't blame her as Alex is good looking but Nancy knew his type but she also knew him before he was one of the popular kids, when he still wore glasses and they "dated" for all of a week back in the 5th grade.

Barb looked at Nancy "I'm telling you Nance, shared trauma. That can bring 2 unlikely people together, I read it in a book. Besides I don't know, the way he was with me and talked to me in the car and I found him when he collapsed and started having a seizure. I mean it seemed to me like he was being genuine with me the entire time we were in the upside down and in the car. You know my whole life has been routine and uneventfully quiet and I was perfectly fine with that. Then my whole world got flipped upside down and I met him." She felt like she was having to justify her feelings and she didn't like to talk about it as she gets emotional. Barb took a deep breath before continuing as she composed herself "Maybe this is when it starts getting interesting and good for me. I mean I almost died in the upside down and yet thanks to him I'm still here and vice versa. Just for once I wanna experience something new and if I get hurt, I get hurt but I can live and learn from the experience."

If there was one thing she knew about Barb, it's that once she set her mind on something it was hard to get her to deter away from it and in this case, it was Alex of all people. "I just don't wanna see you get hurt and your heart broken Barb." Nancy admitted "Believe me it sucks but your better off with someone else." She still tried to talk Barb out of her delusions of looking too much into things that aren't there.

Nancy looked out the window towards the woods and saw Alex emerge from the tree line, heading in their general direction. "But I'm not gonna keep pestering you over it, your right. If you get hurt, you get hurt but you'll live and learn and who am I to stop you?" She saw Steve pullup into the parking lot just a few spots away from where they were parked.

"I'm gonna go see Steve before school starts, I'll see you inside." Nancy said as she began climbing out of the car.

"I'll see you inside." Barb said as she leaned back in her seat and stared in the general direction Alex was coming from. Nancy shut the door and headed to see Steve as Barb watched Alex get ever so closer and closer. Once he got within a few feet of the car, Barb got out before he reached the trunk of her car and leaned against it. As Alex walked by, Barb figured she'd try her luck.

"Hey Alex." Barb said, trying to make conversation.

"Hi." He replied, not looking at her as he never stopped walking.

She wasn't gonna just stand there like a deer in the headlights. Barb started walking beside him "I'm glad your better and out of the hospital, I was worried about you."

"Okay, thanks." Alex said in the same monotonous tone as before, devoid of any emotion.

Now she was starting to get into her feelings a bit as he basically ignored her even though he answered her twice. She grabbed his arm and spun him to face her "Why are you being short with me? You can at least talk to me like I'm a person instead of someone beneath you."

"Because you are beneath me, I don't waste my time on people like you." He tried to save face as he had a reputation to keep.

She was starting to cause a scene and gather attention from wandering eyes and Alex didn't like it. He looked into her eyes and saw that they were swelling up with tears and for some reason that made his stomach twist in knots. He refused to let himself get emotionally attached to many people, they had to prove they were worth the investment and he thought he had washed away and moved on from the previous events. A few tears fell down her cheeks as she quickly wiped them.

"You're an ass!" She stormed off towards the school building. Unfortunately for him a handful of people saw that go down and now rumors and innuendo would startup and he's probably gone down in the social circle thank to Barbara. A few of the guys whistled and cheered him on and started congratulating him on putting her down, they also started calling her names which had to do with her weight and red hair. That was rude and uncalled for, what he just did was exactly that.

Taking off his glasses, Alex put them in his pocket and looked around at the other students. Some of them were shaking their head in disappointment while the more popular ones were just egging him on. Nancy came over to him and looked him in the eyes. Her face filled with disgust for him making Barb upset.

"I told her she'd end up hurt and I don't know why but I honestly expected better of you than that. Is popularity really gonna matter to you after high school?" Nancy shook her head at him as she headed back over to Steve and his friends who were joking around. If anything, the illusion was over for him as soon as it had started. He took a long look at himself in the faces of his peers as they were split 50/50 in regards of his choice of actions. The only things he really cared about in life are music, his friends, and Sara. Nancy was right, in the real world high school popularity won't matter and it won't get him far in life. He had to fix this, no scratch that, he's going to fix this. Alex adjusted his backpack on his back and headed towards the school building with one objective in mind, find Barb and apologize.

A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, let me know what you think.