Serenity Angel: Hey readers! Next chapter up! Starting from the normal point of view today!
Disclaimer: I don't own Four Brothers or the characters except Alex and her friends.
Enjoy!
Four cars pulled onto the empty street. It was late night and the only sound that could be heard were crickets chirping and car doors slamming shut. The Mercer siblings, and two of their family friends Hailey and Andrea, moved about taking out bags and things to go inside the home of the better part of their childhood. The all looked at it at the same time. Jack shouldered his guitar and grabbed his bag from Bobby's car.
"Nice to be home." Bobby commented.
"So shit, what you've been up to Bobby?" Jack asked casually.
"I've been a freaking college professor Jack. What do you think I've been doing?" A sarcastic Bobby answered as the moved toward the house.
"I doubt that." Jack answered with a chuckle.
"Same old Bobby." Jerry said.
"I seriously doubt this family could handle two Bobby." Alex said, raising an eyebrow at him for making a crack with her chosen profession.
She had a love for music that rivaled Jack's, but also liked the idea of helping people learn. She found a way to combine the two and her performance arts class was the best in any of the New York colleges, partly because she was close in age with them, and partly because she was a "freakin awesome and talented teacher" as her students so kindly put it. But she did have some serious talent that was recognized from when she was young, so that always helped with her students and with people telling her she should pursue a career in music, like Jack.
"Oh shit. Sorry Ally. Jeez, you teachers are so fucking touchy." Bobby said as Alex rolled her eyes along with Jerry, then he looked at Jack.
"What about you? Still sucking a little cock left and right?"
"It's too late for that shit Bobby." Andrea answered before Jack could Bobby rolled his eyes and mimicked Andrea in a high pitched voice and it took a lot of willpower and Alex's strength to not to chuck a snowball with a rock in it at him.
"Fuck you Bobby." Jack answered.
"Illegal in all 50 states Jack. So sorry you're out of luck." Bobby smirked.
"Fucker." Jack said chuckling as Jerry opened the door to the dark inside porch.
"Y'all ain't right, leavin me out in the cold like this." A voice from the corner called out. Hailey turned on the lights to reveal the third oldest Mercer sitting laid back in the corner of the room.
"Yo little brother, you asshole!" Bobby exclaimed.
"Lookie who." Andrea said leaning in the doorway.
"He's outta hiding." Hailey said.
"Where the hell have you been?" Jack asked.
"Better have a good explanation." Alex said putting down her bags.
"Should be ashamed of yourself. Get your ass over here." Jerry said as the Mercer siblings moved over to him.
"What was I supposed to do? I missed my plane." He explained getting up.
"Yeah, you missed our mother's funeral too Jarhead." Bobby said as he hugged Angel.
Jerry was next and then Jack.
"Did you get your teeth whitened?" Jack asked as he pulled away and looked at Angel's blinding smile.
"Man shut up Jackie poo." Angel said turning to Alex.
"Hey baby gurl." Angel said hugging her tightly.
"Hey Angel. Starting to loose air here." She said when she was beginning to have some difficulty. He let her go chuckling and grabbed his bag from the corner as Jerry opened the door.
He hugged Hailey and Andrea on his way toward the door, and as the all stepped on to the threshold, they stopped. It was quiet, but everything was the same. The pictures that hung on the wall, the furniture, the little figurines she had scattered in different places, the walls itself. She hadn't changed one single thing. Alex swallowed hard and Angel took off his hat.
After a while Jerry went to sit on the couch. Angel made his way to the kitchen.
"I'm gonna grab something to eat. Any ya'll hungry?" Angel asked as he entered.
"Nah, I'm gonna get some sleep." Bobby said. Jack closed the door behind Hailey and Andrea, then took off his coat and set it on the coat rack.
"Jack, Alex, take your old rooms. Angel and Hailey take yours. I'm gonna sleep in Ma's room." Bobby said catching Hailey's eye as he headed up the steps.
Andrea went to sit in the living room with Jerry and Alex, Jack, and Hailey headed up the steps behind Bobby. They went into their old rooms Bobby and Alex closing their doors behind them.
Alex's P.O.V.
I closed the door and looked around. I set my bag on the floor next to my bed along with my guitar. I took off my jacket and sat on the bed tears running down my face. She didn't change a damn thing. Every inch of my walls was still covered in posters, awards, pictures, and a couple of medals: Some for academics and some for winning martial arts and other tournaments. The little bits that weren't covered still had the same sea green paint I'd painted it years ago. I swore I would paint my walls black if a dot of pink ever touched them. My violin stood in the corner of my closet. Bet if I picked it up, I'd still play a clear note. The same picture was still on my nightstand: a picture of all of us: Ma, Bobby, Jack, Angel, Hailey, Andrea, Sam, Camille, and even Angel's girlfriend of the time during my graduation day in front of the school. I was in the middle holding my diploma with pride, grinning from ear to ear. I had a lot to be proud for, I graduated a year early and head of my class. All of my family had come back just for me. Ma was so proud.
The thought of Ma's warm smile made me smile in turn as I took the picture from the stand into my hands. I let the tears fall and the frame, blurring the image. The thought that Ma would never smile at me or any of us again was breaking my heart worse then when I had got the call. I could still remember it clearly.
Flashback
A lot of my students were in bands and I was with one in particular since they had asked me to come. It was a late night practice and they said something wasn't right with the way they sounded. They idolized Jack's band The Spares and they were trying to get the sound like Jack's bassist in one of my favorite songs. They were playing well and their song sounded awesome but I could hear and see the problem immediately.
I sat on the couch of the little run down studio watching, resting my head on my right fist and just smirking at them. This was about the 15th time they played the song out with no results to what they wanted to sound like. After they finished the lead singer Caleb looked at me and frowned at the look on my face.
"Aww come on Ms. Mercer. Not yet?" I shook my head no and got up.
"I keep telling you, you tread on it lightly during the first few lines, but you lose it completely once you get to second verse." I say walking over to them.
"Did we even come close this time?" The drummer Amy asked.
"No." I told them bluntly. I walk over to the bassist Tim. All this time I had kept back and told them, but it looked like I had to show them.
"Give it over." I saw holding out my hands. He sighed and gave his guitar to me. I held it, putting the strap on my shoulder.
"This is your problem right here." I said once I'd played a scale.
"Strings are too loose and you hold the guitar a little to low and away." I say adjusting it.
"Amy, start the chorus for me." I said. She tapped out the beat and I picked it up easily playing it out perfectly, just the way they wanted it. Caleb smirked and once I'd finished he shook his head at me.
"Show-off." He muttered and I just laughed. I gave the guitar back to Tim and helped him fix his stance with it.
"Well he is my brother and I do get to play with his band sometimes." I say.
"You're like their mascot." Amy said twirling one of her sticks.
"You know, that is exactly what they said?" I say smiling at her.
"Why don't you play in Tim's place? You look about our age." Kirk, the lead guitarist said smirking and I just gave him a raised eyebrow.
"That's because I am idiot." I say smirking at him. My phone had begun to ring and I went over to the couch.
"Just because of that I might be busy the night you play." I say and look at the screen. It was Jerry. I looked at them all hitting Kirk over the head and laughed.
"Shhh, it's my brother Jerry. Oh and fix that amp. If you want you could probably bust Kirk over the head with it." I say flipping the phone, while he flipped me the finger. I laugh again then answered the phone.
"Hey Jerry. Little late for a conversation. Can't wait for me to come home?" I say walking behind the couch and away from the bands bickering.
"Hey Alex." He said and I immediately heard the emotion he was trying to hide in his voice.
"Jerry, what's wrong?" I asked and everyone else went quiet. He didn't answer and panic began to rise.
"Jer, what happened? Is it the girls? It is Camille? Is it… It's it Ma?" I asked and he sucked in his breath. It felt like I was the only one in the room when Jerry did that and my panic rose to fear.
"Alex, are you sitting down?" Jerry asked his voice choked with tears.
"Jerry, what's wrong? What happened to Ma?" I asked gripping the back of the chair. I had come around from it again and everyone in the room was staring at me.
"Ma…Ma got caught up in a grocery store robbery." He said
"Is she alright? Is she hurt? Talk to me Jerry." I said He didn't answer for a while and I was beginning to fear the worse.
"Jerry your scaring me." I said near tears.
"Alex, Ma's… Ma's dead." He said crying. At that moment everything stopped. There was no sound or images. I became nauseated and the tear falling from my cheek brought me back to my cruel reality.
"No, no she can't be. I-I just spoke with her less than two hours ago. She can't Jer." I said crying.
"She was shot twice. The ambulance came too late." Jerry said and my feet almost gave out on me. I stood there silently crying for a while.
"Did… Did you get any of the others?" I say trying to stop the tears.
"Hailey got to Jack and Andrea is calling Bobby. I'm gonna call Angel after you." He said. I couldn't answer.
"Why Jerry? Why?" I asked him, barely able to get that out.
"I dunno baby girl. I really don't know." He said. There was another pause.
"Listen baby girl. I'll talk to you in the morning." I told him ok and shut the phone off.
I stood there crying and the next thing you I know I scream and my legs finally give out. Caleb, who was closest to me caught me and brought me down to the floor with him. I just cried on his shoulder, and the only thing I could say was she's dead.
End of Flashback
I wipe the tears from my eyes and put the picture back on the stand. I couldn't stand being alone with my memories so I get up and open the door to go to Jack's room. He was sitting on his bed strumming his guitar and staring out into space. He noticed me staring at him and motioned for me to take the spot next to him. I crawl in to the spot and rest my head on his shoulder and he rested his head on mine.
"Hey." I said.
"Hey" he repeated.
Jack and I had always been really close. Besides Ma he was the first one to get me to talk to him and in turn open up to my other brothers. We also shared a secret that the others didn't know. It was only Ma, Jack, and me who knew since we were involved. He always protected me and followed me around, making sure I was alright. I remember a particular time I landed in the hospital because of a certain incident and when I got my appendix removed. They had to practically drag him away from me both times. He always kept through on his promises for me. He was my best friend within the family and no one could remove him from that title.
I laid there listening to him strum on his guitar and after a while we hear the bathroom door open. We knew Bobby was in there crying. He came in to Jack's room wiping his eyes.
Normal P.O.V.
"You two fairies been crying?" He went over to sit on the floor at the end of Jack's bed.
Alex sighed heavily and Jack put his guitar in a spot on the floor next to him.
"Leave it alone man." He said pulling out a small package.
"Still make a lot of racket on that freaking thing?" Bobby asked once he got comfortable.
"Yeah, still making a lot of racket." He said chuckling. Alex smiled faintly.
"What about you Alex? Any mental breakdowns yet?" Bobby asked.
"They wouldn't try. They value their grades." Alex replied.
"Please tell me you're not like one of them shitty ass teachers we used to have?" Bobby asked casting an eye at her.
"I'm the best teacher they have and ever will have. They love me. And I wouldn't dare." Alex said looking at Bobby. They lapsed into a silence for a moment.
"Too weird in mom's room?" Jack finally asked.
"Aw man. Way too weird. It's crazy. She didn't change a thing in this house." Bobby said looking around Jack's room.
"You know Ma. She wouldn't want to. She wanted to always have one thing remain constantly the same in our lives and that was home." Alex said as Jerry and Andrea appeared at the doorway.
"Look at cha'll." Jerry said.
"What?" Bobby asked looking at him.
"Nothing. Just happy to see ya. Happy to see my brothers and sister again." Jerry said and Alex smiled at him.
"Happy to see you too Jer." Bobby said. At that moment Hailey came out of her room dressed in faded black hip hugging jeans and a lacy halter. Alex raised an eyebrow and looked at her.
"Where you going?" Alex asked as Hailey was near.
"I work part-time at Johnny G's. He told me to take off tonight with pay but I told him I'd work anyway." She said stopping at the door.
"Really?" Jack asked.
"Yeah. And I'm gonna be late. See ya'll later." Hailey said turning toward the steps.
"Need a ride?" Andrea asked.
"Yup. Thanks." She said.
"Does this mean we can get a free round there?" Bobby asked with a raised eyebrow.
"We'll see Bobby." Hailey said heading down the stairs with Andrea following.
"I'll take that as a yes!" Bobby yelled after.
"Maybe!" She yelled back up the steps. The siblings laughed and went into a small comfortable silence.
"I'll go to the grocery store tomorrow and pick up a turkey or something. Have a Thanksgiving Dinner. Let's at least act like we're a real family. Ma woulda liked that." Jerry said after a while. Next thing they saw was Angel coming out of his room looking like he was about to head out.
"Where you going?" Jerry asked this time.
"It's getting heavy in here. I'm just gonna step out and get some air." Angel answered and Jerry and Bobby began to laugh.
"You're full of shit man. You can smell that ass from down the street huh?" Bobby asked.
"Man what you talking bout?" Angel asked feigning innocence.
"What do you mean what man? Come on what. You know what I'm talking bout with La Vida Loca." Bobby said and Alex smiled. She knew there was no way in hell Angel was gonna win this fight.
"Ain't no body gonna go get no La Vida Loca nothing." Angel said.
"She got a boyfriend." Jerry said.
"She got a boyfriend. She got hard dick in her right now. She's screaming somebody else's name and the last thing she's thinking about know is your black ass. Leave it alone man." Bobby said as everyone else went into a fit of laughter.
"I can't believe y'all coming at me with this right now man." Angel said.
"She's nothing but trouble." Bobby said.
"Bow out Angel. We know." Alex said.
"You too Alex? Look I'm standing here telling y'all right now I not going to go see that girl and I'm not." Angel said. With that he headed down the stairs and out the door, slamming it on the way out.
"You know he may not be going to her." Alex said trying to plead his case. They all looked at he with the 'are you really seriously saying this right know' look.
"Who the fuck am I kidding." She muttered sighing and putting her head back on Jack's shoulder as they all laughed.
"Well I guess I'll see y'all in the morning. Good night." Jerry said as he headed down the steps. They heard the door close then Bobby got up off the floor.
"I'm gonna hit the sac it's been a long day." He said stretching. Bobby went to the front of the bed and kissed Alex on the forehead and ruffled Jack's hair before his hand was swatted away.
"Try not to burn the house down fairy." He said going out the door.
"Night." Bobby called on his way out.
"Night." Both Jack and Alex called back at the same time. The sat on the bed in comfortable silence for a while, Jack smoking and Alex resting her head. After he put out his joint he began to speak.
"So how you been?" Jack asked.
"Alright. You? How's the band?" Alex said looking at him.
"They're alright. Told me to go for as long as I needed once I told them. The miss you too by the way. The say hi." Jack said chuckling and Alex smiled.
"How's the class?"
"They're good. Doing well and staying out of trouble. I was with Caleb and his group when I got the call and when I went in again to class they were so quiet and understanding. They knew I'd be going back and they told me the same thing, even though they were gonna miss me a lot and get a shitty ass sub. They miss you too and say hi, come back soon, and wanna hear your latest song. Oh and before I forget. J.C and his band wanted to know if you guys are gonna be in California around late January." She said shifting lower on the bed.
"Why?" He said looking at her.
"They got a gig at the House of Blues." She said smiling.
"No shit?" Jack asked he shifted to lie down comfortably on the bed. She nodded and put her head on his chest. They were quiet for a while and he stroked her hair with his hand.
"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Jack said. He felt her nod her head.
"Missed you Jack." She said softly.
"Missed you too Lex." He said.
She didn't know when she had fallen asleep, but she could swear she heard a gun shot. She had jolted out of sleep and was looking around. She found Jack looking like he was just woken up too so it couldn't have been another dream. She rubbed her eyes and went to Jack's window. What she saw made her raise an eyebrow.
"Come over here." She said. He obeyed and raised an eyebrow when he saw what she did.
Running down the block in a jersey carrying his clothes was Angel, dragging a half naked Latina who was carrying a jacket that could be no one else but La Vida Loca.
"And so starts today's argument. Tune in for Spanish chick's cursing, Bobby's bitching, and Angel's jackass in the middle status between them. A fine way to start out Thanksgiving." Alex commentated as Angel and Sophie ran in to the house. Jack chuckled and yawned. She yawned in turn and stood up.
"I'll go to bed."
"You sure you'll be okay? You can stay in here tonight if you want." Jack said, hint of worry in his voice.
He knew that bad situations tended to bring out Alex's past in her dreams and turned them into nightmares. This one was the worse. She looked at the floor knowing that it was gonna be a rough couple of more hours.
"Nah, I'll be fine." she lied.
"Get some sleep. Kay? You're cooking today."
"Night Lexi." He said hugging her.
"Night Jackie." She said hugging him back and going into her room.
By the time she got to her room Angel and Sophie were at the top of the steps. She looked at them with raised eyebrow and they looked back at her like a pair of deer caught in the headlights. She just shook her head and went in to her room closing the door silently behind her. She changed into some flannel p.j. bottoms and a comfortable old sleeping shirt and as she got in to bed hoped she'd be okay for the night.
To Be Continued