16 Oct 2022, 19:52
The Part of Summer Preferred to be Forgotten
Backdated to July 1st, 2022, arriving home
The cab would stop, waiting at a red light and picking up speed the second it turned green. It was a cold dreary day, dark clouds filled the sky, and the rain poured heavily. An unsettling chill filled the the air, rustling leaves and wafting through branches. And there is the backseat of the cab was a child as gloomy as the weather outdoors. To the side of him was a sketchbook, pencils sprawled across the seats he had not taken. Satchel over his left shoulder. His head was turned, looking out the window as the rain poured. His gaze glued there, his eyes watching the water droplets race one another down the glass.
Disappointment weighed heavy on his heart and on his mind. Alec felt in his current state he looked as if he were a sour-tempered toddler; sulking because they could not get something in the shops. In a way perhaps he was. He couldn't pin point what was making his 'sour-tempered sulking' worse, the thought of spending what would feel like an endless summer at home, or the fact that Nina had promised to take the same cab along with him to this prison sentence(and clearly she had not followed through).
He'd seen her at the station, told her he needed to say his goodbyes and then they could go. Alec has finished his goodbyes and she was nowhere to be seen. He could only assume she had gotten impatient. She had a tendency to be impatient. But she'd always kept promises. What if not a little tradition since they had done the same during winter break?
Alec told himself that whatever the case, it didn't matter now. He felt it senseless to hold a grudge... Yet he was unable to shake the feeling of betrayal.
He was excited Nina had decided to stay and not move out, even with her graduating. Nina had mentioned she'd gotten an internship for a job nearby. It was as she put it "only common sense" to stay. She was getting married in the fall, and Alec doubted she would stay any longer than this summer.
Of the three, Nina was the golden child. She never seemed capable of wrongdoing or mistakes. She was the one who listened. The one who didn't have 'troubling habits', as Livvia had liked to say Alec did. He resented her for golden child status and he found she had resented him for his free spirit, something she had wanted, to feel as free as him, okay with doing what she wanted instead of being troubled and bound down by the thought of reputation, other people, their parents. It was strange to only just get to know a person he'd been living with for years. What relationship they had built now was fragile. So easy to come undone, with one thread it could unravel.
Time and time again Alec had replayed the exact scenario in his head, a million different ways to ruin his and Nina's bond in an instant. Not taking the same cab home should never be the way it happens. Feeling dejected or not, it was small thing. He was going to make sure it was not the thing that bothered him.
Alec tried to gather the old feeling of excitement at the news of Nina staying for the summer. To push off the feeling of being alone, of loneliness for one more summer.
One more summer, and then he was back too-
It was hard to feel at home when he didn't belong. The shift in family dynamic with Livvia gone. The house carried an air of sadness much like one trying to jab ill-fitting puzzle pieces together. Everything felt soulless, empty, and Alec couldn't help but be angered when left to sit alone with memories of the past. Resentment of both parents, and how it all ran so deep. People who never made the time to look as if they cared, to understand. He really shouldn't have been working himself up, it wasn't good.
The cab rounded a corner and the familiar of anxiety washed over Alec. Anxious thoughts bubbling to the surface. He would notice the beating of his heart, the way he felt it speed up as they entered upon his street. Alec fingers clutched harshly onto the strap of his messenger bag. He would take a deep breath followed by a second and a third. Alec needed to calm his nerves. His stomach was churning. He held back all temptation to make the driver stop the car, to tell them to turn around. He adjusted to Hogwarts life, feeling at home there, he had friends, and professors would look out for him. Oh and books... The library had lots of books. None of it mattered though, not when here was always where he would end up. His memories of home, of happiness, a time of joy and full of life, they were few and far between. If winter break had anything to show, he would prefer not to know what summer break was going to be like. At least it was a house with people. Like Jackie... and Nina. But it was rough around the edges. Alec couldn't say he was comfortable with his father, he didn't trust him, Alec felt it was fair considering his history of not showing up; to him, work came first.
Last summer had lead to some interesting developments. Changes in the relationship between him and Nina. It was easy for him to fall towards her under an 'us vs. them' mentality when dealing with the adults during the summer. It was more... They talked. They were close now, and the feeling that he had someone who was older, more responsible who was looking out for him, it was... It was strange.
Jackie was Jackie... He'd seen her during winter break, and she'd grown a lot since the summer. It was unsettling for Alec since Jackie hadn't just gone through a growth spurt, it was more than a silly phase she may have been going through like the horse girl one she had months back. Jackie was different, a very different person. Alec had trouble keeping up with her many interests and hobbies through ink words on parchment. He had trouble adjusting to it. It was hard for him to watch her grow up, especially while knowing it was happening when he wasn't around.
A quiet reflection of good relationships was enough to calm Alec's nerves. He thought about the good things and his mind diverged just as easily towards the bad. It didn't help that right after, in his reflective state he chose to focus on school next. Throughout the school year he had a few interesting developments of his own. Surprisingly he'd made a few new friends, and unsurprisingly, he'd made a lot more enemies than friends during the school year. The 'enemies' helped Alec realize his own capability for cruelty. Harsh but just was such a realization... And of course he remembered why he is never allowed to get a pet of his own. And especially why he's not allowed to touch other people's pets, especially snakes, because he is very cursed. Then there was Rose and duelling. Alec putting his name into the goblet of fire.
The last ball of the school year... and seeing Wyatt with Opeila ...exactly why reflection of Nina and Jackie was not enough. Hogwarts was amazing but certain thoughts of certain people heightened his anxiety. It was complicated.
Alec shifted uncomfortably, and took himself away from his uneeded reflection of life and school. The car began to come to a slow, and they would pull up at his home. The car was stopped, and Alec would watch as the driver got out, taking Alec's luggage from the back. Alec would make himself use his limbs despite them suddenly wanting to flop on him at the idea of leaving the car. Opening the car door and stepping out onto the cobblestone. His eyes focused on the ground, stepping out, he watched the splash of his feet into a puddle. Ah- water, a puddle, it was raining. He'd forgotten.
Standing on the cobblestone, Alec would stay still, letting the rainwater soak his hair as his clothes. He had always found it peaceful to stand out in the rain. Impending doom was a doorstep away, and suddenly with the rain Alec felt a little braver. Maybe everything would be just fine. The driver had put Alec's luggage onto the sidewalk, and stepped over there and watched the car drive away. He combed a hand through his sopping wet hair and reached for this things, making way for the front door. The rain trickled down as Alec reached out, forming his hand into a fist he would gently knock on the door, and patiently wait for someone to answer and open the door.
Last edited by Alec Mason on 16 Oct 2022, 19:58, edited 1 time in total.
16 Oct 2022, 19:53
The Part of Summer Preferred to be Forgotten
Alec:#A0A9B8 | Jackie:#df629f
The face of a young girl would peek at the window, the curtains shoved hastily aside to get a good look at who may be at the door. Her blonde locks were tied back into a ponytail, wearing a cap backwards, she had on a blue t-shirt and jeans. She was hugging a lion stuffed animal as she peeked. The girl's eyes would light up in immediate recognition as she spotted him, Alec. He smiled through his anxiety and waved towards her. She dropped the stuffed animal and headed straight for the door, unlocking and opening it. Jackie rushed to hug him once she pulled the door open. Alec chuckled and hugged her back being careful as to how he hugged her so he wouldn't get her wet with his rain-water soaked clothes. “Hey, long time no see.” Jackie grinned and nodded.
“I'm glad you like the stuffed animal. It seems like a grand addition to your collection.” It was reassuring to know she liked it seeing how she was holding on to it through the window. He'd spent hours on making the lion stuffed animal for her. Almost missing the winter holidays present deadline, almost, he'd pulled an all-nighter, and it had been worth it. Jackie smiled and pulled away, Alec watched her as she rushed to pick the lion stuffed animal off of the ground. For once, Alec found himself at ease. Jackie nodded “It's the only lion stuffy I have,” she spoke hugging it tight. Alec turned to close the front door, only to hear a person rushing down the stairs. A tall man in a long brown coat, underneath his coat was a work robe, it had to be new. Wizard fashion, no doubt Alec had seen such a thing in a shopping window at Diagon Alley. A tired face, he was but fragments of a broken man. Alec was surprised to see the man here at all, his father did have a history of not showing up, walking away when things seemed to hard. Cruelly, for a moment Alec's head had tricked him into thinking maybe this summer wouldn't be like winter break. Then Alec saw it, the man's posture, the furrow in his brow, the look on his face when he saw Alec, it was clear he had meant to leave sooner before his children would get home. And of course, it also meant he'd wanted to leave Jackie home alone, it infuriated Alec in a way far too uncivil to express in actions or even speak out loud.
Jackie made an attempt to hug their father, she received nothing more than a look of contempt in turn.The second she let go the man made a break for the door. Walking out he swung it closed with a small slam...
It was ironic, in a sad way. The dynamic between Jackie and their father. She acted as if he contributed time to her, as if he cared. If he'd really cared he would have found a way to make arrangements work, he wouldn't send her to their grandparents all year, then get frustrated when on holidays, or in this instance summer and a break for the school-aged kids that they made him take her and have her around. He wouldn't visit if they didn't make him. As much as Alec disagreed with his grandparents he could side with them long enough to have them put their foot down on it. He always found a way to get out of it, the same way he had winter break.
“He was just a little grumpy, maybe he woke up on the long side of the bed. He's gone now, no adults, no rules, we should be something fun.” Alec spoke as the door closed and the man had gone. Despite the grin and the mischievous look in his eyes, seeming a proper callback to his pranking days, really he was only implying things that seemed mischievous to someone of Jackie's age. Eating many sweets and staying up late. Perhaps not today but another night. Alec had to go through the things in his trunk and take a chance at some bedroom redecorating before he could do anything. Alec took a look around and in a moment of silence the all encompassing feeling of loneliness hit him and his smile fell. Alec took another deep breath, and glanced towards Jackie, they'd do something fun in a bit, first, “Did Nina get home yet?”
16 Oct 2022, 19:55
The Part of Summer Preferred to be Forgotten
Alec:#A0A9B8 | James/Father: Words are bolded
July 1st, 23:00
Evening was well upon them. After spending the evening with Jackie, playing games, watching her perform on the piano, and reading to her. Alec made of hearty meal of whatever he found easiest to put together at the time. Well-fed and tuckered out Jackie had fallen asleep on a chair at her spot to the dining table. She wanted to stay up with him and he waited for Nina to come home. And so they waited at the table, Jackie eventually finding a comfortable position to lay her head, and within minutes she was out cold. Alec had many late nights, however with the day as tiring as it had been, and having been unable to get sleep the night before, rest was calling his name. He too rest his head on the table. Telling himself not to fall asleep, and that he was just resting his eyes and soon enough he was sleeping as well.
Or at least until his half-asleep self heard the jangling of the door. Alec sat up straight. Nina, that had to be her, he didn't know if her internships hours had started today but they must have since she was out so late- Alec stood up, walking to go get the door. The person on the other end unlocked it first, James. He opened the door and walked in, sporting his usual look of a tall tired man. “Alec,” he spoke and the teen looked away. “Do you know where Nina is?” Alec asked quickly. He was stubborn and holding a grudge from earlier on during the day, but not stubborn enough to with-hold information from himself with lack of question asking.
“No, however, It would be reasonable to assume she's visiting her fiancé,” the man said, he walked past Alec and towards the kitchen, Alec followed. His best guess was annoying and doing the whole 'Nina's an adult thing' implying she'll sometimes be off random places. He set his work bag on the kitchen counter and turned to Alec. “When she gets back, tell her I'll be over at the manor in london,” the manor in london, so much for his grandparents putting their foot down. Actively giving him a place to go away from his children. Alec's eyebrows furrowed and he frowned, folding his arms across his chest. “Why?” Alec questioned. “It's closer to work Alec,” his tone was too cold for the type of news he was handing out. It was a lie, they both know it was not closer to work. Besides travel was fast and easy, only muggles had trouble with it! Whatever, Alec didn't have time to spend pointing out lies that got him nowhere. “You did this winter break as well...” Alec muttered, it made more sense for now than winter break considering a person get holiday's off work but that's besides the point. “And you'll be spending weekends there?” Alec asked, his tone accusatory.
“Some,” James corrected, sighing he didn't seem to want to deal with Alec reacting negatively to his decisions. “It's not as if I'm spending the summer there. I am coming back here.” He stated.
“When?” For Alec the word spat out of his mouth like poisonous venom, his question hung in the air, silence filling the void.
“Nina is reachable if you need her,” his father said finally. The conversation ended there, his father had not answered, he was already walking up, leaving the kitchen, heading towards his room.
16 Oct 2022, 19:56
The Part of Summer Preferred to be Forgotten
July 3rd, early morning
All Alec could do was assume James was in fact coming back next weekend. Even if he'd left yesterday and it had been a weekend. It was incredibly terrible timing however when Alec had today put together the fact that Nina wasn't coming back. She didn't visit her fiancé. She didn't come home. He had to find out via an owl that flew off as soon as he took the letter. No address, no place to write back to. He was in the kitchen, trying to make himself and Jackie breakfast when he'd received it. He hadn't really put it together as much as he had to have the whole situation spelled out to him, by Nina herself, her name wasn't on it, but it wasn't hard to decipher who's handwriting it was.
With shaky hands he set the letter down on the kitchen counter. He had felt betrayed over Nina not taking a cab with him, it was so silly, so small in comparison to this. Nina had lied to him. She done it so easily, and Alec had no clue. How could she stay she was going to stay the summer when she wasn't? How could she tell him she was going to be here, and be there for him if it wasn't the truth? How could she so selfishly run away when they were supposed to be in this together? Why did she have to make it seem like she was going to be here when she was just going to- And how could Alec be angry, frustrated, and upset with her, even if deep down, he knew what was running through her mind with this and understood? All the thoughts melded and mushed together, eventually fizzling out.
16 Oct 2022, 19:58
The Part of Summer Preferred to be Forgotten
There was a small section of pureblooded society the people estranged from normal purebloods, using the name as a symbol of reputation instead of menial blood status. The part Alec's family was ingrained to was incredibly toxic. Ideas he felt which had no logic, and deserved no merit. Keeping the bloodline pure. It was a very ingrained thing for some families and often what came along with it was the british upper-class tradition of marrying off your children. A thing which happened years ago, not fit for modern society, it should have died the day it died with many muggles, and yet somehow it didn't. Marrying off your children ensured keeping the bloodline pure.
Despite Alec's wishy-washy family lineage, this was a tradition his family had picked up on and would continue to do. His older sister was to be married off, himself, and Jackie. Alec tried not to think about it. He wasn't going to let it happen. Neither to him nor Jackie and Nina had not wanted such either, Alec hadn't known as much. It was why she had run away. Even if she was an adult, there were ways of pressuring people into it. She wanted to avoid the mess altogether. Alec would never blame her, he understood. But in the moment of reading that letter Alec respected none of it. He found it rather distressing she could poof out of his life in an instant and he was left with an inability to reach her.
Alec had been trying to be more like Nina and do what their parents wanted. Attempt not to soil the image, get O's and studying hard, do and be everything asked of him, he didn't understand the point now. He was still in the same place, every single time. It was only him and Jackie...
He almost wanted to inform James. Let him know Nina had run off so James would find her and maybe Alec could selfishly erase Nina running away at the cost of her happiness.
There was nobody looking out for him, and he was by himself- The way it had been before Hogwarts, and the way it always was. He hated the feeling, he hated being helpless, and he didn't know how to do it, he didn't know how to deal with being alone again. He'd gotten so accustomed to life away from home it was beginning to feel wrong when he couldn't handle himself here like this anymore.
Alec's anxious thoughts had gotten worse during the school year... It was hard to calm down. He couldn't keep them away, he was so fidgety and restless. The only thing he could do to push them away was to find an activity where he was so busy he never to had time to think, to feel anxious and helpless and- He was tired, he couldn't sleep, and it wasn't as if he had some amazing excuse this time either like the sounds of his parents keeping him up. There were those moments where his body hit him with a kick of adrenaline, telling him let's be scared and panic for no apparent reason, and eventually it was enough to feel like he was struggling for breath.
Alec had his back towards the kitchen counter, he closed his eyes, sliding down the counter to sit on the floor where he pulled his knees to his chest.
It was funny really, to think he could be affording himself the right to self-pity and be upset when it only felt as it world was making the rounds, doing it's paybacks, and of course the fact that it sounded so utterly self-absorbed of him to care when it was just one summer... He was going back to Hogwarts in September, it wasn't that long of a wait. It was even more self-absorbed to worry about any of it and himself. Jackie was the priority.
Sitting, he found himself strangely angry... He was mad he had people who cared about him. He was mad Wyatt had ever been allowed to say he wished Alec looked after himself better, after everything... Alec was so... and Wyatt's mom, and he... agh-
Alec had shoved a kid into a lake! He'd hurt people like damn sherlock on an idiotic dare, Alec was lucky it had only been his ankle he could have gotten so much more hurt. It was because of Alec. It was his fault Elsian had thrown the pillow when Alec made him feel cornered, trapped, and unsafe, it was his fault the embarrassing incident that happened there happened in the first place.
It was reasonable for that git Henry Knight to hate Alec. Alec had deserved his anger when... Alec took a deep breath. Henry punching him, the spell. Alec noticed the way he was getting more shaky with each passing thought. Eventually he felt tears running down his cheeks, his eyes were like a leaky faucet. He didn't know why he was crying, or once he'd started; how to stop. Alec buried his face into his arms as he cried.
It didn't take long before he would feel arms around him hugging him, he didn't have to look to know who it was. Jackie was trying to help. Alec only cried more. Feeling foolish to have Jackie trying to comfort him as if he were the younger one, as if it were her job to help.
When his tears ended Alec wiped at his eyes, he moved to return a quick hug to Jackie before pulling murmuring a quick 'sorry' Alec was still slightly shaky but he stood up. He had things to do, he couldn't- he couldn't sit here and be caught up, be self-absorbed.
Where was he?
He turned to see Jackie had stood up as well eyeing the items he'd set out on the counter before he'd read the letter.
Oh, right, breakfast.
Solo Ended