The Town Plaza

[*]Time Lapse to morning [*]

Taylor


I hear my phone vibrating on the side table. I reach over and smack the side table next to me and knock the clock of the table before I find it. I pick it up and see it is from Alex. I smile and open the text message. “Good morning ” It reads. My smile grows bigger as I text back.

“Good morning.” I text back. I sigh and jump out of bed. I go over to the closet and grab my new pink dress. I put on my silver flats that make me like four inches shorter and go do my hair.

I get another text that says, “Can you come down stairs?” He asks.

“Yes I will be down in a second.” I text back.

“Great I am right out side.” he texts back.
I smile and text back. “Okay see you then.”

I finish my hair and rush to the elevator. I run out the front door and see Alex, so I run over to him.

Alex

Smiling, I wait for Taylor outside the hotel. Within moments of her recent text, she's running to me. I chuckle and take her in my arms, planting a kiss on her lips.

"Good morning," I say in person, "What do you feel up to doing today?"

Taylor

He takes me in his arms and kisses me. I smile as he pulls away. “Good morning.” He says. “What do you feel like doing today?” he asks.

“Um, can we go to a movie?” I ask as I put my arms around his neck.

“As long as you will be there.” He says.

“Well I will.” I say smiling.

“Okay lets go.” he says. He puts his arm around my shoulder and we walk to the movie theater.

Alex

I don't think about Jason, though his words weigh heavy on my mind. I think only of Taylor and of how much fun we should have today. Leading her to the movie theater, I take a deep breath and find myself almost completely happy.

'I'm only going to be gone for a little, A. I promise I'll be back. Then we can drive down to Venice beach on a school day, like you wanted, and surf in the middle of a storm,' he tells me, standing beside me at the grave site.

'We'll conquer the world,' I whisper, looking at him.

He smiles and nods, glancing back at the headstone, 'As we always dreamed.'

I blink out of the memory and focus on the movie listings, looking down at Taylor.

"What do you wanna see?" I ask, pulling out my wallet, "I'm buying."

Gemini

I wake with Jason having his arms wrapped around me, his forhead pressed up against mine. Another night with Jason it seemed, I kissed his lips to wake him up, his eyes open slowly as he kisses me back. I giggled as he did as I soon gathered my things and found myself waiting for Jason, last night was great.

Jason

I wake to a kiss, Gemini in my arms. Opening my eyes, I kiss her back and smile. She giggles and parts, gathering her things. I take a deep breath and do the same, finding her waiting for me. Decent, I run a hand through my hair before twining it with one of hers. I kiss the side of her face and sigh.

"And what are we to do today, love?" I ask with a smile.

Gemini

"I was thinking another movie afterall were practically here for me and you right? And well and someone else." I grin.

"And who would that be?" He asked dumbly.

"We woke up in a bed naked after a lat night of pleasures." I said.

Jason

I look at her before looking back at the bed, thinking. The answer slaps me in the face and I shake my head at myself, setting a hand on her stomach.

"Me, you, and a possibility," I glance back at her, kissing her softly, "And you have the funniest ways of wording things, but a movie it is."

Taylor

We walk in the movie theater and he whips out his wallet as we look at the movies that are playing. “I am buying.” he says. I smile and kiss his cheek.

I stand in front of him and he puts both of his arms around my waits. He balances his head on my shoulder and we look for a good movie to see. I stop looking and we just stand there swaying back and forth. I really do care about him. He makes me happy and makes me smile. Everything was going perfect until Alex's brother and his wife walk it. I see them and turn to Alex. “Maybe seeing a movie was not such a good idea.” I say.

“Why do you say that?” He says kissing my cheek. I point to them and he looks over at them. His body tenses and they look over at us.

Alex

We walk to the movie theater and I feel happy for once, as if the talk with Jason had never happened. That is, until he decides to show up. Taylor points them out to me, he and his wife. He looks hurt again, barely meeting my gaze. I turn away from him, focusing on Taylor and the movie instead.

Taylor

We walk into the movie theater and sit. They are seeing the same movie and us. Great. I sit down beside Alex and the movie starts to play. I lift up the arm rest and lean against Alex. He puts his arms around me,holding me, as we watch the movie. I forget they are even here. I am so happy to have someone like Alex to be near. He is great. I am worried he feels uncomfortable though, with his brother here.

Alex

I can't stop thinking about what Jason wants as we sit through the movie. I hold Taylor and hopefully make her feel better at least. Past memories swarm through me and I try to piece the word murderer to his face. It doesn't fit, not the brother I know.

'Alex! Can we play again?' Jason squeals, barely a teenager, holding out the video game controls.

'Not now,' I push past him and out the door, heading off to work.

'When you get home then?' he calls after me, waiting in the doorway.

I don't respond, continuing on my way, and can't help but think that he needs to grow up.

I blink out and try to focus on the hero and heroine of the movie before me, anything to take my mind off of that day.

'Your brother, he's gone. Disappeared. Left everything behind,' the detective tells me.

Once he leaves, I pull the note out from my jacket and read over it again. No explanation still.


I run a hand through my hair and look at Taylor, kissing her forehead.

"I'll be right back," I whisper, desperately needing to get out of this place for a moment, "You want me to bring back a soda or popcorn?"

Taylor

I sit up so he can get up. “Soda please.” I say to him. He nods and kisses me before he goes. I look around and see there is no one else in the theater but Alex's brother and the wife. I feel kind of uncomfortable and shaky. The rooms feels colder without Alex's arms around me. I look at the chill bumps on my arm and try to rub them away. I feel like they are watching me, but I know they are not. Why would they watch me? I do not know if my arms are shaking from coldness or fear. I hold them to keep form moving and watch the exit and wait for Alex to come back.

Alex

I take my head in my hands once I get out of the theater, loathing myself for succumbing to this. I push the memories away and focus on his most recent words instead, hoping they would just go away if I did.

"I'm sorry."

I turn around and find him there.

"I...You don't have to try and understand what I did," he says, looking away, "I just hoped you would. But we're from two different worlds. Literally. What I know and what I've seen doesn't make sense to anyone like you.

He pauses, taking a deep breath and pivoting to head back to the theater.

"I-If I knew it would have done this to you, that you wouldn't believe me, I would have lied. I should have," he says before leaving.

I swallow and watch him walk away, feeling like the a*s I was making him out to be. Shaking my head, I get Taylor's soda and head back, ignoring him and his wife when I pass.

Taylor

Alex's brother walks out of the theater after Alex and comes back in a few minutes later. The Alex comes back in with my soda. He looks really unhappy now. He hands me the soda and plops down in the chair. He grabs me by the waist and pulls me close to him again. “What happened?” I whisper in his ear.

“Jason.” He replies. That is all he really needed to say.

“Is there anything I can do?” I ask him.