Chapter Two.
“What you doin’ Alexa?” her mother asked her later in the day. Alexa shrugged as she strummed a new song on her guitar, too engrossed in the new song to notice her mother and her drunkenness. “Alexa! I asked you a question!” Her mother snapped, it broke Alexa’s concentration and she looked up.
“Sorry mom, I was just working on a new song,” Alexa replied softly and her mother grunted.
“Pshh. A new song? Where’s that going to get you? Nowhere girl, nowhere. Now if you want, go do something more useful with your time,” her mother jeered waving a hand dismissively at Alexa’s song.
“But mom, Johnny said…” Alexa began trying AGAIN to explain to her mother that Johnny had asked her to work on some new material for the album.
“Johnny? Is he your mother? No he’s not, I am! And I’m tellin’ you what’s right! Her mother snapped at the mention of Johnny’s name, cigarette hanging from her lips as she hung drunkenly over the couch. She may have allowed Alexa to be signed by Johnny and his record company but there was no way she was allowing Johnny to take her daughter from her. “Now go get your mamma a new box of cigarettes from the store, there’s a twenty on the table.”
“Yes mom,” Alexa said defeated and put down her guitar. She got up and walked over to the table to get the twenty dollar note that lay there.
“And don’t you go stealin’ any of it!” Her mother called after her as she walked out of the door, “I know how much a pack of cigarettes costs, so don’t go thinkin’ me as stupid now!”
“Yes mom!” Alexa called and slammed the door behind her as she left. Oh how she wished someone else was her mother.
Johnny had never met Alexa’s mother, but from his conversations with her over the phone, he knew she didn’t really care about her daughter. She had just agreed to let Alexa sign with WEG just to give her something to do, a distraction, but not a permanent thing.
“Alexa?” Johnny asked the young girl who was immersed in her song.
“Sorry Johnny,” Alexa said blushing and looking at the older man.
“Are you okay? You seem distant today,” Johnny stated and Alexa nodded.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” she said softly, “Just having a lot of song ideas running in my head.”
Johnny smiled and looked at Alexa, “Ah yes. I know how that goes; JC is very much like that.”
“JC?” Alexa asked recognising the name.
“Yes my friend who wanted to produce some of you r songs? Maybe you guys should get together and you can run some of you ideas by him, would that be okay?” Johnny asked and Alexa smiled.
“That’d be nice,” Alexa replied softly and Johnny smiled.
“Good, so I’ll call him and set up a time yeah?” Johnny asked and Alexa nodded.
“Yeah, just make sure it’s not after five. That’s when mom gets home from work and she hates it if she comes back to an empty house,” Alexa explained and Johnny nodded.
“Don’t worry, I’ll set up something before five and let you know,” he replied and Alexa nodded, finally she could talk to some one who would understand her.
JC smiled across the table at Alexa as she sipped quietly on her milkshake. She noticed him looking at her and blushed shyly.
“Good milkshake?” he asked her, and noticed how her blue-grey eyes shone as she smiled.
“Yeah thanks Mr. Chasez,” Alexa said and looked back down at her drink.
“Call me Josh,” JC said, “Mr. Chasez makes me sound old.”
“Is that was the JC stands for? Josh Chasez?” Alexa asked him smiling he nodded.
“Yeah, well Joshua Chasez, but people either call me JC or Josh,” he said and Alexa nodded.
“My dad’s name was Josh too,” she said taking the last sip of her milkshake and then pushing it away from her.
“Yeah? Is he a musician too?” JC asked peaking interest and Alexa shook her head.
“I don’t know, I never really knew him. He left when I was five,” Alexa replied sadly.
“I’m sorry. I know how it feels to have someone disappear on you, my wife left with my daughter ten years ago, haven’t seen them since,” JC replied giving her a sympathetic look.
“You were married?” Alexa asked and JC nodded. “Was she a nice lady?”
“She was okay I guess. She had a problem with alcohol,” JC stated and Alexa nodded.
“Yeah, my mum’s got a bit of problem with that,” Alexa said, JC was shocked.
“I’m sorry Alexa,” he said, “If there’s anything you need…” Alexa nodded but cut him off.
“Thanks I’ll keep it in mind,” Alexa agreed, there was an uncomfortable silence.
“So, you want to run some of those ideas by me? Johnny said you were having a bit of trouble getting melodies for them?” JC asked after a while trying to break the silence comfortably. Alexa nodded quickly.
“Yeah, that would be nice,” Alexa said and JC nodded.
“Well, why don’t we finish up here then drop by my friend Justin’s house? He’s another producer; we used to be in a band together. Maybe he can help us, would you like that?” JC asked the girl and she nodded.
“Yeah, that’d be nice,” she repeated and JC smiled. She smiled back at him and his whole heart melted; she looked so much like Alexandra when she smiled.
After the milkshake and a visit to Josh’s friend, Justin, Alexa managed to get home just in time so that her mother would come and find her in her room.
“Alexa honey,” her mother drawled walking into her room without knocking. Alexa looked up from her books she was reading.
“Yes mom?” she asked, her mother smiled and stumbled over to the bed, she reeked of alcohol.
“Can you be a dear and walk over to Mrs. Brimm’s to get your mother a fresh pack of beer that I’d ordered?” her mother asked, Alexa sighed and sat up.
“I can’t mom I’m busy doing my school work so I don’t have to do it tomorrow,” Alexa said glancing at her books. Johnny had been so kind as to hire her tutor to teach her while she was recording the album.
“Oh honey, can’t that wait?” her mother asked with fake puppy dog eyes. Alexa sighed defeated.
“Okay mom, does she know I’m coming?” Alexa asked, she was fed up of always having to go and pick up her mother’s beer from the neighbour.
“Oh thanks honey bunch!” her mother squealed hugging her clumsily, “Yes she knows you’re coming.” Alexa nodded and got off her bed and pulled on her shoes.
“Okay, I’ll be back in a bit,” Alexa said once she was ready, she wanted to go, get her mother her beer then get back to work. Her mother gave her a drunken smile and stumbled back to the couch to watch Alexa leave.
“And be sure not to break any!” Her mother called after her, Alexa just shut the door rolling her eyes. Things couldn’t get any worse.
JC got home and kicked off his shoes. He yawned, and moved his way over to the living room and pulled one of the photo albums from the shelf.
He smiled to himself as he recalled the events of that day; it was nice to spend the day with Alexa as he felt as if he was with Alexandra.
He sat down and opened up the album, the first photo that met his eyes was one of a little girl in a baby pink dress smiling as she blew out a candle on her cake. JC smiled at the memory of his daughter’s first birthday, which was so special. All the guys had been there and had spoilt her, his parents and siblings were there too, everyone who JC had ever known had been there, caring for this little girl. The day Alexandra and her mother had disappeared, was a day that JC could swear his heart had broken into a million pieces.
He turned the page and smiled. He studied the photo intensely and remembered that day as well. A day where he had to go into work for a photo shoot that was last minute and took Alexandra with him because her mother was at work. In the photo Alexandra sat with her four uncles all goofing off. JC felt tears in his eyes, remembering how close she had made them. She had brought them together, as a family more than ever.
He sighed softly and turned the page, a picture of an older Alexandra stared back at him. She had his same blue-grey eyes, and his same Chasez’s million dollar smile. He looked at the picture, and it reminded him of Alexa. Alexa had those same eyes, Alexa also had that smile. The Chasez smile.
As Alexa got ready for bed that night, she found her self humming a few of the notes she’s worked on with Josh. She really liked him and wondered why his wife had decided to leave him, who would want to leave such a nice man? She wished he was her father.
She sighed and climbed into bed, as she did so her mother, who was now sober enough to kiss her good night, walked in.
“Ready for bed Alexa?” her mother asked and Alexa nodded.
“Yes mom,” Alexa replied climbing into the covers and pulling them up to her chin.
“That’s good, well I’m just coming to say good night,” her mother said, although she didn’t seem like she was telling the truth. “Um, good night angel.”
“Night mom,” Alexa said as her mother reluctantly kissed her fore head. “Mom?” she added as her mother began walking out the door, her mother stopped and turned to her.
“Yes honey?” she asked Alexa, sweetness dripping off her words.
“Has my father ever come to find me?” Alexa asked, and she watched her mother’s eyes change as she walked quickly over to Alexa’s bed.
“Now Alexa,” her mother began. “You listen here; don’t go thinking about that man, he’s not worth it. He abandoned us ten years ago and never made one move into finding us, he didn’t care for us then and he doesn’t now.” Alexa nodded quietly, she had always known her mother was hurt by her father.
“Sorry mom. It’s just that I met someone today who had the same name and it made me think about him,” Alexa told her mother, her mother smiled fakely and kissed her on the fore head one last time.
“It’s okay honey. Just don’t go looking for him, you’ll only get yourself hurt,” her mother replied and stood up. “Good night honey.”
“Night mom,” Alexa answered as her mother walked out the door and turned off the light, she hoped her mother wasn’t right.
“Jayce? Are you even listening to a word we’re saying?” JC snapped out of his daze and glared at his friend, Chris who grinned at him broadly.
“What?” he asked totally lost; Chris laughed and patted him on the shoulder.
“Are you okay man? You seem a bit lost,” Chris asked, and JC nodded slowly.
“Yeah, I was just thinking,” JC murmured and tried to focus a bit more.
“About what man?” Chris asked, JC smiled and shook his head.
“Just about this new artist I’m producing for, she’s an amazing talent,” JC said. Chris gave an evil grin.
“Yeah? She hot?” he asked and JC looked at him in shock.
“No man! Not in that way! She’s only fifteen!” JC exclaimed bewildered by the fact that Chris, being as old as he was, still had a dirty mind.
“Yeah, keep telling yourself that,” Chris said still grinning; JC sighed and shook his head.
“No, she reminded me of Alexandra and it made me think, maybe I should try finding her again,” JC said softly, Chris’ grin disappeared and was replaced by a concerned frown.
“What? Are you sure man? I mean remember last time? You sure you want to go through with that again?” Chris asked JC recalling what had happened the last time JC had tried to find his daughter only to be let down by dead ends, JC nodded.
“Yeah, besides I don’t care I have a good feeling this time,” JC stated and Chris nodded.
“Okay, if it’s what you want,” Chris said throwing his hands up in the air.
“Yeah it is,” JC said looking at Chris.
“Fine, I just hope you won’t get hurt again,” Chris commented not wanting to see his friend get hurt.
“It doesn’t matter,” JC said, “It’ll all be worth it.”
Story Tags: daddyjc
