Moving out
Alex had spent half of the ride back home calming Vikki. Truthfully, he hadn't considered her feelings when he bolted in the morning and felt like he would have to make it up to her.
After hanging up, he noticed he had a single text message from Layla,
Not wanting to step on another potential landmine, he decided to leave any likely conversation for tomorrow as he slid his phone back into his pocket. Alex was exhausted, and couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or not, so he decided to get some rest before they arrived back at the house.
"Get up, sleeping beauty. We're home!" Jimmy shook the young man in the passenger seat.
"Seriously, Jimmy, why can't you just wake me up like normal? Why's everything have to be so weird?" The groggy Alex glared at Jimmy with a deadpan expression. "Christ, I'm not even fully dressed, thanks to you letting me get carried away today!"
Wearing just a pair of shorts while the rest of the spare clothes dried in the back of the car, Alex wasn't exactly happy with his current appearance.
"That's not my fault; you're the little premature transformer," Jimmy quipped.
Alex quickly slammed the door and stepped into the driveway. He appreciated that it was already late, and darkness had overtaken the neighborhood. It was unlikely that anyone would see him in his current disheveled state.
"Wait… I just wanted to say thank you for everything. I don't know what I would have done without you." Alex became serious for a moment.
"Is this you trying to say that you're going to be staying at your place from now on? It's not that big of a deal, you know. You're an adult now." Jimmy seemed to know where the conversation was headed.
"No, I mean it. I want to say that I'm sorry for acting like a child. I should have been more mature over the years, but it's just that…" Alex sighed, looking down at the ground.
"I just need some time to myself. After what happened yesterday, I'm terrified, and I can't let anyone else know. You're the only one who knows the real me, and I don't think I could have handled it any other way." He hesitated as he reached for the door handle, "I need to figure out who I am, so I can lead the herd."
Jimmy nodded as he watched his companion enter the house. "I understand, Alex," he replied as he followed the young man into the home.
"I've been there, and it's a lot harder than you'd expect. You've been dealing with a lot more than most people since you were twelve. You just have to keep pushing forward. That's all we can do." Jimmy reached out to the young leader, hugging him.
Alex felt a sizable burden lift from his shoulders, knowing that the old man understood.
"Are you sure you're okay? Do you want to stay at my place tonight?" Jimmy asked as he closed the front door. "One more night isn't going to make or break you."
"I appreciate the offer, but I'm fine. I just want to get some of my clothes together. I have a feeling Vikki is still waiting for me." He had a suspicion that his conversation from earlier wasn't quite finished.
"Okay, have a goodnight then… Remember, we're family, and you'll always have a place to stay here. If things don't work out with that vampire, you can always find a nice dino girl!" Jimmy wouldn't stop letting Alex know how he felt about keeping it within the faction.
"You are planning on expanding the herd, after all." Jimmy laughed and walked towards his bedroom.
[You haven't even asked Trent to move in.]
[Some expansion.]
'Seriously, it's not like I had a lot of time with the whole murdering people in an alley followed by a training session...' Alexr admittedly let it slip his mind..
[Are you ever going to start?]
'I plan on it, yes. Stop rushing me! We live longer than the average person, and it's not like I'm strong enough to let the world know about us yet.' He thought expanding was important, but having the strength to defend the herd would take priority.
[I don't know if I'm disappointed in your lack of resolve…]
[or impressed at your foresight.]
'I'm not even that smart, remember?' He thought, letting out a smirk. "'I just don't understand what the rush is.'
He hurriedly ran to his old bedroom and packed away a couple of changes of clothing. He wasn't in a hurry to move out of Jimmy's house, so he kept it light and only took a couple of outfits along with personal hygiene items.
Alex felt his phone buzz in his pocket, and when he checked it, he noticed it was showing he had a low battery. Not wanting to worry Vikki, he sent her a couple of quick texts to let her know that he was on his way.
Not bothering to wait for a reply, he sent out a few messages before his phone died.
As the icon indicated the message had been sent, his battery icon switched from 1% to 0%, and the screen faded to black, powering down. Alex slid his phone back into his pocket, and remembered to add his charger to his bag.
He grabbed his bag and strolled back into the kitchen, searching for Jimmy. After not finding him anywhere, he came to the conclusion that he must have been resting in his room. The old man didn't show it, but today's training must have taken a toll on him.
Alex approached his closed bedroom door and shouted, "Jimmy, I'm heading out! Don't forget to lock the door! Wouldn't want someone to take advantage of an old man!"