The Pen Pal Project // Alex Gaskarth

31.

KENDALL

She watched his car drive away; tears relentlessly running down her face.

She had lost him.

It was her chance to overcome her fear and she pushed him away.

Alex. Guitar-Guy. Alex Gaskarth.

Alex Gaskarth was her Pen Pal. He was the one who was infatuated with her. He was the one who she was infatuated with.

Kendall had every intention of going to meet him.

But then the voice in the back of her mind, the negative, pessimistic voice planted those doubts in her mind.

But it was Alex.

If only she had known, she would've ran there faster than the speed of light. She would've jumped into his arms and everything would've been alright.

But it wasn't alright.

Alex being Guitar-Guy was probably just as bad as Guitar-Guy not being Alex.

She knew Jack, Rian and Zack would stay by Alex's side. Why wouldn't they? He was their band mate and she was a nobody who read books.

Kendall knew she had lost all the friends she had just gained. She had become so accustomed to them that suddenly she felt so alone.

The tears continued but the sobbing became less frequent.

She hadn't known it was Alex. It seemed so obvious though. He was a singer in a band, he had long hair, and everything seemed so obvious now.

How had they avoided the topic of Pen Pals for so long?

Alex had punched that wall because of her. She had denied him for Prom and he punched a wall because he felt betrayed. It was her fault.

She ran her hands through her hair.

"I need air," she said to herself.

She unlocked the front door and opened it cautiously.

The sky no longer had tints of pink or orange that it had when Alex was there, now it was a dark, navy blue.

Sitting there on her front porch was an envelope and a red rose.

Alex.

She wiped her eyes, trying to rid herself of the tears.

Kendall made her way next to the two items and sat on the steps.

The number was in the bottom right corner of the envelope, a one was written in Guitar-Guy's—Alex's—signature scrawl.

She opened the envelope and read the first few lines.

Dear Music-Man,

Isn't that a musical? I think so, at least. I guess I'm your new pen pal.

Kendall remembered when she told him her favorite flower was a red rose. Red because it was her mother's favorite color and rose for her Grandma Rose, who passed away just after Kendall turned eight.

She smiled. She had told him bouquets where stupid; one was more than enough for her.

He remembered.

Kendall glanced back at the letter sitting on her porch.

Oh how things had changed since then.

ALEX

Alex was inconsolable.