Sian straightened her dress, played with her hair, and checked her compact, even though she wasn't wearing any makeup.
“What are you so nervous for?” Adam poked her in the arm with the top of the pineapple he was carrying. “This isn't the first time you've been over here, right?”
“It's the first time I'm meeting Alvin's brother, but I know about their history. I'm just worried about everything going well,”
“Rachel will be here too, right? I'm sure if anything happens, she'll smooth it over,”
“I think she'd be more likely to blow up at them than anyone,”
Adam sighed and pressed the buzzer.
“You worry too much,” he lightly chopped the top of her head. “Ever since we came here, you're always stressed about something,”
“And you don't worry enough. What are you going to do the rest of your career if you can't make it to your appointments on time?”
“I thought that's why I had you,” he grinned as the door unlocked and they entered Alvin's building. Sian simply rolled her eyes in response.
“Come on,” he continued, boarding the elevator to the fifth floor. “Let's just forget about everything tonight. We don't have school, or work, or responsibilities,”
“It must be nice living in your world,”
“I mean, I have a pretty good time,” he grinned again. Sian stopped in front of Alvin's door, straightened her dress again, glanced over at Adam, and knocked.
“Oh, good,” Alvin’s expression relaxed when he answered the door and saw it was them. He wrapped his arms around Sian and nuzzled her hair. “Rachel's here, but she's not, you know. You,”
Sian briefly returned the hug and pulled away to look up at him.
“Travis is here?”
“Yes. Rachel's currently trying to get him drunk. Says it makes him more tolerable,”
Sian let out a small giggle in spite of herself.
“Well, we're here now. The more the merrier, right?”
“Yes. Thank goodness,”
“Ahem,” Adam said behind them. “Don't mind me, just being the third wheel over here,”
“My apologies,” Alvin pulled away completely from Sian and straightened his glasses. “Welcome. I don't believe we've officially met yet. Adam, right? Thank you for supporting Sian all this time,”
“Likewise,” Adam furrowed his brow as he took Alvin's outstretched hand. “You're one of the first people I've met here who's never heard my music,”
“Is that so? Sorry, I have of course seen your name online, but I'm afraid music isn't one of my interests,”
“Hey, it’s cool. Kind of a nice change from all the fangirls. Anyway, we brought this for you,”
He held out the pineapple to a bewildered Alvin.
“It was Adam's idea,” Sian quickly broke in.
“OK,” Alvin accepted it hesitantly. “May I ask why a pineapple?”
“Obviously, cause we're Hawaiian and all,” Adam grinned.
“And, beginning in the Age of Exploration when European sailors brought citrus fruits and pineapples back with them it became a symbol of hospitality and goodwill,”
Sian elbowed Adam in the ribs.
“Oh, really? I didn't know that. Thank you,” Alvin smiled warmly at that.
“I thought it was funny,” Adam muttered as Alvin finally ushered them inside.
Sitting on the familiar couch where Sian usually watched sci-fi marathons or studied with Alvin, Rachel was holding a glass out with her signature smirk, pressed as close as possible to a man who both bemused and irritated.
Sian recalled the family photo on Alvin's desk with the older boy who she soon found out was Travis. Even though he was sitting down, she could tell he was considerably taller than Alvin, his black hair was straight and neat, and he no longer wore glasses, but there was no mistaking his eyes. They were still the same as the photo, still exactly the same as Alvin.
“Hey there, girl!” Rachel called, saluting Sian with the glass. “Look at us, hanging out just like in the old days,”
“Are you drunk already?” Sian smiled and took a nearby chair.
“The earlier, the better, they always say,”
“Do they? That doesn't really make any sense,”
“It would if you joined us,” Rachel sloshed the glass out toward her.
“Um, I'm a minor,”
“You think anyone in this city cares?” Rachel scoffed. “Go on. Loosen up a bit,”
Sian gingerly took the glass from her but did not drink.
“Don't mind her. She's always been this pushy, you learn to ignore it,” the man - Travis - said.
“Don't try and pull that, Travie. Sian and I worked on set together, we know all each other's secrets,”
“Is that so? Then how do you know Alvin?”
He's pleasant enough, she thought. But there's something about him that irritates me.
“We go to the same university,” she said quickly. “I'm just working to pay my tuition,”
“How admirable,” he smiled.
He's kind of condescending.
“She's also my girlfriend,” Alvin took the seat next to her and handed her a bottled tea.
Everyone seemed to freeze. Rachel blinked over at him, Travis’s mouth turned to a thin line, and Adam simply looked confused.
I thought he wasn't going to mention anything?
Alvin said that it was easier not to bring up the subject before, but he seemed determined to make something clear to his brother now.
“Oh? You aren't worried about announcing that to everyone?”
“Oh for chrissake, Travis, that was a bunch of stupid high school drama, give it up. Your brother is trying to do the same, and here you are being difficult like usual,” Rachel said.
“And what will you do if it happens again?”
“It won’t,” Sian said coldly. All eyes turned to her and she fought to keep from shrinking back. “I am with a sweet, caring guy and I really don't understand how that anyone could have given that up for someone like you,”
“Sian,” Alvin said quietly, touching her arm.
“It's quite simple, really. People have needs he can't - or is unwilling - to fulfill. Are you certain you won't grow tired of it?"
“Travis!” Rachel exclaimed.
“It's all right, Rachel,” Alvin said.
“It's not all right,” Sian stood, her fists clenched, leveling a glare at Travis. “I know I won't do the same because Alvin and I have discussed this - extensively. We've tried to understand each other. We've made compromises. We've actually put work into our relationship, even when it hasn't been so easy. I admit I struggle with it sometimes, but I'm not going to throw all this away because of such a minor difference. Do you know I was ready to accept you? Alvin has been working so hard to rebuild a relationship with you and I am here to support him all the way, but you are being a huge problem. So no, I would never throw away such an amazing guy for something temporary and superficial with such a self centered, arrogant asshole like you,”
With that she turned on her heel and stormed out of the apartment. Out in the hallway, she pressed a hand against the wall as hot angry tears welled up in her eyes and spilled over her cheeks. She cried silently, shoulders shaking, a hand over her mouth. It was going to be such a perfect evening, just the group of them hanging out, having dinner together, talking and joking around.
She hated Travis.
The door burst open next to her and she choked back a gasp.
“What the hell was that all about?” Adam said. He froze when he saw her, her tear stained cheeks and her trembling limbs, and without another word gathered her into a tight hug. They said nothing, Sian quietly sobbing against his chest and he gently rubbing her back as she shook.
“I ruined everything, didn't I?” She sniffed after several silent minutes.
“No, I think that honor belongs to that Travis guy. What's going on with you and Alvin? Are you guys having some sort of trouble?”
“No, it's nothing like that. I'll tell you everything later if Alvin doesn't mind, but we're fine. There was just some drama about his ex that I thought we were all going to put behind us,”
“‘Drama’ is putting it kindly. I seriously thought there was going to be a fight,”
“Maybe we’re missing one,”
“Better than participating,”
He smiled gently down at her and wiped away a few stray tears. Just then the door opened again and Alvin looked out.
“Sian? Are you alright?”
He avoided her gaze, red-faced, and his hand fiddled with the doorknob.
“Yes. Well - I'm OK for now. Can we go talk somewhere?”
“Of course,”
Adam smiled again and released her.
“I'll keep watch out here,”
“Is it OK to just leave like this?” Sian said.
“Rachel is handling it,” Alvin answered shortly, and walked down the hall.
“‘Handling’ it? Handling it how?” She called, running after him.
“Well, when I left just now, she had him by the shirt and told me to go after you,” his lip curled.
“This isn't how I wanted things to go. Are you sure it's all right to leave them in there like that?”
“Oh, she won't hurt him. Much,”
“Alvin,” she grabbed his arm to stop him. He simply said, “Let's go up to the roof,”
It wasn't cold that night, but at such a height the breeze picked up and blew through the skin of her bare arms. She wrapped them around herself, stopping in the doorway, where it wasn't as bad.
“I'm sorry,” was all she said after a silence.
“I'm not angry at you. I'm not really angry at all, just...tired,”
“But I wanted this to be a nice evening, and you'd mend things with your brother like you've been talking about, and - I just can't believe him,”
Alvin tugged off his sweater and wrapped it over her shoulders, leaving his t-shirt and hair disheveled. It was nice and warm and she smiled gratefully..
“I know I said I didn't want you fighting my battles for me, but that speech was impressive,” he smiled back.
“You know, I'm completely fine if you never make up with him. I can't believe he can be such a child still,”
“Well, I think he was forced to grow up too fast,”
“That's no excuse! Seriously, if he can't accept you then I don't want to know him,”
“You didn't grow up with him,"
Sian tugged the sweater closer to herself, blinking back new tears.
“Are you saying you still want to try?”
“I'm saying I think things got a little out of hand, and when we've all calmed down we can reconvene,”
He reached out and wiped away an errant tear with his thumb, fingertips resting gently on her cheek. “Ok?”
She nodded. “Aren't you cold?”
He shrugged. “I bet you're colder,”
Sian conceded this. Even after months on the mainland in a temperate climate, she wasn't used to the cold. She wound her numbing fingers through his.
“Then let's go back inside,”
“Yes,” he smiled again.
“Everything OK?” Adam looked up as they returned to the hallway.
“We're fine. Everything OK down here?”
Adam mock saluted with a smirk. “Nothing to report except a woman's raised voice and some choice language,”
They listened. All was quiet at the moment.
“Should we go back in?” Sian said. Alvin's jaw set.
“It's my apartment,” he said, and marched in. Sian glanced over at Adam and stumbled after him.
“Good, you're back,” Rachel said when they entered. “Just making sure you didn't die or anything. I'm taking this one back to his hotel and he's gonna have a good long think about what he said, like a damn adult,”
She jerked a thumb at Travis, who still sat on the couch. He was drawn in on himself and had a grimace across his face.
“Yes. Thank you, Rachel,” Alvin said. She nodded and snapped at Travis, jerking her head toward the door.
“Let's go. And don't think you're done with your lecture yet. Get ready for the car ride from hell, Travie,”
“Well,” Adam said, exhaling with a huff as they left. “I still don't know what's going on, really, but we're all good for right now?”
“I think so,” Sian looked to Alvin.
“I'm sorry for upsetting you so much tonight. I wanted this to go well as much as you,”
“Alvin,” she grasped his hand. “None of this is your fault. Really, I was upset on your behalf,”
“You should stop doing that,” he pulled in and bumped foreheads with her.
“I'll stop when people stop being jerks about it,”
“Ahem,” Adam said behind them. “Sorry to interrupt - third wheel here again - but what are we gonna do now?”
Alvin thought. “Well, there's no reason we can't pass an enjoyable evening still. Why don't we order a pizza and watch some movies? Plus, Rachel left that bottle of wine here,”
“Alvin!” Sian tried to scold him but she couldn't hold back a laugh. “What are you trying to get us into?”
“What are you talking about? Everything about that sounded good to me,” Adam grinned.
Sian rolled her eyes. “One glass. We have class tomorrow, and John got you that interview with Rolling Stone, and I’ll be damned if you mess it up,”
“OK, mom,” he rolled his eyes right back at her and Alvin laughed. "Hey Al, make sure one of them's barbeque chicken, yeah?"
"Al?" Alvin raised an eyebrow.
"Too much? How about I just call you Four Eyes and you can call me Palm Tree like Dale does,"
Alvin shook his head and picked up his phone. "How about you just stick with Alvin,"
As he turned away to put the order in, Adam nudged Sian in the ribs.
"Hey, is there a stereo around here?"
"Yeah, there's one under the TV,"
"Nice. You still have my iPod in your purse, right? Let's put together a good 'waiting for pizza playlist,'"
They knelt together by the TV and scrolled through Adam's songs.
"Hey, what are all these?" Sian pointed at an untitled album list with some wonky looking songs. Adam's eyes widened.
"Nothing!" he made a grab for the iPod, but Sian already pressed play.
Quiet, simple acoustic strumming filled the apartment. Adam’s voice surrounded them, and he gave up trying to win the iPod back from Sian, slumping down in defeat.
“No one was supposed to hear this yet. I just recorded a couple one offs the other day,”
“What's the matter? It sounds good,”
“I agree. I have no ear for music, but I like this,” Alvin joined them on the floor.
“It's just, you know. Stuff about home. When we were kids. When stuff seemed easier,” Adam mumbled, turning a bit red.
The song had a definite melancholic bent to it that was absent from his usual sound. Sudden memories surfaced at his lyrics and Sian was overcome with the same kind of homesickness.
“I don't even know if I'm gonna record full versions or not,” he continued quickly. “Honestly I'm kind of scared to show John,”
“What's the harm? They're good,” Alvin said.
“It's the industry, man. It's not my normal sound. It's not what people expect or want from me,”
Sian grasped his hand..
“I know this probably isn't what you want to hear, but you're not like most performers. You chose to go to school, so you've got options. So really, what's the harm in taking the risk? Worst case scenario, you get a degree and some security. No one said you can't work in the industry ever again. And the best case? Everyone loves it as much as we do,”
“You make it sound easy,”
“Well, the only thing you can do right now is show these tracks to John. He'll have more solid advice than us,”
“He's just gonna scrap them all and tell me to write more,”
“You don't know that,”
“Fine. I'll do it. But I want you to be there with me,”
“Of course I'll be there,”
“Well, now I'm feeling like the third wheel,” Alvin smiled at them. “But I wish you the best if luck. Palm Tree,”
Adam grinned and punched him in the shoulder. “Thanks, Four Eyes,’
“So what should we do while we wait?” Sian said. Just as she spoke, a fast paced electronic track came on. Adam beamed.
“Let's dance,”
“I thought you said you weren't a dancer?” She shrieked as he grabbed her arm and pulled her over to the open space in front of the TV.
“Did I?” he twirled her around, her skirt billowing outwards and her laughter twining with the music. Suddenly their grasp broke and she landed against Alvin's chest with a soft oof.
“Sorry. I'm not very good at this,” he said, standing awkwardly.
“You don't know if you don't try,” she moved his hands to her waist and swayed in time to the beat.
“I - I think I'll just go clean up some,” he released her and hurried back to the kitchen.
“What's up with him?” Adam came up beside her. “And here I was trying to be a good friend,”
“It's nothing, he's just awkward,”
Adam snorted. “I can't believe Sian Goodin just used that word to describe someone else,”
“Well, it's true. And besides, we work well together, being super awkward,”
“Hey, let's see what's on the list for movies tonight. We'll put together a good show for him, ok?”
Sian smiled and nodded and they flipped through Alvin's DVDs as the buzzer announced the long awaited arrival of the pizza. They built up quite a stack by the time Alvin brought them plates and the bottle of wine, and he smiled brightly at their choices. He and Sian curled up on the couch together while Adam sprawled out on the floor.
All I wanted was a nice evening, she thought, nestling down in Alvin's arms. And here we are.
