Alex and Sebastian 40
Hello again guys, this is the final season for Alex and Sebastian. I hope you guys enjoy!
Anyways, please continue to email me so I know someone is reading and liking what I'm writing. I also have a playlist of songs that I listen to while writing the chapters if y'all are interested.
The email you can reach me at is lore.guerra13@gmail.com for questions, comments, concerns or donations ha-ha, just kidding!
A fellow reader made a playlist with most of the songs I've either used or will use in the series. If y'all want to listen to it while reading the chapters the link for it is this:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJZWEUrY9KRSfQ98rYlMYix46VM0CJ7XS
One new song will be added on to the playlist.
What's Going On In Your World – George Strait
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11 weeks before the wedding
"If you don't want to go man – then don't."
I looked at Ralf and tried to get him to understand what was going through my head. "I don't know if I want to or not."
Ralf grabbed my shoulders and gently shook me. "Look man, if you still have feelings for him –"
"I don't have feelings for him." Truth was after the last time I saw him, I didn't know what I felt. "I just – it's been years, man. I don't know what I should be feeling."
"It's just a dinner, Seb. If you feel nervous, just say some work stuff came up or that you got sick."
I laughed, "Like that's any better! No one's going to believe that! Especially not him."
Ralf laughed at my dilemma. That asshole, ha. "Well then, what are you going to do?"
I shook my head because there was only one thing I could do. "I'm going," I said. "I'm going for Lea and Brandon. That's it."
Ralf seemed okay with that decision. "There it is. Sounds good, then."
As the week rolled around, I felt more and more nervous for Saturday. Lea had decided to hold a small "Welcome Back" dinner for all of us at this fancy Italian restaurant in town. It wasn't that I had feelings for Alex – not after all these years – I was just ... self-conscious about where I was at in life.
For the better half of a decade, I was still stuck in this little town. Yes, I raised a beautiful daughter by myself. I was there for every tear and every late night diaper run while at the same time holding down a job as a bartender and finishing school. I had graduated with my Bachelor's in Biology – it just took me a little while longer than other people. I was now working as a teacher at a local high school.
I hadn't really kept up with Alex but Lea and Ralf had shared little things here and there throughout the years. Hell, even my sister, Michele, knew more about Alex than I did. She had spent some time with him and Jay some years ago when she moved from Houston to Austin. From what I heard, he had gone back to school and gotten a masters in Science and had lectured a few courses at UT. Ralf had heard from Lea that he had a position lined up at our old university while he was in town but I already knew that.
Then there was Matt.
I didn't want to think about them tonight. I'd have enough time to let that hurt my head tomorrow night at the dinner. Instead, I decided to head to the place that had been there for me throughout the years: El Vaso.
In the past decade, El Vaso had been passed down to a new owner. Luckily, the new owner decided to keep the same name and atmosphere. Yes, there had been small changes here and there but, all in all, El Vaso was the same place it had been all those years ago.
Since Lily had wanted to spend this week with Stella, I had left her with Emma and Mark. As I got out of my car and walked inside, I felt goosebumps in my arms. I breathed in and out to compose myself and headed to the bar. I ordered myself a craft beer and listened to a random guy sing.
"Mind if I sit here?"
I turned to see a girl in a tight mustard dress looking at me.
"No," I said. "Not at all."
"Thanks," she smiled. After sitting down for a second, she waved the bartender over and ordered a craft beer as well.
"You have good taste," I said, mentioning her beer selection.
"Thanks," she smiled. Her eyes glanced down at the beer in my hand and she raised hers. "You, too," she said. After a second, she added, "Name's Melissa, by the way."
I outstretched my hand. "Sebastian."
She took my hand in hers and shook it. "Nice to meet you, Sebastian."
"So," I said, turning to face her. "Are you waiting for someone or-"
Melissa smiled at me. She had a nice smile. "Actually, yes." I couldn't explain it but my heart sank a little. She must have noticed this as she added, "Oh, you misunderstand. My friend is having her bachelorette party. We stopped by here for some music and drinks. I'm waiting on them so we can head somewhere else." Melissa looked back to a corner of the room and I noticed five other girls – one wearing an unmistakable tiara – drinking and staring at the guitar player on stage.
"And you left them because –"
"I got tired of all their giggling and, if you must know," Melissa looked away from me and straight at the mirror that lined the back of the bar. "I saw a cute guy sitting at the bar and wanted to talk to him."
"Is that right?" I smiled. "Well, good job, then." I raised my beer and drank.
"So," she said as she turned to face the stage and leaned back. "Would you ever do something like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like that," she said, referring to the singing guy onstage.
"Sing? Yeah, I've done it before, actually."
"Really?" Melissa took a sip from her beer and smiled. "Sing something, then."
"You want me to sing?" I asked.
"Yeah. Think of it as a gift for the bride-to-be. Besides," she smiled. "Everyone likes a guy who can sing."
I smiled at her. "Who am I to keep that from the bride-to-be?" Finishing my beer, I waited for the guy onstage to finish his song and I walked up after him. I took a guitar from nearby in my hand and leaned toward the microphone.
"Hey guys," I started. "Sebastian here. This one's for the bride-to-be sitting over here." I looked over to the girl with the tiara on her head and smiled. "Wish the best to you and your guy."
I don't know if it was something I said, but for the second time tonight I felt goosebumps form on my forearms. I coughed the thought away and took a deep breath.
"What's going on in your world?
I hope that you're doing fine.
I just called to say there's not a day that you don't cross my mind.
I just wanted to see if you feel like me – sorry that we said goodbye.
So what's going on in your world?
It sure is lonesome in mine."
I don't know why I chose this song. George Strait's What's Going on in Your World wasn't exactly one of my favorites, regardless, something must have come over me and made me sing this song. Even now, listening to the lyrics I sang, I felt an immense sense of melancholy washing over me.
I couldn't prove it, but I had the strange sense that someone was watching me. Again, it was pretty stupid of me to think that since I was upstage and everyone was already watching me.
I couldn't push that feeling away, though.
"Just tell me that you're happy and I'll hang up the phone.
Just tell me you don't need me anymore and I'll leave you alone.
I just wondered if you had somebody new after all of this time.
So what's going on in your world?
It sure is lonesome in mine.
What's going on in your world?
It sure is lonesome in mine."
At the end of my song, I saw a good part of the audience clap for me including Melissa. I smiled at her as I walked off stage.
"That was so good, Sebastian!" She placed her hand on my shoulder and I noticed it lingered there a little while longer than it should have.
"Thanks," I smiled again.
It looked like Melissa was about to say something else when something behind me caught her attention. "Sorry," she said. "It looks like my friends are ready to go." Melissa reached behind her and got a napkin from the bar. "Here," she said as she wrote something down. "Call me whenever you can." Before she left, she leaned in and kissed my cheek. "See you around, Sebastian."
Just like that, Melissa and her friends left, leaving me alone again at the bar while another person walked on stage and sang.
What's going on in your world?
It sure is lonesome in mine.