Zander and Alex (summary and excerpts)

Zhelredi
Zander and Alex


I was wrong.
You weren’t the one.
I tried.
I failed.
That’s it.
I’m done.


This is just the summary, y’know, the basic plot. I’ve been writing the actual story

since 8th grade, but due to complications, I’m nowhere near finishing it. But this is

the storyline I’m following. The story itself is much better (I hope).


This story is broken down into three parts. The first part opens at the funeral of

Alex’s mother (1), Lenore. Alex’s half sister LaReagan (Ray) Zhelredi attends.

Alex’s is unaware of the fact the she has any siblings because her biological father

had a one-night stand with her mother. Alex is pretty surprised when the young

woman that she’s never seen before offers her a place to stay. Alex is desperately

trying to avoid having to move in with her Aunt Golovna and Uncle Eugene, her only

living relatives that she knows of, so she agrees. Her aunt and uncle suggest that

she finish out the school year, and then go spend the summer with Ray. It’s the

best deal that Alex can get, and the school year is almost over anyway, so she

consents. When she arrives at Ray’s, she gets more than she bargains for. Her

sister stays in an apartment over a lesbian bar (The Coop) that she co-owns. Alex

is a homophobe, but over a period of time, Ray convinces her that she should treat

everyone the same. Alex ends up wiping tables in the bar after hours. There’s

another girl, Alexzandra (Zander), who helps clean after hours. She’s a minor that

lives with Gretel Cooper because she’s got nowhere else to stay. There’s an instant

attraction, but Alex doesn’t want to like girls, so she keeps her distance until

Zander gets scratched by a syringe and has an allergic reaction. Alex is the only

one around to help her. They become friends, and eventually, more than friends (2).

Over the course of Alex’s two and a half month stay, they fall for each other pretty

hard, but Alex won’t let Zander tell anyone. People at The Coop aren’t blind. They

know what’s going on and vote Alex and Zander "cutest couple". Instead of it being

funny, like they intended, Alex panics and starts avoiding Zander. She starts saying

a lot of crap that she doesn’t really mean. Zander overhears it and they officially

break up. Alex can’t handle it and after a fight with LaReagan (3), moves back to

Oklahoma with her aunt and uncle.


The second part opens up at the mall a year later. Alex is with her friends (and

boyfriend) when Zander shows up to reclaim her. After a little scene in the mall,

Zander leaves. Alex goes home and cries because Zander is all that she’s thought

about for the past year. She’s not happy at all with the life she’s living, but she

knows she can’t reveal herself because it would make things even worse. Zander

comes knocking on the window. (4) Alex opens it to send her away, but Zander

sees that she’s been crying and kisses her through the open window. Alex’s

defenses are down, so when Zander crawls through the window, Alex can’t fight it.

They lay in bed and Alex feels more secure than she ever has before. She tells

Zander she loves her for the first time ever. They fall asleep. The next morning,

Alex’s aunt walks in on Alex and Zander asleep, wrapped up in each other’s arms.

She screams and calls the police. Zander disappears. Alex’s aunt takes away all of

Alex’s privileges and puts her in counseling. Alex is even more miserable that

before because she can’t even see her friends. Her aunt agrees to let her have her

life back when school starts as long as Alex swears she’s not gay. Zander’s gone,

so Alex has no reason not to. She swears it. She’s laying in her room waiting for

her confinement to end when Zander comes back. (5) Alex succeeds in driving her

away this time. Zander doesn’t come back.


The third part opens up with Alex’s graduation ceremony. Her boyfriend proposes

on stage. Instead of being happy, Alex realizes that she doesn’t want to spend the

rest of her life with him. She realizes that she’s an adult and that she doesn’t have

to hide who she is anymore. She tells him she can’t marry him because she likes

girls. All of her friends except Peter abandon her. Alex tells Pete everything and

they end up going on a road trip to find Zander. When they get to The Coop, Alex

finds out that Zander moved to New York. On their way to New York, Alex hears

one of the songs Zander wrote her on the radio. It turns out that Zander is a singer

in a quickly rising band. When Alex finally locates her, she’s already involved with

the other main singer in the band. Alex confesses her love for Zander (6). Zander’s

still madly in love with Alex, but knows that she can’t handle another heart break,

so she tells Alex she’s happy with the girl she’s got. Alex vows to keep trying, but

weeks of rejection wear her down and she falls into a heavy, drug-laden depression.

Zander knows that she can’t ever be happy without Alex and decides she’s worth

the risk, so she invites her to a show her band is putting on in a club. She plans on

publicly ending things with the person she’s currently involved with and getting back

together with Alex. Zander’s girlfriend knows that she’s about to get dumped for

Alex, so when Alex walks into the club, Zander’s girlfriend grabs Zander and starts

frantically kissing her up on the stage. Alex sees them and snaps. She leaves the

club and speeds away in her car. Zander pushes the girl away, jumps off the stage,

forces her way through the crowd, and goes after Alex. Pete and Zander spilt up to

look for Alex. Zander finds Alex’s car crashed and Alex dead. (7) All of her hopes

crushed, the only person she’s ever loved dead, Zander goes crazy. In a frenzy, she

stabs herself with a syringe she finds in Alex’s jacket. Her throat swells up and she

dies as the police arrive. They find them both lying dead in a puddle of Alex’s blood.

THE END


EXCERPTS

These are pieces taken out of the actual story so you can see my writing style.

They have numbers matching the ones on the previous section because they tell

the location of the excerpt.


1: Alexis was sitting in the front row swashed between her sobbing aunt and

solemn uncle gazing longingly at the door and wondering when she could slink out

of the room. She looked away and put her head in her hands. She wasn’t overcome

by grief. She was trying to formulate a plan to get out of having to move in with her

mother’s sister. Lenore Vandon had been a strong woman working hard to support

herself and her daughter. She had been a recovering alcoholic when something

went wrong with her liver. It wasn’t long before she died. Alexis didn’t know the

details. Her mother hadn’t cared to fill her in. Lenore never told Alexis anything that

she didn’t need to know. In fact, she never talked to Alexis unless it was absolutely

necessary. Lenore wasn’t one for expressing affection, or any emotion really. That

suited Alexis just fine. She preferred being left alone. Aunt Golly was the exact

opposite of her sister. She was overemotional. Every time Alexis was around her,

Aunt Golly kept her very close. She liked to play therapist. She’d always try to

make Alexis confide in her. Alexis couldn’t stand it. She’d usually escape a few

hours later wanting to vomit. Even now, her aunt’s theatrical weeping was driving

Alexis insane. She chanced another look at the door. A stranger was leaning

against the wall next to it. Alexis studied her for a while, she looked vaguely

familiar, but she couldn’t see her clearly enough to identify her. She sighed and put

her head down again. She tried to listen to the pastor speaking. "… and Lenore was

a kind, compassionate, loving…" Ha. Someone had given the poor man a very

misleading account of her mother. "…wonderful, considerate, attentive…" Nice

thesaurus. "…woman who will be deeply missed and…" By whom? "…her older

sister and sixteen year old daughter…" He droned on. Alexis fell asleep.


2: Without warning, Zander threw herself directly on top of Alex. Alex felt Zander

pulling her forward. Zander put Alex’s lips to her own. Alex felt Zander’s tongue in

her mouth. She went dizzy. Nothing had ever felt like this before. Nothing. Never

had anything been so utterly satisfying. She couldn’t think. She couldn’t move. She

had gone completely numb, yet she could feel everything. Then Zander pushed

herself off of Alex and reality came rushing back as the feeling of ecstasy faded

away. Alex became aware of her surroundings. Zander was sitting against the wall

with her hands over her mouth, gasping. She looked horrified. "I…I…didn’t mean…

I’m so sorry!" she stammered. She was shaking terribly. Alex couldn’t speak. She

sat up as quickly as her spinning head would allow. Zander was within arm’s reach.

Alex grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back down onto her. Zander looked

confused for a second, then it dawned on her. She fell heavily on top of Alex and

frantically started kissing her again. Alex lost all track of time. She didn’t know how

long they lay there. Finally, she felt Zander moving off of her. Alex opened her eyes.

Zander was leaning over her, staring at her with those big, green eyes. They gazed

at each other for a long moment breathing really hard. They were motionless for a

second, then Zander stood up, turned around, and walked trembling out of the

room. Alex lay there catching her breath. "Wow." she thought. "Wow."


3: Alex heard the sound of the car door slamming and hurried footsteps behind her.

She walked faster, seething. Alex felt a soft hand on her shoulder. All of the day's

anger came upon her right then. She spun around crazily and hit Reagan open

handed on the side of the face as hard as she could. The impact made her palm

burn. That’s all she had time to deduct before she was on the ground. It felt as if her

face had exploded! She felt the weight of what must be Reagan on top of her

stomach. Reagan was holding down Alex’s shoulders. "Listen," Reagan panted, "it

is never a good idea to hit me, I grew up with a bunch of smelly boys, I hit hard."

Alex open her eyes, well, tried to. Only one of her eyes would actually open. She

saw Reagan, in all of her composure, leaning over her. Apart from looking a little

winded, Reagan looked as calm as ever, albeit a red hand print on the left side of

her face. She didn’t look a bit shaken. It was hard for Alex to breath with Reagan on

top of her, but she wasn’t about to ask her to move. She just glared at her. After

Reagan was sure that Alex wasn’t about to get violent again, she climbed off of her.

She stood up slowly wiping the dirt off of her knees. She looked down at Alex in all

of her pitifulness. She stood there for a moment, then rolled her eyes and offered

her hand to Alex. Alex lay there motionless for a second, then hoisted herself up

with Reagan’s hand. Reagan turned around and walked briskly back to the car,

unscathed. Alex stood there using the illumination from the headlights to try and

examine the full extent of the damage. It hurt to move. Apart from the huge bump

throbbing just under her left eye, the back of her arms, legs, and back were

thoroughly scraped up. She couldn’t really see how much she was bleeding. She

limped back to the car. She opened the passenger door and flung herself into the

seat, wincing at the pain it caused in her raw arms and legs. "I’m sorry I had to do

that" said Reagan sincerely, "but you can’t hit someone and expect not to be hit

back." She waited for Alex’s reply, but it didn’t come. "What? No smart-ass

comebacks? No words of fury to throw at me?" Still nothing. "C’mon, talk to me"

said Reagan playfully, starting the car. Alex took a deep breath and spoke

slowly. "I want to go home."


4: Zander stood outside Alex’s window in the rain. "How cliché." Alex thought. She

was actually relieved to see Zander, but she knew she had to send her away. They

stared at each other through the glass for a moment, then Alex opened the

window. "Z, I’m sorry, but…" She didn’t finish her sentence because right then,

Zander leaned through the window and kissed her. Alex stood there, stunned.

Zander climbed through the window and stood there shivering, looking up

imploringly. Alex knew she couldn’t stay. She had to tell her to leave. Zander

indecisively stepped forward. After a moment’s hesitation, she stepped forward and

put her arms around Alex’s neck. She held on tight. Alex could feel her trembling.

Alex sighed. Zander couldn’t stay. She tried to push her away, but Zander held on

to her neck and kissed her. Alex felt herself falling into Zander’s kiss. She couldn’t

help it.


Alex lay there. She hadn’t felt so secure, so peaceful, in years. Ever. All of the

strain she was usually under dissolved. Everything was ok. She lay there with her

arms wrapped around Zander. Their breath fell in unison. This wasn’t wrong. Nothing

could ever be wrong again as long as she was with Zander. They lay motionless.

Alex lightly brushed her lips against the back of Zander’s neck. Everything was so

perfect. It felt as if it had always been. They hadn’t wasted a year. They hadn’t been

unaware of each other for sixteen years beforehand. They had always been laying

there together. Always been in love. Love. She hadn’t said it before. Not to Zander.

She wanted to. Did she dare? Saying it would finalize everything she had always

denied. How could she? It was wrong. She felt Zander pull Alex's arms tighter

around her. No. It wasn’t wrong. It was true and it was wonderful. "Zander, I love

you..." Alex breathed. It was utterly silent, then..."I know." Zander replied quietly. "I

love you too." They held each other, warm and satisfied. Alex drifted off to sleep.

Alex didn’t know what woke her up. Was it the light or her aunt’s shriek half a

second later? That morning was obscured. Her aunt screaming. Zander gone.

Where did she go? Aunt Golly calling the police. Terrible headache...


5: "Alex…you’re the best thing that ever happened to me. That summer…I know

you felt it…" Zander took a step forward. Alex focused on a section of the ceiling

shaking her head. "Z…it wasn’t real. You’ve got to go. It’s over." Alex lifted up

Zander’s chin and stared directly into her eyes: those big, green eyes that Alex had

never told a lie to. She felt Zander leaning in. Closer. Closer. If Zander got that kiss,

then Alex would lose. "I don’t love you anymore" she said blandly, emotionlessly.

Zander froze, her face inches from Alex’s. Alex stepped back leaving Zander

standing there motionless in disbelief. "That’s…that’s a lie." Zander whispered, but

Alex could tell that Zander wasn’t sure. Alex stepped to the side and moved

towards the door. Zander regained her ability to move and jumped in front of the

door. "I think you underestimate my feelings for you." she said quickly,

hysterically. "No," Alex replied coldly, "I think you overestimate my feelings for

you!". Zander’s face contorted with pain. She leaned against the door, wounded.

Alex had done it again. She had ruined everything. It hurt her so bad to see Zander

like this, but she couldn’t comfort her. There would be no stuttered apology this

time. No reconciliation. It was best for them both. Zander would go back to The

Coop and find someone good for her, better for her than Alex had been. And Alex

could go back to her melancholy life where she could fiend happiness without

having to worry about Zander. Zander looked like she was about to cry, but she

managed to hold in her tears. She stared at Alex shaking her head. "You…you

don’t…" she choked. Alex’s heart was breaking, but she couldn’t let on. Zander had

to think that Alex didn’t love her. She kept on her angry face. "You’re right, I don’t. I

don’t care about you. What little affection I had for you disappeared a long time ago.

You are nothing to me. You don’t matter. Go!" Zander continued to stare at Alex

with disbelief, her whole body shaking. "No. Last week..." Zander whined, reaching

for Alex. "Last week meant nothing!" Alex screamed. "Leave! Go away!" Zander

started crying. She pushed herself away from the door. With one last painful look at

Alex, she opened the door and flung herself through it. Alex heard her clumsy

footsteps as she ran through the hall. She turned to look out of her window and a

second later, Zander came into view. Zander ran stumbling down the walk and

across the street. Alex managed to keep her composure until Zander was out of

sight. Then she broke down and slumped against the wall, sobbing.


6: Alex took a deep breath. "Z…I love you so much. I’m in love with you. I don’t

want anyone else. I never will." Zander looked down at Alex. She sighed. "Alex, get

up." Alex stayed on her knees and shook her head. "I’m not leaving you ever again.

Zander…I’m here." Zander stepped back. "It’s too late. You can’t just ignore me for

three years and then come along whenever I start to get popular!!" She spun around

to walk away, but Alex knew she wouldn’t just leave her there on her knees. Zander

took a few steps forward, then looked back. Alex knelt there, looking up with her

puppy-dog face. Zander walked across the room and looked back again. Alex was

in the same spot, still gazing at Zander. Alex could tell that Zander was about to

give in and agree to at least hear her out. After a few moments, Zander began to

slowly walk back towards Alex. Alex smiled. Then someone yelled "Hey! Z!" Zander

looked past Alex. A tall, blonde girl strode past Alex and up to Zander. She

wrapped her arms around Zander’s waist and pulled her towards the elevator.

Zander held back for a second, then with a last glance at Alex on her knees, she

walked away with the smiling girl.


7: Zander stumbled down the slope. (I loved you, but…) About halfway down, it got

steeper. (…you weren’t the one…) She fell to her knees. (…I tried…) She started

sliding. (…I failed…) She plunged forward. (…that’s it…) and landed directly on top

of Alex. (…I’m done…) Alex’s eyes were open. (I loved you, but…) "Alex?!" Zander

screamed in Alex’s face. There was no response. (…you weren’t the one…) She

sat up, grabbed Alex’s shoulders, and shook her hysterically. (I tried…) "Al??

ALEX!! Wake up!!" Nothing. (…I failed…) She flung herself back on top of Alex and

buried her face in Alex’s blood-drenched chest. (…that’s it…) There wasn’t a

heartbeat. There weren’t any sound other than Zander’s muffled sobs. (…I’m

done…) She could hardly breathe. She tried to scream again, but she couldn’t get

enough air in her lungs. No, no. It couldn’t be (I loved you, but…). Not when she

was so close (…you weren’t the one…) to getting everything she’d ever wanted. Not

when she was so close to getting Alex (…I tried…). Zander started wheezing. She

heard sirens. It couldn’t end like this. (...I failed…). Zander started clawing through

Alex’s jacket for something, anything. A note maybe. Something. It couldn’t end

like this. All of the pockets were empty except one containing a magazine cutout of

Zander and one of Alex’s needles. (…that’s it…) Zander saw flashing lights as the

police pulled up to the edge of the slope. She observed the syringe reflecting red

and blue (…that’s it…) and remembered how one just like it had started the

relationship between her and Alex (…that’s it...). Years ago, it had symbolized the

beginning of Zander’s potentially happy life (…that’s it…). Now she kneeled and

stared at it as all of her dreams dissolved away into nothingness. (…that’s it…). A

young officer yelled at her to stay calm and started running towards her. She looked

down at Alex’s lifeless body (…that’s it…). Her eyes slid out of focus as all rational

thoughts disappeared. She turned her blank eyes to his (…that’s it…) and stabbed

herself in the wrist with the needle, shooting the narcotics, poison to her, into her

veins. The effect was immediate. "I’m done" she mumbled as her throat started

swelling. Her heart sped up and threatened to burst from her chest. She curled up

next to Alex and pulled Alex’s arms around her as she started convulsing. By the

time the young officer got to her, there was nothing he could do. Zander breathed

her last holding Alex in a death grip, laying in a pool of blood. That’s it. I’m done.