(no subject)
Title: The Sandbox Chronicles (13/?)
Chapter Title: Seven Years or So
Author: me
Rating: pg-13
Summary: It all started in a sandbox.
Disclaimer: i own none of this
Author's Notes: of course, again, thank you all so much for the lovely comments! :D i feel so loved and it is all very appreciated :D this ....this wasn't as epic as i wanted it to be. *sigh* but it'll get better :D dont kill me
Part 1: http://community.livejournal.com/kradam_ai/390471.html#cutid1
Part 2: http://community.livejournal.com/kradam_ai/393316.html#cutid1
Part 3: http://community.livejournal.com/kradam_ai/398624.html#cutid1
Part 4: http://community.livejournal.com/kradam_ai/405456.html#cutid2
Part 5: http://community.livejournal.com/kradam_ai/414654.html#cutid1
Part 6: http://community.livejournal.com/kradam_ai/423438.html#cutid1
Part 7: http://community.livejournal.com/kradam_ai/432194.html#cutid1
Part 8: http://community.livejournal.com/kradam_ai/458045.html#cutid1
Part 9: http://community.livejournal.com/kradam_ai/467226.html#cutid1
Part 10: http://community.livejournal.com/kradam_ai/474838.html#cutid1
Part 11: http://community.livejournal.com/kradam_ai/489055.html#cutid1
Part 12: http://community.livejournal.com/kradam_ai/495336.html#cutid1
Hollywood Week.
Kris has been waiting for this. After making it through the Louisiana auditions with that piece of paper to get him to Hollywood, he and Daniel went back to Conway. Kris got married to Katy, then, only a week after the honeymoon, he and Daniel were off to Hollywood.
Now, as he sits in the crowded auditorium, he can’t help but to be a little nervous. They arrived early and were told that after receiving a number they could head into the auditorium to wait or do whatever. Kris opted to wait. He is too nervous to mill about and talk. He wants to make it past round one. He wants to go to round two and on to the top thirty-six.
He sits and he stares at the stage, wonders where Daniel has went off to; probably making friends already. He thinks about what song he’ll sing for round one and if he wants it to be a slower song or an upbeat song. Shrugging, he leans back in the seat and turns his wedding ring around and around on his finger.
Eventually over the next couple of hours, the auditorium starts filling up. Some tall guy sits next to Kris and Kris doesn’t even bother to say hello; he’s too nervous. Ryan says something over the microphone to get everyone’s attention. Kris listens intently while biting his lip, his nerves only increasing. Once Ryan is finished explaining the first round and how it will all go he leaves, and the audience quickly disperses into the lobby or other various rooms.
Kris quickly finds Daniel talking among a small group of people. “Hey man,” Daniel says brightly and tugs Kris into a one-armed hug. “This is my brother Kris.” Kris waves to the group of people and it’s between hello’s and nice to meet you’s that Kris sees a flash of dark hair running by and out the door.
He watches in curiosity at the backside of the person who’s talking animatedly on a cell and practically jumping out of their pants. He shrugs and goes back to talking with Daniel’s new found friends. They talk about nothing particular and Kris finds himself bored out of his mind and struggling to pay any attention at all. Instead he stares past Daniel’s shoulder through the glass doors leading out front.
That guy is still there and this time Kris can see a profile. There’s a pang of familiarity but he just shrugs it off as being tired and nervous.
Yeah. Tired and nervous.
***
Round one flies by.
Kris sadly watches Daniel not make it to round two. The performances go by in a blur and Kris can barely remember any of the people or the songs they performed. Although one clearly sticks in his mind. He didn’t hear the guys name over the chatter of excitement from the crowd but the voice that filled the auditorium was unbelievable.
If only he knew their name.
The day ends with people crying and hugging, some cursing into the cameras merging into the crowds to get reactions. Kris just shakes his head. He helps Daniel take his things to the car and wishes him a good trip back home. Daniel only smiles.
“You’ll make it, Kris. The judges like you and so do others. You’ll be great!” Daniel enthuses. Laughing, Kris hugs his brother before watching him get in the car and leave the hotel.
With a sigh Kris hurries back inside. Everyone that made it to the next round have to meet at the theater in half an hour. He makes sure he has everything then heads back downstairs to get a cab.
Back at the theater Kris joins the numerous others that made it through to round two. Ryan tells them all that they need to form groups of at least four for round two. Then they are all assigned hotel rooms and room mates. As soon as all of that is over, Kris is pushing and shoving to find his room mate, Matt.
“Are you Matt?” Kris asks. The guy spins around and grins.
“Yep! Sure am. You must be Kris Allen?”
They shake hands and Kris smiles.
***
Round two passes and Kris finds himself in the top thirty-six.
The moment he makes it he finds a little corner away from all the commotion of other groups performing and calls Daniel, then his parents and Katy. They all congratulate him heartily. His mom and Katy will be there for the top thirty-six performances. Now he just has to find out what group he is in and then, maybe, he can relax.
Kris gets back to the hotel to find that Matt has been moved to another room. Not wanting to be lonely, Kris searches for Ryan and Ryan tells him a room number of another person needing a room mate. He sighs as he packs his stuff up, once back upstairs, and wonders who this person could be.
He hauls his stuff down the hall where the new room is. He knocks first even though he has a room key that the desk clerk gave him; no need to be rude and intrude. The guy probably doesn’t even know Kris is coming. “Come in!” Kris, shrugging, slides the card through the slot and swings the door open. He brings things in. “Make yourself at home!”
Kris smiles even though the guy has his back turned to Kris. “Thanks,” he says politely. Might as well get off on the right foot. He doesn’t to make enemies while he’s here and he certainly doesn’t want people thinking badly of him. Before he can say anything else to his new roommate a phone starts ringing. It’s not his so it must be the other guys.
“I can’t talk right now, Brad. My new roommate is here,” Kris’ ears perk up at the mention of him. Then the guy is going into hushed tones but Kris can still make out some of it. “Yes I’ll call you with the details….I’m leaving now, Brad. Goodbye!” He hangs up and throws the phone onto the bed where he’s been shifting through numerous clothes.
The guy starts to turn around and Kris jumps, making himself look busy and like he wasn’t listening in at all. He stares at his duffel bag and guitar resting in its case like maybe they’ll put themselves away. They don’t and he keeps staring. He can hear the guy moving around at a fast pace, muttering things under his breath, and throwing things on the bed. Kris laughs quietly and starts rummaging through his bag so he’ll actually be doing something.
A laugh erupts suddenly and Kris is hit with an overwhelming amount of familiarity this time. He has heard that laugh before. He would know it anywhere. But no, it couldn’t be. Not after all these years of knowing nothing nor seeing any pictures, no news from his parents. At one point during those years Kris actually thought that Adam had disappeared off the face of the earth. It scared him to the point that he contacted Leila Lambert and she assured him, with a laugh that was motherly and caring, that Adam was indeed still on the earth. He never worried about it again.
Until now.
Kris swallows hard and glances up briefly. His back is still turned and he’s holding something. It must’ve been funny for him to laugh that loudly. Kris swallows again, waiting for the guy to turn around. He’s only seen the profile for a few brief seconds. He wants to see the front, the entire face. He wants to know.
Kris doesn’t know what compels him to do so but he’s suddenly blurting out “Adam?” before he can shut his mouth and sure enough, his new roommate freezes, back going stiff and he stands up straighter. It makes him look taller and Kris breathes out a fast gush of air. It can’t be. It can’t be.
“How’d you know my name?”
He whips around and Kris’ eyes go wide as saucers. The same blue eyes. But that’s the only thing that’s the same. Kris takes in the dark shirt, the brown hair, the tight jeans, the snakeskin boots, the jewelry, the make-up. It’s not his Adam anymore. This is a different Adam. Maybe he’s just seeing things or maybe he just misses his Adam so much that he wanted to believe it was Adam.
It can’t be, he repeats in his head over and over until it’s all he knows to think about. But the eyes are the same. Eyes never change no matter how old you get, he mentally scolds himself and takes another look into those eyes. They are the same blue-grey that used to glow brightly with every smile and that would scrunch up with every laugh. But the hair doesn’t match and the clothes don’t match. He’s taller-a lot taller- and his freckles are only noticeable just underneath the collar of his shirt and he’s skinnier. It’s not the Adam Lambert Kris last say.
“Are you Adam Lambert?” he asks stupidly but only because he wants to know, dammit, he wants to know.
“…Yeah. How’d you know?”
And he doesn’t remember. He doesn’t remember Kris at all. It makes his heart break a little.
“You don’t remember do you?” Kris deflates.
Kris thought that if they ever saw each other again that they would immediately know who the other is. Apparently not. He just has this feeling inside of him, though, that this really is his Adam. The best friend he had until they grew up and had that stupid fight. Now, he’s not so sure that seeing each other again is for the best.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I know you,” Adam shrugs but Kris sees a flicker of something light in his eyes.
Kris can only hope that it’s recognition.
***
On the inside, Adam is freaking out like crazy.
It can’t be Kris. Not Kris Allen with K that gave him the dinosaur and befriended him at the silly sandbox a million years ago. Not the Kris that Adam distanced himself from, not the one he fought with over stupid, childish things. Not the one that broke his heart that day.
Adam swallows as he thinks of something to say. He just lied majorly and said that he didn’t know who Kris is. Of course he knows who it is! He would recognize those eyes and that fluffy brown hair and that ugly plaid shirt anywhere. He stares a little bit longer and decides that Kris hasn’t really change much except for there’s no glasses and he isn’t the scrawny kid Adam once knew anymore. He’s still Kris Allen but he’s cute.
“Kris?” Adam breathes out and it feels like a piece that’s been missing for so long is finally, finally sliding into place.
“Yeah,” Kris laughs shortly, no humor to it at all.
This is so fucked up, Adam thinks.
He blinks once, twice, three times before a smile spreads across his face. “It’s good to see you.” He takes in a breath, runs a shaking hand through his hair. “Really good,” he adds on and the smile it gets him makes the hope swell in his chest.
“You, too.”
And then the silence comes and Adam wants to scream or say something stupid just to break the silence. The tension between them is crazy and scary at the same time. Adam has never been so quiet in the presence of anyone, whether he knew them at some time, knows them, or has never met them, he doesn’t stay quiet. He has to talk. It’s the only way to keep him sane instead of running off.
Right now he feels like running.
Then, before he can really comprehend what’s happening, Kris is closing the distance between them and Adam has an armful of Kris Allen in the span of three seconds. Adam sighs and winds his arms around Kris’ small, compact body and just breathes. It’s been so long and it feels so good, and Adam doesn’t want to let it go. He doesn’t want this feeling to go away because for so long he felt that loneliness in the space where Kris was supposed to be forever and ever, just like they promised each other the day after they first met.
“How are you? How have you been?” Kris starts flinging the questions at him and Adam can’t take it.
He doesn’t say anything as he takes Kris by the elbows and gently pulls him away, then takes a few steps back. The hurt is evident in those familiar brown eyes and it hurts Adam to see it. As much as he wants this all to just be right and whole again, he can’t do it at once. It’s too much to take in. He never expected Kris to come back into his life like this, or at all really, and now that he is…
“I…I gotta go. Um, just…make yourself at home,” he mutters and then he’s backing out the door with his jacket in hand and running down the hallway to the elevators.
Once he’s safe outside in the fresh air Adam digs for his cell phone and calls Neil. It takes Neil forever and a day to answer but when he eventually does Adam starts talking a rush. Neil has to shout for Adam to stop and talk calmly and slowly.
“He’s back, he’s back. Shit, Neil, he’s back,” Adam groans and sits on the steps outside the hotel.
He picks at his black polish, flakes floating to the ground as Neil laughs on the other end. Adam frowns. “Who’s back?”
“Kris!”
“Kris Allen?!” Neil seems shocked.
“Yes, Kris fucking Allen!” There’s a hysterical edge to Adam’s voice that makes Neil laugh and if Adam could see him right now he would probably smack Neil. “Shut up. I don’t know what to do!”
“Talk to him?” Neil suggests like Adam is dumb or something. Adam rolls his eyes.
“I can’t. I don’t know what to say. ‘Hey Kris sorry we haven’t spoken for years and years but care to be my friend again?’ Fuck no, Neil!” Adam runs a hand through his hair and holds it there, squeezing slightly for some kind of distraction. It doesn’t work enough but he’ll take it.
“Sorry bro. Can’t help you here. You’ll have to figure this shit out on your own,” Neil laughs again then he’s telling Adam goodbye and hanging up.
Adam glares at the phone and shoves it into his pocket. He sits there, head in his hands, and thinks. He really doesn’t know what to do. It’s just Kris; it should not be that hard. Despite having missed out on each others lives for the past seven years or so, it shouldn’t be difficult to pick up on the friendship they missed out on.
“What do I do?” he moans to himself and gets up to head back inside.