Dark Secret Love; Chapter 2 - You Caught Me Under False Pretenses
When he got to school the amount of kids was slightly overwhelming to him. He wasn't used to seeing that many kids at his private school, let alone the different social groups out on display here. He looked at his dad, smiling weakly and taking a deep breath. Bam looked at him, the slightest hint of worry in his blue eyes. He forced the door open, giving his dad his best grin. Alex got out of the car and slammed the door before leaning his head in the rolled down window.
"Thanks for driving me, dad. I'll try to behave." He gave his dad a mischievous grin.
"I'd say don't do anything I wouldn't do, but that just seems like a bad idea." Bam laughed.
"So, I'll see you after school then?" Alex quickly looked over his shoulder as he spoke.
"Well, it was supposed to be a surprise but..Your Uncle Knoxville is actually coming to pick you and your sister up today! He is back in town on some business and was excited to see the both of you." Bam's grin told Alex flat-out that he had no idea about Tessa's real parentage.
"Okay, well I'll see you later then! Bye, dad!" Alex turned and walked towards the doors of the school.
It wasn't until he got inside when he realized how bad of an idea his decision might have been. Glances and whispers trailed him down the hall, pointing fingers and hushed tones were like music floating around him. He made a beeline for the office, determined to brush it off and just act like a normal kid. Whatever a normal kid was, anyway.
He made it to the school office in one piece and was relieved to find it fairly empty. He walked up to the front desk, clearing his throat to let the secretary know he was there. The secretary, an aging woman with auburn hair that grayed around the edges and exhausted green eyes, looked up at Alex before smiling. She stood up and looked expectantly at Alex before he stumbled on.
"Yes, my name is Alex Margera. I need my schedule, please." He used his best manners and flashed a grin.
"Margera…Marger-Ah! Here it is, Mr. Margera. Your first class is in room 120 on the first floor, left wing."The woman said as she handed over a square peice of paper.
He took it and quickly thanked the secretary before he pushed his way back into the flood of kids in the hallway. His first class was English, one he was thankfully very good at. He made his way to his locker, another number printed on the sheet of paper, and unlocked it with ease. He stuffed his backpack inside and took only a couple of spiral notebooks and a few pencils. His English class was right around the corner.
English class went by without any major issues. He still got glances and whispers, probably because these kids knew exactly who he was. After all, their parents had probably grown up knowing his dad either by the headlines or on a personal level. The rest of the day was about the same, a few kids approached him and dealt with them in a polite manner. A couple of girls gave him their numbers and one even tried to kiss him. Other than his early famous status in the school he had an average day filled with homework piling up, pop quizzes, and more work than he could remember. He pulled out his schedule once more.
A grin spread across Alex's face when he saw his final class for the day; Music! Band/Music was something he was really passionate about and he knew he'd do well. He already played guitar, piano, and drums. Heading down the outside steps and making his way across campus to the band/art building, Alex paused to get a drink of water. Where the teacher's name was supposed to be only said TBA, indicative that they hadn't chosen a teacher yet. Guess the first day was the best day for surprises. Alex just hoped it wasn't some crabby old boring guy.
Alex made his way to a seat in the back and waited for the teacher to come in. Five minutes after final bell there was some noise coming from the door way, scuffling of papers and footsteps? The door banged open and what everyone assumed to be the Music/Band teacher walked in. He was a fairly delicate looking man, all long legs and arms. His curly brown hair brushed his shoulders and a pair of bright, inquisitive green eyes greeted the class. He was wearing a black sweater and black pants with a red vest layered over it. A cup of coffee was held in long, pianist's fingers. He sat his stuff down, flashing an apologetic smile, and headed for the white board.
He picked up a red marker and scratched out something on the board. He turned to the class, letting the text he had written on the board into their line of sight. The board read 'Mr. Ville Valo, Band/Music Director'.
"Hello class, my name is Mr. Valo but you can call me Ville. I'll be your band/music director this year. I hope we'll have a lot of fun creating beautiful music you can share and learning where all of the music we listen to today had root in. I will not bore you simply with the classical genre but we will be investigating everything from early swing to the protest songs of the 60's to modern day stuff." Alex vaguely remembered the name Ville but couldn't place his finger on it and even the accent, which he didn't recognize, was familiar somehow.
Ville walked in front of the desk and took a sip of his coffee. He gazed quickly over his students before nearly doing a double-take. His eyes hovered on Alex for a moment more, it couldn't be.. He hadn't seen Alex since shortly after he was born. A small smile crept on his face before he forced himself to snap out of it. Suddenly an idea hit him on just how to find out what he wanted to know.
"I have an idea. We'll go stand up one at a time and say our names and something interesting about ourselves. We'll start, here." He said pointing at Alex sitting in the corner.
Alex sighed to himself, swearing under his breath as he stood up and instantly felt all eyes turning on him. He pushed the nervousness out of his mind and stood straight and tall before responding. He cleared his throat and his blue eyes stared at the teacher.
"My name is Alex Margera and I play multiple instruments." He spoke slowly and clearly before sitting back down in his chair.
The rest of the class period was spent discussing classical music, Ville saying it was best to get the boring bits out of the way. He handed out a small worksheet for the kids to fill out during class, and took it up as the bell rang. When the kids were filing out of class Ville debating on stopping Alex and asking about Bam, he would like to know his old…friend was doing okay. But his nerves failed him and he let the boy pass on by with only a muttering of what a good job he'd done on the worksheet. He sat down at his desk and dug around in his messenger bag from which he pulled out a tattered address book. He flipped it open and smiled half-heartedly at the picture of he and Bam backstage at a HIM concert, then one of Bam and Missy at their wedding, and finally at one of Bam standing with Ville and Ville holding Alex in his arms. He mused silently that the look on his face could have been that of a proud new parent, if only it had worked out that way. He took a sip of what was left of his coffee before starting to pack up for the day.
Alex made his way through double doors at the front of the school building after grabbing his backpack. He made his way to the flagpole to wait for his Uncle Knoxville to show up. He pulled out his phone and texted one of his friends about his day and explained that he wouldn't be returning to Willow Creek Academy. Suddenly he heard blaring music and a loud engine and looked up to see his Uncle Knoxville in an older Shelby Mustang. He smiled when he heard several girls squeal excitedly behind him. At close to fifty years old his Uncle Knoxville still had a way with the ladies. He slid into the passenger seat and barely had time to buckle up before the car squealed off the curb.
"Heya, kiddo! How was your first day of public school?" His Uncle Knoxville wore plain jeans, a red tee, and his signature sunglasses.
"It was fine, Uncle Knoxville. Though I did have a girl try to kiss me."He laughed and was given a high five by his uncle.
"Atta boy! You take after me and your dad that way. We had a way with the ladies when we were younger." He grinned proudly.
"Are we going to go pick up Tessa? Dad texted me when I got in the building to tell me how excited she is to see you." Alex didn't meet his uncle's eyes when he said that, waiting for a reaction, disgusted at Uncle Knoxville's phrasing of the last sentence.
"Yeah, we'll go get her and then go get some food. I've missed both of you little troublemakers, haha!" Uncle Knoxville replied, giving no indication how he felt about Tessa.
After packing up Ville decided he needed to talk to Bam. He'd been asking for a sign from whatever god or goddess he thought might be listening at the time, trying to figure out what to do in the situation. He took a deep, shaky breath before pulling out his cell phone. He hoped Bam still had the same cell number. The phone rang twice before it was answered.
"Hello?" Bam's voice was that husky growl he remembered so fondly.
"B-Bam, it's Wil-Ville. Can we meet for coffee? I wanted to talk and apologize."
"Of course we can, Ville. Meet me at the café on the corner of Briar Street and we'll talk. And hey, Ville.."
"Yes, Bam?"
"I've missed you, buddy."
"Me too, Bam. Me too. "
Fifteen minutes later Ville was sitting at a small patio table outside of the little café they'd decided to meet at. He held a cup of chai tea in his hands and the mug shook violently as he lifted it for a sip. He heard the roar of an engine pull in the parking lot and saw Bam getting out of that cursed purple Lambo. He held that same cocky walk he'd always had as he looked around for him. Ville raised a hand and yelled Bam's name, his voice squeaking halfway through. Bam walked over, setting himself down in a chair across from Ville. When he took off his sunglasses Ville's breath hitched in his chest. Those soft but mischievous blue eyes were one of the first things Ville remembered about Bam. And it was those same blue eyes that had haunted his dreams all these years.
"Thank you for meeting me on such short notice, Bam." Ville stared absently into his tea as he spoke, trying to keep his voice from breaking.
"Ville, listen to me. I know now how badly it hurt you when you found out Missy and I was engaged. I am also sorry for the things I said after Alex was born. And I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me, Ville."
"Thank you, Bam. It means a lot to me that you would apologize. I also apologize for not letting you know how I felt. For those times I closed myself off from the world and just leaving without another word. Bam, I want us to start over."
Bam reached his hand across, covering Ville's with his own, "I would like that a lot, Ville."
Alex couldn't help but feel his stomach turn when Uncle Knoxville swooped up Tessa in his arms and snuggled her tight when he went to pick her up. He got out and helped strap Tessa into the booster seat and kissed her forehead, ruffling her hair. He was disgusted and needed away from Uncle Knoxville before he exploded.
"Hey, Uncle Knoxville. I'm really not hungry, but can you drop me off at the library?"
"Sure thing kiddo. Are you okay?"
"'I've got a ton of homework to get done and I think the library has everything I need."
"Okie doke."
Tessa peeped up from the back; "Unky Knoxville, Abby invited me to come play at her house today. When we get home I'ma going over there, kay?"
A funny looked passed over Uncle Knoxville's face; "Sure thing kiddo. Your mom and I need to catch up anyway."
So Uncle Knoxville dropped the kids off before returning back to the Margera mansion. He knocked on the front door before pushing it open. He heard music coming from the kitchen and he snuck in, leaning in the doorway and smiling when he saw Missy moving around.
"Missy." It was all he had to say for her to turn, wide-eyed and blushing.
"Hey, Johnny! How are you?"
"Better now that I have you here in front of me. Is Bam home?"
"No, he went out to lunch with a friend. But you can..come upstairs and see the renovations if you'd like.." Her voice held a seductive edge to it.
"I think I would like that very much, Missy." And like that he was following her upstairs, kissing her passionately on the stairwell before they fumbled their way into the bedroom.
Ville and Bam drank their respective drinks and caught up. Bam checked his watch and swore which made Ville's face crease in worry. Bam looked up and caught the look on Ville's face and smiled.
"I'll need to get home for dinner soon. Oh! I have an idea, why don't you come for dinner tonight?"
"Tonight? Oh Bam, I'd love to but I have plans with a friend."
"Alright, we'll plan for tomorrow." Bam's smile was still beaming.
"Sure! I'd love to see the kids again and Missy. You have my number though. If you need me before then just give me a call. I stay up late anyway."
Bam stood up and hugged Ville tightly, "It's great to have you back, Ville."
Ville hugged him back, inhaling the Eu De Bam and enjoying being in his arms again, "Me, too. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
Bam and Ville hugged once more before going their seperate ways. Bam spotted Johnny's car in the driveway and hoped that he was helping Missy in the kitchen. He pulled in and got out, making his way to the front door. He didn't hear or see anyone.
Missy? Knoxville? Anyone home?" He called as he walked inside.
"Thanks for driving me, dad. I'll try to behave." He gave his dad a mischievous grin.
"I'd say don't do anything I wouldn't do, but that just seems like a bad idea." Bam laughed.
"So, I'll see you after school then?" Alex quickly looked over his shoulder as he spoke.
"Well, it was supposed to be a surprise but..Your Uncle Knoxville is actually coming to pick you and your sister up today! He is back in town on some business and was excited to see the both of you." Bam's grin told Alex flat-out that he had no idea about Tessa's real parentage.
"Okay, well I'll see you later then! Bye, dad!" Alex turned and walked towards the doors of the school.
It wasn't until he got inside when he realized how bad of an idea his decision might have been. Glances and whispers trailed him down the hall, pointing fingers and hushed tones were like music floating around him. He made a beeline for the office, determined to brush it off and just act like a normal kid. Whatever a normal kid was, anyway.
He made it to the school office in one piece and was relieved to find it fairly empty. He walked up to the front desk, clearing his throat to let the secretary know he was there. The secretary, an aging woman with auburn hair that grayed around the edges and exhausted green eyes, looked up at Alex before smiling. She stood up and looked expectantly at Alex before he stumbled on.
"Yes, my name is Alex Margera. I need my schedule, please." He used his best manners and flashed a grin.
"Margera…Marger-Ah! Here it is, Mr. Margera. Your first class is in room 120 on the first floor, left wing."The woman said as she handed over a square peice of paper.
He took it and quickly thanked the secretary before he pushed his way back into the flood of kids in the hallway. His first class was English, one he was thankfully very good at. He made his way to his locker, another number printed on the sheet of paper, and unlocked it with ease. He stuffed his backpack inside and took only a couple of spiral notebooks and a few pencils. His English class was right around the corner.
English class went by without any major issues. He still got glances and whispers, probably because these kids knew exactly who he was. After all, their parents had probably grown up knowing his dad either by the headlines or on a personal level. The rest of the day was about the same, a few kids approached him and dealt with them in a polite manner. A couple of girls gave him their numbers and one even tried to kiss him. Other than his early famous status in the school he had an average day filled with homework piling up, pop quizzes, and more work than he could remember. He pulled out his schedule once more.
A grin spread across Alex's face when he saw his final class for the day; Music! Band/Music was something he was really passionate about and he knew he'd do well. He already played guitar, piano, and drums. Heading down the outside steps and making his way across campus to the band/art building, Alex paused to get a drink of water. Where the teacher's name was supposed to be only said TBA, indicative that they hadn't chosen a teacher yet. Guess the first day was the best day for surprises. Alex just hoped it wasn't some crabby old boring guy.
Alex made his way to a seat in the back and waited for the teacher to come in. Five minutes after final bell there was some noise coming from the door way, scuffling of papers and footsteps? The door banged open and what everyone assumed to be the Music/Band teacher walked in. He was a fairly delicate looking man, all long legs and arms. His curly brown hair brushed his shoulders and a pair of bright, inquisitive green eyes greeted the class. He was wearing a black sweater and black pants with a red vest layered over it. A cup of coffee was held in long, pianist's fingers. He sat his stuff down, flashing an apologetic smile, and headed for the white board.
He picked up a red marker and scratched out something on the board. He turned to the class, letting the text he had written on the board into their line of sight. The board read 'Mr. Ville Valo, Band/Music Director'.
"Hello class, my name is Mr. Valo but you can call me Ville. I'll be your band/music director this year. I hope we'll have a lot of fun creating beautiful music you can share and learning where all of the music we listen to today had root in. I will not bore you simply with the classical genre but we will be investigating everything from early swing to the protest songs of the 60's to modern day stuff." Alex vaguely remembered the name Ville but couldn't place his finger on it and even the accent, which he didn't recognize, was familiar somehow.
Ville walked in front of the desk and took a sip of his coffee. He gazed quickly over his students before nearly doing a double-take. His eyes hovered on Alex for a moment more, it couldn't be.. He hadn't seen Alex since shortly after he was born. A small smile crept on his face before he forced himself to snap out of it. Suddenly an idea hit him on just how to find out what he wanted to know.
"I have an idea. We'll go stand up one at a time and say our names and something interesting about ourselves. We'll start, here." He said pointing at Alex sitting in the corner.
Alex sighed to himself, swearing under his breath as he stood up and instantly felt all eyes turning on him. He pushed the nervousness out of his mind and stood straight and tall before responding. He cleared his throat and his blue eyes stared at the teacher.
"My name is Alex Margera and I play multiple instruments." He spoke slowly and clearly before sitting back down in his chair.
The rest of the class period was spent discussing classical music, Ville saying it was best to get the boring bits out of the way. He handed out a small worksheet for the kids to fill out during class, and took it up as the bell rang. When the kids were filing out of class Ville debating on stopping Alex and asking about Bam, he would like to know his old…friend was doing okay. But his nerves failed him and he let the boy pass on by with only a muttering of what a good job he'd done on the worksheet. He sat down at his desk and dug around in his messenger bag from which he pulled out a tattered address book. He flipped it open and smiled half-heartedly at the picture of he and Bam backstage at a HIM concert, then one of Bam and Missy at their wedding, and finally at one of Bam standing with Ville and Ville holding Alex in his arms. He mused silently that the look on his face could have been that of a proud new parent, if only it had worked out that way. He took a sip of what was left of his coffee before starting to pack up for the day.
Alex made his way through double doors at the front of the school building after grabbing his backpack. He made his way to the flagpole to wait for his Uncle Knoxville to show up. He pulled out his phone and texted one of his friends about his day and explained that he wouldn't be returning to Willow Creek Academy. Suddenly he heard blaring music and a loud engine and looked up to see his Uncle Knoxville in an older Shelby Mustang. He smiled when he heard several girls squeal excitedly behind him. At close to fifty years old his Uncle Knoxville still had a way with the ladies. He slid into the passenger seat and barely had time to buckle up before the car squealed off the curb.
"Heya, kiddo! How was your first day of public school?" His Uncle Knoxville wore plain jeans, a red tee, and his signature sunglasses.
"It was fine, Uncle Knoxville. Though I did have a girl try to kiss me."He laughed and was given a high five by his uncle.
"Atta boy! You take after me and your dad that way. We had a way with the ladies when we were younger." He grinned proudly.
"Are we going to go pick up Tessa? Dad texted me when I got in the building to tell me how excited she is to see you." Alex didn't meet his uncle's eyes when he said that, waiting for a reaction, disgusted at Uncle Knoxville's phrasing of the last sentence.
"Yeah, we'll go get her and then go get some food. I've missed both of you little troublemakers, haha!" Uncle Knoxville replied, giving no indication how he felt about Tessa.
After packing up Ville decided he needed to talk to Bam. He'd been asking for a sign from whatever god or goddess he thought might be listening at the time, trying to figure out what to do in the situation. He took a deep, shaky breath before pulling out his cell phone. He hoped Bam still had the same cell number. The phone rang twice before it was answered.
"Hello?" Bam's voice was that husky growl he remembered so fondly.
"B-Bam, it's Wil-Ville. Can we meet for coffee? I wanted to talk and apologize."
"Of course we can, Ville. Meet me at the café on the corner of Briar Street and we'll talk. And hey, Ville.."
"Yes, Bam?"
"I've missed you, buddy."
"Me too, Bam. Me too. "
Fifteen minutes later Ville was sitting at a small patio table outside of the little café they'd decided to meet at. He held a cup of chai tea in his hands and the mug shook violently as he lifted it for a sip. He heard the roar of an engine pull in the parking lot and saw Bam getting out of that cursed purple Lambo. He held that same cocky walk he'd always had as he looked around for him. Ville raised a hand and yelled Bam's name, his voice squeaking halfway through. Bam walked over, setting himself down in a chair across from Ville. When he took off his sunglasses Ville's breath hitched in his chest. Those soft but mischievous blue eyes were one of the first things Ville remembered about Bam. And it was those same blue eyes that had haunted his dreams all these years.
"Thank you for meeting me on such short notice, Bam." Ville stared absently into his tea as he spoke, trying to keep his voice from breaking.
"Ville, listen to me. I know now how badly it hurt you when you found out Missy and I was engaged. I am also sorry for the things I said after Alex was born. And I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me, Ville."
"Thank you, Bam. It means a lot to me that you would apologize. I also apologize for not letting you know how I felt. For those times I closed myself off from the world and just leaving without another word. Bam, I want us to start over."
Bam reached his hand across, covering Ville's with his own, "I would like that a lot, Ville."
Alex couldn't help but feel his stomach turn when Uncle Knoxville swooped up Tessa in his arms and snuggled her tight when he went to pick her up. He got out and helped strap Tessa into the booster seat and kissed her forehead, ruffling her hair. He was disgusted and needed away from Uncle Knoxville before he exploded.
"Hey, Uncle Knoxville. I'm really not hungry, but can you drop me off at the library?"
"Sure thing kiddo. Are you okay?"
"'I've got a ton of homework to get done and I think the library has everything I need."
"Okie doke."
Tessa peeped up from the back; "Unky Knoxville, Abby invited me to come play at her house today. When we get home I'ma going over there, kay?"
A funny looked passed over Uncle Knoxville's face; "Sure thing kiddo. Your mom and I need to catch up anyway."
So Uncle Knoxville dropped the kids off before returning back to the Margera mansion. He knocked on the front door before pushing it open. He heard music coming from the kitchen and he snuck in, leaning in the doorway and smiling when he saw Missy moving around.
"Missy." It was all he had to say for her to turn, wide-eyed and blushing.
"Hey, Johnny! How are you?"
"Better now that I have you here in front of me. Is Bam home?"
"No, he went out to lunch with a friend. But you can..come upstairs and see the renovations if you'd like.." Her voice held a seductive edge to it.
"I think I would like that very much, Missy." And like that he was following her upstairs, kissing her passionately on the stairwell before they fumbled their way into the bedroom.
Ville and Bam drank their respective drinks and caught up. Bam checked his watch and swore which made Ville's face crease in worry. Bam looked up and caught the look on Ville's face and smiled.
"I'll need to get home for dinner soon. Oh! I have an idea, why don't you come for dinner tonight?"
"Tonight? Oh Bam, I'd love to but I have plans with a friend."
"Alright, we'll plan for tomorrow." Bam's smile was still beaming.
"Sure! I'd love to see the kids again and Missy. You have my number though. If you need me before then just give me a call. I stay up late anyway."
Bam stood up and hugged Ville tightly, "It's great to have you back, Ville."
Ville hugged him back, inhaling the Eu De Bam and enjoying being in his arms again, "Me, too. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
Bam and Ville hugged once more before going their seperate ways. Bam spotted Johnny's car in the driveway and hoped that he was helping Missy in the kitchen. He pulled in and got out, making his way to the front door. He didn't hear or see anyone.
Missy? Knoxville? Anyone home?" He called as he walked inside.