Just Like That

Chapter 1

"Have a great summer students!" My english teacher yelled out over the school bell ringing. Finally summer is here.

"Alex!" My friend, Casey, hollered coming down the hall. She hurried to catch up to me while bumping into a few other students who were rushing to leave school and start the summer. I laughed silently to myself watching her shoving her way through the crowd.

"WE ARE OFFICIAlLY SENIORS!!" She announced out of breath while tucking her auburn bangs away from her face to behind her ear while the other hand held tightly to her black stuffed shoulder bag and her books.

"I know! There's the senior kickoff party tonight, you coming?" I asked while we walked to my locker. I had to grab the rest of my stuff out of there before the end of the day otherwise they would all be thrown away by the school janitors.

"I haven't told my mom yet but I'm so going." She said positively. I opened my locker and examined myself quickly in the mirror I have on the side of the door. I removed the smeared eyeliner at the end of by rounded brown eyes. My eyelashes were extremely longer than usually. I had put a lot of extra effort in getting ready today. I had woken up early to wave curl by long chestnut hair.

“Good, the whole senior class is gonna be there. How’s 10 sound?” I asked her as I began filling by bag up with all the junk in my locker.

“Ya. It’s going to take me forever to find something to wear!” She complained. I then closed my locker and we started heading down hall out of the building to the parking lot.

“It’s a pool party Casey. A bikini and a cover up is all you need.” I explained. Who’s going to be swimming at 10? Everyone’s going to be drunk anyways so it’s not even like we’re going to notice if its cold or not. I opened the back seat of my Jeep Wrangler and we set our things back there.

“Ya, but still I ….” I zoned out and turned on the engine and started the radio while Casey continued her rant on not knowing what to wear. I honestly didn’t care about what I was going to wear I just wanted to get out of my house tonight. The further away from there the better. We reached Casey’s house and I dropped her off and waved bye as I drove away. I started heading toward my house and in a few minutes I was rolling up in my driveway. I glanced at my two-story house. How perfect it looked from the outside wishing that’s how it was on the inside. I removed my keys from my car and grabbed my things from the back seat while dreading every moment leading up to entering my house.

“How many times have I told you!.” My mother was screaming at my younger brother, Todd. He sat there silently crying while she went on yelling at him. I knew that there was nothing I could do to help him so I hurried to my room before she noticed me. There was no point in both of us getting in trouble. I learned my lesson by interfering long time ago. Once I got to my room I set my things down and quickly changed into my work clothes. I worked a small restaurant on the outskirts of town. I worked endless hours to pay for everything I have. My car, clothes, phone bill, and anything else I need. I rushed back downstairs and quickly left to work.

My mom isn’t really the motherly type. She really never was. When I was 14 my father passed away she got worse. When he was around he was our protector from her. My sister, Stella, is two years older than me and my brother, Todd is 3 years younger. I’m 17 turning 18 later this year. Stella moved out when she turned 18, because she couldn’t do it anymore. I resented her then but I would have done the same. Everyday I wish that my dad never left but there isn’t anything I or anyone can do. As I drove through town I glanced at the buildings and my mind began drifting to that day 3 summers ago.

“We leaving now, honey.” I woke up to the sound of my fathers voice calling for my mother. I decided to enjoy the Sunday morning laying in bed. How I loved summer. Sleep in all day stay up all night. I looked around my room for the remote to watch some Netflix on the tv. I put on some show while I fell back asleep.

“Alex, Alex, wake up.” Stella’s voice cried shaking me roughly.

“What?” I responded groggily. I rubbed my eyes and sat up straight. She was crying and her face was covered in tear streaks. Now I was worried.

“It’s Dad, hurry.” I jumped out of bed and followed here as she ran down the stairs. We reached the window and she pulled back the curtain. There I saw my father laying on our front lawn while the neighbor was performing CPR. Tears immediately began cascading down my face.

“Stella what’s...what…” I couldn’t even finish my sentence. She explained. She received a call from my mother saying that they were returning home because dad didn’t feeling good and for my sister to pack his stuff to take to the hospital, By the time they got back home he had passed out in the front seat and the neighbor was pulling him out of the car while my mother called 911.

HONK HONK

“It’s a green light!” A man yelled from behind me. I realized that I had been stopped at the green light for awhile now. Shit I pressed down on the gas pedal and continued to my work. When I got to work I looked at myself in the mirror and removed the tears that had escaped with the back of my had and entered the restaurant with the same plastered fake smile I wore everyday for the the last 3 years of my life.