sʜᴀᴛᴛᴇʀᴇᴅ

E I G H T

Alexa

Being back in school for the first time in months was weird. But it wasn't so bad. I'm just glad no one paid much attention to me other than my friends and brother.

After school, I went by my uncle's classroom. He only teaches seventh grade, so this year, I don't have him for any of my classes.

"Hey, Alexa," he greets me. "I'm almost ready to go." He was handling a few papers, I noticed.

"Oh, actually..." I paused. "Well, Andrew is awake..."

Ryan stares at me. "Oh, well that's good." That's weird. I thought he'd be more happy about this. He seemed kind of indifferent...

I nodded. "As in my twin...?" I tried to coax a reaction out of my uncle, but he just continued to look at me.

"Well, that's good," Ryan repeats. "I'm really busy here with some paperwork, Alexa. Why are you telling me he's awake?"

"I-I just-- thought you'd want to know... is All," I said. "He's your nephew..."

"Yeah, I know that," Ryan tells me. "If you're waiting for me, please take a seat. I'll be done in around thirty minutes."

What happened to my uncle?

Maybe he's just having a bad day?

"Actually, um... I'm going to go spend some time with him..." I say. "Yeah... is that okay?"

Ryan sighs heavily. "Are you sure that's a good idea? Does he live with your dad?"

"Everything will be fine, Ryan," I tell him. "I just--he's been in a coma for two years, and he's finally back."

"Fine, yeah. Whatever. Go for it."

"Oh uh, okay... Thanks."

***

"Andy!" I say, grinning as I run up to him. He was waiting for me outside of the school building. He smiled and hugged me.

"Hi, Lexi," Andrew says. "Ready to go?"

I nodded and then tensed up. I wonder where Ryder is. He and Andrew are in the same grade (and me too, obviously). So where is he? What if he comes out of the doors right now? I really don't want to see him.

"Ryder came to school today, right?" I asked Andrew.

"Yeah..." Andrew answered. "He has detention, though. Did you want to hang out with him as well?"

I quickly shook my head. "I mean--" I stopped. "Well just, can we not tell any of them that I'm back just yet?" Ryder will find out eventually though... I'm just hoping not any time soon.

"Oh... But they miss you," Andrew says.

If I hear that one more time--

"I'm just not ready yet..."

"I understand, Lexi." Andrew smiles. I'm glad that he's not asking me questions. That's what I love about my brother. He's understanding and trusts me and knows when not to push me.

"Thank you, Andy."

"Of course, sis!"

***

Ryder

After Detention, Blake and Ethan were waiting for me. Ethan's mom was picking me up. Zach or my stepdad would've (my mom is too pregnant), but Ethan and Blake said that they wanted to talk to me and it seemed urgent.

I got into the car next to Blake. Ethan was sitting in front eating chocolate chip cookies. No one said anything as Ethan's mom drove. Maybe it wasn't something that they wanted to say with an adult present.

Ethan's mom dropped us off at Blake's house and then drove away.

"So what did you guys want to talk about?" I asked as we entered Blake's house, one after the other.

Blake plopped himself on the living room couch, so I sat next to him and Ethan sat on Blake's other side. Is it really that serious that they can't just tell me without all this extraness?

"Want a cookie?" Ethan asked Blake and me.

"You know it, dude," Blake said, grabbing one and stuffing it into his mouth.

I stared blankly at them.

Ethan offered me the bag and I snatched it away from him. "Hey--" Ethan started to say.

"What's going on?" I interrupted, setting the cookies down.

Ethan tried to lean over and snatch his cookies back but I slapped his hand away.

"No talk, no cookies."

Ethan groaned. "That's not fair--"

"Talk."

Blake finished chewing his cookie and looks at me. "Did you see anyone today?" he asked me.

"I saw a lot of people today," I said unamused. "It's fucking school."

"Just tell him so I can get my cookies back!" Ethan tells Blake.

"Fine," Blake said. "This morning, we saw Alexa."

I blinked.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"Is this a joke?" I said, standing up. "Unbelievable. Fucking unbelievable. You know she won't just--be at school even if she's fucking alive. Fuck you."

Blake grabbed my arm as I turned to leave. "Ryder, chill. We really did see Alexa. She's back in school."

I looked at him, trying to see any sign that he was lying, but he looked sincere. He's too good of a friend to lie about something like that, right?

I looked at Ethan, who grabbed the cookies back. I kicked his leg, but allowed him to have them. Ethan glared up at me.

I took a deep breath. "Blake. Are you for real?"

He nodded. "I am," he said. "I don't know where she's staying but it was definitely her. Ethan and I talked to her."

"Alexa... She's okay?"

Did she not want to talk to me? I don't blame her.... But still. I need to see her for myself. My brothers, all of them..... They'll be so happy.

"Yeah, your sister is okay," Blake said. "We can help you look for her tomorrow. I don't think any of us have her in any class so that's our best bet. Maybe we can find her at lunch."

I didn't say anything. It seemed to good to be true. I thought she died. She left letters. She... I thought she killed herself... But Alexa, according to Blake, is alive..?"

"He's telling the truth," Ethan said through a mouthful of cookies. "Alexa's back."

Alexa... My sister.... She's back...

I have to make things right with her.