To Real to be Fake

Zoey

Wonder why Step Douche needed Alex? I should text her. Make sure she is okay. Yah she's a freak, and a push over, but she is my friend.

I start typing.

Hey, everything cool between u and SD? U need me 2 come over?

And send.

Alex's real dad died in a car crash two years ago, her mom was eager to find love again and picked the first person she could find. Of course he turned out to be a jerk.

Buzz.

She texted back.

Pfft. No, they r making me break up w/ u ;( They told me, and I quote: "She is a bad influence" so stupid, they wouldn't know bad influence if it slapped them in the face >:[

It's true. I do misbehave sometimes. And who knows, maybe I am a 'bad influence' on Alex. Maybe, she doesn't deserve a friend like me.

No. Stop. You are her friend. right? I text her back.

So is this goodbye...?

She types back quickly.

No dumbo, we r staying together 4eva!!! <3

I smile. Alex has a way to always make people grin, sometimes even ear to ear. I am glad she really cares about me, no one really does.

Knock, knock.

"Come in!" I say. I was sitting down on my bed. The sheets are bright red and the don't match anything. Not even the pillows, which are purple.

"How is Alex?" It's Zachary, my twin brother. Not as close to Alex as me but still close.

"Fine, I think." I say. I look down at my phone, the screen is still cracked from when I threw it at Joey last month. "Do you, uh, want to talk to her?" I ask.

Zachary flips his hair out of his face, "If, uh, you don't mind. Yah." he says. He reaches out his hand and I place my phone down on his palm.

I fall back onto my bed and start twisting my hair. Still a bit crispy from when I last dyed it. My hair is naturally black but I was bored of it so I died it red. The dye was coming out so my hair was a pretty shade of dark red.

I hear Zachary laugh under his breath. Note to self, read their text messages later. He continues to smile as he hands the phone back to me.

"Thanks," he says. "See you at dinner Zoe." He walks out of my room and shuts the door.

Ugh. That stupid nickname. I hated being called 'Zoe'. It is the worst. But it has stuck with me all these years. The day I first got it I was seven and my teacher said Zoe instead of Zoey and it has stuck ever since.

Stupid.