The Chicago Experiment

Chapter 1 - Alex

Why did I do this? Why did I want to punish myself? I was perfectly content with having finished my degree, why on earth did I have to go and do a bloody Masters? Was I that bored?

"Alex?"

At least it's only this one year left and then I'm free again! Unless I get the stupid idea to do a PhD or something.

"Alex!" The yelling brings me out of my spiral and I turn to see Molly staring at me with a huge shit-eating grin. She snapped her fingers at me, put her hands on my shoulders, and shook me. I almost fell off her bed when she did that!

"What?!" I shout back, a little harsher than I meant. Molly - being my best friend of 10 years - always knew how to get me out of my spirals I get when the anxiety kicks in. Which is basically always.

"Daydreaming about Ryan again?" Man, I hate her. I mean I don't, I love her to pieces. But she will not let me forget about him.

"No..." I admitted. I hated his guts right now, even if he was Molly's brother.

"Alex, I wish you'd tell me what he did to you. I hate seeing you like this."

I got up to turn the wax burner on beside her bed and put my notebook inside my bag. There's no way I'm starting on that reading right now.

"Molly, if I tell you, you'll never see him the same way. He's your older brother and I really don't wanna ruin your relationship."

"I swear, if he hurt you, I am going to kill him!" I loved Molly so much. I didn't want to hurt her by telling her what happened, but if she is going to keep asking then I guess I have to tell her right? I mean she's everything to me. I tell her everything. So, I guess I have to tell her this too.

"He cheated."

Suddenly, all the tears I held back all week came crashing through me like a tsunami. It actually felt good to tell someone.

"That bastard!! I am going to kill him. I will kill him dead right now!" Molly got up - no idea what she was going to do as Ryan hadn't lived here for years - but I pulled her down to me for a hug.

"Who with" she asked. I did not want to answer that either.

"Liliana."

"That bitch! I thought she was my friend! Oh my god, Alex, I am so sorry that my stupid idiot of a brother had to do that to you."

Damn, I hated Ryan but right now I hated myself more for making her hate her brother. I mean, family is family, right, even if they are evil arseholes? It just sucks he brought Molly into it by having sex with Molly's lab partner. Of all the damn people!

"Look, Molly, I have something else to tell you."

"Oh no you've already killed them both?" I chuckled. I actually did! Molly knew how to make the best out of any situation and I loved her so much for it.

"No, Molly, I did not kill anyone!" I threw a pillow at her and she almost fell off the bed with surprise.

"I'll get you back for that! But what is it?"

"Well, these past few weeks I could only think of that dickhead and how much I wanted to put distance between us. I did something stupid." Oh no. Molly has that look on her face. She'll start panicking in a minute if I don't explain myself.

"I...I'm going abroad for my final year. To Chicago. Until I graduate next August."

Molly was stunned. Maybe I gave her too much at once. First, she finds out her brother is a pig, then that I am moving almost 4 thousand miles away from her for the year.

Shit. What am I going to do without her?

Finally, she moved to look up at me. She took a breath.

"I think that will be really good for you." She began to smile.

"Seriously? You're not mad that I'm leaving?"

"Mad? Are you crazy? After the shit you've been in for the past month, it's a wonder you didn't do this sooner! I'll be fine, really. I'll be really busy trying to find a new lab partner, but we'll make time for video chats and stuff."

It was like a giant weight falling off my shoulders. Molly is not only okay with it but encouraging me to go.

"I hear there are cute guys in Chicago you know!" Molly wiggled her eyebrows at me. God, she's annoying.

"Shut up!" I respond, giggling with her. "I will not be there to hang out with boys."

She gave me a look. Eyebrows brought up to her hair, she said "What you need, my girl, is not a boy. You need a man!"

That damn girl. I am so gonna miss her.