The Alex Effect // Alex Walter

𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓

TW: emotional and physical abuse, mentions of underage drug use, foul language.

HEATHER KNEW SOMETHING was wrong, something about today just didn't feel right. She sat in Ben's car lacing up her shoes and making sure her hair looked alright before turning to the boy himself. He had his window rolled down slightly and was smoking a joint, something he knew Heather hated due to her mother's addiction but no matter what she would say he'd usually reply with the same hurtful comment, "I'm not a crack whore your fucking mother."

"I have to go meet up with the girls for the preference but I'll see you later?"

"Yeah. Come find me after."

Heather nodded giving him a quick kiss before jumping down from the truck and making her way over to the stage but not before stopping where Cole and Jackie were giving one another evil eyes and Alex was struggling to seem comfortable.

"Everything okay here?" Heather asked.

"Just dandy." Cole snarked as he stormed off.

"What's his problem?"

Jackie was the first to speak, "he thinks there's something going on between Alex and I but it's not true, we're just friends."

Heather nodded, "did you ask him why he even cares?"

"No."

"You should. He probably likes you." Heather smiled watching as Jackie blushed a deep shade of red. "Anyways I have to get backstage, see you all later?"

Heather turned to leave but Alex reached out to grab her wrist gently. This was a new feeling for Heather. No one had grabbed her gently in what felt like ages. Her siblings grabbed onto her tightly out of fear when their mother would scream or dangerous people would come around the house. Her mother and her boyfriend grabbed her harshly trying to get her to run their errands and threaten her. And Ben grabbed her painfully, a scorching pain that reminded her she was alive in some ways but also made her wish for something better.

Ben was like fire, scorching and persisting, hard to put out and leaves ashes in its wake. He was genuinely perfect when she was going through something but it was as if he had a switch and being with her was a chore, something to do for the time being and all she wanted was for him to look at her the way he dragged his eyes over Erin and Olivia. She was his girlfriend after all but she started to feel like she was more of a consolation prize for him.

But Alex, he was soft, and caring and overly kind and he loved her in ways she was scared to admit were real. He had loved her their whole lives something she knew and held onto. Heather wished she could accept it, that being with Alex would be real and truly perfect but those types of things never lasted in Heather's life and she wanted Alex to stay that perfect and true in her mind for as long as he would let her.

"Are you coming over tomorrow?" He asked.

"I completely forgot that I can't tomorrow, I'm not even going to be at school the whole day but I can make up for it in an extra day if you want to meet on the weekend?"

Alex nodded, "why not Saturday?"

"Yeah that sounds good."

THE DAY HAD come and gone, people were cleaning up their stands and things were being taken down as night settled in. Heather had helped Erin with her clean-up jobs listening to her rant about her over-bearing mother.

When they were done Heather grabbed all her things pulling out her phone to check the messages Ben had left her.

BEN: Where the fuck r u?
BEN: The shows been over for almost an hour?
BEN: What the fuck Heather???
BEN: Are you with Alex right now? Or Cole?
BEN: God, of course you are, you're such a fucking slut on your knees for that family, well, guess what, they don't give a shit about you. If they did they would've been there for you!!! Guess who was there for you? Me. And now you treat me like this? Wtf Heather!
BEN: Just fucking text me back or call it's not that hard!
BEN: Come to the parking lot when you get this I'm at my truck, we need to talk.

Heather felt terrible reading all the messages. Was he right? Was she a bad girlfriend to him, was she just a burden to the Walter's? Gathering the rest of her things she made her way to the parking lot spotting the Walter's all piling into the large van and truck as their booth had finally all been cleaned up.

She didn't look their way but she swore she could feel their eyes trained on her as she walked closer to Ben who looked irritated.

"I'm sorry." Was what Heather said first looking up at him with her arms crossed. "I put my phone in my bag during the dance and then I was helping Erin with her duties and I completely forgot I was meant to come find you."

"But you had time to stop and talk to the Walter's."

"What?"

"You went to their booth so many fucking times Heather, I watched you."

"Because my mom and theirs were friends their whole lives and now they're like family so when I see them or they see me they call out and I don't want to be rude and just ignore them. They've done a lot for me."

"And I haven't?"

"I never said that."

"You're such a bitch Heather, I saw the way you looked at that fucking dork, you like him don't you."

"Who?" Heather was growing frustrated.

"Alex."

"I don't—" before she could continue talking she felt a sting on her cheek. He had just hit her. He slapped her. He slapped her across the face. Heather was in shock as she brought her hand up to her face. She thought maybe he'd apologize, grovel, explain it was a huge mistake but he kept yelling. It was so loud and all she heard was ringing, no words, just the loud rings that made her feel dazed.

And before she knew it a fist had collided with Ben's face. Alex and Ben were fighting. His brothers and dad trying to get him off while Jackie and Kathryn pulled her away.

She didn't remember much, everything felt like a blur. Being driven away with the Walter's. The silence. Them dropping her off at home. The second wave of silence. Showering before climbing into bed and seeing a single text.

BEN: I'm so fucking sorry Heather. I don't know why I did that. Please forgive me, I love you so much baby.

Heather stared at it for a moment typing out text after text about how she didn't trust him, how he hurt her, how angry she was. But she never sent any of them. Instead she responded and hated herself for becoming the one person she never wanted to become.

HEATHER: It's okay I forgive you and I love you so much too.

She had become her mother.

AN: Kinda love this chapter but also sad about it bc poor Heather and the next chapter... I have it all planned out and it's both exciting bc things are really going to start picking up after it but also tragic.