Suicide, Skittles and Skates [✓]

Chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

"Alex! You're finally here," his aunt said happily, pulling him into a hug that almost suffocated him as he chuckled quietly and hugged her back.

"Yeah, Merry Christmas Aunt Lydia!"

It was Christmas morning and although he wasn't a big celebrator, Alex had gotten ready and taken the train to his aunt and uncle's house for their annual Christmas party. It was the first one he would go to without Alice and although it saddened him, he felt a little better after having visited her grave the previous week.

The inside of the house was decorated with tinsel and fairy lights along the top of the walls, wreaths placed carefully on the doors and mistletoe hanging delicately. Adults were lounging about chatting, dressed formally for the occasion with a few novelty Santa hats on some of their heads. Children were running in between them, chasing each other and laughing loudly amongst themselves. The tree was huge, towering over the room from its place against the window covered in lights and ornaments of all shapes and sizes. The huge pile of presents underneath it helped complete the picture perfect Christmas scene.

"Aleeeex!" he heard a voice yell from somewhere as a flying ball of red came rushing towards him, almost toppling him over in the process. He laughed, entangling his limbs from his cousin's clutches and bent down so they could be eye level. "Hi Liam! Wow, look how tall you've gotten!" he exclaimed knowing perfectly well how sensitive his ten-year-old cousin was about his small size. Liam puffed out his chest in pride before he began chattering about school and a girl in his class who he was friends with.

"Pfft, she's probably his girlfriend from the amount he's talking about her," he heard a voice say from behind as arms wrapped around his waist. "Hey Lucy!" he grinned, happy to be around his cousins for the first time in ages. Uncle Chris was his mum's younger brother and as his family were Alex's only relatives, he enjoyed spending time with them despite the age difference.

He turned around to face Lucy and gaped; with the teal party dress, brown heals and make-up, she was beginning to look so grown up. Sometimes he forgot they weren't quite as young as he thought, she was already 14 and before long she'd have boyfriends and be moving on with her life. "You look beautiful Luce," he smiled pecking her cheek.

Alex spent the rest of the day hanging out with his cousins, their neighbours and some friends. He hadn't initially wanted to come, feeling as though it could never be truly Christmas without Alice there. She was always the one who had the holiday spirit and went crazy with sparkly decorations and thoughtful gifts as soon as December approached. But he was glad he had come; he didn't see sympathy or pity in their eyes like he was dreading, he saw understanding.

He wasn't the only one who had lost someone.

Uncle Chris had lost his older sister when Alex's parents had passed away, yet he had still welcomed the twins into his house with open arms until he felt they were old enough to move out to their own flat a few blocks away. When Alice had been killed, Auntie Lydia had lost her only niece. There wasn't anyone to bake cakes with her anymore, no Alice to talk to Lucy about school and boys. And Liam. Little Liam, the baby of the family, no longer had Alice to play cars with him, nobody to tickle him until he fell of the sofa begging for mercy through a fit of giggles. They were all suffering.

Perhaps it was selfish of him to want to die; he'd only be causing more pain to his family.

And that was the last thing he'd ever want to do, they had done so much for him. 'Maybe I owe it to them to stay alive,' he thought to himself as he chattered with Lucy over dinner.

"Ugh, I'm so full, I feel like I'm gonna explode!" Lucy grumbled, rubbing her stomach with her hands in a futile attempt to make it feel better.

Alex laughed quietly, careful not to wake up Liam. The guests had all long gone and the three of them were lying on the floor, Liam curled up half-asleep on Alex's chest and Lucy lying on her back beside her cousin. His aunt and uncle were both lounging on the sofas, exhausted after playing host all day.

It was late but there was a content smile on Alex's face, it had been a great day and perhaps he was getting better. He sure hoped so.

Buzz!

His phone vibrated loudly on the floor, somewhere beneath the wrapping paper and shreds of silver from the tinsel. Lucy grabbed it and threw it at him, narrowly missing his head with her terrible aim.

He smiled widely without realising when he saw it was from Kalila. It was a picture message of her baby brother asleep all wrapped up in tinsel with a tiny Santa hat lopsided on his head.

merry xmas! :D how was ur day? hope u had a good time with ur family! jus wanted to remind u that we only hav a week left so we need to meet up lots now. i took this pic for the next painting we have to do, are u still free tomorrow?? xx

The picture was adorable, there was no doubt that they would use it as part of their project.

"Alex has a girlfriend!" Lucy screeched, waking up her brother in the process. His aunt laughed at Alex's mortified expression as he denied it.

"Why else would you smile at your phone like that creepy cat in Alice in Wonderland if it wasn't a girl?!" Lucy asked slyly, clapping her hands together in excitement at the prospect of embarrassing him further.

Alex groaned. His cousin was almost as bad as Lacey when it came to match-making and that was saying something! "She's just a friend," he protested, rolling his eyes and trying to fight the smile on his face from getting bigger.

His uncle came over with the last few slices of cake for them all to share. "Ah young love! I remember getting that happy over text messages from my first love," he commented, handing over the plate to them.

Liam rubbed his sleepy eyes and pounced on the cake as though he hadn't eaten anything all day. "But daddy, were there even any text messages in the dinosaur age?" he asked innocently.

There was a moment of silence before they all burst out laughing, Uncle Chris grumbling something under his breath about how they weren't that old. Once Lucy had finally controlled her giggling, she asked the question on her mind. "Was mum your first love?"

Alex listened in anticipation; the last time he had heard stories like this, his parents had been alive and were the ones telling them. His aunt laughed, grabbing the cake away from Liam who had almost finished it all before passing it along to her husband who paused before answering the question. "No, it was a girl in my Business class in University. Jasmine, her name was. Stunned everyone around her with how beautiful she was. She was very rich and so sorta pretentious y'know, kinda stuck up..." his voice trailed off as he lost himself in the memories.

Alex and Lucy waited but when it was clear he wasn't going to say anything, Alex cleared his throat and prompted him. "So what happened?"

His aunt pulled her hair out of the fancy bun she had all day and came to sit down beside her daughter and nephew before answering their question. "She broke his heart."

Lucy frowned in disappointment. Although it should have been obvious the story didn't have a happy ending from the fact that her parents were together and so clearly in love, she was still hoping for one.

Alex, sensing that his uncle didn't want to continue talking about it, changed the subject to school and his plans after graduating and so they continued conversing until the early hours of the morning.

A/N: Click on the external link on the right side to see Lucy's clothes cuz I got bored and putting together outfits is fun :')