BadBoy Next Door

Prologue

Alexia's POV

"Hey sexy Lexi!" Logan teased and sexually brushed his hand against my rear. I felt my eyes begin to water but I held back my tears.

"Ha! Just kidding, nerd. You're disgusting." He laughed in an amused tone.

"W...what do you want?" I stammered and kicked the pieces of chalk away.

"What 6th grader still plays with chalk?" One of Logan's friends sneered and they all started laughing.

"One heck of a baby, that's who." Another one laughed and shoved my shoulder. I stumbled over and crashed on to the driveway, scraping up both my elbows badly. They all laughed and Logan walked up to me and kicked me.

"That's right. Cry." He laughed menacingly and crossed his arms, staring evilly down at me.

I looked helplessly at my house, seeing my brother Luke staring amused at his window.

Why wouldn't he ever stand up for me!?

Logan sneered down at me and bumped into all his friend's shoulders.

"Let's go guys." He took another disgusted look back down at me and laughed. They then retreated to Logan's house, which was right next to mine.

I stood up, the pain where Logan kicked me increasing. I kept wiping at my eyes over and over again, getting rid of any evidence of my tears.

I'm 11, I shouldn't be crying like this.

I jammed my foot into the already broken piece of purple chalk and sprinted away into my house.

I bursted up the stairs and into my room, diving on to my bed quickly.

"Alexia, dad's taking us to see mom." Luke said quickly and was gone as quickly as he came in.

I felt a surge of newfound energy rush through me. I hadn't seen my mom since Saturday and it was now Thursday. I straightened out my white tank top and walked down the hallway, hearing my dad pull up in the driveway.

Luke was already downstairs, looking out the window at my dad. I came up next to him but he walked away as soon as I did. My heart flickered but I just looked straight out the window.

My dad noticed me in the window and waved, putting on a big smile, even though he was hurting inside- we all were. I waved back with a mustered up fake smile, one the whole family had perfected.

I walked outside with my excuse of a brother and we all got in the car and buckled up. Luke got 'special privileges' so he got the passenger seat while I was in the backseat, surrounded by forgotten jackets and scattered school papers.

Finally, the car pulled into the parking lot of the hospital. I looked up and down at the white building that had become so familiar, I recognized it like the back of my hand.

"C'mon kids." My dad said, realizing we were all just staring at the building. We got out of the vehicle and walked silently towards the entrance. I was next to Luke but he kept inching away.

When we reached the reception desk, the sweet old lady we have come to love gave us a warm welcoming smile.

"Ah, Richard. Lukas. Lexi. Nice to see you!" Margaret said and stood up, leaning over to hug my dad.

"Don't think I forgot, kiddos." She smiled as she handed us the lollipops we always got here.

"Thanks Mar!" I exclaimed and she smiled down at me.

"Of course, Lexi. And, Richard she's where she always is." She lowered her voice and my dad nodded. He motioned us to follow with his hands as he started off down the hallway.

177

The number I saw constantly. I traced my fingers over the walls as we neared the door with those numbers painted on the glass.

My dad opened the door and let Luke and me in first.

"My babies!" I heard my mother's tired voice call as I bolted over to her. Luke took his time though, understanding my connection with our mom. It's the only thing he ever understood.

"Hey mom." I said and draped my arms over her neck, pulling her impossibly close, her fuzzy, bald head tickling my chin.

Yes, my mom has stage 4 lung cancer, because her parents smoked and she breathed in a lot of the fumes for years and years. She was diagnosed over 4 months ago.

We did our usual visit, and then said our 'love you's and goodbyes.

I never knew it would be my last visit.

---
2 years later.

I silently picked at my food, my ridiculously long brunette hair draping over my face like a curtain.

Logan teased me, and called me something along the lines of 'dumb excuse for rapunzel'.

Luke was sitting across the table from me, and our little cousin whom we were watching was in her high chair, gurgling and spitting up the good my dad tried to feed her.

"Kids, I have news for you, that you could either like or hate, not really sure. But-"

Olivia began bawling her eyes out. My dad handed her the little tether thing and she instantly shut up.

"We're moving. To California."