All American Boys

18. Belladonna for the Broken

All American Boys

Chapter 18: Belladonna for the Broken

Emily never stopped teasing me when she had the chance. She never really said anything in front of everyone else, but she'd shoot me a look whenever someone mentioned Isaac's hickeys.

"Didn't know you could get so rough," she said as we walked over to my car. "What happened to the Alex I know?"

I shrugged as I let out a chuckle. It was only a day since me and Isaac made out in his car.

"Well I don't know what overcame me either," I replied nonchalantly.

"Whatever it is," she said as we got inside my car. "He seemed to be proud of it, judging from the way he was showing it off. Who shows off hickeys anyway?"

"Him I guess," I shrugged as I buckled up. "But you know. . . He's such a different person from what I thought he was."

"Oh, someone's in love," Emily said as she got comfortable in her seat. "How sweet."

"There's just so many sides of him that nobody else can see," I replied.

Emily rolled her eyes as she giggled.

"Anyway, Shoshana told me her family was going to hold a fundraiser for an orphanage in Costa Rica or something," Emily said. "Well technically the Crawford's are hosting it for the Steins , but you know."

"Cyril mentioned something about it," I said. "But that's about it."

"He might even invite you along you know?" Emily replied. "But I doubt you'll go."

"Yeah," I shrugged. "Not with his dad around."

"Anyway," Emily said, changing the topic as I drove out of the school grounds. "What time is Isaac coming over?"

"Well about four or five," I replied. "He told me he was going back home to freshen up first. Well it gives me time to get dinner ready."

"So where's the studying part?" Emily asked, a smirk on her lips. "Sounds like a date to me."

"Well," I chuckled. "We'll see about that."

After dropping Emily off at her place, I drove straight home. It was a quarter past two. I roughly had two hours before Isaac arrived. My mom was working the night shift that night, and I told her I had a friend coming over to study. I never told her who, but she didn't seem to care. She mustn't know the boy that was coming over was Hayden's brother. She wouldn't allow that.

My mother wanted nothing to do with the Andersons. And she had reason for that.

She had always blamed Hayden for Alicia's death. If she hadn't gone out to meet him she wouldn't have died. I had my own questions and doubts, but hopefully those would finally be answered that weekend when I visit him.

She seemed to be pleasantly surprised that I had someone coming over who wasn't Emily, but other than that never really had much of a reaction. Sometimes I felt like I didn't even exist.

She wasn't the only one who had lost Alicia. As for me, I felt like I've lost them both.

She headed to work soon after. Whether she was at home or away, it made no difference. It was always so silent and lonely. Truth be told, I dreaded coming back home sometimes, but where else could I go? It was the only place I knew. It was the only place I could return to.

I tried to distract myself from those thoughts and the hollow silence by doing some chores. I swept the floor and picked up any messes I had left lying about in the living room. Sure, it probably wasn't anything compared to the Anderson's sprawling house, but I still had to do my best. Especially now that Isaac and I have confirmed our feelings for one another, it only served to make me even more self conscious.