Misunderstood

Chapter 1

Eric's face dropped. "Your mum's sick? I didn't know that, I'm so sorry."

"Well, she is but she isn't..." Alex said, knowing how confusing she must have sounded. Her mum was a complicated person.

"What?" Eric said with a confused laugh.

"I don't really want to talk about it, but let's just say she can't live without me. In a very literal way."

Eric gave a sad smile. "I'm really sorry to hear that. I really didn't know."

"It's okay, I don't normally talk about it. Let's not even get started on my father, we'd be here all day." Alex said with a laugh. It wasn't a funny situation, but when it came to her dad, Alex had to laugh. She'd get down otherwise.

"Wow, okay. Your family sounds very dramatic."

"Trust me. I could get a huge book and movie deal from only a year of their lives," Alex said. "But all I want to do at the moment is keep working and to go to uni. Those are my goals right now."

"Well, good because no one here will fire you. You're part of the family now, and we don't want to lose you. And if you need to talk about anything then I'm here for you. I'm not just your boss, I'm your friend too."

"Thank you, Eric."

"Anytime! Now stop slacking or I'll have to fire you."

Alex burst into laughter and gave Eric a salute. "Aye aye, captain."

Eric left the room and Alex greeted the customers who had just entered the store. She felt a lot lighter knowing that her job was safe. This job was a safe haven from her parents. Her boss and co-workers were great, and so were the customers. It was everything she needed.

**

It was now 7.30pm and time to leave work. It had been a lonely afternoon as Eric had errands to run and her usual colleague, Lexi, wasn't working. After cleaning and closing up, Alex started walking to the tube station. One thing that hadn't changed in the summer was the fact that Alex didn't own a car. She had her license, but no money to pay for a car. In London it didn't matter that much, though. There was so much public transport - and so much traffic - that it was better for her to get the tube to work.

Alex's license had been a gift from her uncle in Portugal. Despite living in a different country, she still kept contact with her relatives in Portugal and her Portuguese roots. She had always been close to her uncle; they had an amazing relationship and he had offered to pay for the license for her eighteenth birthday. If it wasn't for him, she wouldn't have one. There was no way her father would have paid for it.

Despite being summer, it was already cold, and Alex wrapped her coat tighter around her. She missed the Portuguese weather but loved London in every other way. The tall buildings, the business, the endless opportunities. She'd put up with the cold nights for the chance to get into the film industry.

It didn't take long for Alex to get home, and all she wanted to do was take a long shower, have dinner and sleep. It was obvious from the second she opened the door that it wasn't going to happen.

"Alex!" Her mum called out in a desperate voice. "Thank God you're here!"

Alex sighed. She hadn't even stepped into the house. "Mum?"

"Quick, Alex! He's going to break everything." She sounded terrified, as usual, and Alex could hear a few smashes and thumps as her father, Tom, knocked things over.

Alex walked into the house and quickly threw her bag down. The noise was coming from the living room and she knew that her father was off-his-face drunk again. Brilliant. "The usual, right?" Alex called out as she headed to the living room.