Disappointed (Alex Wolff)

Chapter Nineteen: Aunt Macie (Again)

"You got everything?" I ask Alex and he answers with a simple nod.

"I can't believe this is the last time I'll ever stand in this living room," I say mostly to myself.

"This place has got to hold so many memories for you," He says.

"It does.. We should go before I start crying," I say, letting out a small laugh, eventhough the last thing I want to do is laugh.

We both walk towards the door, Alex with his hand on the small of my back.

"Oh wait!" I say suddenly and I dart back through the living room and back into Ariel's room.

I open her closet and find her old school bag that she never used. I open the front and pull out an old composition book with Ariel's name in bold letters.

I never knew what she was writing in this journal, but she was always writing something in it. She made me promise not to ever read it and I never did.

She always had it hidden, too, so I'm guessing it's probably a diary or something. I remember when we first heard the news that Mom died. Ariel cried so much, but later that day, I found her sitting in the same bean bag that I'm sitting in now. She was writing in this journal.

I wipe the few tears that fell from my cheeks and take one last look into her room before I close her bedroom door and walk downstairs.

Alex seemed to notice that I was crying, but he didng acknowledge it and I'm glad he didn't. Because if he did, I would've collapsed in his arms crying.

He opens the door for me and I crawl into the car without a word and Alex walks over to the other side of the car.

A black van suddenly pulls up behind us, blocking us from going anywhere.

I watch as my aunt hops out of the drivers seat. I look over at Alex and roll my eyes.

"I'll handle this. Just.. uh.. sit here," I tell him.

I quickly unbuckle and jump out of the car with Ariel's journal still in my arms.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I ask her.

"I came to get a few things of my brother's, if you don't mind," She replies and walks past me as if I'm not standing here.

"No the fuck you're not," I say, grabbing the sleeve of her jacket, causing her to stop in her tracks.

"I would advise you to get your hands off of me."

"Or what? You'll hit me? You'll call me names to make yourself look all big and bad? Well, I've got some news for you. You aren't getting anything out of that house. My dad may have put everything to me on his will, and eventhough I have no place to live, you sure as hell aren't getting anything."

"Where are you going to stay?"

"I'm moving in with Alex, as if it's any of your business."

"Are you aware that you're still seventeen?"

"I'm not a fucking idiot."

"And that you're still a minor? And as the only living adult in your family, I can go to court and gain custody of you."

My heart stops. Alex was right.

"Well you can go to court, but I'm gonna promise you one thing," I take a step closer to where we are almost face to face, "You will never get custody of me."

I stomp over to the car and open the passenger door.

"Joanna!" My aunt almost screams.

"Fuck off!" I shout at her as I sit in the car. I don't slam the door, despite my boiling anger.

"You were right," I tell Alex.

"About what...?" He asks.

"I'm still seventeen, and she's going to court," I say quietly.

"About custody..."

"Yeah. But I, uh, turn 18 soon, so maybe she won't be going to court any time soon."

Alex starts the engine and backs out of the driveway. I was so pissed at my aunt that I didn't even realize she left.

"Define 'soon'," Alex tells me.

"What is today?" I ask.

"November 29th," He tells me.

(*A/N Let's just pretend Thanksgiving already happened bc I kind of forgot about it. Okay? Okay. Lol*)

"Soon as in like Sunday," I say in almost a whisper. We come up to a stop sign and I can feel his eyes staring at me.

"What?! Jo, why didn't you tell me?" He sounds more excited than he shoulf be.

"I didn't want you to spend your money on getting me a present."

"Oh, I wasn't going to get you anything, I'm just surprised," He looks at me and smiles.

"Alex!" I playfully hit his arm.

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding. You know, I'm gonna have a bruise if you keep hitting me," He laughs.

"But anyways," He continues, "I'm going to get you the perfect gift now."

"Alex please don't."

"Too late! I'm already thinking of the perfect gift to get you," He tells me.

"Okay, what is it?" I question him.

"Well of course I'm not going to tell you."

"As long as it's not a party," I tell him.

"It's not going to be a party," He says.

"Promise?"

"I promise I'm not going to throw you a party," He laughs.

A car horn scares the shit out of me and I nearly hit my head on the roof of Alex's car.

"Sorry!" Alex shouts out the open window and the dude behind us flips him off.

I laugh as Alex pulls away from the stop sign. That was probably the funniest thing that's happened all day.

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