Monster

Meeting Alex

"Hello...?" I said quietly. The sobber and I were the only ones in here. It immediately stops and the stall door opens slowly. No one comes out.

"Alex?" I say again. "Is that your name?" The only thing I see is a hand clutching the frame of the door. It is pulled tightly, the blood rushing out. I take a step forward, then backtrack and lock the door. I'm not in the mood to explain why I was in the guys bathroom. Then Alex steps out; for the first time I get a good look at him.

He has a sprinters build; strong legs and arms. He's about 6', with shaggy black hair and piercing blue eyes that remind me of icicles. On the right side of his face is a long scar, marring the skin a bit and traveling from his eye all the way down into his shirt. Before he speaks he tightens his jaw.

"Why are you here, Drew?"

His voice is pained; I wonder how he knows my name.

"I, uh...this guy sent me. He said you were a, um, a special person that sometimes has red eyes, if you know what I mean," I said uncertainly. He didn't look like a Monster. At first he didn't say anything, and then he held up his hand with two fingers and then crossed his heart. I stared back at him as he mumbled,

"You don't remember..." he said while circling around me, making my skin shiver.

Trying not to be TOO annoying, I said back "Don't remember what?" with a questioning glare in my eyes. Alex just smiled sadly.

"Nothing," he started heading toward the door.

"Uh, wait. You have to come with me. This guy, Charlie, is taking us somewhere. I promise it'll be safe."

After a super quiet walk to the limo, I opened the door for Alex, who slid in without even questioning. It was weird and overly trusting, but I slid in next to him. Charlie was grinning and shook Alex's hand.

"I'm Charlie. I'm sure you have so many questions about why you turn--into that thing--and how to stop it and everything else! We'll talk back at the hotel," it sounded like Charlie had practiced saying that.

As the limo pulled away, Alex turned toward me, as if inspecting me.

"So...I'm Alex."

He held out his hand for me to shake and when I did he was light and careful with my hand. I squeezed to let him know I didn't need for him to be polite.

"I'm Drew. So, did you just move here? I used to live in Oregon," I said with a smile. His profile said he was talkative.

"Yea. I used to live in California, with my aunt. She just sent me here, though, because she got a new boyfriend. It gets...crazy...when she has a new boyfriend. If you know what I mean," he added with a smile.

"Thats cool. So do you--"

"Can I see your wrist?" he cut in suddenly, but a gave him my arm. Alex pushed back the grey long-sleeve shirt; he didn't even gasp when he saw all of the cuts and bruises from Dr. Nile. His hand lightly touched the area on my wrist where my hand started. Then he just frowned and nodded, pushing my hand away.

"I'm sorry. That was weird."

I didn't ask for an explanation.

The rest of the car ride, Charlie talked with Alex about football and soccer and other boy things. But I stared out the window, the fiery leaves passing by reminding me of how simple my life used to be--and the sky reminding me of the feeling of familiarness when I looked at Alex.

The limo left a swirl of leaves as it pulled away from the massive ten-story building--the condos. Alex followed silently as Charlie and I checked in; and then went up to the third story where my bed awaited my head. And that wasn't supposed to rhyme. Alex's room was across from mine; Charlie left to get more info on Alex even though he said he was just going to the store.

I went into my room, too tired to talk or welcome Alex into this new world. Instead I scavenged the ten bagillion drawers for a book to read, and soon I was curled up on my bed listening to some music and reading. It felt so normal, for a second I thought the door opening was my mom and I smiled, forgetting that their bodies were now buried in the cold ground of Oregon. Instead, it was Alex.

"Hey," I said quietly, the shock of reality hitting me hard. He was holding something in his hand...

"I brought you some KitKats. Thought you might like them," KitKats are my favorite! I contained myself and got out of bed.

"Thanks. They're my favorite. How'd you know?" I said, testing him.

"I dunno. I just guessed that you would like them."

I raised my eyebrows, but walked over to him and took one.

"You seem familiar. Like I've seen you before."

"Yea? I get that a lot. I guess I just have one of those faces."

He didn't have 'one of those faces' and I knew he was lying to me. Don't push it, Drew.

"Can I ask you something?" He said after the silence.

"You don't have to ask to question me."

"Where did you get all of those cuts?" He was staring at me straight on, his ice blue eyes digging into my throat. Intense dejavu suddenly washed over me like cold water, and I had to take a step back.

"This man--Dr. Nile--Alex, are you a Monster?" I hoped he knew what I meant.

"Yes. But answer my question." he said, countering my subject-changing skills.

"There is a man that created us. His name is Dr. Nile. And he killed someone I know, so I--uh, I made him very mad and this is what bad people do when they're effing mad."

I smiled weakly, thinking of James, the boy I barely knew and what I said to Dr. Nile. But Alex was looking off into the distance and biting his lip. Then that look was gone and wiped away with a smile.

"So," he said with a sly smile, "do you like Star Wars?"