Okay, so I've said quite a few times that the emotions, feelings and some parts of this story are real. So, since there was a request and messages for me to do someone else's point of view other than Alabama's I'm giving it a shot now. I don't exactly know what other people feel, but I guess I'm putting in my feeling in as well like how I would feel if someone from my hometown ran away (whether I'm close to them or not). So hopefully this chapter is good enough as well as explaining a few more things about Alabama, her relationship with her family and friends, her problems and well what made her want to leave home so bad that she actually did it. Again, Thank you to those who fanned, read, commented and of course voted. Love you to be honest :) love you lots!
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Alabama left on Tuesday. Tuesday night, that much was obvious. When I came home from my friend Xander's raving house party I expected Alabama to be holed up in the living room watching the Breakfast Club or her usual 1900s-esque type of movies. I expected the kitchen to be a mess, I expected the fridge to be filled with freshly made cupcakes or cookies, jell-o's and a excess of peanut butter sandwiches. That was what I loved about my sister, everytime I come home from some party hungover or feeling lightheaded there would be food stocked and freshly made in the old kitchen. I hadn't been paying much attention to my sister lately, with the term break going on and my friends throwing parties, she was just some miniscule detail at home. Besides, Allie had built a reputation for herself, and it wasn't a good one.
As the senior quarterback sometimes it was embarassing to have her around, sure her best friend and boyfriend are footballers, they were my friends as well, that was how she met Jackson anyways. Through me and my twin brother Reece. Reece plays linebacker, and Bradley and Jackson are in the defensive. Alabama's reputation at school wasn't good, I don't think she created it, but she certainly did not do anything to make others think otherwise. I started to get angry, Allie knew that I always come home from parties hungry and slightly wasted. So why wasn't there any food prepared? Was she trying to get back at me for something? I can't blame my parents for not being here because Tuesdays they have bingo at the townhouse with their other friends, everyone in the family knew that. It was just a fun thing they do to keep their connections alive with the lower classed people.
"Allie!" I yelled, as I opened the fridge and rummaged through it only to see wrapped up second day food and the usual cartons of milk, butter and the norm.
By this point I had began to develop a major headache and I slammed the fridge door shut. I stormed my way over to the living room to find it empty. The blanket she would always be coddled up in was neatly folded and the pillows perfectly fluffed out and spaced. I grumbled at her missing presence and stormed my way up the stairs, headed straight to her room. My hands were in fists, I just wanted those good ass cupcakes she makes. With my hand on the golden doorknob I swung the door open and yelled.
"Allie, Where the hell is-" I literally facepalmed myself when I was greeted to an empty room, I felt like an idiot yelling to a no one. I slapped the light switch on, everything was in place but Allie wasn't there. I frowned harder, her laptop was there, her bed was made, her room was all neat and tidy. That girl really needed a scolding! She knows that I need my after party snacks. It's 1 A.M. and I don't have the time for this. I want to eat and sleep, at least this time I didn't bring a girl home. I hastily stuffed my hands into my pockets and grabbed at my iPhone. She was probably at Bradley's then, but I swear I had seen him at Xander's. Whatever, I jammed in his number with my thumb and put the phone to my ear waiting impatiently for him to pick up.
"Hey man, what up?" Brad was shouting into the phone, and there was a loud thumping of club music in the background. His speech was slightly slurry and I could hear a girl giggling super close, that meant I did see Brad at the party, and he's probably still there now.
"Yo, dude have you seen Allie anywhere? You didn't fucking bring her to the party did you?" I growled into the phone.
"Nah ma, this ain't her scene, and nah haven't seen her in a while. You didn't know bro?"
"Know what?" my eyebrow raised.
"I don't really hang with her anymore" I took in a deep breath, I didn't care if Brad still hung out with her or not. In a sense, I guess I was calling because I was concerned. Where else could Allie have gone? She didn't exactly have any friends anymore. But a part of me was angry that she wasn't home.
"Right, anyways is Reece still there?" I asked.
"Yeah, he's surrounded by chicks bro, why did you leave so early? That Lea girl was all over you man!" There was some mumbling from the other side of the call.
"Promised my mom I'd do this charity for kids or something, she's paying me, so fuck it. Fucking Reece was supposed to come too, you make sure he gets home alright? And make sure he doesn't bring some girl, I'm counting on you Brad"
"You got it Captain!" With that I hung up and instantly my thumbs went and tapped in Allie's number. I waited for a few seconds before I heard a buzzing from inside the room. Hold on a second, was my sister some kind of idiot? I barged into her room and turned on the lamp by her work table, there was her iPhone with my name and picture sitting beside the laptop, how did I not see that before! What the actual fuck? My sister went somewhere without bringing her phone, she was seriously so smart...
I gave up. With a heavy sigh and my eyelids all droopy and ready to sleep I plopped down onto her bed, I could always yell at her in the morning I thought. But just before I could close my eyes something light and soft landed on my face. The surface area of this thing covered up my entire face and my hand instantly went up to grab it, only to feel the texture of paper. I sat up with confusion written all over my face, the paper was blank so I flipped it around. The moment I did I honestly wish I hadn't though.
Don't look for me.
My eyes widened and I froze, she was being dramatic. She couldn't have possibly... Suddenly I didn't feel so dizzy or sleepy anymore. Like an arrow I shot up and started to look around her room for any clues. The piece of paper clenched in my hands. I whipped open her closet and realized her luggage was missing, so was her schoolbag. Her books were neatly stacked on the floor. Fuck, I ran to the bathroom and it looked bare. Just then the front door slammed shut and I ran out of Allie's room.
"Allie is that you?" I yelled from the top of the stairs.
"Dude, thanks man. Brad won't leave me alone and that Carly chick was-" Reece's voice grumbled.
"Allie's gone" I cut him off. I hurried down the stairs and my brother was already in the kitchen.
"What the fuck, where's the food?!" Just then I heard the fridge slam shut. It was then did I realize how much of a brat we were to Allie.
"Dude, didn't you just fucking hear me? She's fucking gone" Reece was busy opening and closing the cupboards when he turned to me with a questioning look. I rushed over to him and shoved the paper in his face. But he swatted it away like it didn't matter. He managed to grab the tub of peanut butter paste and a slice of wheat bread.
"She's probably just being dramatic" He opened the cap and began to make a sanwich.
"Yeah, because her suitcase is missing and she told us not to look for her and the living room is clean, and so is her room and there's no fucking food for us," This time I managed to catch Reece's attention. He turned to me and grabbed the paper out of my hand. I was pretty much panicking right now. Allie wasn't a clean girl. She had her things everywhere and it drove our parents mad so seeing everything so neat and tidy was a surprise. Reece dropped everything he was holding and rushed to the living room before going up to her room. He stared at me wide eyed before looking down at the paper and then up at me again.
"Dude, dude, is she serious? Dude call mom and dad man" I quickly punched in our mom's number before waiting for her to pick up. She finally did half laughing at something. Reece now had a worried look on his face, the sandwich he was making long forgotten and he was staring at me intently.
"Yes honey?" She sounded so happy, I didn't want to ruin her fun.
"Ma, we need you to come home right now, it's serious. It's Allie." I could imagine my mom rolling her eyes on the other end of the phone.
"What is it now?" She sighed.
"Mom she's gone" Reece gestured with his hand telling me to get to the point.
"What do you mean Brody?"
"Mom, she left and she left a note. I don't know where she is! Neither does Reece of Bradley! Her suitcase is gone, she left everything here, her phone, her laptop and everything!" Reece had cupped his face in his hands.
"I'll be home soon, I'm on the way right now!" Finally my mother had begun to sound worried as well, my ear was then met with a beeping sound. Reece and I walked over to Allie's bed trying to look for other clues but there was none. Reece being the more sensitive one was sitting on the edge of the bed, his eyes were rimmed with red and he looked as if he was about to cry. I was the oldest, I beat Reece by two minutes and then Allie came two years later.
"Fuck man," Reece whispered as he bent to rest his elbows on his knees. I pat him on the back and massaged my head with my other hand.
"Dude do you think she actually left? Like left us?" Even though I didn't want to I nodded my head.
"No one in this damned town has actually been nice to her man, everyone treated her like shit. I would've done the same thing...I guess I would've gone too" I answered honestly. At that moment I regretted so much that I didn't protect my sister. My only sister at that, and a tear managed to slide down my cheek. Reece began to sniff and we had both started to cry silently.
"What the fuck man, we're her brothers. Why didn't we do anything?" Reece managed to get out. "She got pushed around at school, people sneered at her and bullied her, she got her panic attacks and we didn't do shit!" Reece gritted. I clenched my fist so hard at that memory.
It was a typical Monday morning, I had just driven Reece, Allie and I to school. Reece and I stayed back at the parking lot to meet the rest of our friends but Allie had scurried away into the main building. I watched her retreat into the maind doors and I fetl a wave of guilt pass through me. I was her big brother and I had made a promise to protect her but now I was letting people treat her like shit. Some cheerleader was on me and she had helped me tear myself away from my thoughts.
The next time I saw Allie, she was on the floor, her back leaning against her locker. Her face in her hands and her knees drawn up. She was breathing heavily as if air was lacking and she was cowering away while some girl from her class was picking on her. When she looked up her eyes were wide and crazed. Reece and I knew since she got bullied Allie had developed social anxiety and one hurtful step can make her shake into unconsciousness. But Reece and I walked away from our sister's pleading eyes as we let the girl bully her.
At the end of the day, we had to pick her up at the nurse's office. Her face was tear stained and the nurse was trying to calm her down by talking to her in a soft voice. Allie missed a lot of classes because of her panic attacks but she was smart so she never had to stay back a grade. This all happened after that incident. The incident that made Allie so hated, that made everyone bully her. The moment we walked in the nurse was putting alcohol and bandage on Allie's leg, Allie was hissing and biting on her knuckle. They hadn't realized we had walked in, Reece was busy texting someone but I saw it, I saw the clear red streaks on her leg. The cuts she made, but before I could do or say anything Reece spoke up alerting the two of our presence and immediately Allie began tugging her jeans down.
Just like that I began to cry harder, the memory of that day has never escaped me. Only now was I regretting how much I hadn't protected her. How much I hated myself for letting people bully her and allowing her to damage herself. Only now did I feel like shit. I got up and punched the wall. Reece was in his own little world as well. I remembered the day in primary school when Reece and I had promised to keep her safe always, and we never lived up to that promise.
"Brody, Reece!" Allie's cheeks were red, and her pigtails were flinging crazily behind her. She had a panicked look on her face as she looked behind her, I followed her gaze to see a tall girl chasing after her. Allie managed to run up to us in time as she hid behind us.
"Brody, can you please tell her to stop bullying me?" The girl was now standing in front of Reece and I not looking all high and mighty anymore.
"Hey, you heard what my sister said! Stop bullying her!" Reece stepped up. The girl looked up at him frightened but she didn't budge and Allie tugged onto our uniforms tighter.
"Stop bullying my little sister, if she tells me you are I'm going to tell the prinicipal!" And with that Reece and I gave each other a high five as the tall girl ran away without another word. Allie squeezed from between us and reached up to give each of us a hug.
"Thanks!" She grinned.
"Allie, if anyone ever bullies you again you have to tell us okay?" Reece warned her and Allie nodded, sticking her pinky out as she gave him a pinky promise.
"We'll always protect you Allie, no matter what. We promise! Now go play with your friends again" I smiled at her.
I would never forget that day because that day made me feel like a hero. But right now I felt like a coward. A coward who only cared about my image and not someone who's of my flesh and blood.
It was true what they say, you don't know what you have until it's gone.
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Author's note (Again):
Alright guys, there you go! I hope it's good enough, I'm sorry if you don't understand it or anything but there has been truths in this chapter, some parts are real and I tried to incorporate them altogether. Hope you liked it please comment and vote! Love you :)