!!Alright guys, if you've read my other story, I'm looking on feedback for this one. I have 10 chapters written, but going to see how this first chapter is received. Hope you enjoy!!
Alex POV - June 2004
"Alex, meet Avery!" My mom says to me.
I look at the tiny little baby and hold her.
"Hi Avery, I'm your big sister. Well technically there's three of us. But I'm the coolest. And we're the closest in age. And your middle name is my first name. Avery Alexandra Morgan. That's you. I promise I'm going to be there for you. And take care of you. And protect you. I play soccer, maybe you'll like soccer too? I'm 14, almost 15."
I smile and lean down to give her a kiss on the forehead, "I love you so much." Then stare into her bright blue eyes.
"She's like your little twin, honey."
I nod, "My mini."
Avery POV Time Skip - November 2020
"Dude your mom is going to lose it if you don't slow down. You're already buzzing."
I look at Tori, "Are you my best friend or my babysitter?"
"You know I'm on your side, but I'm just saying, you don't need to be wasted on Thanksgiving."
"I do when my superstar sister is coming home with her perfect family." I say.
"Fair enough. Another shot for you." She hands me the bottle of tequila.
"Thanks, Tor."
"Alright, enough for you. I'm taking you home." She says.
She pulls up outside of my house and I sigh, "Ugh, everyone is here."
"You'll be okay buddy. You know, you and Alex should probably talk it out."
I glare at her, "Nothing to talk about. She left me for college, left me for the pros, USWNT, France, became a superstar, and never looked back. Left me here to suffer."
Tori softens, "You can't hold a grudge forever, Aves."
"I can and will. I gotta go. Love you." I say.
"Love you too, dude." I watch her drive off.
I stare at my house, "Here goes nothing."
Alex POV
"Where's Avery?" I ask my mom.
"Out with Tori. I told her to be back around now."
I nod, "How is she?"
"Who? Your twice-failed rehab attending sister? Oh she's great, honey." My mom stares at me.
"That bad, huh?" I say.
"It's bad. It's getting worst. I'm not sure what it's going to take. I drop her off, she runs away. I get her a therapist, she refuses to go. I'm at my wit's end. I don't know what to do."
"She doesn't answer my calls or my texts. Why did she quit soccer so abruptly? Like nothing makes sense. She was doing great up until two years ago? Like what happened?"
"I don't know honey. I don't know if the divorce caught up with her, her struggling with being gay, but we've all told her that we don't care. I don't know." She says exasperated.
"Maybe she just likes the attention." That's Jen.
I shake my head, "She's never been a brat like that, Jen."
"I agree with Alex. There's a big age gap between all of us, but Ave has never been an attention hog. If anything, she hates it." Jeri says.
I nod.
Just then we hear the door open, "Avery?"
"Yeah, it's me mom!" I smile. My baby sister sounds exactly like me.
"Come to the kitchen, please!"
I hear feet padding down the hall and she rounds the corner staring at the floor.
"What's up." There in all her glory is my baby sister in ripped skinny jeans, a flannel and some vans.
"Say hi to your sisters." My mom says.
She looks up and I can tell she's at the very least been drinking, but I'm not about to call her out on it.
"Hi." She says.
"Can I go now?" She asks. "Please."
"Yeah, baby."
"Ugh, I'm not a baby, stop calling me that." I laugh.
"What are you laughing at?" She glares.
"You're the youngest, you'll always be the baby." I shrug.
"And you'll always be the golden child." "Wait! This year, the bronze child." My eyes widen.
"Avery, knock it off." My mom says.
"Mom, it's fine. I can handle a dig." I say.
"Yeah mom, she can. She's been getting a ton of them lately. Too old, burnt out, can't come back from pregnancy, doesn't care about her club team, I mean the list goes on. Right Al?"
"I think you might be missing a few, but yeah. Thanks for the reminder, sis." I say.
She stares at me and I can tell she's frustrated because at this exact moment, Avery and I are the same person. We both can't stand when we don't have a come back or we're not getting the reaction we're looking for.
She gives, "Whatever." And turns to head upstairs, presumably her room.
"Wow. Still wild. I don't know how you don't explode on her, Alex." Jen says.
"It's because they're the same person, did you see that look? Alex gets that look." Jeri says.
"Hey I think this little baby is hungry." I see Serv walk in.
"There's a bottle in the fridge, honey." I say and he nods.
"I'm going up to find the spitfire." I say.
"Goodluck." They all say.
I climb the stairs and head in the direction of my old room and crack the door, 'Amateur hour, Avery. At least lock the door if you don't want to be bothered.'
I see the window open and head towards it. I look out and up and see her back.
'And my old hiding spot? Need different shoes for that.'
I turn around and slip off my sandals and grab a pair of vans slip ons. I go to put my foot in and feel a baggy. I pull it out and see a bunch of pills, 'Probably adderall or Xanax. Definitely flushing these.'
I walk to the bathroom and empty the baggy into the toilet and flush it.
I climb out the window and start climbing upward.
"Don't fall. Wouldn't want mom and dad to hate me more because you fell off of the roof." I hear.
I sit next to her, "Mom and dad don't hate you, Avery. They're worried about you. We all are."
"Well, stop. Worrying about me. I'm fine."
"Mmm. Oh yeah, I can see that. 16 and hammered on thanksgiving day. I can really see that you're fine."
"I don't need a lecture from you, of all people. I'll take a lecture from anyone else except you."
"Avery." I say exasperated. "Please just talk to me. You cannot go on like this. You're going down a path that only ends one way and none of us want to see that. I can't watch you self-destruct."
"No! You know what? Fuck you, Alex. You're so self-righteous. Not everyone can be you. I-I couldn't be you. I did everything and I still couldn't do it. You left me. You promised you wouldn't leave me and you did. You left me for college and Serv, then the pros and the national team. You dropped me at that first rehab and just went back to Orlando. You never looked back. And if you don't want to see me self-destruct, then don't watch." She gets up and slides down to her window and climbs inside.
'What did that mean? I did everything? I couldn't be you?'
"3, 2, 1." I say out loud.
"WHAT THE FUCK." I turn around and look down and see her poke her head out the window. "Where are they?"
"I took them and flushed them. Are you trying to kill yourself?" I yell.
"I'm trying to survive. I'm fucking trying to survive." She says.
"No you're not! You're trying to live in this state of numbness and I'm not having it today! I want you to talk to me about what's really going on!" I say.
"I'm. Not. Talking. To. You." She says.
"You're not talking to anyone! You have to talk to someone! All of this anger you have is no way to live. Being 16 with a drug and alcohol problem is no way to live, Ave! Why did you quit soccer?! You were better than me! And then you just quit!" I yell.
"You don't know what you're talking about, Alex so just shut the fuck up. You left me!" She yells.
I'm sure we look insane at this point, but honestly, I feel like Avery has had way worst yelling matches in way more
public spaces.
"This is about more than me going to college, Aves. Please just talk to me. Is it about mom and dad? I know their divorce was brutal."
"Holy. You weren't even here! You have no idea what it was like!"
She then disappears and I slide down quickly to crawl through the window, but she's not in her room.
I then walk out and down the steps to see her round the corner for the front door and grab her keys.
"Where are you going? It's Thanksgiving and you cannot drive."
"Anywhere but here. I'm over this. I'm over you. And I'll take my board."
And with that, she slams the door. On cue, I hear Charlie start crying.
Jeri walks over to me, "Well, that went great, wouldn't you say?"
I sigh, "Yeah, no."
Avery POV
I sit on the beach and watch the sun as it starts to drop.
"Rough day?" I look up and see Tori.
"Hey, yeah. Just Alex. Trying to be my sister or my mom. Or both really.
"You should really talk to her. Tell her what happened with that coach. You know she'd help, she's been a big support of everything going on in the NWSL, she'd-"
I drop the beer I'm drinking, "Please just leave it, Tor. Please. I don't want her help, she has her own life. A baby. I'm fine."
"You're not fine. But I'll leave you be. Wanna head to this party?"
I nod, "You my DD?"
She smiles, "You know it. I even get you home by curfew."
We head to the party and I walk in and grab a cup and walk over to the tequila.
"Hey." I hear a whisper in my ear.
I smile, "Hi, you." I turn and give the girl a kiss and I can taste the vodka on her lips.
"Missed you today." Haley says.
I take a gulp, "I missed you too. Wanna dance?"
She nods and grabs my hand.
We go out to the dance floor and she turns her back and starts grinding on my front and I can't help the sound that leaves my throat.
See Haley and I have been sleeping together for the past couple of months, I like her, but refuse to commit because I'm broken. But this? This I love.
I feel someone grab me from behind and am about to protest when I see Tori, "Hey cops are on their way. Need to get out of here."
"Shit. Okay yeah."
"Haley. Gotta go, cops. See you tomorrow?"
She nods and gives me a kiss.
I follow Tori, stumbling my way to the car and get in. I click my seatbelt and smile.
We start driving and we're listening to music at a red light. It turns green and the words, "LOOK OUT!" die in my mouth. All I see are headlights coming right at us and I quick turn to try to protect Tori, and then I see black.