Something Different

Chapter 25

The next morning, Donna was up at 4. She hadn't slept much and was feeling extremely exhausted.

She felt up the bed next to her. As she looked around, Alex was nowhere to be seen. Jumping out of bed, she softly ran down the stairs. A shadowy silhouette stood by the window. It was Alex

She tapped Alex's shoulder softly. Alex jumped hard and stifled a yelp.

'Donna! Don't do that.' she said in a hushed whisper.

'Sorry, sorry. I was surprised to see you here, though.'

'I couldn't sleep. And I know you couldn't sleep either.'

'You know me well then.'

Alex laced her fingers through Donna's. 'I just kept thinking about that house, and I- I don't know what to do with it. The property is in my name.'

Donna sighed. 'Alex, keep it.'

Alex looked surprised. 'I mean, I'm not sure-'

'You should. You grew up here. You can't just throw your childhood away.'

The sky was turning red from the horizon. Birds flew across the houses, forming different patterns. The ring of a cycle bell could be heard in the distance.

'It's not like I had a great childhood anyways.' grimaced Alex.

'I know, but there are still memories.'

Alex bit her lip, like she did when she was nervous. The very house she had grown up in stood in front of her. The very house she's been taken away from stood there, in all its glory, turning a beautiful violet color as the sun's red rays hit it.

'In the end, it's up to you.' whispered Donna. She squeezed Alex's hand gently.

'I- I think I'll keep it, then.' Alex smiled, poorly masking the pain in her eyes.

'You don't have to pretend that everything's fine all the time.' said Donna, softly.

'I know.' whispered Alex.

Donna kissed Alex's forehead. 'Get some sleep Alex.'

'You go on ahead, I'll be there.'

Donna trudged up the stairs quietly, so as to not make any sounds. She could hear the slight sound of Lynn snoring in her bedroom. She smiled.

Alex stood there, gazing at the house. A bird was perched on the fence, biting something that looked like a fruit. The cobble stones on the footpath to the house were cracked and broken in a few places.

Alex fell into a sort of trance. She could see her parents and herself, living a normal life. She'd leave for school, her dad would leave for work...

It wasn't that fact that she wasn't with her parents that made her sad. It was the fact that things could have gone so differently, for the worse or for the better, that made Alex feel grateful and devastated at the same time. She didn't know whether to thank her stars or to curse at them for granting her such a life.

She heard the bedroom's door lock click slightly. A realization hit her: she did have things to be grateful for. Grateful that she'd found Donna, grateful that she'd met Lynn, possibly in the last few months of her life. Grateful that she'd made it so far. She glanced at the stars, which were slowly fading away as the sun rose faster every second.

'Thank you.' she whispered.

She climbed up the stairs, the sounds of her steps echoing through the hallway.