GLITCH

O̸n̸e̸

Alex's POV

It all started with a dream, but this time...this dream was a memory...

This memory took place at the cemetery. I was staring at my Tata's grave. I started to cry. Oh how much I missed him...he's been gone for two years now and I wish he was here...I wish that everyday...I felt a hand touch my shoulder so when I turned around I saw my mom...she was staring at me with her tired yet calming dark brown eyes.

"Do you miss him?" She said to me.

"Everyday..." I said back to her.

"Me too Mija...me too..."

Then my alarm clock woke me up. I turned it off and stretched for a bit. After that I got ready for school. After I got changed I looked at myself in the mirror. I was wearing a white hoodie with some black jeans and my vans. My hair was a mess so I combed it. My cat Amy came out of her little fort I made her when she had her kittens in the corner of my room. "Hi mamas" I said and picked Amy up. I kissed both of her cheeks and her head softly. I put her back down and petted her. She purred. "I swear you sound like a motorboat" I said while chuckling. After I was done changing and combing my hair I went outside of my room with Amy following me. When I get to the end of the hallway my dad blocked it. "Good morning Plapi..." my dad said. He gave me that nickname when I was 6 or 7. I kept telling him that my nickname is Alex when he moved in the house after...mom...and grandma...that's besides the point. He blocked the hallway and I couldn't get passed him. "M-morning dad..." I said back. Amy started hissing at him. "You're lucky I'm a cat person Amy if not I would've made you live outside..." he said to Amy. She immediately stopped hissing. "Dad can I eat breakfast...?" I ask trying not to sound scared. "It's your only meal, so go eat your waffles" he said angrily and moved out of my way. I quickly go to the kitchen and make my blueberry waffles.

After I ate my waffles I gave Amy some water and food.

I was ready for school. My teeth were brushed, hair was combed, I ate my waffles, feed Amy and gave her water so I'm good. Dad took me to school. We both have to act a happy father and daughter because he has a reputation that he wants to keep. So when we got to the school we put on our fake smiles and acted. "Bye dad!" I said faking my smile. "Bye baby! I love you." Dad said while faking as well. "I love you too!" Not...I closed the door and went to the gate.

I got in line and someone touched my shoulder. "Alex! Hey!" Thats Max. He's my best friend, he's also trans and I'm happy for him. "MAX" I hugged him. He hugged back.

Me and Max were talking until the bell rang and we had to go to class.

We got into class and sat in our table. Thank god that we're in the same table. Our teacher Miss Rogers welcomed us in and we started our lesson

Time skip to recess

At recess me and Max met up with our other best friend Valeria. I ran up to her and hugged her. She didn't hug back as usual. "Girl it's CoRoNa" she said. "Oh calm down Val" I said. "Girl I'm not trying to die" she said back. "You fuckers run fast-" Max said out of breath. "bitch you need to run faster then" I said to Max. "Bitch I threw up at P.E so don't say I have to run faster and besides I have asthma" Max said. "Anyways..." I said. Before I could talk I started glitching. These are actually tics, or are they twitches? I don't know what they are but I had them since January. But once I started glitching people started to stare at me. They stare at me for three reasons. 1. They stare at me for my glitches. 2. They stare at me because I'm the only one who survived the gunshots at my house. And 3. It's because my dad is taking care of me and he has a prison record longer then when I was born. Sometimes I wonder if that's why Enrique and Xavier don't hang out with us anymore. Some kids came up to us and of course it was Alena. "Hey Alessandra~" Alena said to me. "What do you want?" I asked annoyed. "Oh nothing I just wanted to know why were you the only one alive? I mean you should be dead! I bet your father doesn't care about you because he was never there for you. Even in prison he never loved you!" Alena was making fun of me because of mom and grandma dying and because of dad. "Hey barbie slut! Shut the fuck up for once in your sad god damn excuse of a life!" Max yelled at her. "Oh here's the trans freak MaryJane." Alena rolled her eyes. "NEVER USE HIS DEAD NAME IDIOT!" Valeria yelled at her. "MAX IS A BOY AND HE CAN BE WHOEVER HE WANTS TO BE" I yelled at her. "Oh the other freaks are standing up to her. How fun~" Alena said. "And besides I only came here for Alessandra..." Alena was staring at me with her cold eyes. Max and Valeria were growling at her. Alena was whispering in my ear but loud enough for Max and Valeria to hear. She said, "I wish you died in that gunfire just like your mom and grandma. You're useless. You don't deserve to live. You should've just died like them." But the one thing that made me snap was what she said after that, "I hope your dad abuses you everyday..." that made me snap. So. I charged at her.

I was hitting her. Beating her. Slowly making her go unconscious. Max and Valeria are happy I'm standing up to her but at the same time. I can see some fear in their eyes. Well mostly Valeria but Max he doesn't show that much emotion but he does look kinda happy.

I knocked Alena out. I finally knocked her out. Blood that isn't mine on my hands. Her face looks fucked up. I'm glad. I licked the blood off of my hands. I've always liked the taste of blood. The teachers ran over where we were at. I was about to do one more hit until a teacher grabbed me by the arms like some prisoner that's trying to escape. The other teacher was taking Alena to the nurses office. Alena's gang looked horrified.

I honestly never knew I had this strength. The whole school was watching. Oh well at least the 5th and 6th graders. The teacher took me Max and Valeria to the principal's office.

"I hope you know why you girls are in here" The principal said. I whispered "one of us is a boy dipshit". "What was that Alessandra?" "Nothing..." I said growling. "Valeria, MaryJane, you girls did nothing and just watched. What do you have to say for yourselves?" He asked. "She did the right thing." Max replied kinda angrily. "In my opinion she could've killed her and I would be fine with it." Valeria said. I just smirked knowing I did something wrong but good at the same time. "You do realize Alena might have to go to the hospital right?" The principal said. Like I care...I don't... "Alessandra you got her into the nurses office, knocked her out, and even worse! You had the same crazy eyes your own father has!" He yelled at me. I wanted to snap again. I stood up from my chair. Max and Valeria noticed this very quickly and they grabbed my arms and tried to pull me back down on my chair. "That's what I'm talking about. You're going to be just like him..." he said. "I'm. Never. Gonna. Be. Like. HIM" I charged at him but Max and Valeria was still grabbing my arms.

After that whole situation I got suspended for two weeks. Dad picked me up and I got so scared of what he's gonna do to me when we get home.

We got home and I was trying to go to my room but my dad said "Alessandra. Come here. Now". I start praying. I went to him. I looked up to look at him. He's 6'1 so of course I had to look up. I'm only 4'11 so my neck is gonna hurt a lot. "You did something wrong today..." he growled. "Y-yes I did.." I was scared. He slapped me. "YOU COULD'VE AT LEAST NOT CHARGE AT YOUR PRINCIPAL NOW HE SUSPENDED YOU FOR TWO GOD DAMN WEEKS! YOU NEED TO GET A GOOD EDUCATION BECAUSE I DON'T WANT A STUPID EXCUSE OF A KID WHO DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT 2+2 IS! I'M NOT GOING TO BE THAT FATHER WHO HAS THE DUMB CHILD IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD! I BET A 3RD GRADER IS SMARTER THEN YOU! YOU ARE USELESS! A WASTE OF SPACE! A STUPID EXCUSE OF LIFE! YOU SHOULD'VE DIED LIKE YOUR MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER!" He was yelling while beating me. After he was done I had a black eye, a bloody nose, a big bruise on my stomach, and my clear glasses were broken. He looked down at me. "Grab me a beer..." then he walked away. I slowly got up while holding my stomach. I went to go grab him a beer.

I gave him the beer then went to my room. I closed the door. I started crying. I didn't want this. "Why...WHY AM I DOING THIS TO MYSELF! CAN'T I JUST WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE I CALL LIFE?!" I yelled. You can't wake up. This is not a dream. The voice in my head is back. I got on my bed and grabbed my scissors. I started to cut. "One for being useless. Two for being stupid. Three for being a waste of life. Four for getting suspended. And five for getting Alena in the nurses office."

Night came quickly. The night is my favorite. But it wasn't my favorite anymore because of the gunfire.

I tried not to think of it. I started to fall asleep. But the memory was the dream.

Tomorrow is a new day