It Started In August

Chapter 4

It was Thursday night and Alexa gatecrashed at my house. Well, not really. She said she missed me so she sneaked out of their house through her bedroom window. Sometimes, I can't help but be scared and amused at her. She was totally fearless. I wish I could do that.

The only moment I considered myself brave and rebellious was when I was in the 8th grade, when I kissed a girl classmate inside the infirmary. I forgot why I did that, but at that particular moment, I felt the most powerful.

Alexa was sitting on the couch watching Netflix (I only had Netflix because of her, she was the one who payed for it every month) while hugging a pillow.

Sometimes when I look at Alexa, I couldn't help but feel lucky. Whenever Shannon was absent, she would be there. Both of them had contradicting qualities that make them unique, and I love them for that.

I took the cookies out of the oven and put them on a plate.

I put the cookies on the living room table and sat beside her. I read my new book Sea Of Strangers while she was watching. Without warning, Alexa snatched the book away from me.

"Careful with that, I just bought it yesterday!" I lunged at her but she stood.

"No books, no anything. Just watch with me," she placed her hand on her hip as she examined the book. "A poetry book, huh?"

"Alexa!" She did not listen to me. She put the book on the kitchen table and came back on the couch. "You can't touch that book until I fall asleep," she demanded. I huffed. But then I remembered something.

"Lex," she was focused on the tv again. "What?"

"I have to tell you something," she froze for a moment, and then paused the tv. She faced me with that same serious face Shannon would give me.

"This is about Godfrey, right?" I slowly nodded. "What did he do? Did he hurt you?"

"Uh, no?" she heaved a sigh of relief. "I thought he had hurt our baby," she squeezed my cheeks. I patted her hand away. "I'm no longer a baby, Lex!"

She did not pay attention to my remark. "So what's this about Godfrey?"

I kept fidgetting my fingers. I didn't know how to tell her. "Uhm, it's uh.."

"What?"

"I may or may not have.." she was looking at me intently and was really paying attention to the words I will say. Ugh, she scares me more than Shannon does.

"I may or may not have been in his car." I finished it. There. She was till looking at me. A few moments later, she bursted out laughing and she kept on hitting my thigh. I rolled my eyes.

"You're unbelievable! I was serious!" I thought she was going to believe me. I hit her with a pillow to get her back to her senses. "Lex, it was true! he offered me a ride to school this morning."

By the time she stopped laughing, she hugged the pillow I threw at her. "Why did you accept his offer?"

"Uh well... I forgot to set an alarm so you know, I woke up late so I didn't have breakfast, and when I locked my door, I jogged my way to school," Alexa quickly gave me a worried look. "Aster, you know you can't tire yourself."

"Yeah I know, I'm sorry. Luckily though, he stopped in front of me. It was a classic car." Alexa gave me a smirk. "So he's rich." I nodded. "I guess so."

"Tell me more," she was now focused on me and she forgot the show she was just watching minutes ago.

"I kind of hated it that he found out himself that I had a weak heart. But then he adjusted the aircon of his car and faced it to me. He was a bit of help earlier," Alexa was still waiting for me to say something else.