The Easiest Attraction

T H E ♢ B E S T ♢ Y E A R

I'm sobbing. I'm sitting here sobbing. It wasn't supposed to end this way. He's dead. He's actually dead.

Why is he dead?

"Alexis!? Where are my sweatpants! I swear if you steal my–why are you crying?"

Aaron has a tendency to interrupt me in my worst moments. Just a couple of days ago, he found me staring at blood in my hand. He thought I started my period on my hand, but no, I cut myself shaving. Let's just say, the dinner table was absolutely silent when I brought it up to make fun of him.

"Agustus just died! He died from his cancer, Aaron! Hazel is gonna be all alone!"

He stares at me confused, and I stare back at him confused about why he's confused. Jesus. No one in this family gets me. "Mom!"

Aaron curses under his breath, "I didn't do anything!" He calls after me. My mother makes it up the stairs quickly. She wipes Olivia's face before she attempts to catch her breath.

"Are you okay?"

I hold The Fault In Our Stars up in the air and let out another distressed cry. My mother frowns and she sets down Olivia in my lap before she wraps her arms around me. "I'm sorry baby." She rubs my arms and I immediately feel the relief I craved.

My dad walks into my room with the cats gathered around him. For some odd reason, he attracts all of the animals towards him. My mom says it's because he's so beautiful but I think it's because he constantly smells like roses. He uses my mom's perfume–a lot.

"What happened? Why is she crying? Who do I need to kill?!"

My mom giggles and she kisses the top of my head. She runs her fingers under my eyes to wipe away the tears that escaped and she smiles at my father. "She's okay, Nick. Augustus died, it's a rough book." She rubs my back before she gets up and makes her way over to my father.

I'm glad someone takes me seriously.

"Ah-ha! I found them." Aaron shouts from out of nowhere. He holds up his sweatpants–which I stole–up in triumph before he makes his way out of my room as if I'm not having a mental breakdown.

Ah, siblings.

My father walks over to me and he smiles softly, "It's okay, princess. You'll heal. Did you like the book at least? Do you want to go get another one from the library?"

I shake my head. I'm gonna need more time to heal.

"I want ice cream" I whimper. Tears prick at my eyes and I quickly blink them away, replacing them with a pout.

My father nods as if he's about to go buy me a whole ice cream truck. He kisses my mom before he whispers something in her ear that makes her giggle, and he stomps down the stairs.

My mother smiles at me, "Come on, we can go eat some together, and then I'll let you get back to your book." I stand up and wrap a blanket around myself. After I retain my cocoon, I make my way downstairs, grab a tub of ice cream, and plop myself on the couch.

Olivia makes a babbling sound and gets down from my mother's lap. She stumbles over to her toys and I smile softly at her.

My parents adopted her almost a year ago and I already couldn't imagine my life without her in it. She fits perfectly, and she makes my mom happy. Keeps her busy, and with my mom busy, makes everyone happier.

Not that we don't love her or anything, it's just my mother feels happier when she has something to do. She's happier knowing she has another purpose than knowing her only purpose was raising us and falling in love with my father. She likes feeling useful. And I adore her for it.

I've known me and my brother were adopted since I turned 5 and was finally able to understand we didn't share blood. But blood doesn't make a family, love does, and I couldn't ask for a better family to adopt us.

My brother and I are blood, but you couldn't tell looking at us. We have the same hair, but his eyes are green and my eyes are blue. But even with our look differences, our personalities clash. We are the same people. Twins. Not identical. Fraternal. When we were babies, we looked very similar, but that was only because my brown locks didn't grow until I was over a year old.

"What are you thinking about, my love?" My mom's sweet voice comes into my thoughts and I immediately melt my body towards her. I absolutely adore my mother.

"Just about how crazy this family is."

That makes her laugh and the sound of it makes me smile wide. My mother has a way of lighting up any room she walks in. My father says it's because of her smile, and I couldn't agree more.

When I grow up, I want to be her.

Aaron walks into the living room with his gym bag on his shoulder. He kisses mom on the head before he makes his way out of the house and gets into his car.

"That boy is always up to something."

"He has football tryouts in a couple of days, he's worried if he doesn't bulk up after all that weight he lost for a swim, he won't make it this year."

My father walks into the room scoffing, he scoops up Olivia and he blows on her stomach causing her to giggle, which makes him smile, "He has nothing to worry about. He'll get in. That team needs him."

My mother squeezes my hand, "Are you excited about school?"

"Will he be there this year?"

"Nick–"

"Yes, but I plan on ignoring him. I don't have time to deal with him, and I especially don't plan on seeking out anything else besides straight A's"

My father smiles, "That's my girl."

Him.

Dallas Andrews.

My very much ex-boyfriend.

The same one that cheated on me with my best friend the first week of summer.

Also, the same one that is competing with my brother for the captain of the football team.

Yay.

It was my first run-in with gut-wrenching heartbreak. Finding out my best friend since pre-school slept with my boyfriend because she was mad at me because I got a higher grade in a Spanish test than her, was a little more than just something I could forget. In fact, most of the people in my school seem to have not forgotten aswell. I get messages about it still. What's worse, is that I found out in the worst way possible.

I wanted to go back to my room to change into a swimsuit. They were on my bed.

That room soon turned into a workout room, and I moved into the room right across from my little sister.

It was a crazy night, to say the least.

"I'll be fine. I know how to carry myself and I just hope that Aaron gets captain so I don't have to deal with seeing his face everywhere."

My mom hugs me again and she kisses the top of my head.

"This year will be my best year. I know it." 

♢  ♢  ♢  ♢

I'm back writing some of favorite characters...hopefully. I'm gonna try and write a chapter a week, if not more if I can, I'm really excited to get back into writing and I hope you guys enjoy reading! 

Much love<33