The Exchange Student

Chapter 33

It's a small world after all.
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I get up and get ready for school. Yay Monday. I go downstairs to see that my dad has already left for work, so I decide to pick up some breakfast instead of making some. I drive to school and park my car in its usual spot and go inside getting stares from people, mainly girls. I find Avery and Ace standing near my locker and I give them a smile .
"Hello people." I say.
"Hey." They say at the same time.
"So I got you guys breakfast cause I'm the best person in the world." I say shoving the bags in there faces. "Thanks boo." Avery says opening the bag and stuffing a donut in her mouth. "Hey I have to go I'll see you all around." She says with her mouth full. I shake my head at her as she walks away, a small smile on my face.
"So are we like okay me and you." Ace asks me a little nervously.
"Yeah I mean stuff like that happens it's okay we'll work it out." I say it coming out more like a question.
"Okay cool well I'll see you around." He says walking away and on cue the bell rings and hell begins.

The day goes by fast and before I know it 2:45 is here and I'm heading to my car. I get home and flop down on the couch to lazy to start my homework, flipping through the channels settling on the vampire diaries. I'm 15 minutes in when my phone rings. "Hola." I say.
"Hey it's Avery..."
"Well no shit I have caller id." I tell her laughing.
"Hahah shut up I need you to go next door and watch Mrs. Olivia's daughter, her name is Nova, and her bus will pull up at 3:30 so in like 10 minutes. There is a key under a plant pot to the left to the door , and just give her a snack and make sure she does her homework and then she can play and her mom should be home around 5." She says out of breath.
"Umm okay will do bye." I tell her and she hangs up. I grab my phone and shoes and head next door and sit on the porch. When I see a little girl walking up to me I stand up. "Hi you must be Nova I'm Ember." I say thinking about how she has no idea who I am.
"Hi where's Avery?" She asks.
"Well she couldn't watch you today so she sent me and I'm friends with your mom and I live next door." I tell her. "Well can we go inside I'm hungry. " She says walking past me. "Okay." I go to the plant and get the key and open the door and she runs in dropping her stuff and heads towards the kitchen. I see family photos of her with her dad and mom seeing another picture behind some of Nova. It's two little boys one looks like he's four and the other one is just born. They look familiar and they look like Olivia a little. It kinda looks like well it can't be. I walk into the kitchen with the picture in my hand and place it face down on the counter. "Hey Ember can I have a snack?" Nova asks with a smile.
"Yeah sure." I walk to the fridge and get yogurt and grapes and place them on the kitchen table. She sits down and begins to eat. "So Nova where are you from?" I ask her. "Well I was born in England that's where my mommy is from. Then when I was a baby my mommy and daddy moved to California cause that where my daddy is from and we lived with my nana for a while and then she went on vacation but she hasn't came back yet and then we moved here cause of my daddys job." She says stuffing grapes into her mouth.
"Well then, do you like it here?" I ask taking a seat.
"Yeah I guess it's cool I made new friends." She says eating a grape. "That's good why don't you go do your homework then you can watch tv." I tell her and she runs to get her homework. After she's done we go watch tv where she turns on frozen and sings almost every song. The front door opens after a few hours. "Nova I'm home." Olivia says walking into the house dropping her things by the door.
"Oh Ember Hey love." She says.
"Hey I was watching Nova cause Avery couldn't today." I tell her.
"I know she called and thank you." She says smiling.
"Mom can I go upstairs and play?" Nova asks running up to her and giving her a hug. "Yes baby." She says and gives her a kiss on her head and with that Nova runs upstairs. Olivia walks into the kitchen and she stops when she sees the picture, practically freezing. I stand in the entry way crossing my arms.
" You know they have grown up so much Axel is the best guy friend anyone could ask for and he's sweet and funny and he would do anything and everything for the ones he loves. Hunter oh my god Hunter he's the best kid ever he's such a flirt and he's funny and he looks up to his older brother and for what they have been through they are the most amazing people I have ever meet." I tell her as tears brim my eyes. She slowly turns around and her cheeks are covered in tears and her makeup is smeared. She wipes her face sniffing every few seconds.
"It's a small world. The exchange program I met them at the school I attended, Axel and I worked at a coffee shop together and then he bumped into me in the hallway and I had art with Hunter. They still live in your mothers house even after she passed away. It's Hunter and Axel and their friend Crash." I tell her I see her crying and I don't feel bad for her, I feel anger. She sits down in the chair and covers her mouth to muffle the sound of her sobs. I take a step towards her clenching my hands into a fist trying to contain my anger.
"You wanna know how they became friends, Axel and Crash, it's a sad story actually, see Axels Dad died when he was little and then his mom kinda lost it you know she wasn't herself so she left when he was 15 on his 15'th birthday and so he went to go live with his grandma and she passed away about 2 years later. So he took care of Hunter like he always did but he got a job, a bad job. He started selling drugs and using them too and one day it got to much for him and he tried to kill himself but he couldn't cause he couldn't leave Hunter behind with nobody. So he got his shit together and went to this group therapy thing and he meet Crash there . Crash didn't really have anyone so he moved in with Axel and Hunter. They are so happy now, when Hunter grows up he wants to be an artist and he's so good like really good, he gets 100s on all his art projects. Axel, he wants to become a kids councilor and help kids out that went through what he went through. But it's crazy that this lady that disappeared from my best friends life, ended up moving in right next door. That couldn't be possible though cause the woman that lives here in this house is Married and has a kid." I say trying to keep my anger under control. "You don't understand Ember I ...." She starts but I cut her off. "I don't want to understand you don't have to explain anything to me you have to explain it to them. I have to go I'll see you around." I say walking out slamming the door behind me leaving her in tears. Me, my thoughts conflicted on if I should tell Axel or not.

(The picture is Axels mom)