Our Destiny

6. And then a hurricane hit

"Yes, Grandma, we'll come tomorrow." George said into the phone, his smile never leaving his face. Lately, they had been visiting her less often due to an overload of responsibilities and Will's school issues, which resulted in frequent calls from his teachers. "And the parents?" the woman repeated the question, pondering how to respond. "They're on a business trip and won't be back for another two days," he replied, trying to sound credible. He knew he couldn't tell her the truth. He couldn't admit that lately they were more often away than at home. He realized it would break her heart.

"We can't keep lying to her all the time," the boy heard behind him as soon as he hung up. He turned around, looking at his sister standing in the doorway.

"I know, but we also can't let her know the truth. It's enough that our parents left us and Will; she doesn't need to know they've also left her." He expelled his frustration.

"You can't protect everyone from all the evil in this world, George."

***

The days had been passing faster lately, almost as quickly as lightning splitting the sky during a storm. It was already the beginning of October, which meant a month had passed since Logan, Mike, and Chris arrived in Jersey City, and so far everything was going according to plan. They got along with Jake as if they had known each other for years, which made living together much easier. They even managed to win over his friends, although... not all of them. While George and Katie enjoyed meeting them and liked them from the start, Alexa remained skeptical towards them. Sometimes she tried to talk to them, but she couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. She had a bad feeling about them, especially about one of them.

But apart from all that, everything seemed to be going at its own pace. However, peace couldn't last too long. It was a common occurrence in Jersey City that a storm brewed after the sun had set. It was the same this time, and the lightning struck when nobody was prepared. Because it was too calm...

And then a hurricane hit.

An October Monday passed for Alexa as usual. First school and lessons, during which she mainly talked to Katie and counted the hours until leaving the building. Surprisingly, she was much more active in the cafeteria that day than usual. Perhaps it was due to the absence of a certain gray-eyed boy, or maybe she was just in a better mood. Since the incident at her house, they barely spoke at all, and it didn't seem to bother either of them. Sometimes he sarcastically commented on her remarks during lunch, but it didn't lead to even a small argument. They behaved as if they didn't know each other. Because in reality, they didn't exist for each other.

Alexa was sitting in math class when she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She took it out so that the teacher wouldn't notice, and on the screen, she saw several missed calls from George and messages saying:

"Pick up this damn phone."

"Alex, this is really important!"

She saw he was calling her again, so she asked for permission to go to the bathroom, which the teacher reluctantly granted, telling her to come back as soon as possible. As soon as she left the classroom, she took a few steps, standing by the window with a view of the schoolyard. She was about to dial her brother's number, but he was faster, as when she opened her contacts, an incoming call appeared on the screen. She clicked the green receiver, not yet knowing what this call would bring. She put the phone to her ear, and before she could say anything, she heard her brother's voice.

"Get Will out of school and come to the hospital as soon as possible. You need to say goodbye to her." These words made the brunette hang up immediately, rushing out of school and catching the first taxi that arrived.