More than meets the eye

Chapter 2

Alex had finished cooking dinner by 5:30, finished her homework by 7, and was at the hospital to meet her mother by 7:30. This was a routine she had been doing ever since their second week of living in Diamond Bar. If she stuck to this routine, more specifically the making dinner for her dad part, she would receive minimal pain.

Ever since Pamela Morgan was diagnosed with cancer, things haven't been the same between her and her father. He started drinking more, smoking and doing illegal substances.

Alex never thought there would come a day when her father would hit her, but it happened. With no apology or a single backwards glance. So she did everything in her power to please him and made sure she stayed out of his way.

No one knew this, not even Kelley who she had grown so close to in these last few months at DBHS.

She was going to keep it that way. No one needed to know her business. She didn't want everyone's pity. She could take care of things on her own.

"Hey Alex, do I even have to ask why you're here?" she receptionist, Amanda, spoke to her as she walked out of the elevator on the fourth floor. Alex gave her a small smile.

"How is she?"

"She's good. She just took her medicine so she'll be out soon." The soccer player nodded, heading to room 412.

The sight of her mother in a hospital bed always made her want to cry, but she tried to be strong, because she knew that's what her mother wanted. Her mother didn't want any of her daughters to cry for her.

Pam had lost a significant amount of weight, her skin was paler, and her hair was gone, but she still had a smile on her face.

"Hey Ma," Alex said, walking over to the bed to wrap her arms around the woman.

"Hey sweetie, I missed you," Pam said, smiling at her daughter. "How was school today?"

"Awful. There's this girl Tobin, she thinks she runs the freaking school! Her attitude is just, ugh! I can't even begin to describe my hatred her." Alex wanted mentally chastised herself for getting so flustered over Tobin when she wasn't even in the room, but she couldn't help.

"'Love your enemy. Do good to those who curse you,'" her mother quoted. "You should try to talk it out with her," she suggested, fighting off a smile.

"Ma, no one 'talks it out' anymore," the young Morgan said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Well just don't go around picking fights."

"Don't worry, I'm not much of a fighter," Alex said quietly. Her mother noticed this instantly and grabbed her hand.

"How are things at home?"

"They're great," she said unconvincingly. She really didn't want her mother to stress over the abuse she was getting at home. She had her own health that she should be worried about. Once her mom got okay, everything would go back to normal. "I'll be 18 in a month. I can last that long. Then I'll be headed to Cal." She plastered on a fake smile.

Pam smiled at the stubbornness of her daughter. They were so much alike it was scary sometimes.

..

*The next day*

Alex grimaced as she watched her friends Sydney Leroux and Kristie Mewis giving each other love faces from across the table. They had been going out for like two years, but they were still in the honeymoon phase. Sickeningly sweet is what it was. It made her lose her appetite.

"Can you two focus on something other than each other for once?" Lauren Cheney asked, as she was just about as fed up with the PDA as Alex. The couple didn't hear and continued with what they were doing.