Come At Me Alpha

Chapter 18

"Tinkerbell, come on! We don't want to miss the parade!" A young Frankie waved me over. My little legs ran over to him where he stood waiting. Mom and dad strolled behind us looking at each other lovingly.

   Frankie tugged me to the front of the crowd lined up on the street. "Fwankie, I can't see," I tried to peek over the boy in front of me. When he saw this, he took my hand and pulled me over to where he was standing.

"Don't worry, sis. I'll always be there for you."

You know in stories, when the main character's life flashes before their eyes?

"Frankie, Tyler, this is your baby sister, Victoria!" Mom got on her knees to show us the teeny baby in her arms.

I had turned twelve about two months earlier and Frankie was thirteen. "She looks like a potato. " Frankie grumbled.

   I gleamed down at the baby that had my mother glowing. "Hi, Tori! I'm your sister, Tyler. I love you already, but don't worry about Frankie. He loves you too, he's just going through puberty so he thinks he's cool."

   While my parents and I laughed, Frankie blushed. "Tyler!" He shouted. Even Tori the newborn let out a tiny giggle.

    I think that's where I am now. Floating in a absent state of mind. Falling but not panicking, everything was peaceful.

    "Ms. Claudette, I don't think I can do it!" I cried. Claudette stood behind the stage with me as the act before mine finished their performance.

   "But Tyler, you worked so hard for this!" She bent down to wipe a tear from my eye. "Honey, your whole family is here for you today. Not because they are just here to support you, but because you are an amazing dancer. I've never cared for my students as much as I care about you. You are like my own child, Tyler, and I know you can do this."

   I nodded and hugged her. "Thank you Ms. Claudette. I'll go out there and make you proud. I promise."

    "You already do, honey. You already do."

   All of my favorite moments, flowed through my head. I was numb and tired. All I wanted was to sleep as I felt at peace and free.

    "Happy eighteenth birthday, Frankie!" We all shouted. My mom and dad, Tori, and I stood behind the counter with a birthday cake in hand. A huge smile spread out onto Frankie's face.

   "Thanks you guys!" He glanced behind him nervously for a second and bit his lip. "Um... There's someone I want you to meet."

   A girl shyly walked out and held his hand. "This is Carly. My girlfriend." 

   We all squealed and congratulated them. "Son, you waited this long to get a girlfriend I started to think you were gay." My dad blushed and scratched the back of his head. "Not that there's anything wrong with gay people, I just-I didn't know and-"

   "Honey you're just making things weird for yourself." My mother hugged him as we all laughed at my father's tomato red face.

    There were memories of happiness but there were also memories of rough times.

     I heard a quiet sobbing as I walked past Frankie's room towards my own. Stopping, I knocked on the door. "Frankie, can I come in?"

   "...No....?"

    "Too late!" I entered to see him hugging a pillow. "Frankie, what's wrong?"

   I sat on the bed and hugged him. He sniffled. "I-Carly broke up with me. I told her I loved her and she left me. B-because she said she loved someone else."

   My eyes widened at his confession, knowing that my brother was not one to let out his feelings, let alone tell a girl or anyone at all he loved them. "I'm so sorry, Frankie. I am so so sorry."

But mostly happy thoughts flooded my memory. Thoughts like Logan...

His eyes illuminated through the shadows between the trees.

I stared into his glowing eyes through the darkness as he slowly stalked towards me. I was frozen to the spot. My gut was telling me to run back to the party, but my feet said no. As he got closer, I noticed that he looked to be around my age. But I just couldn't stop looking into his golden eyes. As corny as it sounds, I was literally lost in his eyes; I didn't even realize he was inches away from my face.

I gasped as his warm hands made contact with my waist. He smirked, "Mine."

I think I looked like a fish, with my mouth opening and closing. "I...uh-I..."

His hand reached up under my chin and closed my mouth. "Shh, princess, it's okay. Don't be scared, I won't bite...yet." He winked, making me snap out of my trance.

Panicking, I pushed him away and kneed him in a place the sun doesn't shine, making him stumble back and hunch over in pain. I took that as my chance to run back inside. Stranger danger, stranger danger, stranger danger!

Thoughts like Kaiden....

His hands gently brought me closer to him. His lips grazed against mine, "Tell me that you don't feel this." His mouth molded into my own, igniting sparks. When he released me from the kiss, he rested his forehead on mine. All I felt was joy. Almost as if I were on some drug, I felt happy and lighter than air.
....
"I know that knowing everything makes things more complicated now, but I promise that everything will work out. You are my world, Tyler. I won't let anything happen to you, whether you're with him or me." He kissed my forehead and stared down into my eyes one final time. "Sleep, my love. You'll see me again soon."

Memories like Logan and I's date, the surprise visits from Kaiden, and ... my final dance recital. The last thing I got to do, that made me happy, before I died.

I never really wondered what dying felt like, but I thought it would hurt more to be honest. It just feels like floating through time and space, everything dark yet comforting. The thought that everything was going to be okay passed through my mind. So I guess this is what dying feels like.

Then suddenly, there was light. And I didn't get to say goodbye.