[wattys shortlist 2018]
Colton has always hated Alexis. It's as simple as that.
Alexis has never hated Colton though, not even after the night havoc was let loose: chaos caused by him.
This summer, Alexis doesn't expect to be reunited with her to...
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"I heard he pushed her off the cliff and she lost her arm!" Lianna gushes whilst the other girls look at her with wide eyes.
She sits on fallen tree trunk, the rest of the girls crowding around her. All of them wearing shorts and tank tops, hair identically in the same french braids and looking like clones.
"No way, I heard a tree fell on her and she died!" Riley shouts, standing up.
"Yes way!" Lianna nods, sitting up straighter.
"Nuh uh!"
"Yuh uh!"
"That's not true I'm asking Alexis!" Lianna whines.
"Alexis won't know, it was so long ago!" Not that long ago unfortunately.
Briella suddenly appears, next to me, chewing her lower lip. "It's just a story?"
I freeze not saying anything, Briella's eyes growing wider. "Right?"
What do you say to a scared eight year old who's friends are currently arguing over the current affair of your semi ex-friend and aren't too far off the ball about what happened that night? Oh yeah that's right, you don't say anything! Shit.
"Alexis!" I turn for once thankful Lianna has intervened.
"Yes?"
"Tell Riley what actually happened that night!"
"What night?" I frown. And who said I couldn't be a professional actress.
"The night that girl died."
"She didn't die!" Lianna stomps her foot on the ground, hands on hips.
"Even if she fell and lost an arm, she'd still be brain dead!" What shows are these kids watching?
"No! If she fell at the right angle she could still be alive!" So, not Dora the Explorer then.
"Alexis, tell her!"
I look left and right waiting for my genie to finally appear so I can grant my miracle of a wish. No one materialises and my stars definitely don't align. All that happens is the girls eyeing my silence like I'm a freak. Which isn't untrue but at least being a freak is trendy now.
"Alexis?" Lianna pesters.
"Um—"
"Hey girls, Alexis doesn't look too hot, why don't you give her some space?" Colton comes to my aid and I flash him a thankful smile. Where he came from, I don't know, but I sure as hell am thankful he came from it.
"She never looks hot, duh! And tell her to tell us what happened to that May girl?"
