Hidden Girl

18- Amnesia

"Hey, sweetheart. Time to get ready for work."

I open my eyes to see Alex grinning down at me, with him being completely wide awake. I groan and put my head back on Alex's chest, causing him to laugh, making my head vibrate against his chest.

"You gotta get up, sweetheart," Alex says with another laugh.

"Too tired," I whine.

"That's why I made you take a nap!"

"I'm not getting up!" I yell back at him.

Wish I never said that...

Alex takes me in his arms and swings me back and forth in his arms, without making me hit the floor or the bed.

"You have work!" Alex yells at me.

"I don't want to go!"

"If you don't get up, I'll call in the troops!" Alex threatened me. I freeze.

"You wouldn't..."

"I would," Alex smiles at me. "Austin! Rachel!"

The two most adorable children ever hear their brother's call and they come charging in and leap on top of both of us screaming. They almost knock the wind out of me but I don't care. I fall off of Alex and watch as Alex, Austin, and Rachel begin to tickle each other. It begins to make me realize how much I envy how he lives.

He lives in a nice apartment with a caring mother and 2 beautiful siblings. Sure they're hard to take care of sometimes, but it's like you can't even get mad at them. I just wish someone would have loved me like how the Johnson family loves each other.

Once Alex and the kids finally calm down, I realize that I'm going to be late if I don't pick up my pace. I collect all of my homework and turn off the laptop since it's Alex's and I have to leave it here. I begin to fish in my bag for my uniform that I wear for serving, but it's not in there.

"I swear I put it in here this morning!" I yell at no one in particular as I dig deeper into my book bag.

"Oh here it is." I turn to see Alex walk in holding my shirt and he throws it at me. "My mom decided to wash it."

"Your mom is the sweetest person ever," I tell Alex as I begin to put my bag back together.

"Hey," I hear Alex say and I turn around to see Alex right there. "So I'm no longer the sweetest person ever, sweetheart?"

"You will always be the sweetest person ever, sweetie," I tell him truthfully as I put my arms around his neck and hug him. He immediately hugs me back; this action becoming an instinct to do for both of us when we are this close to each other.

"Good," he smiles as he releases me. I run around him and into the bathroom that is connected to his room (fancy, I know). I shut the door and quickly change shirts and run back out again. I throw my hair up in a pony tail and throw on a hoodie to leave (which just so happens to be Alex's that I never gave back) to leave since I am not being late for my new job.

I throw my book bag over my shoulder and run out of the room. Since Alex wasn't in his room, I expect he's in the kitchen. I run into the kitchen and skid to a stop. In front of my, Alex holds out a slice of pizza on a plate for me.

"I know you don't eat a lot, but you've got to be hungry," Alex smiles at me. "You can eat it on the walk there."

"You know me too well," I smile back and thank him as I take the plate from him. I glance at the clock and see that I need to go. I walk over to Mrs. Johnson who sits at the table in the kitchen working. I bend down and kiss her forehead; almost in a mother-daughter way. "Thank you for everything, Mrs. Johnson."

"Anything for you, dear," she replies tiredly. I can tell all of this work is slowly taking a toll and her and her health, but I don't speak up about it.

Alex walks back into the kitchen wearing his jacket and I give him a funny face. Where is he going?

"Well I'm not going to let you walk over there alone!" he exclaims, making me smile. I don't bother to argue with him because I know he will win. Instead we both walk out the door together.

Work was normal as usual. Just being a waitress to some richer folks and always that really cute old couple that seems to just have never stopped loving their spouse. When my shift is over, I walk home to the apartment.

I walk in to see my dad at the table taking shots. Oh no.

"Where have you been, missy?" he asks me rudely as he slams a shot onto the table. I can tell he is already drunk and has already drank numerous shots and has probably just come from a bar anyway.

"I was at work," I tell him, trying not to get him anymore on edge than he already is.

He just scoffs and takes anther shot, but this time instead of just slamming it on the table, it breaks and there is glass everywhere. "Clean it up!" he screams at me like it's my fault.

I quickly grab the broom and dustpan from the hall closet and shuffle back into the kitchen to see my father opening a beer. I bend down and sweep up the glass into the dustpan without saying a word. I walk to the garbage can and dump the glass in. As I stand up, he grabs me by my shoulders and slams me into the fridge.

I bite my lip so I don't let out a scream because of the pain in my shoulders. He slaps me hard across the cheek and I collapse onto the floor as my cheek burns from the hit.

"What was that for!?!?" I scream at him as I sit up.

He replies with a slap and the words,"To remind you how worthless you are!"

"I hate you!" I scream at him as I fully stand up.

With one arm he slams me back into the fridge. He leans so close to my face that I can smell the alcohol. "Feeling is mutual, darling."

With that I shove him back and storm into my pitch black room. How can a father love his kid like that? Well "not love" I guess. I used to think that all parents love their children until I remembered my father.

I slam the door behind me and collapse onto my bed in anger (and a little bit of pain). I shove the earbuds into my ears and blare my playlist.

I wish that I could wake up with amnesia and forget about the stupid little things

Like the way to fall asleep next to you,

and the memories I never can escape

cos I'm not fine at all.

I lay there in the dark wishing I could wake up with amnesia and forget about that man that I live with. I just wish there was some way to wake up with amnesia and forget about certain things, but also totally and completely remember other things, like a special boy who has changed my life.