An Unexpected Friendship

Chapter 25

"Alex, come on! I don't want to be late!" I yell up the stairs. "Soph, her flight doesn't even land for another hour and it takes 20 minutes to get to the airport. We've got plenty of time," she says as she walks down the stairs. "I'm sorry I'm just happy that Maggie is spending the week in Orlando. I'm gonna really need her this week," I apologize half-heartedly. "Why what's going on this week?" she asks curiously.

This week is the one year anniversary of the accident and I've been debating whether or not I should tell Alex about it. I'm not trying to hide it. Rather, I'm trying to avoid thinking about it too much. I'm not really sure how I'm going to feel or act when the day arrives.

"March 4th marks one year since losing my brother and parents. It's going to be a rough day, but at least Maggie will be here," I explain while simultaneously trying not to acknowledge the day too much. I look up at Alex who seems unsure of what to say.

"You don't have to say anything. I just thought you should know. Can we get going?" I ask changing the subject. "I'm glad you told me. Servando and I will be here for you and Maggie. Whatever you two need," she smiles. "Thanks," I say while hugging her.

The car ride over was relatively quiet as I remained lost in thought. "Have you talked to Tucker at all?" Alex asks suddenly. My heart kind of sinks thinking about Tucker. "No I haven't," I answer, keeping the discussion brief. "You should. He's the reason why you got out of that situation," she urges. "He's also the reason why I ended up in that situation to begin with," I answer in frustration. "I don't think that's entirely true, but I'm not going to argue with you," Alex says in defeat. "Whatever," I sigh quietly.

We park in the pick up lane outside the airport and wait for Maggie to come out. After a few minutes, I finally spot her. I jump out the car and jog over to her with excitement. She finally notices me running at her and drops her stuff on the ground. I hug her tight as our bodies forcefully crash into each other.

"I can't believe you're here! How was your flight?" I spew. "It was long, but not awful. So happy to be here in Orlando!" she squeals as we walk towards the car. "We've missed you over these last few weeks," Alex says with open arms. Maggie gladly accepts the hug which makes me happy to see them bond. "I've missed you guys too. I can't wait to see how my baby sis is living out here," Maggie chuckles. "I'll be living even better once you move out here for the summer," I insist.

...

"So I got a call from mom and dad's bank last week," Maggie tells me as we sit down next to the pool. "What did they want?" I ask curiously. "They wanted to let me know that they're foreclosing the house," she sadly informs me. "What does that mean?" I ask. She sighs and looks away from me. "It means that the bank is taking possession of your house. They're going to resell it to someone who can pay for it," Alex says while sitting down next to me. "Can they do that? That's our house. What're we supposed to do?" I ask worriedly. "They can. We have to go move everything out, otherwise they'll get rid of everything," Maggie says. "How long do we have?" I ask sadly. "They're willing to hold off until I'm done with school for the year," Maggie answers.

"This is bullshit," I say in frustration. I leave Alex and Maggie sitting by the pool and march inside.

*Alex's POV*
I watch as Sophia storms into the house in frustration. "I knew I shouldn't have told her," Maggie says shaking her head. "Don't blame yourself. She's had a lot going on lately. I'll go talk to her," I say reassuringly. I withdraw my feet from the pool and make my way up to Sophia's room. As I walk up the stairs, I hear the sound of something shattering.

I open her door and quickly duck as another thing shatters against the wall next to me. I look up at Sophia, still startled from almost getting hit. "Seize fire! I just want to talk," I plead with her. "Sorry," she whispers and then sits on her bed.