CHAPTER 2: Alexis
It happened so suddenly.
No warning. Nothing.
I was coming home from school with my best friend like always, usually I would go home, drop off my things talk with my mom for a bit before she would leave to teach her evening yoga classes and then I would go next door and hang out with my best friend and her family.
The Wards are practically my second family. Ever since I could remember my family has had an extremely good relationship with the wards, Mrs. Ward and my mother used to be best friends in middle school before my grandparents had to move and ever since the Wards moved next door we've practically become one big family.
Coming home today was completely different though, when I walked through the front door I found 4 large suitcases packed and ready to go, looking around I saw my mother in the living room checking her purse. "mom, what's going on?"
"Oh sweetie, you're finally home!" exclaimed my mother as she got up to embrace me, "We're going on vacation today!"
"Oh." I said sounded more upset than usual, my parents usually leave for work as quickly as they come home. My father is usually out on business because he spearheads expeditions for his archaeological company, which I understand, he owns one of the largest dig companies in America so he's usually away from home while my mother teaches yoga during the day. Last year she traveled with my dad to India on one of his expeditions so that she could "truly learn Yoga."
"You guys just came home." I said trying to hide my sadness, "when will you be back?"
"We?" my mother said with a sly smile, "baby, we're all going!"
"What?" I said shocked, "what about school?"
"Oh don't worry about that, we've already talked to your principal about it." She said clapping her hands before she pointed at the luggage, "we leave today and come back in a month."
"A whole month?" I asked ecstatically, "where are we going?"
"Well, not the whole month exactly." She said crossing her arms, "you dad really misses us and seeing as how he's usually on his expeditions and I work during the day we hardly get to spend time together as a family. So for the next two and a half weeks we will be following your father around to Chicago, Boston and New York for his conventions and conferences then we'll spent the last week and a half on a family vacation to Hawaii!"
"Really?!" I nearly screamed, "Hawaii?"
"Yup!" she said extremely pleased, "you know what I do, and your father wants to show you what he does to support his family. I love when he talks about his job, he gets so passionate its cute." She spoke those words in a loving tone, her look gave off the impression that she was lost in a happy memory.
Its rare when it happens but when my parents are together you can clearly see the love that ties them together. Some would say "your mother is cheating on your dad" or vice versa, but in reality, they couldn't be more in love and loyal to one another. My mom only teaches female yoga classes and every night before she goes to sleep she skypes my dad.
"Awesome let me go pack!" I said putting down my bag.
"Already taken care of." She said pointed at the luggage that I assumed was mine.
and with that, we left. I said my goodbyes to my best friend and Mr. & Mrs. Ward and before I knew it the 4 weeks had flown by in the blink of an eye.
At first, I thought attending my fathers lecture would be boring, but I quickly began to see what my mother was talking about. My father spoke so passionately about his research and findings that you couldn't help but want to listen, I started to see my father in a new light. He was no longer just my dad, her was The super smart Archaeologist, aka my dad. Whenever we had down time we would go out shopping and sightseeing.
I never really go out, I usually just spend my time at home or next door with the wards so going out in a new city was nerve racking. One time in New York I was sitting on a bench waiting for my parents to bring back ice cream when these creepy guys came up to me trying to talk to me. they kept asking so many personal questions and one of them tried to take my hand when my parents came chasing them away. It was one of the scariest things I've ever gone through.
I used to think that something like that would never happen to me. I was smart, I would know how to deal with something like that. Besides, all those stories involve overly gorgeous women, the model kind of women. It wouldn't happen to me, I don't think I'm that pretty. I'm 5'6, slim yes, but I'm not on par with the women you see in magazines. At least I don't think so. I may have big breasts like my mom, but I don't think it'll happen to me.
The number of boys at school that asked me out or wanted to be my boyfriend was high and more than enough to deter me, I thought that nothing would happen if I just hung out with my best friend and surrounded myself with my girlfriends which made the boys who kept asking keep their distance. Boys are scary. I wasn't going to be one of those dumb girls who got taken advantage of, it wasn't going to happen to me, if I was going to give myself to someone I would be the one who chose. It wouldn't be forced upon me, but there I was in New York and I almost happened to me and I was almost powerless to stop it.
I used to hate how my parents were so strict, I had to come straight home after school. I was only allowed to use the internet for school purposes, there was no tv at home only books and the only TVs was in my parents room and in the kitchen but that played the news constantly. Occasionally I would watch a movie with my parents in their room before going to bed.
Seeing with how many shootings there were going on in this day and age and how many women we sexually assaulted as kids and now seeing that it could literally happen to anyone I'm glad that they have been strict with me. They were just trying to protect me, and I'm thankful that the Wards have always taken care of me when my parents were away.
I promised myself that I would start showing them a little more gratitude next time I see them, sadly though when I first came home I showed Mr. Ward my gratitude by making a huge mess in the dining room. Stupidly when we were running by we knocked over a Mrs. Wards large stack of Brochures, pamphlets and coupons all over the floor. When Jon, (I usually call him Jon when we are alone because he lets me watch tv at night with him) spoke he sounded extremely annoyed. Probably because Mrs. Ward was going to be away for a month to be with her ailing mother leaving Jon all alone to take care of the two of us. I promise to make his life a little easier while I'm here.
After cleaning up the mess I noticed that Jon was sweating, and his breathing had become a little horse. I tried to make sure he was okay, but he just waved it off, no doubt trying to make me not worry but I could see on his face that he was having a hard time, Mr. & Mrs. Ward are never apart so no doubt he was missing her.
I saw that he found comfort in having his daughter around and I was sure me being around would be a hindrance, but he gave me the most loving hug he had ever given me. It was heart warming knowing that I was able to alleviate some of his stress, so I returned his embrace, it was at that moment that I made a promise to myself. I promised to help Jon whenever he needed me, I will make it easier for him and thank him for all he's done for me.
That night I couldn't sleep, like usual I can't sleep. For some reason I can sleep like normal people, Mrs. Ward, my parents and Audrey(my best friend, daughter of the Wards) all are able to fall asleep like it was nothing Mrs. Ward and Audrey are able to sleep like the dead, I envy them. I, on the other hand find it extremely difficult to fall asleep so when I found out that Jon is exactly like me I was happy. Finally I had someone to spend time with during the boring hours that I couldn't sleep and to top it all of he let me watch tv and movies.
Going downstairs like I did mostly every night that I slept over at the Wards I found Jon sitting on the couch in the game room already watching one of his tv shows.
"Hey Sweetie." Jon said with a big smile before changing the channel. Knowing him he was watching Game of Thrones which my parents strongly disapprove of, "couldn't sleep again?"
"Nope." I said quickly eyeing the bag of chips he was munching on.
"Well, take a seat." He said patting the spot right next to him, usually I sat in the center corner of the L couch but I guess tonight I was sitting next to Jon, "grab a blanket, we'll share. It's really cold tonight."
He wasn't wrong about that, tonight was especially cold in the normally warm game room. We snuggled underneath a large blanket that I took out of the wooden trunk next to the couch and began to watch the movie that I was waiting for, Rough Night. I love Scarlet Johansson.
Shortly after the movie started Jon brought out a small dipping bowl filled with the white sauce that I tried earlier, "I forgot, since you like it I brought some out for you." He said handing me the small bowl that fit in my palm it wasn't full, it looked like I could dip a small snack of carrots in this before running out. "I read that it goes well nacho chips."
"Thanks!" I said smiling at his kindness.