A/N: My first chapter fic for this fandom. I don't expect it to be more than five chapters. Sorry this first one is so short.
The book shuts with a soft snap, dark eyes glaring in aggravation, as if the paper covering was to blame for her current predicament.
"Done?" Her eyes move up to meet Justin's, nodding as she absently wonders if there's a way to convince him to add a few pages to her count. Long fingers unfurl, palm up, towards her in an almost graceful movement of request. But it wasn't her he was reaching for, and she gave up the book with a resigned sigh to his out stretched hand, allowing him to check and record her progress.
"One twenty-one. A fourth of the way there." The dark haired girl just glared at her brother's proud smile, scoffing at the teasing glint that entered his eyes.
"Laugh it up. You just wait until Mom and Dad make you do something you hate." The smile doesn't leave his lips though and Alex crosses her arms across her chest, leaning back against the bright arm of the couch, eyes darting away as she debates how much dignity she'll lose if she storms out and if it's worth it.
Just as she decides that it's better if she stays put until he leaves, she notices the thoughtful look growing on her elder brother's face as he studies the cover. "What?" she snaps, waiting for whatever teasing insult was ready on his tongue.
His head snaps up, book in hand, and his eyes not focusing on the girl beside him, before turning back. "Nothing. I just didn't realize you were…" He moves the paperback up, between them as he gestures with it. "Flowers in the Attic," he says simply, as if that explained everything. He gets up, taking the spread sheet and leaving Alex alone in her confusion before blowing it off as another Justin Being a Dork moment.
Both her parents are wearing proud smiles, and Alex grimaces as images of charts with gold stars and promises of a lollie pop enter her mind. She's reading. A book; and not one written by H.J. Darling and all it took was a call from the school saying she was failing English, again, one hour of her mother negotiating for extra credit, and nearly an hour and half of screaming, yelling and threats before Alex was wrestled into submission and a closely monitored reading regimen.
"Can I be excused?" Her voice is bland, tired. All this reading must be taking its toll.
There's a quick over view of her plate, checking the amount of vegetables left and the half eaten chicken leg, before her mother seems to deems it satisfactory and nods. The young wizard is quick to place her plate in the dishwasher, darting up the stairs to her room, not bothering to remove more than her shoes before curling up on the bright comforter and allowing sleep to take her.
AN: So, I'm ending it here, cause I'm actually trying to write a chapter fic for this story, and I can't get too far into this chapter without wanting it to be a one-shot. So consider this an introduction if you will; more of a prologue. Again, sorry so short.