Author's Note: I do not own Twilight. Twilight and all of the characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.
Sorry if this chapter isn't that great guys, I've been suffering from writer's block... And a fractured pinky in my writing hand... And rehearsals for a show that went VERY well (Oliver! Oliver! Never before has a boy wanted more...) ... That's why I haven't updated in a while... Sorry about that...
-oOo-
The silence in the car was eerie on the way home. All that could be heard was the light drizzle that hit the windows.
Pat pat pat. Pat pat pat.
I fingered the velcro on my wrist cast.
Pat pat pat. Pat pat pat.
Instinctively, I reached for the locket that was always around my neck. I never admitted it to Alice, but I missed the locket extremely. It was beautiful, and it WAS a sign of a new beginning. I think grabbing the locket and sliding the heart back and forth was a nervous habit. For some reason, feeling the cool heart wrapped in my palm and hearing the sound of it sliding along the chain comforted me.
Pat pat pat. Pat pat pat.
"Alex," Alice said quietly. She placed her hand on my shoulder from the backseat.
"Hmm?" I replied.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"Yeah, Alice. I'm alright," I lied. Truthfully, I couldn't get the stares of the other students out of my mind. I didn't deserve the attention; my beautiful siblings did.
But I wouldn't tell Alice that.
Pat pat pat. Pat pat pat.
Her hand slowly moved off of my shoulders. Minutes later we pulled into the private drive and up to the house. Emmett's jeep was right behind us.
I reached over and grabbed the handle to open the car door. I started to push open the door with my right hand, but Alice grabbed it and finished opening it.
"I could have done it," I mumbled to myself.
Alice put her hands on her hips and stared at me. "What is up with you?" she asked. "You are never this irritable."
I shook my head. "Nothing. Nothing is up with me," I said.
She sighed. "Is it about school today? Is it about everyone looking at you?"
I stared at my feet, unable to look her in the eyes.
I could hear her sigh. She grabbed my right hand and helped me exit the car.
"Can I talk to you in private?" she asked. "Maybe in your room?"
I nodded once, still looking at my feet.
She walked with me, as slow as I did, all the way to my room. Her arm was wrapped around my shoulders as she sat me down onto the futon and sat next to me.
"You didn't like all the people looking at you?" she questioned quietly. I shook my head.
"If you don't mind me asking, why didn't you like them focused on you?"
I looked at my hands and folded them on my lap.
"Don't be afraid to tell me something, Alex. I won't judge you," Alice said.
I took a deep breath. "I didn't like them looking at me because they shouldn't be. I'm no cause for attention. You guys are all extremely beautiful, and then there's me. I'm not as stunning as you all are. I always felt that I just blended in with the crowd.
"The day of the accident, Iris called me an ugly duckling. She said all of you could pass as top paying models, and then there was me. I know I'm not as pretty as you guys; I've always known that. Now, with everyone paying so much attention to me, it doesn't feel right. I know that I was in a car accident and I'm wearing casts, but I still don't deserve the attention."
"Oh, Alex," Alice said, wrapping her arms around me for a gentle hug. "How could you think that?"
"Because it's true," I muttered.
"Listen to me. You are beautiful, and don't listen to that little bit- uh, witch. Edward has read her thoughts. She feels her popularity is threatened by us. When I say us, I mean you too."
"She thinks I'm pretty too?" I asked quietly.
"Yep," Alice said with a small smile. "Edward says she is gushing over the color of your hair and how long and beautiful it is. In her thoughts, of course."
I fingered my hair. I honestly could not believe that Iris thought my hair was pretty. She didn't seem like the person that would admire anything about anyone but herself.
"Thanks, Alice," I said. "I definitely needed that little pep talk."
She smiled her dazzling smile. "Anytime, little sis. Anytime."
She gracefully stood up from the couch.
"Alright, now let's go work on that math homework."
-oOo-
I went to bed that night feeling more confident in myself. I had confessed how I felt to Alice, and it ended up benefiting me in the end. Wishing I had realized this before, I know that if Iris insults my looks, it is because she feels threatened by me. Knowing that she thinks I am beautiful like my siblings made me feel a lot better.
I could hold my head high and stand up to her now. She no longer had any power over me.
Before I went to sleep, I looked in my mirror and smiled. My smile seemed to glow now in a way it has never before.
-oOo-
Yeah, this chapter was pretty short, but whatever. I'm thinking about Iris and Alex having a final confrontation later in the story... Stay tuned to see when that might happen.