Author's Note: Jammies rocks my freaking socks off. Jsyk...
I love this chapter so much. So, so much. I can't even. UGH. I love this chapter. I hope you guys enjoy and all that jazz. (:
-x-
The sound of her old converse scuffing against the sidewalk felt so wrong to her. Physically, it felt the same, it sounded the same. But each time her heel hit the concrete it hurt her ears. The warm wind that blew a few stray hairs from her cheek was welcoming, but it just didn't feel right. This wasn't the wind that flew between the tall New York buildings. California seduced her with open arms, green grass and brilliant pink and orange sunsets, but she couldn't find the strength to give in and let it be home. It would never be New York.
"We've only been here three weeks, honey. Give it time." Theresa had assured her, but it didn't help. Two weeks or three years, she would never belong here.
Alex wished she could just rewind, back to simpler days of pulling pranks on her brothers and not caring that she failed another math test. When she was never out of place. New York was her city. The feel of her breath mixing with its wind was something she'd always taken for granted but she'd do anything to feel it now. To feel like she fit perfectly, like she was just another jagged piece in the beautiful masterpiece that was New York City.
Another breeze caressed her cheek and she felt disappointed in herself. Home was supposed to be where the heart is, where your family is. Her family was here, where her dad could get the help he needed to stay alive. So what if it wasn't her city? It was the city that was going to save her dad's life. Why couldn't that be good enough? Why was she being so damn selfish?
Max bumped into her side and she jumped. She forgot he was walking with her.
"What do you think it's gonna be like?" He asked with his thumbs hooked in his backpack straps and his eyes on the street sign they'd have to turn at. Alex had been asking herself that all morning. When she was in New York, it never really occurred to her that Tribeca was a private school, with uniforms and strict rules that she never followed and ridiculous amount of homework that she never did. She was hoping that public was absolutely nothing like prep school, but she didn't even know anyone who went to public school. Well, her parents did, but that was like fifty years ago. She couldn't exactly tell her little brother that she was scared out of her mind, though.
Alex slung an arm over his shoulders and hugged him tight against her side. He would have bucked and wiped off her Alex-germs back in New York, but he just let her hug him. She may have even felt him relax a little at the gesture, but that was probably just her.
"I think it's gonna be awesome." She lied. But she was a good liar.
-X-
She was an awesome liar. She thought a lot of kids went to Tribeca Prep, that was nothing compared to this school. She almost got ran over three times, and that was just trying to go from first block to second block.
She plopped into the seat the English teacher assigned her to, after whipping out her schedule and proving to the woman that she was definitely in the correct class, and ignored the bored stares of the kids surrounding her. She pretended not to see them and took out her notebook and pen in that cool Alex Russo way like she didn't have a care in the world, and stomped down the nervous butterflies raging in her stomach. When she looked up again most eyes were back on Mrs. Wilson, but a curly haired brunette was still looking at her like she was a ghost. Or a bug or something, but she liked being a ghost better.
Alex raised her eyebrows at the girl and pointed her pencil towards the teacher, smiling that friendly Alex Russo smile that worked wonders on the kids back home, and the girl shook herself out of her stupor and turned back to the front of the class. Alex sighed in relief under her breath, slouched in the seat and put her feet up on the basket under desk in front of her. She still had it.
-X-
Alex's index fingers tapped her lunch tray nervously as she looked around the lunch room for an empty table, but she knew it was stupid to think she was actually going to find one with so many kids crowding the room. When it came down to it, she had two choices. She could dump her lunch and go outside, or she could sit down with Max and his new friends. Her stomach grumbled loudly as she glanced at her pizza. Outside wasn't an option. Max caught her eye and waved her over, smiling. She thought about it for all of half a second before she started walking towards his table. She didn't want to ruin any of his new friendships like she did with Justin that one time at the movies, but she was desperate.
Plus, these were ninth grade boys. If anything, they'd love Max for having an older sister.
"Hey, guys." She smiled sweetly at them as she sat next to Max. She blushed when two of the boys stared at her. The third boy smiled back in a way that she guessed was supposed to be charming, and reached out for her hand. She let him take it with one eyebrow raised and tried to fight back a grin when he kissed her knuckles.
"Ricardo." He answered with a smooth Mexican accent. "But you can call me Richie." He released her hand after a gentle squeeze and she bit the inside of her lip to herself keep from laughing at the look on Max's face.
"Ew, dude, that's my sister." Richie shrugged at him and went back to his smokey links and mashed potatoes. Max shuddered and Alex laughed, lazily slinging an arm over the back of his chair. She listened to them talk about the crazy Science teacher with a handlebar mustache and the skate park down the street, but her mind was stuck on the brunette staring at her from across the cafeteria. She glanced up from Max's detailed drawing of what Mr. Hanson's mustache really looked like, because Luke's description was just way off, and caught the brunette's eyes. She immediately looked away, just like all the times Alex caught her staring in English, but she was starting to make Alex nervous. She shook off the girl as much as she could and took the notebook to show Max what kind of mustache he should grow.
-X-
She heard Jerry chuckle from above her, but she didn't care. She buried her face deeper into the leather cushion and groaned. She was so tired. She never thought school could be this exhausting. Trying to find her classes was bad enough alone, but, of course, she had gym on her first day of school. And in public school, the teacher made you participate because your tuition money wasn't paying for her flat screen TV. She was ready to nap after the first push up, but she wanted to die after the twentieth.
Something cold and wet touched the back of her hand and she jumped up with a shriek, cradling her hand against her stomach and looking at the carpet with wild eyes. Dragon sat there, tail happily thumping the carpet and she sighed. Jerry laughed behind her and she sent him a halfhearted glare before she joined Dragon on the carpet and scratched his ears.
"I didn't even know we brought him with us."
"Oh, we didn't." He answered, sinking into his chair.
"We didn't?"
"Nope." He took a sip from his coffee and winced as it hit his tongue. He yelped and stuck his tongue out, dramatically waving his hand in front of his face to cool it off. Alex laughed and pulled Dragon into her lap.
"Then how did he get here?"
"I found him in Max's room this morning." Max came in from the kitchen, a smile on his face and a juice box in his hand. "You wouldn't know anything about that, would you, Max?" Max's smile grew into a smirk as he rushed up the stairs to his room.
"No idea, Dad!" Alex chuckled to herself and cupped Dragon's head in her hands.
"Well, I'm glad he's here. Because he's just the cutest little Dragon in the world! Aren't you? Yes you are!" Dragon wriggled in her lap and jumped up, giving her a wet lick right in her mouth. She pushed Dragon off her lap and stuck her tongue out. "Ewww!" Jerry laughed as she ran to the bathroom to brush her teeth.
"You shouldn't have laughed at me!" He didn't understand the reply Alex yelled back around her toothbrush. He chuckled, leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his cooled-off coffee.
-x-
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