Boy Next Door||Axl Heck

The Scratch

   "Yeah so now they think my parents abuse us or something." Axl was filling me in on the latest adventure Brick had gotten himself into.

  "Oh great. Only Brick." Was my response.

  Axl and I had been dating for three weeks now, and I was pretty surprised at how much of a gentleman he was. I mean we ate lunch together, he walked me home, he even carried my books to class.

  "Mackenzie let's goooo." Courtney pulled me away for our annual Friday pep rally.

  As I preformed the dance routine I could feel someone staring at me. Like not just because I was up there dancing, like so totally staring just at me. We finished the routine and I went down the steps of the stage to my seat. On the way I bumped into Rick.

   "Oh sorry, I wasnt looking." I apologized, trying to get away as fast as possible.

  "No worries, hey uh I heard you're dating that Heck kid now. Is that true?" He asked

  "Why do you care? You fake dated me for a bet, I can date whoever I want now." I answered coolly, shoving past him.

  "What did he want?" Axl asked as I sat back down.

  "To see if we were dating or not." I said, irritated.

  "Why does he care?" Axl sounded mad.

   "That's what I said. Anyway, what are you doing tonight?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

  "The guys and I are gonna go down to the lake." He answered.

  "Oh fun."

   "Theres not gonna be any girls if that's what you're wondering." Axl teased.

  "I was not wondering that, but thank you anyway." I said, even though I totally was wondering.

  The bell rang signaling we had to get to class, I kissed Axl goodbye and headed to my next class.

That night

  After school I headed home and decided to go out to eat and visit my dad. I hadn't been seeing him as much as I had hoped, being busy with school and cheer, so I decided to take advantage of Axl being busy and see him.

  The bus ride to the hospital was short, but long enough to make me wish I was old enough to drive already.

  When I walked through the front doors of the hospital I was greeted with the familiar hospital smell I had grown to despise so much. I made my way up to my dad's room and knocked softly.

  "Dad?" I said, peeking my head in.

   "Hey theres my Mackenzie!" My dad said, perking up.

  I cringed at the sight of a million different tubes sticking into his arms and nose. I hated seeing my dad like this, he was always so lively and happy.

  "Tell me about school, hows cheer going?" My dad asked as I sat down beside his bed.

   I told my dad all about cheer and school. I left out most of the parts about Axl, but wanting to have to "boy talk" with my dad just yet.

  I noticed it was getting late, so I bid him goodbye and headed home. By the time I had found a bus and walked home, it was 10:30. I wasnt supposed to be out past 9 on a school night, but I figured my mom wouldn't even be home to notice anyway. Boy was I wrong.

  "Do you know what time it is!?" My mother voice rattled the walls as I came through the front door.

  "Sorry I lost track of time." I said going to my bedroom.

  "Oh no you dont sit down, right now." She yelled as she pointed at the couch. It was rare my mother ever got angry at me, so I knew this was serious.

   "I work day and night to provide for you and this is how you reward me. You were probably out with God knows who doing who knows what!" My mother was about fifteen minutes in to her lecture, which I had been successfully tuning out.

  "I mean really I cant believe how irresponsible you are! What if your father knew about this? Huh?" Those words made me practically shake with anger.

   "I was WITH my father. I was visiting him because you dont and hes lonely. And I miss him, I miss having a family in home alone every night because you're out drinking and staying with whoever you please! God youre just waiting for him to die so you can sleep with whoever you want and not feel guilty anymore!" I shouted, cut off by my mother slapping me hard across the face.

   I held my cheek in awe. We had our screaming matches but she had never hit me before.

  "Dont you dare think for a minute that your father being sick doesnt tear me apart." She said, walking out the front door.

  "Yeah sure." I said, once I knew she was gone.

  I didnt feel like being alone so I went next door to the Hecks.

  "Kenzie? Axl isn't home right now." Mike said when he answered the door.

  "Oh well that's okay I just didnt want to be alone." I said sheepishly.

   "Oh. Yes. Well. Come on in." Mike opened the door further to let me inside.

  We spent the night playing board games and joking around, just acting like a family. I felt like I really belonged with the Hecks, and I was so glad I had them in my life.

  When I finally decided to go home, I took a long hot shower in an attempt to wash away my awful day. I stayed in the shower until I had used up all the hot water. When I finally got to bed it was two in the morning. Thank God it was Friday.

  I didnt wake up until past noon the next day. My mother was still nowhere to be found. I replayed the events from the night before in my mind, and I couldn't say I regretted anything that was said.

  I caught a glimpse of my face in the mirror and cringed at the sight. My cheek has swollen up a bit and I had a jagged cut from my jawline to the apple of my cheek.

  I looked away and decided to go see Axl.

   When I pulled my phone out to call him, I was greeted by several calls and texts. None from Axl however.

  I had a few from Deb asking if I wanted to go out to the lake, and some from Courtney asking why I wasn't with Axl.

  "Axl said it was just gonna be him and the guys." I said to myself.

  I shook it off, maybe Axl didnt plan on the girls coming;they probably invited themselves or something. He would never intentionally lie to me. Right?