𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐬

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 𝟺

I park my car, and see Jack sitting at a picnic table with LOADS of chick-fil-a for maybe an Arnold Schwarzenegger. We've been hanging out for about a month now. He sees the surprise on my face. Jack slams his hand down, "Are you ready?" He asks. Laughs escape my body, "Yeah," I reply smiling.

"How much did this cost?" I ask curiously.

He looks at the receipt, "87.98"

"Damn Jack, " I reply.

"It was worth it," He reasons. Jack hands me a large thing of waffle fries along with a thirty piece. I try to copy the look dad would give me when I do something he doesn't like. Jack just laughs, "Come on Alex, you barely eat anything."

I give in, "Fine. Hand me some Polynesian."

He whoops and hollers.

"So." He says.

"So."

"How was your day," he asks.

"Shitty. Yours?" I reply.

"Well that weird girl Celestina that's like a cult leader invited me to a party."

Can't get anyone can I? It's always the girls with the nicer body that just want to have sex.

"Well," I say, "Are you gonna go?"

Too attached, Alex. Too attached. How could I not be though? Pull yourself together, you're an Adamos for Christ's Sake. He is just another country club boy.

"No, I don't want to get raped." He makes everything funny.

"I know right. She's just so-" I can't finish my sentence.

He adds rightfully, "Dominant in NOT a hot way."

I burst out laughing, that's the first person who sees that bitch for who she is.

There's minutes where I'm actually happy, like this. After seconds, which feels like hours of laughing there's a peaceful silence.

"What are you doing for the summer?" I ask.

He pauses thinking, "I'm uh- going in for the Tony Stark internship."

I drop my chicken finger.

"Why'd you drop your chicken?" He asks confusedly. God forbid someone waste food around this boy.

I start laughing, he looks confused.

"What are you doing for the summer?" He inquires.

"I'm doing the Tony Stark internship." I say vaguely just as he did.

He chokes on his food, "What are the chances?"

"I know, right." I say, "Why the hell did you not tell me?"

He sighs, "I thought you'd I don't know, be weird about it."

I reply, "Me weird. Pshh."

"So."

"So."

"Wow," He says.

"Tell me about yourself," he says.

"My favorite color is black." I say.

"You know I don't mean like that."

"Fine," I say, "I grew up in Wyoming. Your turn."

"Um," he pauses, "I grew up with just my mom."

"Ah. Um, there's not much more to me," I say.

He laughs, "There is a hell of a lot more to you Alex."

"I'll get it out of you one way or another," Jack says as he smiles.

"I have to meet someone, I got to go." I tell him. I don't but- You know.

He looks at me sadly with his lip pouched.

"Nooo." He says. He holds my hand as I get up from the bench.

"At least take some nuggies with you," He pleads. I know he worries about how much I eat, even if he is being playful right now. He isn't my boyfriend, he doesn't need to act like it.

"Fine." I grab a small carton of them and wave to Jack as I head to my jeep. My head starts thinking at ninety miles an hour about everything. Jack. Stark. Dad. Life.

***

cha·os/ˈkāˌäs/noun

noun: chaos; plural noun: chaoses

complete disorder and confusion.

"snow caused chaos in the region"

***

Trust is something that Alex doesn't give easily. Her mother left her and her father after she was born. Her father told her, that her mom was emotionless when she had Alex. And begged for someone to get the 'thing' out of her sight. Alex tried not to think about that.

One day, Alex came home from school. She was fourteen.

Her bestfriend had told everyone that she was depressed, and didn't have a mom, and that she didn't think of herself as pretty. Alex's father was her closest friend.

He said, "Baby, You can't reveal your beautiful heart and soul to people. Before you fully know that they won't hurt it. But that they'll love you."

Alex's father made that mistake with her mother. She doesn't want to make that mistake.

Alex goes on that moment everyday. What would her father think of her now? Of Jack? Of the Stark Internship? Alex presses her head forcefully into the head rest of her seat and speeds up. Alex deals with a lot. What would Jack say if he told her everything?

She closes her eyes for a minute, hoping that maybe something might take her out of the world. Maybe she just wants to die a temporary death, but also be immortal. It's hard for her to explain. What would Jack say? She tries not to think about that.

Alex pulls into her parking spot and walks up the stairs to her dorm room, on the top floor. Alex looks at her phone, 9:30 PM. She glances up from her phone, and Kai lies on the ground unconscious, with a bottle of Vodka in hand leaning on her door.

She rolls her eyes, this has happened way too many times. Alex walks over to her ex-boyfriend and smacks his face.

She shouts at the trash, "GET UP KAI."

In the distance she hears the door from the staircases close. She turns around to see who it is, if it's one of her roommates, maybe they can help her.

It's Jack. He looks at Kai with his jaw clenched, then looks back to Alex.

"Who's this?" He asks.

She sighs, "Remember that trash I told you about."

He nods, "Is he drunk?"

Alex responds casually, "Yep, here every other day just about."

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asks. A little hurt that she didn't come to him about it. God, he adores this girl so much.

"Well Jack-" She says.

"Do you need help?" He asks.

She nods. He stands up Kai.

Then, out of nowhere Alex screams, "KAI YOUR PARENTS ARE COMING!!!"

The dark haired boy wakes up instantly, Alex and Jack snicker.

"Where!" He asks afraid.

Jack says angrily, "Leave."

And for the first time, Kai does without any trouble. Alex smiles.