𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 - lexi howard

- 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧

[no silent readers please]

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 genuine smile Lexi has ever seen on Montana Lestariʼs face instantly grows the moment she sees her little brother run out of school with a grin, waving a paper booklet in his hand.

"I'll be right back," Tana tells Lexi before running out to greet him.

Monty jumps into his big sisterʼs arms with excitement and she twirls him around for a moment. "We did a test today!" he shouts bubbly. "I got all the answers right!"

Montana squeezes him harder, smiling down at the seven-year-old and kisses his cheek. "Ah, I'm so proud of you, baby!" she squeals. "I'll order a takeout tonight — whatever you want!"

From the car, Lexi watches the cute interaction with a soft smile. This is it — this is the part of Montana Lestari nobody else gets to see. Everybody at school sees her cocky smirk, sees her sly remarks, sees her do hard drugs, sees her do reckless things; but nobody sees her smile, sees her care about somebody else. But the way her face lights up at the sight of her little brother gives Lexi Howard hope. Montana has a good heart, it's just hard for her to express it sometimes.

When the big sister takes her little brother to the vehicle, Montyʼs eyes dart back up at Tanaʼs, his smile wiping away as it's replaced with a look of concern. It's not unusual for his sister to meet strange people when she's in 'one of those moods', it's not unusual for her to bring them home and fight them until they're almost dead, it's not unusual for her to kiss them and break their heart to the point of suicide. He doesn't know why she does it but really hopes she isn't in 'one of those moods'; she promised she was better now.

"Oh, this is Lexi," she tells him, still smiling, heart hurting at the way he looks at her. She gets it — she's probably traumatised him in ways she can't even imagine — but it's not like she wants to be this way. She would do anything to have another personʼs mind. There are only three people in this whole world that she loves — her brothers: Fezco, Ashtray and Monty — and she would do anything to stop ruining their lives. But her mind is too powerful against her body. It breaks her heart to think she could be hurting the people she loves just by simply living with the disease she calls her brain. "She's a...friend."

"A friend?" Monty sasses, arms crossed and a brow raised. He isn't worried now he's actually took his time to inspect the girl at the driverʼs street; girl doesn't look like she's even touched a cig before, nevermind heroin. But he is interested. Montana doesn't make friends, she makes drug buddies and fuck buddies. And they're never as kind-looking as this girl.

"Yes, Nosy-Nathan, a friend," his sister nods, helping him into the backseat while Lexi holds back her warm blush. He lets out a high-pitched, girly squeal when Tana tickles him. "Can you do your seatbelt yet?"

Monty shakes his head. "Ash says only pussies do that."

"Well, Ash is an idiot," Tana tells him, and reaches over to do his belt. She taps him on the chest. "And don't swear in front of me, kid." She smiles. "I'm really proud of your test."

Lexi watches her leave the back and climb back into her seat at the front. She sends Montana a quick smile, which is surprisingly returned. No grin, no wink, just a smile. It makes her heart flutter.

She turns the engine back on and twists around to face the boy in the back before she starts driving. "Any music preference?"

"Denzel Curry," Monty answers without even thinking about it.

Lexi turns to Montana in question but she only turns around to face her brother with a grin, and the Howard girl is reminded that the cute  seven-year-old grew up with drug dealers, as he knows every single lyric to the songs but skips out the bad ones.

The ride back is pretty fun to be honest. For such a small, quiet-looking kid, Monty doesn't shut up once. Montana giggles away at him, which makes Lexiʼs smile grow even more. And everything just feels good, in a way that it usually don't for the Lestari siblings.

"Can we stop for ice cream?" asks Monty, feeling comfortable enough to speak out for what he wants as they drive past the small family-owned businesses near the liqueur store.

Lexi nods, a smile on her face when she turns to the boy. "That's just what I was about to ask." It wasn't, but the kid smiles up gratefully at her. She looks to her side at Montana, whose face is a little unsure about it.

"If you get an ice cream now, you can't get a takeout tonight," she tells her little brother, a small frown on her face. "Fez is running short and I used my last on McDonald's."

When the small boy stubbornly crosses his arms and falls into a little sulk, Lexi can see how guilty Montana feels. Her guilt goes beyond the money. It stems all the way back to when they were just kids. How everybody has left Monty. How all she wants to do is make up for all the times she did.

Lexi shakes her head, smiling at the seven-year-old. "I'll buy."

"No, Lex," Montana shuts it down straight away. "You've helped me out enough today, it's fine."

And there it is once again. Her name still affects her the same way. The flip of her stomach. The flutter of her chest. The blush of her cheeks. "I'm buying," she tells Montana firmly, and turns back to Monty who is grinning at her. "It's your treat, afterall."

Without another word being said, the Howard girl climbs out of her car and enters the ice cream shop, leaving the siblings alone for a moment.

Monty is smiling wide. "I like her," he expresses.

Montana shakes her head at him. "You are so cheeky." She watches Lexi wait for them at the door, a small smile growing on her face. "I think like her, too."

She jumps out of the car and helps her brother from the back before they enter the shop with Lexi Howard. And from what started out being a car ride home, turns into one of the best evenings of Montana Lestariʼs life.

(a/n: sorry i didn't update  yesterday, i was busy with school work. how do y'all feel about this chapter? like i need to hear your opinions on everyone) — tay <33