Fearless

Don't Drink In The Car

Lexi really didn't want to go out. She had planned to stay home and eat some sushi while having a Harry Potter movie marathon. Her older sister, Cassie, had other plans for the both of them. Cassie was still upset over her break up and needed a distraction. She pulled Lexi's covers off her.

"Hurry up, mom said I can't go to this party without you." Lexi always went to the parties for Cassie, even if she didn't feel comfortable with going. Her mother always gave her the car to take care of her sister. Every other day, she would do everything for her older sister but she was getting tired of it. "I really don't want to go."

"You have to come. I can't miss the New Year party, it's going to be epic. I never miss a New Year party, I can't start now." Cassie was so close to her, she could smell the alcohol in her breath. She scrunched her nose in slight disgust, "have you been drinking?"

"Maybe," Cassie giggled. Lexi didn't respond instead she got lost in her own thoughts.

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7 years ago

Lexi was always the caretaker, she learned how to clean her mother's puke from a young age. She always took care of her blacked out mother. Still her mother's attention was fixated on Cassie. When her father lived with them the same thing. Not only at school but also at home she lived in her sister's shadow.

She was in her school's play and her mom was supposed to take her but she found her mom drinking. "Mom I'm going to be late," she tried ushering her mother out the door. "Don't pull on me Alexandra," her drunken mother scream while getting up. "Drive yourself to the school," she said while handing her the car keys. "I can't, you aren't suppose to drive without a license."

Her mother rolled her eyes while grabbing the keys and another hard liquor bottle. Lexi followed her out the door, "mom, I really think you should stop drinking." "Get in the car if you want me to drive you to your school." Lexi reluctantly got in the car with her wasted mother. "You see we are fine," her mother giggled while swerving down the street.

"Mom give me the bottle please," Lexi tried taking the bottle from her mother's mouth. While the altercation was happening, a car beeped at them to move out of the way.

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She still had nightmares about the accident her mother caused. Not only nightmares about it but also on her father leaving them and her parents fighting. She coped with her trauma by ignoring it and diving into other's problems. "Seriously. I'm not in the mood to drive while you are acting this way."

"You are literally no fun," Cassie said while rolling her eyes and going to her mother. Their mother came into the room. "Lexi you have to take your sister to the party. You girls are young and need to enjoy life while you can." Before Lexi could protest her mother continued, "your sister can't drive drunk so you have to take her."

Lexi sighed but nodded, "fine but no drinking while I drive please." Cassie squeaked while rushing her sister to get ready. "Don't dress like a grandma this time ok," she told her sister before rushing to their bathroom to pee. She tumbled on her way over but still managed to get there. Lexi looked in her closet.

She decided on hot pink dress pants and a long sleeve yellow shirt with hot pink polka dots. She put her hair in a braided crown and started on her makeup. Her sister stumbled into the room with another bottle. "Ready?" "Yes I guess I'm ready, but you promised no drinking."

"Right," Cassie said hiding the bottle behind her. "Let's get going I guess." Cassie got up and ran to the car with Lexi. "Come on L, we are going to have fun. I promise," she said while chugging more liquor.

"Cassie, you know how I feel about drinking while I drive." "You don't know how I feel L, I don't want to feel this way. This," she held the bottle up,"this helps me feel numb enough to not feel this empty pit in my chest." "I understand that, you are going through a lot but you need to understand how I feel too. You weren't there Cas," Lexi said while making her way to the party.

She glanced down at the gas meter. "Shit,"she whispered as she put her signal to make a turn. Lexi really needed to put gas in the car. "You don't understand Lex, you would never understand. You have never fell in love, you never had to think 'am I a good person' or 'is it my fault'."

Lexi was shocked her sister told her something like that, and her anger clouded her brain. "That is so fucked up," she said as she parked at a gas station. "Ok, you either throw that bottle out and behave or you get the fuck out of the car. I am done with trying to solve your problems and sympathizing." She got off the car and slammed the door.

Meanwhile a mad Cassie stumbled out of the car. By the time Lexi got out of the car she was gone. Lexi had a cooling off period and was looking down while apologizing frantically. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean any of that. I just got ma-," she looked into the car and found no one.

She grabbed her phone and dialed her sister's phone number. She stayed there for a least 30 minutes, calling her sister. Lexi drove around the neighborhood for a while but still no sign of her. She called Kat who was at the party already. "I don't think I saw her come in but you should head down here."

"I need to find her, my mother's going to kill me." "I'm sure you'll find her. You could continue from over here. She's not going to miss this party." "Ok I'll be there in a little."

"Yeah this will give her time to cool off." "Ok, I am starting the car so I will let you go." "See you soon, take care Lex." She slowly drove to the New Year's Party.