AntitheSIS- GxG

Chapter 2- How We Began

TW- Mention of self harm.

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A little bit of our history.

The first 6 years of us sharing the same roof, her hair was a long mane of black unruly curls, peeking out from beneath whatever hoodie she wore that day. She would run the side of her thumb down the bridge of her nose when she felt stressed or overwhelmed. Which was all of the time.

Awkward, quiet, flat chested, lanky Alyx. Always hiding her body in baggy, formless clothing. Always hiding herself away from the rest of the world. For 3-4 years, throughout our awkward preteen period, that was who she was and what she was known for.

Alyx has always been on the complete opposite end of the spectrum as me. Her 6'1 to my 5'4, caramel skin to white, dark brown curls to my strawberry-blonde hair.

We don't look like family. Trying to blend our households together was like an artist attempting to mix black and white paint to make brown.

When our parents got hitched, Alyx and her father Benjamin moved in with me and mom. The new living arrangement meant little Alyx was no longer in her current school's district, so I tried to induct her into the group of girls I called my best friends.

Mom's request, of course.

My clique of friends were always too loud, too girly, or attracted too much attention from the boys. In Alyx's opinion, anyway. She preferred quiet solitude, winter wear in every season, and considered the male gender to be a waste of perfectly good oxygen and space.

Those key differences, made it easy for us to hate each other.

And hate each other, we did.

For the first 3 years I can honestly say I couldn't stand her. I only tolerated her father, even though he's always been a great guy to me. I just didn't understand what it meant to call someone dad. I've never had one before. Not in the traditional sense anyway.

Because of that, I've never really seen Alyx as my sister, or Benjamin as my father. But I was forced to consider them my family.

The week before my 14th birthday, something changed. My mom was in a major car collision. Her injuries had put her in a coma, and I was catatonic. I had no family left, other than my mom. My biological father had always been MIA, and my mother had been estranged from her extended family for my entire life. Both grandparents had passed on when I was 9, leaving my mother and I quite a bit of money and a huge house in the will.

The night Mom went into intensive care, I would have traded it all just to have them there for me. I was so terrified I was going to lose her, too. Deep down, I was scared of being alone with no one to have my back, protect me, take care of me, or love me unconditionally.

Instead of doing what she usually did- which was bicker with me or treat me like I didn't even exist- 15 year old Alyx, surprised me by doing everything she could to comfort me.

Benjamin was constantly at the hospital by my mom's side, refusing to sleep or leave her presence for anything other than the mandatory tests he couldn't accompany her during.

So, teenage Alyx made me meal after meal and forced me to eat. She helped me get ready for school, convinced me to shower, and continue on living my life.

On my birthday, Alyx even woke me up with a cupcake and a lit candle. She serenaded me with the world's worst song and still managed to sound like a rockstar. Then she sat with me as I opened the presents from her, her dad, and the gift my mom had bought for me the day of the accident.