Lone Stars

Chapter 3

"What!? Another shift?"

"Your uncle needs to let you live like a real teenager, Lex!"

The pine haired seventeen year old chuckled at her friends as they walked from classes. "What can I say, he needs help on the weekends." She sheepishly excused to her friends, as they tried to get her to hang out for the umpteenth time.

One crossed her arms and pouted as they stopped at a street corner. "Come on, Lex. Your uncle owes you for helping him all the time. And during the week, you're always working at that bike shop. At least ask him? It is your birthday, after all."

"Sure, thing." The street light changed, Lexus took off waving to her friends. "I'll text you tonight!"

Six years have past, Lexus has become a citizen of the city Insomnia living with her uncle Roland. It was a hard adjustment at first, but with her uncle's support she managed to maintain a normal life.

"I'm home!" Lexus called as she entered the bar, some regular customers smiled as they were being served by Roland behind the bar.

"Hey, little Lexi is back- Ohh, maybe not so little anymore." One teased as she approached them. The man grinned nudging his friend. "Eighteen years, she grew up so fast!"

The drinking buddy chuckled, "I'd be crying seeing my precious girl already an adult."

Roland glared his friends, "Hey, don't remind me." he turned away wiping his eyes. "I miss the little sweetheart that was my Lexus."

The teen frowned at the men, hand on her hip. "Old people are weird."

"Hey, respect your elders." One whined as he took a sip of his questionable glass.

Lexus waved it off and went behind the bar giving her uncle a kiss on the cheek. He smiled at her gesture as she helped clean some dishes. "Wouldn't you rather go out with friends than stay here and help an old man like me?"

She chuckled glancing to him. His age may have risen and some lines on his face proved it, but he was the same uncle who raised half her life. "It gets busy on weekends, besides I see them enough at classes during the week."

"Your birthday is this weekend though, shouldn't you spend it with friends?" He asked, leaning on the counter.

"Yeah, how about that kid Roland told us about?" One of the guys asked, snapping his fingers to help trigger his mind. "Ahh, what was the name? Itsu? Ian? Ignatious?"

Lexus' hands stopped moving, Roland noticed and answered for his friend. "Ignis, right?"

"Ignis! That's it!"

"It doesn't matter what his name is." Lexus stated, giving the men a look. "I haven't seen him since I was a kid, he clearly didn't want to be my friend."

"We don't know that." Roland tried to excuse. "It was a hectic day, after all."

"...Yeah, it was."

Eight years ago; eight years ago was when Lexus' life changed. The day of the race, she was to watch her father claim victory with her mother, uncle, and first friend Ignis. Though when she returned from fetching his precious lucky charm, her father got into an accident. The weight of a Chocobo is heavy enough, their claws are damaging alone. But when seven of them come barreling around a corner at high speed with no way of stopping, Varin was lucky to live that day.

He became paralyzed from the waist down, his racing career ended from then on. When it came to living in the city, it just wasn't enough for Varin. He never left the bedroom, staying in bed needing help from his brother-in-law and wife. It broke him, but mostly broke his heart for his daughter seeing him like this. While Hilda wanted to stay in the city claiming it'd be better for them, Varin wanted to go back to Liede. The decision was split, Lexus stayed in the city with Roland by her mother's request. When it came to her father's word, he agreed breaking Lexus' heart.