I Am Lexi

Chapter fifteen: Rock, paper, scissors

After feeding Lulu and playing some catch with her, I head out to have a smoothie with Tyler. It's the weekend, and I just wrapped up my violin lesson.

Today's practice was particularly satisfying, allowing me to stop focusing on the external world and tune into my heart, thoughts, and emotions. I think the reason I love the violin so much is that it helps me connect with my inner self and express emotions I thought were lost.

My mom would have probably enjoyed seeing how much progress I made in today's practice, but unfortunately, she wasn't home. She's been tied up with catering contracts lately, giving me a bit of breathing space. However, her busy schedule doesn't stop her from keeping tabs on me, even if it means constant phone calls and using my dad as her stand-in. But I guess that's still better than having her fully present, right?

My dad is currently on the longest leave he's had in years. It's been ages since he took this much time off, which is part of the reason we haven't been able to bond well. I still have suspicions about his mysterious job and I just hope I can figure it out soon.

Since my mom has been busy with work lately, it's just my dad closely overseeing my academics. Although he follows my mom's orders and enforces them strictly, he is still more lenient in his approach. After today's practice, he told me I could take a break and go out with friends—something my mom would never allow, especially with a big test and competition coming up. As I've mentioned before, my mom has a list of rigid and absurd rules that I must follow perfectly to avoid facing severe consequences. Here's one of those rules:

#Rule 1: No hanging out with friends, and no activities unrelated to academics. The time should be dedicated to studying.

Any violation of this rule means facing severe consequences, like being grounded for weeks, or losing certain privileges. Despite my dad's more relaxed approach, he can't shield me from the repercussions of breaking her rules.

Today, however, is an unusual day.

My dad knows how intense my mom can get if she finds out I took a break, so he tacitly agreed to keep it a secret. I'm glad my dad is on leave and can watch over me instead of my mom hiring babysitters. It's funny how my mom still treats me like a helpless toddler, failing to recognize that I'm a teenager capable of some independence.

I text Tyler the cafe address, and he replies that he'll be there soon. He’s clearly excited about having a smoothie together and practically chirped with enthusiasm on the phone. I just hope I won't regret this decision, as he can be an obnoxious psychopath at times.

***

"I'll have a raspberry smoothie with some..." I begin, but the waitress finishes my sentence.

"Chocolate chips... your favorite," she says, smiling, and I smile back. I'm a regular at Milkies, so everyone knows my go-to order.

"What would you like to order?" the waitress asks, turning to Tyler, who is scrutinizing the menu like it's a life-or-death decision.

"I think I'll have umm... a umm..." Tyler says indecisively.

"He'll have a banana smoothie with some vanilla cookies. Thank you," I say, and the waitress walks away to get our order.

"Hey?!" Tyler protests.

"You're welcome," I say with a smile.

"You could have just given me a few seconds to choose what I want," Tyler whines like the child he is.

"And by a few seconds, you mean finishing a Harry Potter series and still finding you here, battling with your indecision," I say, and he rolls his eyes.