Her new workmate/ON HOLD

Chapter 1

UNEDITED

Alex up the top ^^^ played by Sasha Pieterse

"You're getting a new work mate." My mum says, wiping the bench with a wet cloth.

"Why?" I ask. I've been working at my mum's beach shack since I was 13 years old. She decided that I could work for money instead of her buying everything for me. She told me that I should grow up to become an independent women, instead of relying on others to things for you. She only told me this though because she couldn't rely on my Dad to be there for her.

"I thought you said I can be independent?" I say, repeating the message she told me 5 years ago.

"Alex, I just thought that you could use a new friend." She says.

"But how are you going to afford a new employee, when you can't afford this shack." I say. My mum has been on a tight budget ever since my Dad left us. We used to run the beach shack as a family together, we were all happy until my Dad had found her. Ever since then my mum told my sister and I to never rely on men. So we did, because we don't have anyone left. It's just the three of us. My sister, mum and me. We are happy together. But my mum could never sell the beach shack, she won't move on. So I started working for my mum, I tried to work harder in school so I can get to go to a decent college in the future and hopefully get a better job to pay for my mum and sister.

"It's okay, you don't need to worry about that just yet." She says putting the cloth in the sink.

"When will this work mate get here?"

"In a few days." She says stacking the chairs on the tables. Once I helped her with the rest of the chairs, we locked up the beach shack.

"Thanks mum." I say walking down the sandy path as the sun sinks under the water.

"For what?"

"Everything."

*****

I take a seat opposite Kate and Chloe in the cafeteria of the school.

"Hey."

"Hey Alex" Chloe and Kate say unison. Chloe and Kate are twins but thank god they're not identical otherwise I'd be doomed. I met them both when I was in kindergarten and we've been best friends ever since.

"So........ Do you guys want to hang over at my place and have a sleepover?" I ask them.

"Ohh, hear that Kate? Alex has some gossip to tell us." Chloe says clapping her hands joyfully.

"Yay! Tell us now! Tell us now!" Kate says jumping up and down. I roll my eyes at them.

"You guys are ridiculous. The second I invite you for a sleepover you immediately think that I've got gossip to share." I sigh.

"Well there has never not been a time where you haven't told us gossip." Kate says.

"Whatever, enough about me, what about you guys?"

"Oh, you know, same old same old, except that Jake bumped into me and I dropped my books!" Chloe says.

"What's so good about that?" I say.

"Then he helped me pick up my books then gave me a card with his number!" She says. Kate and I look at each other weirdly. Suddenly the bell rings and we hop up and head off to different classes.

I'm walking down the hall when suddenly someone trips me over. I land flat on the floor, but luckily my books helped stop the fall a bit. I hear laughter coming from someone behind, the laughter that has been tormenting me for just over one year.