Moments

Chapter one.

It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. That feeling of life, stretched out in front of you. There is no past, and there is no present, just the bright spark of hopes and dreams settling in your stomach. Then, life washes over you; the homework assignment you didn't do and the test you didn't revise for, the library book you forgot to take back and the friend you never rang, the party you drank too much at and the friend you watched die in your arms. That's the problem with moments, they don't last long enough. 

Alexia stared at the ceiling, watching a spider weave an intricate web, ducking and winding as it worked on. The alarm clock ticked over to 7:00, playing out an acoustic version of Chasing Cars. Her fingers tugging at the edge of the mens overlarge t-shirt she wore, as she tried to focus on just breathing, before a voice rang out of the radio;

"We'll do it all, everything, on our own,

We don't need, anything, or anyone,

If I lay here, If i just lay here,

Would you lie with me, and just forget the world"

She closed her eyes, letting the song wash over her. Listening to the voice, that she longed to hear every moment of everyday, the only thing that let her sleep at night, was knowing that in the morning she would get her one moment and he would be back with her again. Over by the door someone cleared their throat. She looked over, propping herself up on her elbows, as she wiped the sleep from her eyes. A lanky boy stood there, leaning against the doorframe, twirling a rose in his hand, grinning over at her. She let herself fall, flat on her back, bouncing slightly on the mattress springs, swinging a hand and hitting the alarm button, cutting the song to an abrupt stop.

"Christ Eli, how long have you been there for" she moaned, ruffling her messy dark hair in frustration. 

"Long enough to know you talk in your sleep", he said with a chuckle, crossing over and throwing himself onto foot of the bed, folding his arms behind his head "I forgot about that song though" he said with a small smile "I remember the day he recorded it for you…" Alexia blushed deeply.

"Can we not talk about it?" she asked, pulling herself up, resting her back against the headboard and tucking her knees up to her chest.

"Sure" said Eli, sitting up to face her, they sat in silence for a moment. Before Eli, suddenly thrust the now slightly crumpled rose out at her. "Here" he said with a grin "Happy Valentines" Alexia stared at it, furrowing her brow. Eli rolled his eyes "C'mmon take it, it doesn't mean anything, just… every girl deserves a rose on valentines… and Jack would probably kill me, Callum and Greg if you didn't get one" Alexis sighed, taking the rose from his grasp, stroking her hand over the smooth petals.

"Thanks Eli…" she said with a small smile that didn't quite reach her dark green eyes. Her bottom lip quivered slightly, as she looked away, locking onto the ornate silver frame on her bedside table, a picture of a handsome, blue eyed boy with dark blonde tousled hair, grinning out at her. She let out a long shaky breath, drawing her hands through her hair.

"Its alright to miss him Al" Eli murmured, picking at a thread on the quilt "We all do, you've got to understand, we're not asking you to forget him, we just want you to be happy, it kills us all seeing you like this"

Alexia blew her fringe out her eyes, in frustration. "I can't, I just can't" she said, her voice breaking slightly "I can't let go of him. Please don't make me let go, please" she broke off, trying to calm her rapid breathing. Eli moved, to sit next to her, wrapping an arm around her, pulling her head against his chest.

"Okay" he said, after a few moments of silence "But you do have to get up, eat something, come to school" She nodded against him, pulling away and slinging her legs over the side of the bed. He gave her a small smile.

"I'll be downstairs if you need me" he said, walking out the room, closing the door behind him. 

Alexia stood up, locking her hands behind her head and letting out the breath she never knew she had been holding. Crossing the room, she moved to stand next to the bay window, overlooking the back garden she had grown up in. She dropped her arms, letting them swing by her sides for a moment as she stared out. 

There was the tap, where they'd sat and made mud pies all afternoon, the swing set that Jack had broke his arm jumping off when they were five, the giant pile of mud; where they'd tried to grow an ant colony, the crack in the wall where they'd left each other secret messages and hid their pirate bounty… and finally the treehouse. The treehouse, carefully built by her dad for her fifth birthday, nestled in a giant oak tree. The treehouse that had turned into everything from a space ship, to a castle in the sky, where they'd spent countless nights under a blanket of the stars, where they'd hidden out from their parents, where Jack had first told her, that he loved her on her fifteenth birthday, and kissed her under the dark night sky. Once the treehouse was her haven, now it was only a reminder, of the life that was snatched from underneath her. She hadn't been up there in six months. 

She turned away, to her dresser. Taking her brush and dragging it through her rust coloured, permanently tangled hair, before pulling it up into a messy bun. Pulling her shirt over her head, she quickly dressed in a pair of dark skinny jeans and a checked shirt, before lacing up her converse on her feet. She glanced into the mirror on her dresser, doing her best to put a smile on her face for the sake of her parents. They thought she was getting better, either that or they just chose to ignore the pain behind her eyes, because it was just easier. It wasn't easy on her parents, both being ER doctors, they were used to taking peoples pain away. But her pain wasn't something that would go away with a shot of morphine, you couldn't put a cast on a  broken heart. 

She quickly slicked a bit of lip gloss on her lips, in the mirror, before stealing a glance at the picture blue tacked to the frame, the same dazzling boy from the photo on her bedside table, his arms wrapped a grinning Alexia. She moved her hand to stroke his face, gazing into his eyes. "I love you" she whispered, her hand pausing for a moment as she wished as she did every morning, that she could hear him say it back once more. With all her strength, she turned away, pulling open the door and walking down the stairs.

When she walked into the kitchen, Eli was sat on the counter eating a banana, talking animately to her brother about last nights football game.

"Such a great match" he exclaimed excitedly, waving his arms about to emphasise "Though that was definitely a sending off, such a…" he trailed off, seeing Alexia. "You took your sweet time" he grinned, jumping off the counter, glancing at the clock above the oven "you ready, otherwise we'll miss homeroom?" She nodded, swinging her leather school bag over her shoulder, and grabbing an apple off the counter. Before turning to her brother,

"Mum and Dad at work already?" she inquired, taking a bite out of the apple. Jake nodded,

"Emergency surgery, i think" he said, leaning back against the counter. 

"Tell them I'm studying at Eli's tonight and won't be back till late?" 

"Sure" he said, moving to wrap her into a hug. "Just have a good day, try not to get into too much trouble" he said with a grin, before yelling at Eli, who was already at the front door "TAKE CARE OF HER YOU LITTLE TWERP" 

"DONT I ALWAYS?" yelled Eli back cheekily "AL, C'MMON, TIMES A TICKIN'. Alexia, smiled, giving her brother a final squeeze before heading towards the door, slamming it behind her. 

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First chapter in my new book!

Greatful for any comments anyone has!