Hope

Chapter 3

» Monday

"Max Anderson!" I shout, "hurry up!" I grab my car keys, and wait by the front door for the youngest son, Max Anderson.

He's 12, very, very playful.

"Do you really have to send me to school?" Max groans as he walk down the stairs.

"Yes, I used to send your sister to school all the time. Glad I am one year older than her, I don't have to see her face now and then." I shot a glare at Alexander.

Max chuckles, "well--"

"Stop talking, let's go." I put my hand over his potty mouth and pull him out of the house.

"What crazy shit are you doing now, Anderson?" Max got into the car and I stood outside, staring at my neighbor.

"Kidnapping my brother," I answer sarcastically. "DAAAD." Max screams in fear, "oh crisps, I was being sarcastic." I frown at him.

My neighbor, Aaron Edwards chuckled.

"Glad to see you back here, Anderson! See you in school!" He waves goodbye and got onto his motorcycle.

I then got into the driver's seat, "is he your boyfriend?"

"I do not have one, Max." I answered, backing out of the driveway.

"Is it because you still love the same person?" He raises his eyebrows.

"Well, do you know him?" I question Max. I drove out of our street and took a long way to Max's school.

"No," Max answered. "He's a sweet, caring guy thought he does not show it. He doesn't show his feelings to people, but show his love in ways that I don't noticed. I have loved him for four years, Max." I let out a sigh at the end.

"How do you know that you still love someone?" He furrowed his eyebrows.

"You think about him every freaking day, and if it hurts to know if he's with another
girl, you still love him." I lick my dry lips and took a deep breath in, "and it's crazy because all the memories we had.. I missed them so much. And you know my ex-boyfriend back in our town?" I turn to him for a while, he is listening closely.

I have never seen him this attentive before. "It didn't feel like love." I gulped.

"But you dated him for almost a year," Max points out.

"I know I feel bad. I was trying to forget my first love, but I have known him since we were kids, it's hard." I stop at the traffic light.

"You can love someone when you are a kid right?" Max ask.

I nodded, "yep. You can love at any age."

"Maybe you have loved him more than four years, Xandra." Max stated, his statement hit me so hard. The red light turn green and I didn't move.

»

I reached school, feeling kind of blank. I walk to the office to get my schedule and my locker number.

Students around are whispering-- well it's not quite whispering, when you can hear them.

After I got my schedule I got out to my locker.

"Isn't that Alex Anderson? Wow-- remember how fat she is?"

            Flashback
          14 Years Old

"Alex is so fat." I heard some of the girls say as I left the school.

I am attending my family gathering, so I must not be late.