Best Friend's Brother: Chapter One

Parent Issues

I silently stared at the test in my hand. Tears pricked the corners of my eyes and fell down my face. I wiped them away and stood up putting the test in my pocket. I took a deep breath and left the bathroom, heading to the kitchen where I know my mom would be.

"Alexa, honey, are you feeling okay? You look a bit pale..." My mom walked over to me and put her hand on my forehead. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"Mom, there's something I need to tell you... You might want to sit down." She sat across from me at the table, "I'm pregnant."

My mom laughed, "You are quite the jokester, Lexi. Now, what is it that you need to tell me?" 

"Mom, this isn't a joke," I pulled the test from my pocket and put it on the table, "I'm pregnant. There is a human growing in my uterus."

My mother picked up the test and looked at it. Her face morphed from a surprised look to an angry one, "We had one rule, Alexa. One damn rule! That was to use protection!"

"Sometimes it fails mom; it's not foolproof!"

"That's what birth control is for! I don't pay for the damn stuff so that you don't use it!"

"That doesn't always work either! I just got unlucky that one night!" I yelled.

"I bet you don't even know who the father is at this point! I have a drunken ex-husband and a whore of a daughter! Where did I go wrong with you Alexa?! Where did I go wrong?! You have a new toy every week, you're stupider than a fucking wall, and you're flat out ugly! Where the hell did I screw up?! You were a mistake! Now get out of my house before I tell you how I really feel!" the witch yelled at me. I stood up and walked out the door. There's only one place I can go, and I don't know how I feel about it.

/// 

I knocked on Jessica's door and immediately regretted it. I was about to turn away and leave, but the door opened.

"I-I need your h-help. P-Please," I shakily begged.

"Oh my god! Alexa!" Jessica pulled me inside and held me close to her. Her hug was enough to break me; I began to sob and collapsed to the floor, dragging Jessica with me. She held me to her chest like a mother to a child. A blanket was wrapped around me.

"I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry. You are so beautiful, and I'm so, so sorry for everything. I'm so sorry," I sobbed into Jessica's dress. I heard a small child crying out for Matt like a daughter calling for her father. I sobbed harder as it reminded me of when I was little with my dad.

"Little Lexi!" I heard my dad call from the doorway. I dropped my dolls and ran over to him, jumping into his arms.

"Daddy!" I squealed.

"Daddy missed Lexi so much! Were you playing with your dolls?" I eagerly nodded my head knowing that he would play Dolls with me. My mom came into my field of view and kissed my dad's cheek, welcoming him home. 

So happy, so innocent, but that was before what he did. He went out drinking with his co-workers one night and continued doing it every night. It was way past my bedtime, but Dad still wasn't home to help put me to bed because I wouldn't sleep without a goodnight kiss from Daddy.

I could tell Mom was fed up with Dad, but I didn't want to ask anything about him until he got home. I crawled into my mom's lap and snapped awake when I heard the door slam shut. I jumped off Mom's lap, and she angrily but calmly walked to the door to greet Dad at the door. I watched Dad stumble into the living room.

"Daddy!" I squealed.

"What do you want you scrappy brat?!" My bright smile dropped, and tears welled in my eyes. He had never called me anything like that before.

"Charles! What is wrong with you?! That is your daughter!" My mom yelled at him, "You reek of alcohol, and you're always home late! You need to stop this, or you won't come back here anymore!"

"This is my house, you bitch!" he pushed mom into the wall, hitting her head.

"Daddy, stop it!" his demeanor softened at the sight of me. He's always had a major soft spot for me. He walked up to me and tipsily tried to kiss my forehead. He walked into the kitchen with mom trailing after him after she told me to go into my room. I jumped into my princess bed that I've had for as long as I can remember. I heard yelling and cursing coming through the floor. I grabbed my stuffed hippo from my mom and heard sirens. I saw red and blue flashing lights.

I ran downstairs and saw policemen taking Daddy away. Tears ran down my face as my mom ushered me to bed and tucked me in.

"Daddy isn't coming home is he?" I asked, my voice small and vulnerable.

"No," Mom whispered and wiped a tear from my eye, "No, he's not, baby. We'll be okay, I promise."

I heard Jessica sing a quiet lullaby as she gently started rocking me back and forth.

"Oh hush thee, my baby. The night is behind us, and black are the waters that sparkled so green. The moon over the combers looks downward to find us, at rest in the hollows that rustle between. Where billow meets billow, there soft be thy pillow. Ah, weary we flipperling curl at thy ease. The storm shall not wake thee, nor shark overtake thee, asleep in the arms of the slow-swinging seas. Asleep in the arms... of the slow-swinging seas." Jessica gently sang as my sobs ceased. Jessica wiped my face off with the corner of the blanket.

Jessica helped me up and over to the couch to sit down, "Alexa, what's wrong? I know we're not exactly friends, but I care about your well being. You can talk to me, I won't tell anyone anything you tell me, okay?" she gently spoke to me

I nodded and took a deep breath, "I made a mistake, I feel so used, so unwanted." Jessica rubbed my back as I felt the tears sting my eyes, "He... I'm... She..." I choked out over the lump in my throat

"Alexa, honey," she gently said, "It's okay, you're safe here. You don't have to worry. Do you want some water?" I slowly nodded, "I'll be right back, okay?"

Jessica stood up and hurried into the next room. I took a deep breath an leaned back on the couch closing my eyes.

I was in the passenger seat of my dad's car. I had ice cream dribbling down my chin and dad was singing loudly to the radio. We were heading back to mom's house after an entire day at the beach. After dad had gotten arrested, he realized what he was doing and sobered up along with going to therapy. I only got to see him twice a year; once in the summer and once in the winter. It was pure bliss getting to spend the day with him, and I wish I could have been able to see him more than I did. I never knew why I couldn't see him more because both my mom and I knew that my dad would never lay a finger on me even if he tried; he had too big of a soft spot for me.

Jessica came back with the glass of water, handing it to me. I took a couple of sips before I quickly downed the rest of it. 

I took a deep breath and proceeded to tell Jessica everything that has happened in the past few weeks.