Hope

Chapter 10

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"Hey! It's been a long time since I have seen you." Alex answered the door, his voice filled with surprise and excitement.

"But I gotta go on a blind date that my father set me up, so take care alright." Alex says goodbye and I heard the front door close.

"Eve, is that you....?" I stood up from the couch in Alex's high school ice hockey jersey, he can't wear it anymore so I wear it.

"Hey, Eve can't come over right now because no one is taking her shift so she told me to pass you this." Jace passes me a big paper bag, most probably filled with food.

"There's food inside for Max too," he added.

"Oh t-thanks." I flash an awkward smile at him, "so I will get going now, I will see you in school." Jace and I did our handshake and I watch him leave.

I stood frozen in my spot, "Max!"

I walk into the kitchen, and Max came running in. I took out containers with words that said breakfast.

"Look notes," Max pull out two sticky notes from the top of the containers.

"Hey Anderson siblings, Jace and I made the food for you guys today. Jace did most of the work, I have never seen him so focused in my whole life that I have known him. You have struggled, Lexi. Take care :-) x eve."

"Have a healthy breakfast, Blake. I know you always skip breakfast, the most important meal of the day. xo, Jace."

"Is Jace in love with you?" Max squints his eyes at me.

"Oh my little brother, I wish he is." Max then smirk at my reply, "he's a nice guy. Marry him now!"

I laugh at what he said, "wait, so he's the guy you have loved since young?" Max's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Yeah." I nodded, taking the plates and the utensils.

"Why is it so hard for me to get over him when he was never mine to begin with?" I laughed to myself and open up the containers for Max.

"Xandra, if you love him so much.. Why don't you let him know? Maybe he loves you too." Max look down at the delicious food that they have prepared.

"Nah, he loves me as a friend." I stated, sitting next to him.

"Well.. You have a great friend that just prepared four meals, including supper! Don't let him go." Max states sternly.

"How are you related to me? What the hell." I muttered to myself.

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Me; thanks for the food, eve! 💗

Eve✌🏽️; you're welcome!! come by the restaurant tmrw ok? we're having a small gathering!!

Me; I will bring Max ok.

Eve✌🏽️; sure thing

I then look at the empty chat of Jace and I, I should thank him.

I can do this, no biggie.

Okay, it's a big biggie.

What am I even saying?

Crisps, just text him already!

Me; jace, thanks for the food and everything else.

Jace Collins🏀; you're welcome, blake 😂😏😏

Me; 😂😂

Well, that wasn't that bad.. It was really bad! The amount of awkwardness is insane!

I let out a frustration groan and lay back on my bed.

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"Hi kids, how are you all doing?" We skyped our Mom, because we all have nothing to do.

"Dad is setting me up on blind dates." Alex grumbles.

"My real name is exposed." I stated.

"I have a boring life." Max let out a sigh.

Mom laughs at what we said, "what's going to happen on thanksgiving?" Max ask our dearest Mom.

"And Halloween, and Christmas?" Alex adds in.

"Don't worry so much, kids. I will discuss with your Dad." Mom assures us.

"Will that lead to joy or more fights? Find out next month on The Anderson show!" I joked.

"You know sometimes your Dad and I wonder where you get all those words of... Stuff from, but we will never know." Mom sighs.

I let out a laugh and grab the bowl of chips from the side.

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After Max fell asleep on the couch, while watching Ghost Adventures. I reckoned that tonight is the perfect night that I should ask Alex.

"Alex," I whispered, nudging him the ribs.

"What do you want, Alex?" He laughs at his own over-used joke. I simply roll my eyes at him, "I am serious ok," i let out a sigh.

"When we were younger, did we face a lot of violence?" I question.

"That we have to ask Shane when he comes back. I know you have panic attacks when you face violence and I don't, it's probably what happened when you were six. Don't dwell on it so much though." He replies.

"I am in high school, Alex. I had faced a lot of fights back in our old high school, you were there. You always hug me till I breathed properly." I reminded him.

"But I actually do remember that when we were younger, you had a major panic attack when you were 11. You fell to the ground and rolled down 5 steps, you were sent to the hospital that day."

"What happened?" Max sit up and ask.

"Go back to sleep," I push him back down the couch lightly. "Nope, too wide awake." Max sat up and put his blanket around his head.

"There was a fight in a cafe, and there was this steps that led down to a small room where people have their own privacy and stuff. They were two business men, fighting over a lady.. And the worst thing was, Shane and I weren't there. Jace was there, he held your hand the whole time when his mother drove you to this hospital. His mother told us the story--  Your head was bleeding, you couldn't breathe properly, it was crazy."

I stare at my brother in disbelief, "why were we at the cafe?" I ask.

"It was Jace's birthday I guess, I wasn't be able to go because I had chicken pox." Alex responded.

"That's all I know, sis."