The Journey to Us

Chapter 1

      Alexis Jones has never been one to shy away from a fight. From digging a girls face into the mulch is 6th grade, to knocking a boys lights out when he called her a dyke in 9th, but the war raging between Alexis and her mother started the summer before her sophomore year. If it weren't for two caring strangers in a grocery store, she would have lived in the fear of her mother's judgement all her life and never would have known what a family was and the real feeling of being loved.

       Alexis grew up in upper Maryland where she played lacrosse and soccer. Most people called her Alex or Lex. She was always the shorty and loved it but being 5'3" was never to her advantage. She grew up with an older brother and sister and they lived with their mom, their father never really in the picture. She came out to her friend when she was in 8th grade being confident that it make her feel free, and it did. She never really put up with bullying and always knew how to stand up for herself. Her older brother only being a grade ahead she knew her mom would eventually find out. Not that she was scared but she was well aware of her mother's religious views. Summer training began for soccer and her club team ended. One morning when her mother dropped her off for practice her bestfriend at the time shouted from across the parking lot,

      "There's my favorite GBF."
Her mother wasn't stupid and knew how to find out exactly what that ment. That after noon, Lex walked in the door to her mother waiting for her.
 
    "When exactly were you planing on telling me." Her mother stood tall with her arms crossed.

     "Tell you what." Lex dropped her soccer bag by her feet hoping to by herself enough time. Her mother wasn't a violent person but her temper and make her into one. Lex never called it abuse but simply a punishment.

      "That you believe your gay, come on now. We all know this is just another way of getting yourself attention." Her mother scoffed taking a step toward Lex. "Do you really believe you gay, those people are trash, I will not have some piece of trash in my house, you better get it through your head now that your lying to yourself and everyone else around you." Her mother finished through the grit of her teeth.

      "No." Lex stood a little straighter, sizing up to her mom, but immediately coward away after feeling the stick of the back hand of her mom run across her cheek. Her mother stomped off to continue her day.
After that day, Alexis's home life started its down spiral. School started and her friends and teammates noticed the difference. She became shy and self conscious of others opinion. No one really said much to her but that knew the minute she stepped onto the pitch her she would find her confidence. Her season carried on and she played her heart out in the midfield. She trained to perfect her first touches and became a prominent leader in the pitch. She kept up with her school work and tutored a varsity freshman everyday before practice. After a grueling fall season her High School team finished 3rd at states.

      Thanksgiving came and went and there was still a great divide between Lex and her mother. In public, they were best friends but behind the closed doors of her home arguments raged and slowly seeped into the public scene.
    
       When Christmas break came her sister came home from college at Penn State were she was a back up keeper for their soccer team. After a game with Lex's club team they stopped at a grocery store to pick up supplys for Christmas. Lex followed close behind her mother and sister framing what ever her mother told her to. Coming down a particular section, her mother spotted two women holding hands look at something.

      "Look two dykes like you." Her mother said turning around and hitting Lex into the self behind knocking items on the ground. Her mother stalked away proudly and left Alexis to pick up the dropped items. At the time the two women heard to commotion and saw the hit.

      "Ash." The brunette said looking up at her girlfriend.

     "Yeah, go, I'll keep looking." The taller blond responded glaring the girl's mother as she passed behind.

      "Are you okay," Ali said leaning down to help pick up the items that dropped. "I saw what happend."

     Alexis kept her head tucked down averting eye contact. "Yeah it's nothing new." Standing up and brushing herself off.
Ali looked the girl head to toe seeing brused peek out from under the girls jersey. Recognizing the jersey she decide to stall the girl from going back to her mother.              

  "Soccer, huh. What position do you play?"
Lex's face lit up and started to ramble about playing middie and how her high school season went and her clubs season starting back up. "I'm Alexis by the way." Lex said sticking out her hand.
     
   "I'm Ali, and this is Ashlyn." taking the girls and as she felt her girlfriend come up behind and settle her hand on the Ali's lower back.
      
      "You guys play for the spirit and for the national team, I should have recognized you earlier." Lex says kind of in awe. They talk more soccer until she sees her mother passing giving her a stern look, she bows her head again. "Um, I should probably go find my mom but it was really nice meeting you both." Lex says starting to walk away before being pulled back.

      "Here let me give you my number, if you promise not to share it, and if you ever need anything you just call. And I expect you at couple spirit games this season got it." Ali hands Lex back her phone and Lex giggles and nods saying she will try but she's won't make any promises. Little did Alexis know that those two strangers in that grocery store will change her life.