The Nothing Girl

Chapter 6

As soon as Alex entered the house she ran to her room. Grateful her mother wasn't home she plopped down on her bed and pulled out Tristen's journal. Lying comfortably on her bed she questioned where to begin. She decided to skip to the day she first saw him.

As she opens the journal the front door downstairs burst open. It slammed closed and voices began to fill the house.

"This is where you live?"

"Where's that hot daughter of yours?"

"Let's go to your room so we can..."

"Will all of you hush," her mother chimed in laughing and clearly intoxicated.

Her mom's friends were here. Lesly, Dan, and Steve were the worst people Alex had ever met. Lesly was blonde and lived up to the dumb stereotype, Dan was a pervert and was always hitting on Alex, and Steve was her mother's current boyfriend.

"So about your daughter?" Dan and his perverted mind diverted back to Alex.

"Probably in her room, but who knows the whore could be gone." Her mother said in disgust.

"I'll go check." Said Dan clearly pleased.

Footsteps became louder as they got closer to her room. She panicked and went to hide, but was too late when her door swung open. She turned wide eyed as Dan advanced toward her.

"Hi Dan," she said blandly as she sat back down in her computer chair.

"Hey sexy, miss me," He said with a smirk as he came closer.

"What do you want I was in the middle of reading," she said calmly. A wave of defiance came over her. Usually she'd just sit there while he attempted to feel her up, but today she was determined not to let the douche bag touch her.

"Oh she speaks this time. I wonder what else that mouth can do..." He had a haunting smile on his face as he took his last step to be right in front of her.

"Bye Dan," She pointed to the door signaling for him to leave.

He brought his face down closer to hers. She could smell the alcohol on his breath as his mouth went to her neck.

She jumped and pushed him with as much force as she could. She stood with the journal in her hand and attempted to leave.

"Where do you think you're going? You've been a tease long enough. I'm going to have you. Now." Dan said menacingly as he grabbed her arm forcing her onto her bed. He began to unbuckle his pants as she squirmed trying to get away.

Finally she grabbed her bag and swung hitting him in the head. He stumbled far enough for her to get away. Bag and journal in hand, she ran from her room heading downstairs. As she reached the door she heard Dan call from her room.

Ignoring whatever the hell he said she left. She put the journal in her book bag again and swung the book bag on her back. Alex continued to walk and before long she found herself at Tristen's house. She didn't even mean to come here. Why was she here?

Absentmindedly she rang the doorbell. In a panic she began to walk away.

"Alex?" Tristen said confused as she turned to look at him her heart stopped. He was shirtless and in pajama bottoms.

"I- I'm sorry." She shook her head trying to clear her thoughts.

"I just can't anymore. I'm done." She turned and ran as fast and as far as her legs would carry her. Everything that has ever happened to her flooded her mind as she ran. She continued to run until her lungs were on fire and she was about to pass out.

Dropping to the floor, she lay there half-conscious on the ground as memories of her alcoholic father, her abusive mother, her dead uncle, and lastly the twins she had once been able to confide in all washed over her. She was alone now. Who did she really have?

Tristen said her mind. She looked up at the sky and just wished for her lungs to give up already. She wanted to disappear, to just vanish without a trace. She just wanted to be at peace.

Just when the darkness was about to take over, she heard a voice.

"Alex! Alex! Are you ok!? Can you hear me!?" Someone picked her up and placed her in a car before driving off.

When Alex woke up she had a headache that shook her head to extremes.

"Hear take this." Tristen sat there holding a pill and glass of water for her to take.

"Thanks." Alex's voice was scratchy and her throat burned.

"Don't talk, you're going to hurt your throat more." Tristen gave her a reassuring smile.

Alex looked around and recognized she was in his room. She looked back at him questioningly.

"Oh right, after I found you I brought you back here, I figured you didn't want to go back home." Tristen looked at her hoping it was ok with her.

Alex nodded her head saying it was fine. She looked at the time and was shocked it was that late. 1:15a.m.

"If you want to stay the night that's fine. My parents are out and tomorrow's Saturday so yea..." He was nervous and Alex could tell. She thought back to what her mind had told her earlier. She had Tristen. She smiled and nodded her head. This small act made Tristen smile brighter than ever.

"Cool, um I'll get you something to um sleep in." He smiled and went to his drawer and took out a pair of shorts and searched for a shirt.

"Uh I haven't went downstairs to get my clean clothes yet...here," He took off his shirt and handed it to her.

"It's clean I just put it on to go find you." He smiled so bright it was almost hard to look at. He left the room to let her change.

She changed and loved the way his shirt felt on her. She felt closer to him somehow. The tee shirt smelled like him even though he'd only worn it a short period of time. She wanted this night to never end. This is what she needed, an escape and someone to trust.

After she changed she opened the door and peeked outside. She saw Tristen walking up the stairs with two mugs. He looked focused as he walked trying not to spill the content of the mugs. He looked up and smiled as he held one out for her to take.

"It's tea, I thought maybe it'd help with your throat." Alex took the mug and walked back into his room. Tristen followed sipping from his own mug. When they got inside his room Alex drank from her mug and let the hot liquid soothe her throat as she sat on the edge of Tristen's bed. She looked up and thanked him quietly.

She sat the mug on his night stand and stood in front of him. They were both equally confused at her actions, but neither one of them moved. Alex raised her hand and began to trace the outlines of Tristen's tattoos. She liked them, they showed that he had two sides to his story. He looked like a good boy gone bad.

"Let's go to bed. You must be tired." Tristen's voice was low. Alex nodded as Tristen took her hand in his and led her to the bed. He pulled back the cover and Alex climbed in. He walked to the door and turned to give her one last look. He couldn't leave though. Alex didn't want to be alone, she couldn't. The memories would come again.

"Don't! Please stay. Please..." Alex felt pathetic, she never needed anyone and then all of sudden he came and changed everything.

"Are you sure? I could sleep on the couch it's fine." Why did he do this to her?

"I'm sure." And with those words Tristen smiled and closed the door. He walked to the opposite side of the bed and slid in next to Alex.

"Thank you." Alex whispered as her eye lids began to get heavy.

As she drifted to sleep she could have sworn she heard Tristen whisper, "What are you doing to me?" She began to wonder the same thing about him as the darkness took over.