| VEXED |

chapter | twenty

 Alex's pov

Hazel, Theo, and I walked into school, well more like limped. we had a talk with larce yesterday about the whole thing. he said a rival gang just wanted to send a message to us, not hurt anyone. easy for him to assume though, he didn't end up shot.

thank god it was a clean shot though, it didn't hit any major arteries, nerves, or muscles. Theo stitched it up and gave me antibiotics so my leg will just be sore for a few days. 

as we walked through the halls everyone stared at us, they were smiling and a few were clapping. I've never seen a response from our school like this before. 

I felt my face turn red from all the attention but hazel was enjoying it. she was doing some form of the princess wave as we made our way towards my locker. 

I wore just regular black shorts and a red crop top and my mortal jacket today. I didn't feel like doing anything fancy.

I opened my locker and they both looked at me, and I furrowed my brows. "what?" I asked annoyed by the eyes on me. "you should have taken a day off." hazel suggested and I rolled my eyes. 

"guys, I've been hurt before. I'm fine really." I reassured them and she nodded reluctantly. I spotted Elena walking towards us and I began to smile. 

"you guys, I heard what happened yesterday. word around school says you guys are practically heroes." she beamed, looking astounded. "just doing our job." Theo mumbled giving me an angry look.

"Hey, do you mind if I borrow her for a sec?" Elena smiled at them and they nodded. she pulled me over to the side and had a completely different expression on her face. 

"When did you join the mortel's and when did you think you were going to tell me and Ryan?" she asked in a hurt tone. "look, Elena, you don't understand how that day affected me. I had nowhere else to turn to. larce has helped me see what a real family feels like, and it changed me for the better." I tried explaining and she rolled her eyes.

"you think you're the only one who has been heartbroken? did you ever stop and think what effects your absents had on everyone else?" she crossed her arms getting all 'mom' mode on me. 

"look Elena I am not going to argue with you, okay?" I tried moving past her and she walked back in front of me. "ill leave you with this. Ryan plummeted into a stone-hard wall of emotional darkness, thank god I was there to pull him out. Grayson, called you every single day worried about you and your well being because he fucking loves you but you're too blind to see that too. and where do you think Jackson is? you were one of the only people he fucking loved Alex. now he has a drug problem, and won't speak to anyone." she raised her voice, it cracking a few times throughout her lecture. 

"What?" my voice strained. "wher- where's jack?" I felt like I was going to cry. "check the stoner bin. he doesn't even know you came back because he's too far into a blunt to look up." she pushed passed me and left me with burning thoughts.

I walked back over to my locker and slammed it. Hazel wasn't by my locker anymore but Theo was. "what's wrong?" he asked and I shook my head. "when I left everyone I love, their lives went to shit. and I was so caught up in my own problems I didn't even think about what they might feel when I abandoned them." I began hating myself. 

"Alex this is why larce didn't want you talking to them. they're going to screw with your head." Theo responded and I gripped my jacket sleeves in anger.

"or maybe he was afraid of them clearing my judgment." I spat walking towards the courtyard where I may find my best friend, If he doesn't hate me. 

I made it outside, my nose filled with the smell of weed. I heard laughter from numerous groups sitting out here, but my eyes were searching for one guy. 

I saw someone with a black hood on sitting by themselves with a half-finished blunt in their hand. I know that's him.

I walked over to him and stood in front of him. he was still looking at the ground but he sensed my presence.

"look, I don't share so if you want weed go-" he began looking up. when his eyes met mine he dropped what was in his hand and slowly stood up. 

his eyes met mine and began to gloss over. my heart began to hurt at his response. I was prepared to be yelled at, but instead he picked me up quickly and hugged me. I was off the ground in his arms at this point, I wrapped my legs around his torso and he held onto me, with what felt like all his strength. 

"Alex, I can't believe you're here." he began to cry into my shoulder. "I know Jack, but im here now." I pressed my cheek into his neck. 

Ethan's pov

"We need to go try and talk some sense into Jackson." I looked over at gray who was leaned on the locker. he had some weird look on his face. "okay what the hell is wrong with you today?" I asked him and he got up off of the locker abruptly.

"let's go talk to jack." he snapped walking ahead of me towards the stoner pit. I just rolled my eyes at his attitude and continued walking outside. 

when we walked out there, we saw Jackson literally holding Alex in a hug. like it was something you saw out of a movie. she was so small compared to him, but he was holding her like his life depended on it. I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy rush through me. 

I saw the back of her jacket that had the 'mortel' symbol and writing on it. "she joined." I spoke up to Grayson and he nodded. "I know." he mumbled walking towards him. 

Alex's pov

Jackson slowly set me down and cupped my face with his hands. his thumb ran across my cheek as he stared down at me. I couldn't help but notice the bags under his eyes and how red they were.

"not trying to ruin this moment but." I heard a deep voice from behind us, making Jackson let go of me. I turned around and saw Ethan and Grayson standing there, of course. Jackson's whole demeanor changed once he saw them.

"Then don't." I crossed my arms standing in front of them. "im not here to argue with you Alex. im here to talk to my long lost best friend." he mocked looking at Jackson. 

"what Ethan is trying to say is we miss you jack." Grayson added, nudging Ethan. I looked at Jackson waiting for a response but I don't think he had one, maybe because I was there. 

"ill let you guys talk." I looked between them and began walking away before a hand caught my arm. 

"Please don't leave." Jackson said quickly. it honestly broke my heart, hearing him sound so desperate. Ethan and Grayson looked at me sideways and I glared back. 

"of course jack." I smiled, lacing my hand with his standing back beside him. the awkwardness grew in the air and I ran my hand through my hair.