her; Alex Alvarez [discontinued]

[chapter twenty six]

[her; Alex Alvarez]

We were all sitting around the table, it was the first time Mac had come over for dinner as Pen's boyfriend. "I cant believe you guys met when my mom treated you in Afghanistan." I nodded my head, agreeing with Alex,"Yeah, what was your injury?"

"I got shot in the face." Alex and I simultaneously said,"Dangggg!" Ans looked at each other with our mouths to the floor. Pen rolled her eyes,"Yeah, a tequila shot." "But it really burned! And it got my shirt all wet." You know what I find odd? Pen and Max are the ones dating, but they're being separated by Alex and I. Haha we're cockblocks.

Pen stood up, grabbing some of our plates. Lydia started flirting again,"My hero.." 

"Thank you Lydia. If you were my medic, I would've faked an injury." I put my head on my hand, practically making heart eyes. Alex scoffed, but i could care less at this moment. Elena even started complimenting him, and i told him that he should have kids. Ahaha. For me ;)). Pen came out of the kitchen. "Okay! Can my mother, daughter and landlords daughter please stop trying to seduce MY boufriend!" I laughed, getting out of the seat with Alex right behind me. I grabbed his hand. He had seemed upset before, and I didnt know why. But as soon as I grabbed his hand, he was fine. He smiled with his eyes. It was adorable.

We walked out of the school assembly after school. Pen had given a presentation! "Thanks sister Barbra!" 

"Great CPR presentation, mom." Elena complimented her. Alex and I said it at the same time,"Yeah, that presentation was amazing." Alex and I looked at each other weird, we had not done that in a while. Pen laughed our compliment off,"I went too far with the Sister Barbra joke." She felt bad, she had never been like this. She loved making fun of sister barbra when we told stories about her fangs! 

I leaned in,"Are you kidding?" Alex backed me up,"Everyone thought it was hilarious!" Elena continued the chain reaction,"Even sister barbra laughed! I had never seen her teeth, I just assumed she had fangs." Alex and I chuckled, turning back to Pen.

"But it's not cool, its disrespectful. I mean being a teachers hard enough and then I go and make a joke at her expense? It's like 'great, go ahead and make a teacher feel bad about her job, great work penelope.'" I tensed up, I remember when Pen was like this, before she started taking her pills. Elena spoke up,"mom, you did great. Dont worry!"

"I don't think before I speak!"

"Who does that??"

"Yea mom, it's all good."
"I agree with Alex, Pen. Let's all just go eat, on me." I said. I could tell something was off with Pen, and I wanted to take the edge off her. We went to go get our stuff.

When we came back, Pen was gone. 

"Abuelita? Where'd Pen go?" I asked.

"I have no idea. She said she was going to jog home."

"Huh." Alex and I said. Everyone else shrugged it off, us leaving to go get some junk food. I had it in the back of my mind the entire time.

A/N yall. I have no idea what to write- alex doesnt come out for the rest of the chapter 😭😭

It's been over a day since we last saw Pen. She didnt go to work, she didnt eat breakfast with us, we were all super concerned. "Alex.. what's going on with Pen?" 

"I... I dont know Aaliyah. Um I- i think I'm gonna go to sleep." "Oh..uh yeah of course, I'm gonna go with Dad." I gave him a kiss on the cheek, he hugged me. Tight. I back off, and walked out of their apartment. Dad and I were in our living room. He had been sad about something, but he would tell me what. We heard a knock on the door. Dad got up.

"Oh, hi. Are you here to insult one of my step mother's?" Pen looked down, and started.. crying? Dad went easy, and put her in his arms. He hugged her. Tight. I stood up, not knowing what was going on. Dad asked me to go back to my room, and even though I didnt want to, I obliged.

I heard everything though. I heard Oen talking about how she wasnt okay, and dad made a really smart comparison to her depression and his addiction. I heard them come up with a solution, I heard them hug it out, I heard Pen say that they were best friends. I texted Alex everything. Except for the part where she has depression. Alex doesn't need to know that about his mother yet, she needs to tell them. It's not my place.

The next day I went downstairs a little earlier than normal. I saw Pen in the kitchen, and when we made eye contact I ran up and hugged her. She apologized for me having to see her like that. "Please dont apologize, Pen. It's not your fault. You thought you were okay to get off 'em. Its okay." I hugged her tighter. "I'm just glad to see that your not crying. You look horrible without make-up." I joked. She chuckled, burying her head into my shoulder. Alex and Elena started coming in, so I went to Alex. It was okay. She was okay.

A/N This is by far the shortest chapter I've ever written. But I mean, Alex hardly came out, and I'm also really lazy.

Word count: 950

-ray

[her; Alex Alvarez]