𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐘 𝐌𝐂𝐅𝐋𝐘 𝐄𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓 ━ five hargreeves²

2│GOD HELP THE GIRL

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❛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀʀᴛʏ ᴍᴄғʟʏ ᴇғғᴇᴄᴛ​​​​​​​​​​. ❜ ° . ༄
- ͙۪۪˚   ▎❛ 𝐓𝐖𝐎 ❜   ▎˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
»»————- ꒰ ɢᴏᴅ ʜᴇʟᴘ ᴛʜᴇ ɢɪʀʟ ꒱　


❝ YOU'RE ON YOUR
OWN, PAL ❞

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Soft, golden light filled the courtyard of her childhood home as a warm breeze blew across the enclosed space. It had been such a nice day that Alexa had been loath to spend their half-hour of free time in a dark, musty library and she'd dragged Five outside with her much to his irritation.

Still, he couldn't help but realize that the blanket on the grass and the plate of fresh strawberries looked nice in the sunlight and, as Alexa sat down on the checkered cloth, he had to admit that she did, too. With a sigh of reluctance, he sat next to her.

The blonde-haired girl reached for a red strawberry and plucked it up by its green stem. She popped it in her mouth, her eyes closing as she ate the sweet fruit. They sat like that for a few minutes while they enjoyed the fresh air and snack before Alexa got a brilliant idea.

The girl jumped to her feet and gave a 'wait here' signal to the boy before she disappeared inside only to return moments later with a small tub of something in her hands. She sat down next to him again and, opening the container, he saw that she'd brought sugar out with her.

"I didn't know we were inviting ants to our picnic as well," he grumbled.

Alexa rolled her eyes. "It's not for the ants, you nerd. It's for us. Watch." Then, she gently dipped the tip of the strawberry in the sugar and lifted it towards his face. "Open up."

He wrinkled his nose. "Are you trying to give me diabetes?"

She gave a little sigh and her expression turned pouty. "Could you not be an old man for literally one minute? I know you're mad about the lost library time but now you're ruining this time too."

As hard as he tried, he couldn't fight the sudden guilt welled in him. Five knew she was playing on his emotions as she so often did to get her way but it was his own fault for encouraging it every time. Sighing again, he opened his mouth. Alexa beamed at him and gently moved the strawberry closer so he could take a bite. The boy winced at the too-sweet taste but forced it down, his following shudder causing her to laugh. He gave her an irritated look. "There, happy now?"

She gave him a bright smile. "Quite!" Then, after glancing left and right quickly, she leaned forward and followed the path of the fruit to give him a quick peck on the lips.

The sound of the radio turning on startled her as it did every morning and Alexa groaned from her bed. Her dream had been so nice. She'd been having quite a few of them since she'd arrived in the sixties and they'd all involved Five. That was no surprise there, though.

Sighing, she rolled over and stretched. Another day, another routine. For the past nearly three years, she'd woken up at seven-fifteen and her days had all followed the same pattern. After getting out of bed, Alexa went to her closet and decided on her outfit of choice, pulling out a loose, dark blue dress with a wide, white collar and matching cuffs with a skirt that ended at her knees. Then she located a pair of dark, low-heeled shoes and slipped them on.

After completing her morning routine, she locked up the small, nearly bare apartment and left at promptly seven forty-five. She made her way to the alleyway she'd arrived in to pause for five minutes to see if anyone appeared. No one had yet and today was no different. She turned away and across the street to Stadtler's where she was greeted in the same way every day by the man who'd grown used to her appearance. "Same order, Miss Hargreeves?"