R5 Imagines

Riker and Alexa: Part One

Alexa's POV
As I walked from my school building out to the sports fields, I let my mind wander. The first memory that popped into my head was one from the summer of 1999.
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I ran past the deserted train track and leaped over the railings. Brushing away a stray tear, I darted into the woods. After only a few paces in the unkept grass, I found our tree house. I ran as fast as my little six-year-old legs could take me. The sudden burst of pouring rain didn't bother me at all.
I climbed up the rungs of the ladder and as soon as I sat down in the far corner, I let the tears flow freely. I cried alone for only a few moments before a blonde head of hair appeared at the entryway of the tree house. It was Riker.
"Alexa. Why are you crying?" He asked as he climbed into the treehouse that both of our dads had built for us.
I didn't respond. Riker sat next to me and put an arm around me, resting his head against mine.
We were odd kids and I was friends with Riker ever since I could remember. He was two years older than me so I always assumed he was actually my brother. In reality, he was just my brother-from-another-mother.
Riker gently lifted my chin. "Wanna tell me what's up?"
I caught my breath and eventually calmed down. "Riker I'm so sad. Mommy and Daddy are making me go to school. Like real school in a real building."
"Ohh..." He sighed.
"I wanted to be homeschooled like you and we could play together everyday during 'recess' but now I have to go to school."
I began to cry again and Riker pulled me into a tight hug.
"I'm sorry Alexa. That's terrible but it's okay cuz we'll still be friends. A little school won't ever break our friendship. We won't let it."
I looked up and sniffed. "Promise?"
"Pinky promise."
We locked pinkies and shook on it.
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"Alexa!!!"
The sound of someone hollering my name snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Hey." I greeted my friend Britta. My other friend Clara was standing beside her. Our little posse had formed ever since first grade and coincidentally, we all had names that ended in A. Not to mention our names began with the first three letters of the English alphabet...I mean seriously. This squad had "CLIQUE MATERIAL" written all over it from the moment we met each other.
"So you know tonight's the game right?" Clara checked. "You don't seem excited, Alexa."
"I don't know. I've just been stressed I guess."
As if the "ABC Gang" wasn't cliche enough, I was the captain of the cheer team, I was the front and center flyers and Britta and Clara were flyers on left and right.
I pushed the thoughts of Riker as far back in my mind as I could. His youngest brother Ryland was actually on the football team. He only played in home games though. Ryland hadn't been in too many games recently because the band that his siblings were in was skyrocketing and that took up a lot of his attention. I forget how all that even worked and had no idea what the band was called. All I knew was Ryland was somehow associated with the whole ordeal.
The other cheerleaders were waiting patiently for Britta, Clara, and I to come and rehearse. The whole darn time, Riker kept popping into my mind. It wasn't like I didn't see him anymore. I just didn't see him as often because we both were busy people. I was in school (and that alone had the same stress levels as trying to sneak a wooly mammoth into your house in the middle of the night. It was crazy, yo.) and Riker always had band stuff.
After a few hours of last minute cheer practice, the football team got on the field to warm up.
Immediately, the team captain of the Northridge Knights ran up to me.
"Hey Sunshine." He greeted me.
"Hi Luke."
He pecked me on the cheek and we chatted for a bit. He was talking about football but a family had walked up to the bleachers really early. I recognized the mix
of blondes and brunettes and knew exactly who it was.
"What's wrong?" Luke asked.
"Nothing. Just thinking."
"About what?"
"About tonight." I lied.
"Don't worry. Everything will be just fine."
He hugged me before heading back to his team. I sighed as I walked back to mine.
"Alright ladies. Let's do this."