"family isn't weakness. It's strength."
✨

As I walked into the hall, as I held my lunch, I spotted the usual table.

The usual table consisted of everyone on the football team, and Ava and Cody- or as I called them, the lovebirds. What, they're in a relationship now, I can call them that. Yeah, I'm surprised she chose a douche like my brother. I'm kidding. I will kill Cody if he does anything to her though. Besides, Ava's going to be my sister in law, so it's all good.

I'm already planning the future oh God, kill me now. But I'm not wearing a dress to the wedding. Oh no.

Anyways, the holidays were bomb. Jayden has technically moved in with me, and I don't know where we are in our relationship. I just hope I woman up and ask him out before he does. The humiliation I'd face if he asked me out would be unbearable. Good thing it spilt happen then.

"Hey Alexis!" I heard Austin's voice, as he clamped his hand on my shoulder. "It's a nice day today, don't ya think?"

I nodded and then paused, laughing, "wait, that's because you were able to get the ham sandwich from the lunch line, right?" He forgets his lunch too much. And the Ham sandwiches are the only ones he can bear, apparently. Sometimes I feel like he purposely forgets his lunch.

He turned a tinge bit pink and I pinched his cheeks. "Awwww, your not as manly as you say you are, are you?" We kept exchanging cusses at each other, until I heard someone's voice from behind.

A voice I sincerely dreaded.

"I have an announcement to make, Bev High. And it's about your ace player, Soccer Team; Alexis Cassidy Baxter." Of course. Kinda expected.

I swerved my head around so I could glower at her. What kind of story does she have cooked up this time? Will this even end? Wait did I hear that right.... she knew my full name? Girl's got some of her facts right, at least.

But Cassidy? I cringed. It's not that I didn't like my surname, it was just... My mum was the only one who called me that.

Anyways, all things aside, Alyssa was trying to play a battle of wits, against me. Seriously, she's pushing it and if she's not careful, I'll give her another bruise on that makeup caked face like I did on the day of my first practice.

"Let's get this over with." I muttered and sat down at the table. She just killed the mood and vibe. It was a good day. I had physics and Maths. Easy subjects.

"Yo, what's she gon' say this time?" Mason asked me, winking and I laughed at the comment.
"That you're a fucking ass."

After being here for even some time, my British accent was still intact, and you could hear it as I annunciated each word. America can't change me. Nuh uh honey, not on my watch.

"Alexis here, has, wait for it... Run away from home! Can you believe it? She ran away!" I heard whispers all around the cafeteria, and I wanted to punch each person there. Then I registered what Alyssa had actually said. Shit.

I raised my head slightly and saw Jayden and his perfect brown eyes staring at me. Studying me. Waiting for me to deny it.

But I didn't. Because it was true. And I wasn't going to lie to him. Okay this is bad. Falling for - no I can't fall. Falling means breaking. Wait but I am broken.

Ugh this shit is too confusing.

This is really not the time to be thinking about that- Jayden is smart. He'll probably work out the story of your life soon.

"She ran away from her step-father, dragging her brother with her. It's a shame, because her brother is pretty cute." There were more whispers being passed through the hall.

"What the fuck?" I heard Cody say, standing up as he slammed his hand down on the table.

"Cody get your ass on your seat." I warned him, my voice not wavering a single bit. It held authority, but I never used it. Never. I never thought of myself as the superior, even being the oldest.

I wasn't looking at anyone. I couldn't look at anyone. Everyone has secrets, right? Well, mine are just coming out. Because all secrets come out in the end. No matter how dirty it is, no matter how clean you cover it up.

"But-but it's not even true and-" Cody began and I gave him that look that made him shut up.

"Alexis! What the fuck is wrong with you? She just dissed you! I can't- I will not stand by and watch-" Cody began again once he sat down and I shook my head.

I wanted to hear this story. I wanted to see how closely she payed attention to her family issues. Perhaps she did. But I doubts that very much.

"She hated her life. Her mom committed suicide because of Alexis. She was never a girl to begin with. Her dad ran away because of her. She only had her step dad. And her step dad was caring. He was considerate. Yet she ditched the one person that actually gave two shits about her. So tell me, why, why Bev hills? Why do we support her, encourage her?"

People began their murmured whispers once again and I felt like ramming my head in a wall.

What I had just heard, was the most utter bullshit I had ever heard a person say. I'm not even going to lie. A sarcastic smile was on my face, and I saw the flicker of worry that diminished within a second in her eyes. She was not going to get away with this one.

I rolled my sleeves up and began to stand. But before I could go and punch her pretty face, I felt a warm hand holding my wrist back from moving.

Jayden.

"Is this true?" He asked me and I couldn't look him in the eye. I couldn't. Because I did run away from home. But my biological parents didn't leave me like that. I knew better than anyone else.

He let go of me and remained silent.

My anger had turned into sadness and remorse. I wanted to tell him, I really fucking did. But I couldn't bring myself to it.

I couldn't.

The memories were too painful. I don't want to have to remember what happened with Ron, the fucked up family situations, the late night abuse triggered by drugs and alcohols, the loneliness I felt at that time.

It was a dark period, one I never wanted to be reminded of again.

I slowly sank into my seat and looked at my hands. The hands that been through torture and rough times. The hands that belonged to a girl that had run away from home.

"She hates her step dad for the strangest reason. She should love him because he helped her."

Like abusing me? Not giving me food? Making me work? Bitch what's your problem?

Angry tears were collecting in my eyes. I couldn't cry. Not now.

I wiped them and then placed my head in my hands, until I heard her say something again. "She and her dad are cowards. They both run away from their problems. When her dad could've stayed and fight, he ran. Wh-"

That's it. I couldn't hear anything more. One more word and I swear I would've killed her. I slammed my fist down onto the table and cursed loudly. I was beyond angry.

The most infuriating thing is she doesn't know what the fuck is going on with my life. She doesn't know a thing.

"Alyssa why the fuck are chatting so much shit for, huh? What's your problem? My mom didn't commit suicide. She died from fucking cancer. Stage 4 fucking lung cancer!" I screamed at her, hurt. It hurt. My mom wasn't the best mum , but she was still my fucking mum.

My mum, she knew she was going to die. We all did. She could've opted for the treatment, but she said she only wanted to live what God had gave her, and not extend her life period. We were never that religious, but that was probably the strongest thing she said.

So how dare she say that? Does she have no remorse, no shame? Exposing my personal life to people who I have never even seen, never even communicated with, hell forget about knowing their names.

Oh for fucks sake, this was her blood aunt she was talking about. Her father's sister.

I was beyond pissed and infuriated. How could she just go around insulting my family? My blood? Her blood?

"Secondly, my step dad was Ron. And you know who the fuck Ron is so step the fuck back. And I'm talking like 7 miles back. You know who the eff he is so don't go chatting bullshit."

Alyssa smirked at me and then calmly retaliated. "And your dad?"

The silence in the hall was abrupt and then tension was so thick, I could've sliced it with a single football kick.

"My dad was-is not a coward. You know nothing Alyssa." My voice was quiet. Very quiet. It leaked of danger, because she was entering a deadly zone.

"My dad is a fucking survivor. I don't know shit about him. I can't find him. I only remember one thing; he was an honest guy. That made your dad cry, Alyssa. I only remember that one thing about him. He was a good guy. I didn't remember his name, it was an attribute I remembered.

"He didn't just up and leave me. He was kicked out. He was forced to go as far away as possible- away from me! Alyssa, tell me how my dad was a fucking coward. He is out there, surviving and killing it, tell me how that's a cowards job, please.

"Your up there, thinking your high and mighty. News flash, you're really not. Next time you ever approach this subject, or ever bring up this shit again, I swear I will walk up to your dad, and tell him all of this. He will be beyond pissed. I inhaled a deep breathe, feeling the apprehensiveness in my voice. I'd never talked about my dad to anyone. Well other than Cody. So it was a pretty big deal to me.

"You want to know why? Because my dad, and your dad were fucking best friends. Probably still are for all I know. They are in laws. Bitch, I am his niece. And he cares so much for my dad. Watch where you tread, Alyssa. I mean it.

"This is a game you do not want to even know about. Because trust me, the only one getting burned is you, cousin. Oh, and for the future? Pay attention to the family history." My voice went from loud to quiet.

The hall was silent. Tears were pricking my eyes. I was shaking. I was fucking shaking. I quickly walked to get my bag, and stormed out of the room, the anger that my aura gave off now was so thick it could sliced with a katana.

"Alexis, whatever story is true, just know that everybody hates you now. I've made your life hell. All the friends you made, the trusts you build, they've all fallen. I've won and you've lost." Alyssa whispered lowly into my ear as I tried to walk past her.

She was right.

Everyone was probably going to desert me. Everyone was going to probably hate me and send me disgusting looks.

But, I have my brother. My confidant. The person who knew me better than everyone else. He was my other half, my only family I knew of anymore. Sure, uncle was, Cara was, but they weren't always there. He was there since the beginning. And I knew he was going to be there with me until the very fucking end.

If no one else wanted to believe me, he would. I knew he would because that's what siblings do okay? We may fight all the time, but when we went through that, boy. He knows better than anyone else does.

So let them send their looks.

Because you know what? I'm too done and fucked up by life to even give a shit anymore. I can't go on like this, but I still will. I don't want anything I have done to ever go in vain. My mum would've wanted that. She was always talking about leaving a legacy.

I didn't want to leave a legacy to the people, though. I wanted to leave a legacy to the stars up there. Those stars that decide people's fate. I wanted them to know I fucking did. And although they kept putting shit my way, I was still breathing, still living, through my twisted stars.

The funny thing is, I didn't even favour my mum that much. She was nice and caring, but I knew she was involved in my dad leaving. I knew a lot of things. Like Ron.

And it was true, people would hate me, but they can't get to me. My heart has too many barriers. They can't burn me at the stake of their words, they can't slash me with the harshness of their tongues.

But I will kick the guys in the nuts and the girls on their shins if they dare talk about my father or Cody. I mean it. They'll be asking for a death wish if they think. Even my mum. I wasn't going to let them push me around.

And this is the the point where I realised something. Something I had wrongly thought about. Family was my weakness, it was strength. And that was the problem. They were think I was weak. But really, I was far from it. I was finding strength in what weakness supposedly laid.

I think I had clocked what Alyssa is doing to do next. Grasp Cody. And you know what? That's going to be the fucking limit because I will forget my own place just to put her back in hers.

She didn't know what she was asking for. She didn't know who she was messing with.

And that was the stupidest part. That people would believe her over me. They would believe an unintelligent rock over me, who knows the truth. Goes to show, you don't judge a book by its cover. That's cruel. That's vile.

But I knew something for sure. Alyssa was up being put up by someone. There's no way my cousin of pure blood would be doing this on her own.

And I think I had a nudge in who was behind this mess after all.

I am so sorry guys I was weak. Lmao I couldn't wait a whole week to publish this. So I guess I've blessed (more like tortured lmao) you with another update.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter because from here onwards, the road is going to get a little rocky, filling with drama.

I'd say we're looking at around... 75 chapters? Well I'm hoping anyways. When I edit the book, I'm going to be combining a lot of the first 20 chapters to make them ten lol. Hopefully it won't be too many chapters XD

Thank you for reading this book that a lil' teenager girl writes because she has no life. I appreciate you.

Stay flawsome x

QOTD:
Least favourite sport?