When The Going Gets Tough

Thank you for coming on this journey with me! I look forward to your comments and I really hope you enjoy the story. Alex wakes up 7 am, it's a Monday morning mid September, school started 2 weeks ago and Alex was happy that so far all was going well, she had a great locker on a quiet corridor, seats in the second to back row where no one seemed to notice you, and her lunch spot from last year was still free, so she could enjoy a peaceful lunch uninterrupted.  Alex climbed out of her single bed and walked across her room into the bathroom to freshen up. After finishing on the toilet doing 'that which won't be discussed', she washed her hands and splashed water on her face. Her brown curly shoulder-length hair was doing its usual unruly thing, after splashing it with some water she managed to tame it enough to put it in a low unassuming bun and straightened her fringe she liked to hide behind as much as possible. With no spare money, she wasn't going to be able to afford straighteners for a while and after an incident a few years ago it should be noted that cloth irons are NOT FOR STRAIGHTENING FRINGES, she may or may not have a small burn by her hairline to prove this point!    Alex picked out a simple black t-shirt and a mid-thigh denim skirt, at 5'3 Alex was short and favored boots with a 3-inch heel, okay I'm going to level with you, as she only had 3 pairs of shoes it was hard not to favor the boots over the alternatives of PE shoes and flipflops.    A slice of toast from the small makeshift kitchen in the corner of her room, a quick brush of the teeth and Alex was ready, she left her, for want of a better word her  'bedsit' which was basically the guest room on top of the garage at her uncle's house. The deal was simple, you have your space, I have mine and you don't go into foster care. On social care visits, we would play happy families for the 20minutes sessions which lessened over the years, I am low risk and well adjusted after all. Alex started on her 20-minute walk to school, enjoying the sun on her face as she stepped into the graveyard short cut to school.  Alex put in her earphones and started listening to Avril Lavigne, got to live the old school tuneage!! Much too soon the walk was over and she was standing at her locker by the entrance to the library, turning off her music and grabbing the right books for the morning she filled her grey shoulder bag, shut her locker, pivoted and walked .... Straight into a solid chest...  "s**t, sorry I didn't see you there" Alex blurted without looking at the victim of her clumsiness.