Worlds Apart

Chapter One

      The shrill beeping of the alarm startled me out of my restless sleep. “Oh hell.” I thought to myself as I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and immediately felt the cold air of my bedroom. I quickly grabbed my phone to turn off the alarm. Too late, I realized as I heard the footsteps coming down the stairs toward my room.

           Mom pushed through the curtain separating my room from the hall. Glaring at me, she looked at the clock on the wall above my bed. “Shouldn’t you have been at work hours ago?” She demanded. I sighed and stood up out of the bed, stuffing my feet into slippers as I did. “Boss gave me the day off. I have a calculus test and today is already going to be a hard enough day without being dead on my feet.” I said as I glanced at the calendar om the wall at today’s date. She turned to follow my gaze before clamping her hand down on my shoulder. “Alexia, it’s been three years. He’s never going to come back, and you know damn well that these bills aren’t going to pay themselves!” She grumbled gesturing to my meticulously drawn list of bills and due dates on the side of the calendar. “Yes Mama” I stated quietly, nodding quickly at her.

           “Good. Now remember, your father and I leave for our new house today. You can’t afford to miss work, if you want to be able to keep yourself fed and keep the lights on. If you need anything, just call your uncle. We’ll call once we’re settled into the new house.” She rattled off, just as she did every time. Always reminding me that they’re abandoning me to finish out high school and all on my own. “Yes Ma’am.” I say quietly as she pats my back before turning to head out of my room. “Goodbye sweetie, and don’t be late to school.” She said before continuing out. I walked to the door and listened briefly as I heard her talking to my dad upstairs.

           “Come on Allen. Let’s get going.” I hear her yelling to my father. “What about Lexi?” I hear him respond. “The little brat didn’t bother to go into work today but screw it. If she screws up, we won’t be here to deal with it. She’s nearly 17. She needs to grow up and learn to face the consequences.” She says in a hushed tone. I roll my eyes pulling the curtain closed as I hear him agree with her. I huff away from the door and start picking out an outfit for school. After a minute I hear the doorbell ring and the moving company comes in to help take the last few items of my parents out of the house to be transported to California.

           I pull a green long sleeve sweater dress out of the closet and set it on my bed before turning to the dresser for a pair of underwear, a bra, some thick socks and a pair of black leggings. Setting those on the bed next to my dress I pull out my favorite fancy black boots. Walking over to the back door I quickly glance up at the driveway to see the moving truck, followed by my parents’ car pulling out of the drive. “Good riddance” I thought to myself as I grabbed a bathrobe and started toward the curtain. As I got to the doorway, I glanced at the picture sitting on the edge of my desk and felt a pang of sadness.

           I pushed through the curtain and made my way to the bathroom for a quick shower. As I showered and washed my long brown hair, I let the heat and the smell of my vanilla shampoo wash over me. I was lost in thought as I scrubbed my body. “Three years…. Has it really been that long since you left me? God, Marc. I miss you so much.” I think to myself. Realizing I spaced out, I quickly rinsed and wrapped my hair in a towel before putting on my robe and heading to get dressed.

           I quickly dressed and toweled my hair dry before looking in the mirror and applying some light makeup before pinning my curls back with an ornate wooden pin. I sighed looking again at the calendar. November 29th. Three years ago today, the accident had happened. Three years ago, my best friend Marc had disappeared after a car wreck on his way to school. One minute he was there, thrown from the car, a woman was sitting with him as she called 911. She had run back to her car for a minute to get a blanket to cover him but when she came back, he was gone, everybody had looked for him, but he was never seen again.

           Suddenly my phone chimed, stirring me from my memories. I put on my glasses to check the notification and saw it was a f*******: memory. I swiped it off the screen already knowing that it was the picture on my desk. Marc and I sitting under my favorite tree while he was teaching me to play guitar. I sighed as I saw that it was nearly time to catch the bus. I quickly grabbed my purse and backpack and walked upstairs. Glancing around the mostly empty house I sigh as I walk into the kitchen to make a cup of coffee in my thermos to take outside into the wintry air.

           I slip my sealed thermos into my purse and lock the door behind me as I start to walk down the driveway. It seems strange having the whole house to myself, but it’s almost preferrable to having my parents around constantly yelling at me when I am already paying the bills. Ever since dad lost his job, I’ve been paying the lights, water, sewer, and cable bills, and Mom’s little income has put some food in the house. I shook my head as I trudged through the snow to the bus stop. I was staring down trying not to think about how similar this day was to the day he disappeared. Same date same kind of weather.

           Suddenly the bus pulled up and I climbed on barely noticing how empty it was as I made my way to my seat in the back. I was the only high school student who rode this bus, and as such our next stop was the elementary and middle school lot. As the younger students trickled off the bus I stood and moved up to sit behind Ed, the bus driver. “Morning Kiddo,” he said in his cheerful tone as we pulled back onto the main road. I smiled and waved as I pulled out my headphones and started listening to music. I closed my eyes, as Ed Sheeran’s Photograph drowned out the sounds of the traffic passing by and I put my forehead against the cold bus window. Suddenly, I felt my body being flung violently toward the open walkway, and as I flung my eyes open, I saw the headlights of a semi plowing through the front of the bus.