Alone

by Maya Song Bradley, age 12
Maya likes to write tragedies, and realistic fiction. She likes to dance, sing, and act. She likes fashion, art, and makeup.

“Lexi still didn’t talk to me, and I could do nothing to fix it. Ben wasn’t talking to me cause he thought we were a thing and then I got back together with Hunter. Then Lexi and Ben wanted to get back at me by telling Hunter I hooked up with Isaac and even Hunter wouldn’t talk to me.”

There I was, standing, all alone…

It all started a month ago, June 18, 2014.

I was with my friend, Lexi White. We went to go see Maze Runner. We were standing in line for popcorn and candy, and I saw my ex, Hunter. Lexi hates my ex because we all used to hang out then when Hunter and I started to date she became the third wheel. When Lexi and I got in the theatre we got the PERFECT seats, we always try to get to the movies early.  We sat down and started talking and laughing and then Hunter and his best friend Devin sat right next to us. It went SILENT: you could hear a pin drop. After five minutes I got up and went to the bathroom, I slapped on some perfume, threw on a little lip gloss, and a little bit of breath spray.  It’s not like I miss him, but I still want to look good.  

I ran back to my seat and started talking to Lexi. It started getting awkward when I put my hand in the wrong popcorn bucket and Hunter and I touched hands. The movie started and we all got quiet, once the maze doors closed I got scared and Hunter tried to hold my hand. Once the Grevers got loose and started attacking in the glade Hunter put his arm around me and I snuggled in. After the movie Hunter and I hugged then he left and Lexi and I went to the mall, she started talking to me about what happened in the theatre and seemed pretty mad.

“How’s Hunter?”

“I don’t know, good I guess, why?”

“Just figured you knew.”

“Why?”

“Cause your little snuggle sesh. If you still liked him you could’ve just told me.”

“Why are you getting mad at me?”

“Because I don’t want to be the third wheel again! You’re my best friend and when you were dating Hunter we didn’t hang out, you were always busy with him. I don’t want you guys to start dating again.”

“Well I’m sorry but this isn’t your decision to make. Has it ever occurred to you that it’s not always about you?! It doesn’t matter that you don’t like him, cause I like him, and I’m the one that’s gonna date him, no matter if you like it or not!”

She left the mall and I had to find a way to get home. I was planning on taking the A train home. I went and sat in the Starbucks across the street then I ran into Hunter.

“Where’s Lexi?”

“She left.”

“Why?”

“She got upset with me cause she doesn’t want us dating.”

“We’re dating?”

“I mean we snuggled while watching a movie. It was kind of a date.”

“Yea. Um… Girlfriend.” Trying to move onto another topic.

“Hey where’s Devin?”

“He left, didn’t feel good. Since it’s just you and me, and now we are dating, why don’t I buy you a coffee and have our first official date.”

“I’d like that.”

That night was amazing. We walked in Times Square taking pictures and stuff, it was SO romantic. After that he drove me home, and walked me to my door. My parents were watching T.V.

“Why aren’t you at Lexi’s?” my mom said.

“Um… She didn’t feel good.”

“Then how did you get home?” My dad asked

“I took a train.”

“Cool, well if you want dinner it is on the stove so it should be ready around ten fifteen.”

I went up to my room and texted Lexi, she kept reading and not answering to any of my messages. Finally I ate dinner, my mom and dad asked me how the movie was, I said good. Tonight the dinner table felt super quiet, as if there was a lot of tension, and I KNEW it wasn’t just cause I got home earlier than I was suppose tod. I asked if anything happened, and they were very mellow and said things like “Nothings wrong, nothing at all.” Then would smile.

“How’s Lexi?” my mom asked.

“Fine…why?”

“Just wondering.”

“Your phone went off with a notification, she read your message. What were you talking about?” my dad asked.

“Um…school work, math, you know…stuff like that. Why?”

“I was just asking.” Both my parents smiled.

The next morning it was a cool Saturday morning, I put on my favorite brown saddle jacket and black heel ankle boots and headed outside. I went on a little walk to the swings where I was gonna meet Hunter, I got there a bit early and I saw one of my other ex boyfriends, Ben. He has brown hair with golden highlights, in a manly way, the PERFECT biceps, and has such a great personality. We’re now friends and we sat on the swings and talked, I hadn’t seen him since we broke up last year. He had to run to meet his family for breakfast, and we texted a lot after that moment. Hunter and I were talking about how we are both going to college next year and how our colleges are both only half an hour away so we can visit on weekends. Through out the week we would pass by each other in the hall and meet after school. Lexi still wouldn’t talk to me, till one day.

“Why won’t you talk to me?!” I blurted out in science class.

“You already know, I don’t like your boyfriend.”

“Is there something else?”

“No…”

“Really?”

“Well… There is but, I can’t say it.”

“Why not?”

“I just can’t.”

“What is it!”

“Me and Hunter kissed the night you broke up!”

After that I was the one that couldn’t talk to her. I didn’t talk to Hunter either.

Friday night the door rang and it was Ben, he had a bunch of movies and kettle corn.

“How are you?” he asked.

“Good, why?”

“I heard you’re fighting with Lexi.”

“Yea, it’s because-”

“I know why.”

“How who’s talking-”

“No one’s talking about it, I kinda overheard you and Lexi.”

“Oh.”

“I think he should’ve told you.”

“Yea. It would’ve been good information.”

We started to watch a whole bunch of comedies and took pictures and posted on Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and twitter. The next morning I got a text from Hunter asking about my movie session with Ben, and I fired right back with him and Lexi’s hook up. He backed away and started apologizing and things started getting complicated real fast.

Lexi still didn’t talk to me, and I could do nothing to fix it. Ben wasn’t talking to me cause he thought we were a thing and then I got back together with Hunter. Then Lexi and Ben wanted to get back at me by telling Hunter I hooked up with Isaac and even Hunter wouldn’t talk to me.

After a month I went from popular to loser, everyone thought I was a slut and all my friends stopped talking to me, I ate outside on a bench for lunch and I had NO one to talk to. That night I got a call on the home phone from the ambulance: my parents had gotten in a big car accident. I had to hop onto the train and run five blocks to the accident. They had to spend the night in the hospital.

I had to go to school early in the morning to get one the school bus. During  English class Mr. Smith got a note from our vice principal, I was to report to the office. What had I done?! I’m pretty sure I did nothing! I was told my parents wanted me at the hospital. Mr. Brown, our principal told me he hoped my parents were okay. I hopped on the bus and went straight to my parents room, the doctor told me I had an hour before they… will… pass. I couldn’t believe it. We had a long talk, my mom on my right in a bed, and my dad on my left in his hospital bed. After we talked about their will my mother and father faded fast, tears running down my face and my heart beating slower. I couldn’t believe it, they were gone, and this time, for real. My heart was alive but my soul was gone, or was my soul alive and my heart was gone? Who knows, but I know a part of me was gone.

I had to stay at my house alone because I need to clear out my house to sell it. After a week everything was alright, but my “friends’ wouldn’t even talk to me, the friends knew would be there for my one hundred percent. I started going through my parents stuff. In my moms desk I found a folder that was titled “Birth Certificates and Growing Up.” I opened it up, pages upon pages of paperwork and pictures of me as a child. I found a small envelope in big letters “Baby Pictures.” It was me and a girl in the hospital, about thirty pictures, and eighteen of me and this other baby girl, until the nineteenth one, it was just pictures of me throughout my toddler years. I went through one more envelope titled “Elenore and Elena,” I was wondering who Elena was. Once again pages upon pages of pictures, then I came across paperwork in a large binder clip, the last four pages were information about Lexi. It was like a note written to my mother.

Dear Kayla,

Your daughter Lexi White is doing really great with her adoptive family, but she is having trouble at home. Her parents are fighting every night and it’s affecting her school work, other than that everything is great. From Kerry.

I had a sister. My best friend is my sister. I needed to tell her, but she wouldn’t believe me. I have to bring this stuff to school tomorrow and show her. The next day at the end of school I walked up to her and said straight out,

“We’re sisters.” She obviously didn’t believe me. After I showed her the papers she finally believed me.

“Wow. We’re sisters… I can’t believe it, I knew something was special about our friendship.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about everything,” I said.

“You know, sisters would listen to each other, and take each other’s advice, especially about boys.”

“Are you serious?! We are sisters, I’m trying to say sorry and you won’t forgive me, sisters forgive each other.”

“If you were really my sister you would have taken my advice.”

“And look who mom kept!”

Everyone heard me and Lexi ran out crying, I ran after her, she wouldn’t turn around. My only thing left of my family is Lexi, and she’s gone. Now I’m the most HATED person at Belleview High, and I don’t have anyone to go to. Now I know, the part of me that was missing was my sister, my other half. Now I know why my parents were so quiet. June 18th, 2014. There I was, standing, all alone…