Chapter Text
Alyssa
Divorce sucks.
Especially if you have a child caught in the middle.
So... let's just say it sucks to be me.
My mom and dad got a divorce a couple of months ago. Mom found out Dad was cheating, and of course, Dad found out the same.
Not much to say about that part, besides the fact that while the paperwork isn't done, my parents decided to go their separate ways—without me, of course. So today, Mom is dropping me off at my aunt's house. I mean, she was supposed to be looking out for me during the divorce, but she basically said, "fuck it, I'm single now," and abandoned me.
Not exactly like that, but you get the idea.
I was in the front seat of the car, staring out the window at house after house, bored. Glancing at my mom, she wore her usual everyday clothes—jeans and a sweater, no matter how hot it was outside. But she looked... stunning. Happy. Probably the first time she'd actually done her hair in ages. Don't get me wrong—I was happy for her—but it was weird, and sad, to see her so excited to leave me behind.
She turned to me with a smile, more makeup than I'd ever seen her wear in my entire life.
"No need to be nervous now," she said. Did I look nervous?
"You know Marie won't mind having you over," she continued. "Besides, Robert will be there—you remember him, right? He's probably around your age now."
Robert—or Robbie, for short—is my cousin, the son of my aunt Marie, if that wasn't obvious.
I didn't know how this was supposed to make me feel less nervous. The last time I saw and "talked" to Robert, we were in diapers. I just hoped he wasn't an asshole now.
"I do, thanks, Ma," I said, forcing a smile.
Not long after, she stopped in front of a sort of cute house. I assumed this was my stop.
"We've arrived!" she said cheerfully, stepping out of the car. I followed. "Why don't you go knock on the door while I get your things out of the back?"
I sighed, doing exactly as she said. But before I could step forward, she called out to me.
"Alyssa?" I turned to her without saying a word.
"Just..." she paused, thinking, then sighed and looked away. "Just don't be a burden to them, okay?"
Oh.
Wow.
We kept silent, not moving, not talking, not even looking at each other.
"I won't," I muttered, and just like that, I walked to the front door. I rang the doorbell, hearing quick footsteps immediately after.
The door opened, revealing a middle-aged woman with short dark hair and a happy smile. It didn't take me long to realize this was Aunt Marie—she had aged like fine wine since the last time we'd seen each other.
"Allie!" she called out, hugging me tightly. I awkwardly hugged back with just one arm, just in case.
"Took you girls long enough to get here! Where's April?"
"Oh, Mom is in the back just getting my stuff. She sent me to say hi, but I think I'm gonna help her or something," I mumbled, shrugging.
"Oh, that's no need, sweetie," she said with a smile. "Why don't you go look around the house while I help her? Robbie is most likely in his room, and my husband is at work. Make yourself at home, okay?"
Before I could respond, she passed by me with that same enthusiasm. I shrugged and went inside, looking around.
There wasn't much, but it was enough. The first floor had a small kitchen connected to the dining room, a living room, and a bathroom. Upstairs, there were two rooms and another bathroom. One was my aunt's, and the other had a sign that read: No Humans Allowed, with a little alien face. I assumed it was Robert's.
This was going to be awkward. But I figured I'd better knock than risk him finding me downstairs and thinking I was an intruder. Technically... I kind of was.
I knocked and waited. Loud music blasted from inside—Twisted Sister, to be exact. I banged louder. The volume dropped, and the door soon opened, revealing a dark-haired boy, really tall, wearing a red shirt.
He looked confused at first, then his expression clicked.
"Sup, Robert," I said. What else could I say?
"Oh... hi... hmm... Alyssa!" he said, smiling awkwardly, praying he hadn't messed up my name. "Not sure if I should say 'long time no see' or 'nice to meet you,' y'know."
"Let's just go with 'sup,'" I said, smiling.
"Okay, then 'sup' it shall be," he replied. There was a silence for a moment before I tried to break it.
"Twisted Sister... not bad," I muttered. Just end the silence, I thought.
"Oh, you like it too?" His smile widened as he opened the door to let me in. I stepped inside.
The room was messy, but not alarmingly so. My room back at home was way worse. Posters of bands and baseball covered the walls. Just by looking around, I could already tell his personality—nice.
"I can't say I'm a 'fan,'" I said, sitting on his bed. He turned the volume up again. "I mean, I like 'Bad Boys' and some other stuff. So yeah, I'm a... casual enjoyer, if I get a say."
"'Casual enjoyer'? Hahaha, why are you so weird?" he laughed. Great, just go ahead and make yourself weird and boring to your only possible friend. Still... never seen a girl actually know the music without faking it.
He rolled his eyes before looking at me. "You're not faking, are you, Allie?" He narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
"Nah, I don't think I am," I shrugged. He seemed satisfied. "And... for the record, I like ABBA better."
"We're definitely going to hit it off," he said. At least, thank God. "What's your favorite song then?"
The conversation went on and on. When we finally noticed, it was already dark. I looked out the window—Mom's car was gone. Gone without even saying goodbye.
Robbie and I went downstairs and had dinner with his dad. It was kind of fun, I had to admit.
When it was time to sleep, I was on a mattress beside his bed. He snored loudly, but I was way more used to it than I'd like to admit.
Hmm.... guess this won't be so bad after all. Who knows?