New Beginnings (1)

........

Santa Monica, California.

It's so sunny and bright here, as I walk down the street the people who pass me by, stop just to tell me hello.

It feels strange I'm so used to being ignored and people speed walking past me just to get away. I walked a few blocks down the beach towards the few lines of beach houses till I reached Alex's house. I walked up the steps and lightly knocked on the door.

The door swung open to an impatient looking woman. Her hair was long and bridle, she had it tied up in a ponytail towards the back. Her t-shirt was bright green as it hugged her chest slightly in a fold of wrinkles looking as if she just rolled out of bed. You can barely see her denim shorts due to the fact she had a grey sweatshirt tied around her waist. The only thing I can think of was "she's trouble".

I peeked inside the house slightly looking left and right before looking her in the face. She tightened her grip on the door before placing her hand on her hip as in to say what do you want. I gulped slightly and looked her in the face.

"Hi, I'm sorry to bother you but are you Alex?", I asked.

She sucked her teeth and tucked up her lip, "Unbelievable", she mumbled before turning her back and walking off. I sighed as I watched her walk away heavily annoyed.

"Well come in freak before you let bugs into my house", She shouted from further inside the house.

I slowly stepped into her house and gently closed the door behind me. I walked past an area which appeared to be the dining room and into the living room.

The furniture looked out dated and smelled heavily of cigarette smoke. I tightened my grip on my backpack as I stepped further into the living room. She returned from an area just behind the sofa and tossed an envelope at me.

I barely caught it before it slipped out of my hands. She jumped back onto the sofa with a heavy sigh before lighting a cigarette and tossing the lighter on the withered away wooden coffee table in front of her. I looked at her as she stared at me with disgust, I couldn't bring myself to say anything to her so I just remained silent.

She flicked her ashes into a dragon ashtray before taking another puff.

She looked me in the eye then puffed a cloud of smoke in my direction.

"I'm Alex, not cousin Alex or cuz or Lex, Just Alex nothing more nothing less", she said as she placed her feet on the sofa. She took another puff then squinted her eyes as she stared at me.

"Auntie filled me in on your situation and I may say you are one little bada** you know that Kid", she teased, "for a little shut in you'll never guess a weird little kid like you had the balls to do what you did".