Finally able to upload!!!!!!!! :D

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Things got awkward after that. I was watching TV when there were knocks at the door. It'd been a week since the fight with the Nicole. Knocks continued, but I didn't say anything. I was entranced in my show. Whoever it was could wait till commercial.

"Alexis?" Dad opened my door.

"Hmm?" I hummed, not taking my eyes off the screen.

"Time to eat," he said.

I stood and followed him to the kitchen to make my plate. I told my parents about the fight and we all just sat at the table. I was so sleepy. I hadn't been sleeping well since the fight. I met Clex's parents the other day, and they were sweet. How could he be so bad, when his life was so good? He couldn't hurt anyone.

"Alexis," Mom said.

I looked at her.

"This needs to stop," she said.

"What?" I shrugged.

"Your behavior. You don't talk, you don't respond to knocks at your door, you've been late to school three times... Why did you and Nicole fight?" she asked.

"Apparently this guy is trouble and she told me, but she didn't say what he did. Then she tried to say she tried telling me what the deal was, when she never really tried. So, yeah. And I met his parents yesterday. He's harmless," I said.

"Maybe she didn't know how to tell you," Dad said.

I shook my head. "I don't think so."

The home phone rang and Mom answered it.

"Hello? Who is this calling? She's eating, but she'll call you from her cell phone afterwards, okay? Okay, bye."

"Who was that?" Dad asked.

"Clex," Mom shrugged, confused.

"That's him," I said. "The mysterious bad guy."

"Odd name," she said.

"It's cool," I said.

Mom looked at Dad and back at me. I looked at both of them confused.

"What?" I asked.

"Honey," Mom sat next to me and held my hand. "stay away from him."

"Why? You don't even know him," I said.

"Alexis, you need to understand... You're changing," Dad said.

"So?!" I snapped my head towards him. "I'm getting older, I'm a girl, it's what we do!"

"Don't yell at your father like that," Mom said sternly.

I got up from the table, and walked into my room. I grabbed a bag from my closet and started tossing clothes in. They wanted to control me. No. I can be friends with whoever I want.

"Alexis, stop packing," Mom commanded.

I didn't reply.

"Alexis, I mean it!" she snapped.

"I don't care! I'm not going to be hovered over anymore!" I exploded.

"Don't talk to your mother like that!" Dad boomed.

I slung my bag over my shoulder and faced them. "Look. I'm sixteen. I've always done what y'all have asked me to do. I've told you every detail of my day, I've gone to work every day, I've gone to school every day, I let you interrogate every one of my friends, I let you watch me get on the bus... I do everything you want me to, but that ends today. I can be trusted. And if you don't believe that, then... I don't know."

Their faces were filled with sadness and shock. I'd always been the good daughter--the one who never broke the rules. I did what they wanted. But I was going to do what I wanted now. When they didn't respond, I walked past them and began walking out of my neighborhood.

Where was I gonna go?

Nicole was mad at me, I was sure Chase wouldn't want me around, and Ben surely wouldn't. I couldn't speak French, so I couldn't go to Anais's... I scrolled to the Cs in my contact list and called Clex. Maybe he'd let me stay? I waited for him to pick up--hopefully he would.

"Hey, there," he chuckled.

"Hey, um... I have a huge favor to ask," I swallowed.

"Sure, are you okay?" he asked.

"Do you think your parents will let me stay with you for a while?" I asked.

"Sure," he said. "What happened?"

"I'll tell you later... I'm just really tired now. Please come get me."

"Yeah, of course, I'll be there in five minutes."

"Thanks."

I stood there, waiting, each minute feeling like an eternity. But when Clex's truck came into view, a smile spread across my face. He paled when he saw me, at the front of the neighborhood. He pulled up next to me, got out, and hugged me.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Waiting for you," I said looking at him.

"Here?" he questioned.

"I'll explain in the truck," I said getting in the passenger side.

I told him everything about what my parents had said and what I said.

"Damn," he said.

I shrugged.

"Well, you're with me now," he smiled, taking my hand.

"Like, with, with you, or with you?" I asked.

"What do you think?" he chuckled.

*****

"Look who's here!" Clex called when we walked in his house.

His parents--Mary and Liam--came up to me and hugged me. "Why are you here so late?"

Clex summed it up for them and they looked at me. "Will you give us one second?" Liam asked.

I nodded as Liam, Mary, and Clex went in the other room. I heard voices, but couldn't catch any words. I stood there like an awkward person would and waited. When they came back out, Mary forced a smile. "You can stay."

"Thank you so much, you have no idea... Just thank you," I smiled.

She nodded and went to a closet, got some sheets and a comforter, and motioned me to come to her.

"Help me make the couch?" she asked.

I nodded, taking the sheets and spreading them onto the couch. Understandable move.

"You can sleep here," she said when we were done. "See you tomorrow."

"Okay, thank you again," I said.

She shut her bedroom door.