Gentle touch

The grudge

The girl sprinted up the stairs, panting with each step she took. He was right behind her, and she could feel his fingers graze over her. She hastily ran into her room, slamming the door behind her, she pressed her body against the door. "Josh, leave me alone!" She screeched, feeling her brother pushing the door.

With all her might, she had tried to keep the door closed, her small body proved weak against his however. The door flung open, Alexa losing balance with the sudden force. She hissed as her knees hit the floor, "you just fell over, get a grip." Her brother told her, ridiculing the tears rolling down her face. "You pushed me." She accused, her sobs then filling the room, sounds of her sniffles and pained cries.

"Oh my god, you are so dramatic." Josh groaned, he picked his sister up, grabbing her from her underarms. He dropped his sister onto her bed, "better?" He chastised, she shook her head.

"You're s-so..mean to me..a-all the time!" She stuttered, shallow breathes interrupting her words. "You're such a crybaby." He complained, this only made his sister cry more. She didn't get it!

At recess, Lacy Jone's older brother would come and say hi to his sister.

Alexa didn't understand why Josh was so mean to her, he seemed to like teasing her. "I hate you." She told him, her sobs reducing to sniffles, "well I hate you too so we're even." He combated. Alexa's lip wobbled, another round of crying being threatened, "fine...I don't hate you Ally, I'd just like you a lot more if you weren't an annoying little brat."

The answer didn't offer her much consolation, but at least her brother didn't hate her. She looked down at her knees, she had expected to see dark bruises, but instead she just saw red patches on both of them. Alexa watched as her brother began to leave the room, "where are you going." She whimpered.

He rolled his eyes, "getting you an ice pack idiot."

The girl nodded, watching as her brother exited the room. Alexa slammed her head back onto the pillow, was this how brothers were supposed to act? She wasn't sure, she only had one brother and it was Josh.

On the tv shows she had watched, the sister would argue with the brother but then they'd make up, her and her brother only seemed to fight. The nine year old whined as she moved her legs down, her knees did really hurt! She wondered if she'd ever be able to walk again after.

"Owwww." She cried, an ice pack being tossed onto her stomach, it didn't hurt particularly, but it had shocked her. "You could at least say thanks." Her brother grumbled from the doorway, Alexa turned away from the door, angry at her brother for throwing the ice pack. "Be ungrateful then." Josh harshly spoke, "don't tell mom, she'll freak out." He then sighed.

"But what if she sees my knees." Alexa protested, "well I guess you'll just have to wear pants." Her brother chided. The girl stared at her wall, until Josh closed the door. She turned onto her back once more, she placed the ice pack on her knees, she didn't like the cold against her legs. She pouted, huffing.

She grabbed her stuffed animal, Sir Sparkles. "Why does Josh hate me so much sparkles?" She questioned the inimate object, "I try to be a good sister! I really do!"

There was no response from the tabby cat, "you're my only friend." She mumbled, hugging the stuffed animal.

~~

"How are you feeling about it all?" The man questioned, the notebook rested in his lap, a pen in his hand. "I don't know." Alexa shrugged, the thirteen year old crossing one leg over the over. "But I think you do know." He pressed, tapping his pen against the paper.

"It's just..weird I guess." She told him, "how so?" He asked. "Well Robert and Allison moved in, and I know that I've known them for a year but it's like living with strangers."