Suicide, Skittles and Skates [✓]

Chapter 09

CHAPTER NINE

The remainder of the week went by slower than normal, the snow outside causing the entire city to come to a standstill. Instead of moping around doing nothing like he usually did, Alex had decided to unpack all the boxes still left over from when he'd first moved in almost three months ago.

Before Kalila had left to go home that day, she had offered to help paint the flat whenever he got round to it. He hadn't been planning to take her up on her offer, preferring his place to have a miserable atmosphere to match the way he felt inside. But that was before Lacey barged her way over that Sunday morning, after the snow had finally melted.

"Morning, sunshine!" she chirped, smacking Alex on his shoulder with the spare key he had given her for emergencies. He rubbed his half-open eyes and yawned, kicking the tangled bedsheets off with his feet to reveal bright pink pyjamas.

"What are you doing here so early?" he groaned, pulling himself up at looking at the luminescent figures of the small clock on his bedside cabinet. 9:46am. He grudgingly climbed out of bed and took a few steps towards the bathroom, Lacey skipping behind him.

"Well, to put it bluntly, you're a mess, darling." Her arms were crossed defensively, as though she was daring him to protest. Which he would have done if it weren't for the fact that his mouth was currently full of toothpaste, making him look rather like a rabid chipmunk.

She took advantage of the fact that he couldn't tell her to shut up or complain, and continued. "You haven't gone out anywhere since the accident, you barely talk to anyone anymore and you live like a hobo. Do you really think Alice would be okay with you wasting your life away like this?!"

Alex rinsed his mouth out, turning towards her. "Well, excuse me if I'm not okay with it yet." He spoke quietly but clearly, narrowing his eyes at his way-too-nosy-for-her-own-good best friend.

Lacey stood her ground, knowing she was right, and refusing to back down. Along with the anger in the eyes staring down at her, there was a flash of hurt, and she knew he was putting on a mask to hide it. Her expression softened as she reached out to grab his hand in consolation.

"Hey. I know you're not okay being without her. Neither am I, but Alice was the life of the party all the time. Everything about her was so happy, and you know she'd kick your butt if she could see you now," she said, smiling as his anger subsided. "Especially if she could see how boring this place is; you really need to paint the walls!"

"Ugh, not you as well! Kalila offered to help paint it, but—"

Lacey squealed, clapping her hands excitedly. "Oh my gosh! She was here? You actually invited a girl over? You never invite anyone over, not even me or Ty. We just waltz right in. That has to mean something! You must like her, aww!"

He rolled his eyes. "Calm your knickers, Lace. We were only doing our art project."

Lacey was too much of a hopeless romantic. Stupid Nicholas Sparks! It was all his fault for giving her, and every other girl on the planet, unrealistic expectations of guys. She constantly played matchmaker in her head and Alex was her latest victim. He hadn't dated anyone since Melissa last year and that was something he'd rather not think about. It wasn't his fault all the girls in school were annoying and treated him like a pet instead of a person.

"Pfft, excuses! Anyway, forget that. C'mon, we're going to Homebase." She pulled some clothes out of his wardrobe and threw them at him, pushing him towards the bathroom to change. There was no way she was allowing him to go out in public in those Disney princess pyjamas again. 'God knows what Alice was thinking when she got him them for their birthday,' she thought, giggling as she remembered the sight.