After The End: Alex Rider FanFiction

~Chapter Twenty-One~

Mack's (POV)

"Would anyone else like some tomato soup?" Lucy asks everyone, her eyes searching.

I make a face. "No thanks. I'm good." I look over at Alex, gagging to prove my point. I take another bite of my biscuit.

Who in the world would eat tomato soup for breakfast?....Oh wait. Don would.

"No one can appreciate a good old fashioned breakfast these days." Don says, and I roll my eyes at the fake hurt in his voice.

        And he thinks I'm the drama queen.

I feel a smirk grow on my face. "Well, some of us aren't "old" fashioned." I make quotation marks with my fingers, wiggling my eyebrows at him.

Don grumbles something incoherent, looking down at his bowl.

With a victorious smile on my face, I look over at Alex who's sitting in the chair across from me.

My smile immediately disappears as I see a tense Alex, staring wide-eyed over at the far side of the table.

Okay....What's happening?

I watch as he tenses up more than he already was, his chest starting to rise and fall faster.

Well whatever it is, it can't be good.

"Alex." I say, trying to get his attention.

He doesn't even acknowledge me.

But it gets Lucys' and Dons' attention. Their gazes move over towards Alex, both of them looking a little alarmed as they notice the same thing I just did.

"Alex, dear." Lucy tries, placing her fork down beside her plate.

Still nothing.

I feel an unease start to grow inside me. He's never done this before.

Well you know, in the six days I've known him.

I'm about to try his name again, but Don interrupts me. "Give him a moment." Don quietly suggests.

Suddenly Alex tears his eyes away from the corner - as if it physically pained him, shooting up to his feet so fast his chair falls to the ground with a loud bang.

His breathing comes out in short gasps, arms noticeably trembling.

With wide eyes, I call his name again. "Alex." He glances over at that spot in the corner, then with unfocused eyes, he finally looks over at us. Completely avoiding our gazes.

He takes in our surprised expressions. Then before anyone can say anything, he leans down, picking up his knocked over chair with a shaking hand.

Quickly, he walks - more like runs, out of the kitchen.

Lucy makes a move to get up, but Don stops her by placing a hand on her arm. "Why don't you leave him for a minute." Don says, a secret message passing between them.

Okay, that's it.

"What's wrong with him?" I ask, cause I know it's something....I just don't know what. And it's eating me up inside.

I mean you can't act the way Alex does sometimes, and not have something wrong.

I already asked him about being abused. But that's not it.