The Return of Alex Kelly

Chapter 3

Danny

Waking up slowly I heard the soft chirping of the birds outside of my window and tried to remember the amazing dream I had been having. I stretched my toes and was surprized to realise that they reached over the wooden frame of the bed. I felt strangely good, like I was finally full again after all those years. I suddenly remembered there was a person sleeping next to me and nearly fell out of my bed in shock at the fact that she had stayed. I got up trying not to wake her and went into my bathroom to have a quick shower. The warm water helped to sooth my tense muscles as it washed over me. Turning off the tap I grabbed my towel and wrapped it around my waist, then I realised that I hadn’t brought any clothes with me…

“Shit.” Cursing I made my way back into my bedroom.

 Thankfully Alex was still asleep – either that or she was very good at pretending. She looked so vulnerable lying under my superman duvet that I had had since forever. Her thick auburn hair was tossed around her face and both of her arms were out of the duvet, a strange but cute habit. I rummaged through my cupboard until I found some washed out jeans, a plain white vest and a blue plaid shirt which I left unbuttoned and with the sleeves rolled up.

       Then I found a packet at the back of my cupboard, that I had kept for all this time, which had Alex’s back-up clothes in it. I picked out some jeans and a vest that had a floral pattern on it and put them next to her on the bed. It was about then that I realised just how hungry I was when my stomach let out a weird gurgling sound, protesting that I hadn’t fed it yet. Not wanting to wake Alex up I tried to make my way as quietly as I could, across my room. Reaching my door I hesitated and wondered if Alex would leave while I was gone but I told myself that if she wanted to leave she could have done it last night while I was fast asleep. I tiptoed past my parents’ bedroom and put my ear to the door; listening for any movement, but there wasn’t any so I tiptoed the rest of the way to the kitchen, stepping carefully on the wooden boards I knew wouldn’t creek. I was about to start the kettle when an idea screamed through my mind.                                                           

 I headed out the door and crossed the yard to the horse barn that towered over anyone and anything that stood next to it. It was massive and had been built by my grandpa; it was a wooden barn with a green roof and cream walls. It was double story and all the hay and supplies where kept at the top, while the horses and their tack slept at the bottom. After I had greeted the horses that slept in the barn overnight I grabbed two sets of tack and a saddle bag that I could clip onto Glory’s saddle. I carried the tack out to the paddocks and balanced them on the fence. I could see Glory in the distance but I couldn’t see Apple; the lively appaloosa mare that shared the paddock with him and who was also the horse Alex had used to ride.

I whistled for him knowing that she wouldn’t be far behind, and sure enough she came galloping towards the fence soon after him. I greeted them each with a sugar cube each and quickly tacked them up then led them to the front of the barn and tied them up.

       Running back into the house I grabbed some food supplies from the kitchen and put them in bag for later. Then I got started on breakfast. Waffles with raspberry sauce and ice-cream had always been mine and Alex’s favourite so I put some ready-made ones into the toaster and went to fetch the ice-cream and the raspberry sauce out of the fridge. Grabbing a plate, I piled it with waffles. I then tried to balance everything as I climbed the stairs to my room.

        When I reached the door I pressed my ear against the cool wood to see if I could hear any movement, nothing, so I pushed it open with my elbow and crept in. I needn’t have worried about waking Alex up ‘cause she was already up and dressed, sitting on my bed with wet hair staring out my window. When I pushed the door closed with my foot she turned with a start and then came over to help me with all the plates when she saw I was battling. When she took the plate of waffles from me her fingers brushed mine, sending a cascade of goose bumps over my skin. Our eyes locked and I thought she was about to say something but she looked away and carried the waffles to my bed; moving some of my clothes that were lying on the floor out of her way with her free hand. Sitting back down on my bed she patted the space next to her. I smiled her and made my way over to the bed.