Nine.

After several hours of crying (mostly screaming) my ankle was treated, I didn't faint.

Ha.

Chase and Mom came first, saying they were not impressed by my act of clumsiness. They fixed up a story making everyone believe that I was sleepwalking and ended up tripping and twisting my ankle. They fooled everybody except April, Ryder and James.

Yes, James came after school with a surprisingly big bouquet of lilies and roses, white roses, and I hate white roses.

May and Blake believed their story though, but I can't and don't blame them, they've always been fools to start with.

Oliver, Tyson and Ruth called too.

Currently, I am slouched on a couch with a cast around my ankle and getting a scolding from a seriously angry mother.

Why? For no apparent reason.

"It happened right in front of you, you made it happen!" I huff folding my arms.

"Are you saying I'm lying to you Maria?" I cringe when she calls my middle name.

Why does the world hate me?

"It's Marie." I point out.

"Alexandra." She says calmly but still intimidating.

I can tell she's pissed off even though she's not supposed to be.

"Yes ma'am." I squeak, her right eye was visibly twitching.

"Why didn't you inform me that you tripped off the stairs and sprained you ankle last night when Chase told you he'd be spending the rest of the year with us while I was happily recording everything from your fall to the way you limped miserably to the guest room?" She asks, not even ashamed.

"B–but..." I sputter taken aback by her outburst.

The nerve of this woman!

"Do you know about this darling?" She asks referring to Chase.

I'm too shocked to roll my eyes at her.

Chase who has been watching the scene unfolding in front of him from the other side of the room with a bowl of popcorn shakes his head 'no', giving me an unimpressed look while scarfing down his popcorn.

I will castrate this idiot!

"See!" Mom exclaims expecting me to accept that it was my 'fault' and say sorry.

"There's nothing to see mom," I exclaimed too. "Well except for the fact that you and Chase are crazy." I smirk in satisfaction as their faces drop.

"Young lady, you have been utterly disrespectful and you have also been nonchalant towards your family." Mom sighs softly shaking her head.

This calls for punishment.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to punish you for your action." She concludes happily.

I knew it!

"What you're trying to say is that you're going to punish me for being framed by you guys?!"  I ask, completely fazed. "You guys should join the drama club." I muttered under my breath.

"Eggzactly!" Chase says with his mouth full.

"Shut up fork head." I snap at him while he just sticks out his grossed tongue out.

Just when Mom was about to speak up, she receives a phone call and excused herself from the living room.

"Ugh! You guys irritate me." I mumble before picking up my one pair crutch to get to my room.

"We haven't finished judgment yet." Chase informs me as if I've forgotten.

"Say one more word and you'll be the one in crutches by tomorrow morning!" I warn narrowing my eyes at him.

He throws his hands in the air immediately. He knows I'll smash him to pulp even though I'm the one with an injured ankle.

"Idiot." I huff proceeding with my journey up the stairs.

~*~

"Your brother is mean." Ariana said with a frown.

I nodded in agreement, tying the laces of her ballet flats.

"So you really own this studio?" Ariana asked for the hundredth time in the last twenty minutes we got here.

Miranda had called me an hour ago saying that Ariana was being stubborn again and her brother was not home. Even I didn't know where he went, we were at the hospital together and he just received a message, his facial expressions already gave away that he wasn't happy with whatever he was reading because he just stormed out after that.

I just ordered an Uber and picked Ariana up, telling her I was taking her somewhere cool. I did not expect her to be this amazed at my dance studio.

You're probably wondering why on Earth I have a dance studio. Well, my father built it for me. I used to dance, I still can, but I stopped a year ago.

"I'm pretty sure I do." I said.

"Whoa! It's really cool, why don't you use it?" She asks straightening out her ballet skirt thingy.

"I don't use it because school is more important and I just hire it to people because I get a shi–heap load of money." I covered my slip up quickly.

She nodded and turned around so I can tie her hair into a bun.

She says she can dance ballet, I told her I'd love to see her dance.

"Ok, all done." I quipped and she gave me a wide smile before moving to the centre of the room.

She gave me a thumbs up and I nodded before hitting play on my remote. I gave her a thumbs up too when the soft music started playing.

To say she was amazing was a huge understatement. She moved so elegantly, she danced with the flow, her feet gliding against the shiny wood like two light feathers.

I was so glad I caught every single piece of it on camera.

After that, I locked the studio and we went to a Park, we played and ate ice cream. After the park we went to a Burger shop and went crazy.

After that, I took her home.

I rapped my knuckles on the huge double doors of the Anderson's.

A minute passed by and there was nothing. I was about to knock again when the door flung open.

Ryder was heaving in and out furiously, as if he had gotten into a fight. His eyes snapped to me and he immediately stepped out of the house and grabbed my arms.

"Ow–Ryder what the–"

"Where the fuck do you think you're doing? Where did you take her!" Ryder shouted at my face, his voice booming through the silent evening.

Ariana gasped and shuffled behind me.

"Ryder st–"

"I fucking asked you a question goddammit!" He yelled shaking me, almost sending my crutch toppling over. My eyes widen and my glasses slipped halfway. Was he crazy or what?

"R–Ryder we should talk ab–"

"There is nothing to talk about! I asked you to come if she needed you not take her out of the house!" He cut me off again.

Behind me, his sister whimpered grabbing fistfuls of my oversized hoodie.

"You fucking took her out of the house and your phone was off do you fucking know what could have happened to her? It's not like you could protect her–"

"Stop shouting you're scaring the girl." I yelled shutting him up.

I yanked my arms from his grip and staggered backwards a bit, my mouth hanged open.

I didn't know what to say. I was speechless. How could he say that? I wish there was a way to suck up the tears that were streaming down my face.

He took his dark blue gaze away from me and looked at the terrified girl behind me.

"Come here Annie." He said quietly, outstretching his arms to his sister.

She let out a terrified shriek and ducked behind me.

Ryder looked surprised and hurt. He shouldn't have done what he just did, especially in front of his sister.

Miranda's short form appeared from the door and Ariana immediately ran to her.

"It's okay darling." Miranda said, rubbing her hand down her back. "I told you she was with Alex," she said to Ryder. "They probably wouldn't have gone out if you were at home."

He didn't say anything, he just clenched his fists and stared at his feet.

Miranda gave me an apologetic look before taking the little girl inside.

I didn't say anything, instead, I clutched my crutch tight and started walking out of the residence.

"Alex I–" He started but I cut him off.

"Please don't. I don't want to hear it." I said quietly before walking away.

There was nothing to say. My head was already aching and all I wanted to do was rest.

Rest was all I needed.

*******

••••

Maryam M.B ♥