#hunter chen

At the bleak hour of 3 AM, Alex jolted awake, heart pounding, and sweat slicking her brow from another nightmare. Try as she might, sleep eluded her. She sighed and reached for her notepad; a song idea had sprouted from the chaos of her dreams, and she wasn’t about to let it slip away.

Alex’s creativity wasn’t confined to just writing stories and poems. She also sang, played the guitar, and wrote songs. Unlike Ginny, who excelled at the piano, Alex kept her musical talents hidden. Georgia probably didn’t even know she could play the guitar. Alex had picked up playing the guitar in music class back in Texas and now imagined the chords since she didn’t have one of her own.

She often felt overshadowed by Ginny and preferred to keep some things to herself to avoid comparisons.

As she was finishing her lyrics, she heard Georgia and Ginny talking in the other room. She tried to ignore it until something about Chewbacca caught her attention. Curiosity piqued, she went to Ginny’s room and saw her sister plucking a hair from their mother’s chin with a pair of tweezers.

“I’m not awake enough for this,” Alex muttered, shaking her head before returning to her room and closing the door.

Restlessness gnawed at her, making her feel as though she couldn’t sit still. She loved her home in Wellsbury but sometimes felt an overwhelming urge to move, to do anything but remain idle.

Abandoning her half-finished song, Alex decided to prepare for school. Getting ready and having breakfast early would give her a legitimate reason to leave the house without sneaking out. With that plan in mind, she set about her morning routine, hoping the activity would help settle her restless energy.

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Alex’s plan worked perfectly. She got ready, had breakfast, left a note saying she had left for school, and was out of the house before anyone else was even downstairs. She found a quiet spot in the school’s hallway and resumed her songwriting as she waited for the first bell. he was so lost in her creative flow that when a small package landed on her lap out of nowhere, she nearly jumped out of her skin.

“Jesus!” she exclaimed, her heart racing.

“I’ve been called worse,” Press said with a grin, plopping down next to her and glancing at her notebook. “Working on another poem?”

“A song, actually,” Alex replied, closing the notebook and examining the package. “What’s this?”

“Breakfast,” Press said with a shrug, tearing into his own. “If you’re here this early, I figured you might’ve skipped eating.” He handed her a carton of milk to go with it.

“Thanks,” Alex said with a grateful smile, accepting the milk. “I know why I’m here this early, but what about you?”

“The cafeteria makes killer turnovers for breakfast,” Press replied, his gaze fixed on something across the hall as he ate.

Alex knew better than to pry when someone didn’t want to talk. She despised it when people did it to her, so she wasn’t going to do it to Press. Instead, she set the milk carton beside her, opened her package, and said, “I’ll be the judge of that.” She tore off a piece of the turnover and popped it into her mouth, her eyes widening in surprise. “Holy apples, Batman – this is amazing!”

Press nearly choked on his milk but managed to recover with a smug smile. “Told you.” He studied Alex for a moment, clearly debating whether to ask her something.

Noticing his hesitation, Alex waved her hand in front of his face. “What’s up with your face?”

“Why did you take a picture of your fractured reflection and write that poem for your self-portrait?” Press asked, his voice steady.

Alex wasn’t expecting that. She looked away, biting her lip in thought before answering, “We’re not close enough for me to tell you that.” She was referring to an incident involving a bee, not what had happened with Kenny. She doubted she’d ever tell him about the bee; she didn’t want him to see her differently after knowing.

Press didn’t push further. “Okay,” he said, finishing the last bit of his turnover and his milk. He got up and threw his trash away in a nearby barrel. When he returned, he held out his hand to help Alex off the floor. “The classroom should be unlocked by now.”

Alex took his hand, tossed her trash, and together they walked to their first-period classes.

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“Where were you this morning?” Ginny asked, sliding into her seat beside Alex in AP English.

“Over the rainbow sipping tea with the Mad Hatter and the Scarecrow,” Alex replied, not lifting her eyes from her notebook.

“Is that a euphemism for something, or are you just avoiding the question?” Ginny pressed, genuinely puzzled.

Alex finally looked up and beamed, “Yes,” before diving back into her writing. She’d let Ginny puzzle over that one.

The bell rang, cutting off any further questions. However, as soon as class was over and they lined up to get their quizzes back, Ginny cornered her again. “I’m serious, where were you? Mom was freaking out until she saw your note.”

“I highly doubt that,” Alex replied coolly. “Besides, you said she saw my note, which clearly stated I was going to school early. So why are you asking me where I was?” Alex’s patience was wearing thin, and Ginny’s persistence wasn’t helping.

“I think what Ginny really wants to know is if you snuck out to hook up with Press before school,” Maxine chimed in with a smirk.

“Oh my deity of your choosing,” Alex groaned, rolling her eyes. Her attention snapped back to the teacher, who announced that only one student had a perfect score and that Hunter Chen was the one to beat. When Ginny and Alex got their quizzes back, both were scored 100%. “Racism is real, yo,” Alex muttered sarcastically as she exited the classroom, echoing Ginny’s words from their first day.

At her locker, Alex suddenly felt someone’s presence far too close behind her. She screamed and scrambled away, heart pounding, only to realize it was Press. He was approaching her slowly, like one might approach a startled deer. “Don’t do that!” she screamed again, not caring who heard.

“Whoa, Alex, I’m sorry…” Press’s apology was genuine. He hadn’t even managed to get out his intended “Boo!” before she freaked out. “Alex, you’re shaking.” He followed her into an empty classroom, watching as she hugged herself tightly, avoiding his gaze. Her behavior spoke volumes. “Who hurt you?”

Alex’s mind was a whirlwind, memories crashing down like a relentless tide. It wasn’t until Press’s words broke through that she managed to tether herself to the present. “What?” she asked, her voice fractured.

Press approached cautiously, stopping when she looked ready to bolt. “Who hurt you? Give me their name, and I swear I’ll make them pay.”

Alex saw the fierce determination in his eyes. She cleared her throat before speaking again. “I already did. Metal stool, below the belt – he won’t be hurting anyone else again.” She could see the anger simmering in Press, barely contained. “It happened in Texas, and I don’t want to talk about it.”

Press paced, trying to calm himself. “Okay.” After a moment, he stopped and asked, “Permission to hug you?”

Alex felt tears welling up. When she practically threw herself at Press, she knew she was clinging to him like a lifeline she hadn’t realized she needed.

So much for keeping it to herself, but Press didn’t run for the hills. If anything, it seemed to bring them closer, and to her surprise, Alex didn’t mind that one bit.

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After school, Alex was brought to the guidance counselor’s office by her Math teacher for a meeting to discuss her progress. Alex repeatedly told them that she didn't need tutoring, but they just pointed at her assignments and insisted. They even threatened to call her mother, Georgia, for a chat about next steps. Alex knew that bringing Georgia into this would lead to a lecture about her school performance and yet another comparison to Ginny. Though she doubted her mom even realized she was doing it, so she begrudgingly agreed to the tutoring. Again, it’s not like she needed it.

Alex plopped herself at a table by the window at Joe's Cafe, waiting for her tutor. She audibly groaned when she saw Hunter walking in. Sure, she knew that Hunter and Press were friends, but since Hunter dated Ginny, she figured Ginny would hear all about this.

"Hey, Alex," Hunter greeted with a friendly smile, setting his bag on the floor and sitting across from her. "I brought some practice pages for you to do so I can get a sense of your starting point, and we can go from there." He placed the papers and a pencil in front of her. "Do you have any questions before we get started?"

"Yeah, can we just pretend we did this whole tutoring thing so we can leave? I don't need tutoring, so you're just wasting your time." Alex’s annoyance was palpable.

Hunter looked at her supportively. "It's okay, Alex. Not everyone gets this, and if you're worried about me telling anyone, I won't."

Seeing the determination in Hunter’s eyes, Alex knew he wasn’t going to back down, so she begrudgingly started working on the sheets while he talked.

Hunter, thinking she was ignoring him and doodling, said, "I give you my word, I won't tell anyone you need tutoring." He added, "Could you at least try to be respectful and not doodle on the papers?"

"I'm not doodling," Alex retorted defensively. "I'm a horrible artist, so I don't doodle. You can ask Press if you don’t believe me. And like I said, I don't need tutoring. It's not that I can't do it; I just don’t care to. If the teacher paid attention, she’d see that I deliberately do just enough to pass. Why put effort into something I don't care about? Before you start lecturing me on respect, that goes both ways. How about you respect me enough to, oh, I don’t know, believe me when I say I don't need this?" She didn’t even look up from the papers as she spoke, and when she finished, she slapped the practice sheets down in front of Hunter— all completed.

Hunter looked shocked, his eyes wide as he saw that every single answer was correct. He flipped through the pages, checking to make sure the answer key wasn’t mixed in. "How...what..." he stammered.

"I told you I didn't need tutoring," Alex said, smugly.

"You sure don't," he laughed. "But I don't get it—why don't you do the work if you can clearly do it? Why aren't you in AP Math, too?"

Alex sighed with an elaborate hand gesture. "Were you not listening? I don't care about Math or any other subject. I do just enough to not get held back and focus on what I like. No point in wasting time on the other stuff.”

Hunter was still processing everything. "You could literally get into any college..."

Alex practically leaped out of her chair to lean over the table and cover his mouth with her hand. "I've heard it all before—no intention of hearing it again. If you promise to hush and never bring it up again, I'll show gradual improvement or whatever. Deal?"

When Hunter nodded, she removed her hand, returned to her seat, and sighed. "So, now what? We can go, right?"

Hunter, needing to collect his tutoring hours, said, "Actually...could we work on something? Anything? Joe needs to sign off that I've been here tutoring, and I’m counting on these hours to..."

Alex held up her hand. "Say no more. Homework it is."

Hunter was surprised she agreed. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

Alex shrugged. "You don't annoy me as much as I thought you would, so no biggie."

Hunter looked amused and confused. "Thanks, I guess."

Alex set her homework down. "I don't particularly care for Ginny's friends, and you're part of that group, so I assumed you'd be as nail-on-a-chalkboard-esque as them."

"Press is friends with them, too," Hunter countered.

"His so-called friends called him a psycho sociopath and told me I could do better. You may be friends with them and Press may be friends with you, but those ladies are so not his friends," Alex said without hesitation.

Hunter took that into consideration. "Noted." He then spotted some music notes and lyrics on one of Alex's notebook pages. "You're a songwriter?"

Alex flipped the page and went back to her History assignment. "We're not friends enough to get into that."

Hunter held his hands up in a playful, dramatic 'I surrender' manner. He could definitely see why Press was so into Alex and hoped it’d work out for them.

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When Alex got home after Hunter’s ‘tutoring session’ ended, she found Press perched on the front steps of her house, waiting. She couldn't help but feel a warmth spread through her chest at the sight of him there, almost like he was a guardian waiting to ensure she made it home safe.

“You’re not gonna go all Edward Cullen on me and watch me when I sleep, are you?” she teased, her playful smirk masking the genuine curiosity and slight nervousness beneath.

Press’s face turned stoic, masking any hint of confusion. “I have no idea what you’re referencing.”

Alex squinted at him, trying to discern if he was serious. A flicker of amusement crossed her mind, lightening the lingering weight of her day. She sat down beside him, chuckling. “What’s up?”

“You weren’t at Brodie’s tonight. Everything okay?” He cut straight to the chase, his eyes searching hers for any sign of distress.

“I had to do some mandatory tutoring,” Alex explained, rolling her eyes dramatically. “It was easier than dealing with the school calling my mom in.”

Press raised an eyebrow. “You’re literally one of the smartest people I know. You don’t need tutoring.”

“That’s what I tried to tell them,” Alex sighed, leaning back on her arms. She could see the concern in Press’s eyes, and it touched her more than she expected. “I’m fine, Press.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” he snapped, then immediately softened, rubbing his brow. Guilt tugged at him—he hadn’t meant to sound harsh. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“No, you did, and that’s okay,” Alex took a deep breath, feeling the weight of unspoken truths pressing against her ribcage. “I’m not lying when I say I’m fine.” She saw Press about to counter, so she quickly added, “F is for feeling overwhelmed. I is for I’m not alright. N is for not being able to sleep, E for every night.” Alex couldn’t take credit for that, but when she heard the song ‘Fine by Kyle Hume’ she felt it in her soul.

Alex flashed a wide smile, masking the turmoil inside. “I’m very good at burying things and saying what needs to be said so people don’t freak out around me.”

“You don’t have to wear a mask around me,” Press’s tone softened, a gentleness threading through his words. He wished she’d let him in, just a little bit more.

“It’s not a mask,” Alex countered with a small smile, though her heart ached with the effort of keeping the walls up. “It’s a face.” She wrapped her arms around his and leaned on his shoulder, craving the comfort of his presence. “I’m never going to tell you the full story.”

Press didn’t move, didn’t look at her. He could feel the unspoken pain radiating from Alex, and all he wanted was to ease it. “Okay,” he said simply and sincerely, and that was good enough for Alex.

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Up in her room, Alex was getting ready for bed when Georgia came in. She was braiding her hair, trying to unwind from a long day – ironically, because in a way she was literally winding her hair.

“Who were you talking to outside?” Georgia asked, her voice curious.

“Matt Press,” Alex answered, deftly finishing the braid. “He’s a friend.”

“A friend who is a boy?” Georgia’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Are you going to be okay with that?”

Alex turned to face her mother, meeting her gaze head-on. “Yes, I’m okay. And…he kinda knows what happened. When he snuck up on me, I kinda freaked, and he figured it out.”

Georgia’s legs wobbled, and she had to sit down. The revelation was like a punch to the gut, causing a swirl of emotions—fear, relief, and a deep, aching sadness for her daughter’s pain.

Since Georgia was uncharacteristically silent, Alex continued, feeling a need to fill the heavy silence. “He didn’t react like I thought he would…he was supportive and asked for my permission to give me a hug. After everything, I really didn’t think I could get close to a boy, and I’m not saying that he and I will ever get close physically, I’m just saying…it’s good, Mom. I’m good.” There was a mix of hope and vulnerability in her voice, a quiet plea for understanding.

Georgia swallowed the words she wanted to say because, for the first time in a long time, she saw that Alex genuinely meant she was good. Instead, she put on a warm smile, feeling a surge of maternal pride and love, and kissed her daughter’s forehead. “I’m glad. After all, not all men…”

She didn’t need to finish her sentence. Alex responded instantly, the playful sparkle in her eyes returning. “Of course not. Gomez Addams would never.”

Georgia chuckled, a wave of relief washing over her. “My little Addams fanatic,” she said softly, her voice filled with affection. “Goodnight, Lexi,” she added before leaving the room.

Alex glanced at her new mirror and smiled – for the first time in a long time, it was a genuine one. The reflection staring back at her wasn’t forced or feigned, her smile was real and for the first time in a long time Alex thought she might actually sleep through the night because of it.

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At school the next day, Hunter hurried down the hall, weaving through the crowd until he caught sight of Alex. His heart pounded as he approached her, his steps quickening with urgency. He caught up with her and, panting slightly, blurted out, “Okay, so, I really need you to be cool and please, don’t hate me.”

Alex’s brows knitted in confusion. She couldn’t fathom what Hunter might have done to warrant such a plea. Trying to control the flood of anxious thoughts racing through her mind, she met his gaze and said, “I make no promises. What did you do?”

Hunter stopped abruptly, causing Alex to halt as well. He winced, his face a mask of regret as he confessed, “I may have told your guidance counselor that you’re incredibly smart and should be in AP classes.”

Alex felt her blood start to boil, the heat of anger rising from her chest to her cheeks. “You may have done it, or you did do it?” she demanded, emphasizing the words ‘may’ and ‘did’.

Hunter looked away, guilt etched on his face. “I did,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. He could see the fury blazing in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Alex, I just couldn’t let you throw away your chance at college and…” His words trailed off as Alex stormed away, fury in her stride. He raced after her, calling out, “Look, I’m sorry but…”

Alex whirled around, jabbing her finger into his chest as she advanced, forcing him to backpedal until he was pressed against the wall. “No buts. There are no buts in this situation. I trusted you, and you betrayed that trust. You had no right interfering in my life. Do you think I want to be in the same classes as my sister, constantly being compared to her? Now I’ll never hear the end of it from Ginny and my mom! I just wanted to stay under the radar, make my own choices, and you took that away from me!”

Hunter could see that her reaction was about more than just his betrayal. This outburst stemmed from deeper issues, from wounds he hadn’t known existed. “I’m sorry,” he repeated, feeling helpless.

“I don’t care,” Alex snapped, removing her finger from his chest and walking away, her anger leaving a tangible trail behind her. This time, Hunter didn’t follow.

Press entered the hall just in time to see Alex walking away from Hunter. Concerned, he approached his friend and asked, “What’s up?”

Hunter sighed heavily, the weight of his mistake pressing down on him. “I was assigned to tutor Alex and found out she’s a lot smarter than she lets on. I told her guidance counselor.”

Press looked at him like he was an idiot all whole doing his best not to get pissed. “Dude, Alex has her reasons.”

“I get that now,” Hunter replied, his remorse deepening. “She told me she only cared about English, but I didn’t realize there was more to it.” Granted, he didn’t know the whole story but with how Alex had spoken about being compared to Ginny, he could imagine.

Press shook his head at his friend. “You really screwed up, man. Good luck fixing it.”

“You’re not going to help me out here?” Hunter asked, hoping for some assistance.

“Nope,” Press said firmly, walking away.

Hunter exhaled deeply and headed to class, his mind racing with ways to make amends. He needed to fix things with Alex—not just because she was practically Press’s girlfriend and Ginny’s sister, but because he genuinely hoped they could become friends. He just hoped he could find a way.

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When Alex walked out of her guidance counselor’s office clutching her new AP class schedule, she felt a volcanic eruption of frustration bubbling within her. It took every ounce of her self-control not to tear the paper into confetti and scatter it across the hallway. She knew the inevitable confrontation with her mom awaited her—an interrogation about why she hadn’t been in these advanced classes from the start and why she’d coasted at a level far below her true capabilities. There was no escaping it now; Georgia wouldn’t let this slide. After giving Alex so much slack on bigger issues, her mom was sure to unleash her wrath this time.

As Alex stormed down the hall, she passed the lilac-painted wall where Ginny and her friends—Nora and Abby—stood, chatting. She hoped to glide by unnoticed, but Abby shot out her hand, gripping Alex’s wrist with a firm hold.

“Hey, Ginny’s twin, we’re going shopping, and you’re coming,” Abby said with a faux-sweet smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“Hey, the name’s Alex, and no, I’m not,” Alex retorted, yanking her hand free. She added with a sarcastic, high-pitched valley girl tone, “Thanks for the invite, though,” and flicked her hair dramatically before turning to walk away.

“You could have just said no,” Abby called after her, a hint of annoyance in her voice. “No need to be a bitch about it.”

That remark was the final straw. Alex stopped dead in her tracks, fury igniting in her eyes. She spun on her heels and marched back toward Abby, her expression murderous.

Seeing the brewing storm, Ginny quickly intervened, stepping between her sister and Abby. “Don’t ruin my chance at having friends, I beg of you,” she quietly pleaded, pushing Alex away.

“No promises,” Alex muttered, glaring daggers at Abby. She shot her the middle finger before continuing her march down the hall to her locker, where she needed to gather her textbooks for return. She’d be getting new ones the next day.

As Ginny rejoined Nora and Abby, Abby watched Alex’s retreating figure with a newfound respect. “She doesn’t take anyone’s crap. I’m totally in love with her,” she declared with a serious tone, then burst into laughter, with Nora and Ginny joining in soon after.

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Alex sat at the kitchen counter, her focus intently on the card game she was playing with Austin. The quiet hum of their playful competition was interrupted when Georgia and Ginny burst through the door. Ginny, radiating frustration, stormed straight up the stairs without a word. Georgia, visibly exasperated, entered the kitchen, shaking her head in disbelief. "I don’t know what I’m going to do with your sister,” she muttered, her voice heavy with fatigue.

Deciding to face the inevitable, Alex turned to Austin with a sigh. "We’ll play cards again later. I need to talk to Mom."

Austin, sensing the seriousness of the situation, nodded and began to gather the cards. "Okay," he said simply, before retreating up to his room.

Georgia, still releasing deep, weary sighs, set her water bottle down on the counter with a thud. She looked across at Alex, her expression a mix of concern and exasperation. "Please tell me you don’t have a crisis too. Or if you do, let it be a normal teenage crisis, like a zit that makes you feel like you’ll just die if you have to go to school tomorrow."

Alex couldn’t help but chuckle at the oddly specific example but quickly regained her composure. "With the exception of Art, I’m starting all AP classes tomorrow," she announced, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside.

Georgia blinked, clearly taken aback. She moved around the counter island and perched on the stool beside Alex, her eyes searching her daughter’s face. "You barely get C’s in any class other than English, so please explain how you’re now in AP classes?"

Alex stood up, making her way to the fridge. She grabbed a can of cola and opened it with a crisp snap. "You know I don’t believe in wasting my time," she said, taking a sip. "So I just don’t bother in the classes that I don’t care about." She left out the part about avoiding being in the same classes as Ginny, a detail she wasn’t ready to share.

Georgia slowly rose from her seat, the realization dawning on her. "So this whole time—for years—you’ve been pretending not to be as smart as you are?" She didn’t wait for a response. "Why the hell would you do that, Lexi? And don’t give me that ‘oh, I just don’t care’ crap." She pointed a finger at Alex, her frustration boiling over. "You fooled me good, baby girl, and I don’t appreciate that. Once I figure out how to deal with everything else that’s going on, we will be having more of a conversation about this." With that, Georgia turned and left the kitchen, her footsteps echoing down the hall.

Alex exhaled a long breath, taking another sip of her soda. "Yep, that pretty much went the way I thought it would," she muttered to herself, the weight of the confrontation settling heavily on her shoulders.

With the tension between her and her mom still hanging in the air, Alex planned to retreat to her room for some much-needed solitude. That was the plan until a sudden knock at the front door made her spin around on her heels. She opened it to find Hunter standing there, a hesitant smile on his face.

“Ginny’s upstairs, I’ll go get her,” Alex said automatically, ready to dash away.

“Actually, I’m here for you,” Hunter interjected quickly before she could leave.

“Why? You have more decisions to make about my life?” Alex retorted, raising an eyebrow as she sipped her soda. She stepped outside, closing the door behind her.

“I deserve that,” Hunter admitted, then handed her a paper bag from the Wellsbury bookstore. “This is for you.”

Alex tapped her soda can thoughtfully. “Is this a bribe for my forgiveness?”

“Absolutely,” Hunter replied without missing a beat.

Alex chuckled, handing him her soda can. She took the bag from him and pulled out a compilation book of cartoons of the Addams Family by Charles Addams. Her eyes lit up with excitement. “Oh my deity of your choosing, this is amazing!” She laughed, flipping through the pages before looking back at Hunter. “How did you know I loved the Addams Family?”

Hunter shrugged, a smile tugging at his lips. “Your bag is covered with Addams Family-themed patches. I figured this would be a safe bet.” His eyes were hopeful. “Are we good?”

Alex closed the book, placing it back into the paper bag. She took her soda can from him and narrowed her eyes, a smile playing on her lips. “You’re lucky I love a good bribe.” She grinned, and he smiled along with her.

“Good, I’m glad. I really want us to be friends,” Hunter said earnestly.

Alex’s immediate response was blunt. “Right – not getting along with your friend’s friend and the girl you like’s sister probably wouldn’t bode well for you.”

“Not just that,” Hunter explained, “I think you’re cool and want to be your friend, just because.”

“A non-ulterior motive friend, eh? I’m good with that.” Alex lifted the bag. “Thank you for this. See you in class.”

Hunter smiled and waved as she went back inside the house. He walked back to his car parked down the street and got in, looking at Press who was sitting in the passenger seat. “You were right, she loved the book.”

“Told you,” Press replied, not looking away from his phone.

“I thought you weren’t going to help me though? Why did you give me the book?” Hunter asked, still puzzled.

“I wasn’t helping you, I was helping her,” Press replied seriously. “She could use you as a friend.”

Hunter could have easily teased Press for being sentimental, but he chose not to. Instead, he simply said, “I owe you one.”

“I aim to collect,” Press responded, his tone leaving no room for doubt. He had given Hunter the book because he wanted Alex to feel better and for her and Hunter to be friends. Press was willing to do anything to make Alex happy and he intended to see it through.

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