That Voodoo You Do

Erica and Boyd had math after lunch so Aleece collected her bowl and smiled farewell to both Boyd and Erica before they went their separate paths. Aleece was going to her locker she ran into Allison Argent. The dark haired cutie gasped as Aleece dropped her books.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” Allison apologized hurrying to kneel and help Aleece gather her things. Aleece shrugged it off and grabbed the only book that mattered before Allison reached for it. Tucking the journal safely in her arm and atop her knees, Aleece took to gathering her notebooks and text. “I wasn’t even watching I was-”

“Watchin’ Scott?” Aleece teased and Allison gave her a look before stealing a subtle glance to the boy in question at his locker with Stiles by his side. Aleece glanced too to see Scott smile quickly at Allison before turning to gather his things. Aleece smiled a bit knowingly when Allison looked at her. “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me, it’s none of my business any how,” she assured as she looped her arms under her things and stood with Allison only a second behind her. Allison smiled uncertainly but more openly looked at Scott and Stiles which made Aleece smile softly. Young love was an extremely powerful thing and she knew so many people desperate for that feeling when it was gone. She was glad Allison and Scott were holding on, she didn’t know what their reason was for keeping it a secret after being public, or for the public breakup, but like she told Allison, it was none of her business. Allison looked at Aleece and smiled sweetly at her.

“Thanks,” she said softly and Aleece shrugged it off and flipped her hair back out of her face.

With that, the two girl went on about their day. Aleece spent her time the pariah of Beacon Hills High, the girl no one spoke to but everyone spoke of and when the end of the day bell rang, she was more than relieved to be at her locker getting ready to go home.

“You going to see Lydia?” Boyd asked as he walked up to Aleece’s locker, where little charms and a dreamcatcher made of Spanish moss yearn and sticks hung. Aleece changed out her books for the ones she’d need for homework and gave a quick shake of her head.

“Naw, Stiles told the whole damn school she’s awake. I’m sure she’ll be swarmed in visitors,” Aleece replied coolly. Boyd took her books as she looped her burlap knapsack over her shoulder and started filling it with the things she’d need for homework. Boyd shut her locker and spun the lock before the two of them headed to the bus stop.

“Wanna come over? We can play video games, you can do your homework,” Boyd offered and Aleece thought a minute before smiling and nodding her head.

“Yeah, yeah just let me stop home and tell Mark and I’ll be at your place around four?” she asked and Boyd nodded.

“Four, I’ll make microwave pizzas.”

“Oh those are so good,” Aleece hummed closing her eyes and licking her lips. Boyd chuckled before gesturing her ahead of him onto the bus.

Aleece wasted no time in getting to her house after being let off the bus, she waved to Boyd as he headed across the street and she started up the hill. She was five or so houses away from Boyd’s so it wasn’t usually odd for her to spend time at his house. She walked into the house and looked around for the man she was living with now.

Her living situation was- chaotic. Having lived with her grandmother since she was five, Aleece knew very little about the couple she lived with now. Nothing really, other than they had given her up at five because they weren’t “ready to be proper parents” but now apparently they were. Kelli was even pregnant with a second child so Aleece was coping with both now having her parents in her life and becoming an older sibling. Sixteen years was a large age gap for siblings. Aleece found Mark in the dining room. Mark was Kelli’s new husband, Aleece’s father Michael had left the picture years ago and Mark replaced him. Aleece wasn’t too found of either of her parents but they were distant enough to usually let her live the life she had led for eleven years.

“Mark, I’m goin to Boyd’s for homework and some video games,” she informed him. She rarely asked permission because to her it was pointless. Either they let or they didn’t either way she usually went. Mark looked at her and in a stern voice asked,

“What did I tell you about asking?”

“I’m telling you, you’re leaving for work so either I go and you know where I am or you go to work and have no idea where I am. Either way it’ll be at Boyd’s.”

“You smart ass little-”

“You don’t like me, I get that, but you don’t have any right to talk down to me. You’re not my father and Kelli is barely my mother, she didn’t want me and it’s your fault I’m here so if you’re gunna be pissy just send me back to Louisiana and admit you failed,” she said coolly. She knew Mark hated failing in any sense of the word but the fact he had no control of Aleece really pissed him off. She kept her face blank and just looked at him as he clenched a fist and then pointed to the door. Aleece nodded and turned on her heel to hurry out and down the street to Boyd’s. Her converse squeaked lightly as she jogged down the hill to Boyd’s house and knocked on the glassed in screen.

Boyd’s aunt answered the door and Aleece offered a crooked smile.

“Well, well, little Ally, come on in,” she greeted and Aleece thanked her as she ducked into the clean home. Boyd’s aunt was a nice lady. Stern and a hard worker, she worked at the hospital as a Emergency nurse with Melissa McCall sometimes. Her hours were erratic but she tried hard to make time for Boyd. Aleece was actually quite fond and would sometimes spend some time at the Boyd household with the aunt while Boyd worked. “Vernon’s in the basement and his pizzas are done, why not take em down with you?” she asked and Aleece nodded as she hefted her bag higher on a shoulder and took the warm plate from Boyd’s aunt.

The basement had been converted into Boyd’s room. There was a couch and some weights scattered on the floor with a bed behind everything. A fairly large television was hooked up for movies and video games and when Aleece found him, he was already in the heat of a race.

“Pizzas are here,” she said and Boyd spared her a quick glance before turning back to the game. Aleece took her usual spot at the opposite side of the couch and put the pizzas on the cushion between Boyd and herself. She pulled a flavored water from her bag she bought at school and hiked her feet up to tuck under her to curl up in as small a space she could. She liked watching Boyd play more than she liked playing but it was fun. She felt more at home with Boyd in the basement than she felt at her house in her room.