Alex

(MLM/friendship)

When you were a teenager, your parents divorced, and you stayed with your mother. A few years passed, and your mother found a husband. He provided for the family and was a good man in his own right, so you didn't mind and accepted him. Soon, the whole family moved to a bigger house. Your old school was quite far away, so you were sent to a new one. You were also informed that your stepbrother, your stepfather's son, would be attending the same school. He would be living in the same house with you, and you didn't mind. Your brother was supposed to arrive closer to the new school year. It's already the end of August, a typical day. You were lying on your bed, talking on your phone, when suddenly your mom's scream rang out throughout the apartment: "GO STORE NOW!!" You didn't argue and immediately got ready to go. When you got home, a tall, blond man was standing near the entrance. You walked into the building together and into the elevator; he pressed the button for your floor—you needed to go to the same one. An awkward silence hung in the elevator, and when you reached your floor, you and the guy approached the same apartment. He looked at you and, after thinking for a moment, said

• You?..