Raise by A Thief

Chapter 4

Alexa POV

I wear my green forest dress and put some make up on my face. I made my hair in long curly. Anny teached me how to do make up and style my hair, I just not doing it in my daily day. But today is my graduation, make a little bit different appearance will be okay.

I heard knocked on my door room.

"Alexa?" Max asked me

" Yes, come in" I said. He open the door.

" Sow, looked at you!" Max said. He was surprised to looked at my appearance.

" Something wrong?" I asked him. He still staring at me.

" No... you looked beautiful. I guess you are all grown up now." he said smiling.

" Thank you Max." I smile back.

" Are you ready?" Max asked me

" Yes, just gonna put my shoes on." I said as I picked up my shoes and put it on. I grab my regalia, and put it on and looked once again in the mirror.

"You looked great" Max said beside me.

" Thank you" I said as I grab the cap and hold it in my hand.

" Let's go! " I said excitingly.

" Okay, are you sure you have all you need?" he asked me as we walked outside my room.

" I think so. Where is Anny?" I asked him

" she is down stair." max said.

I met Anny downstairs. She looked beautiful in her tan dress. She and Max will attend my graduation.

" You looked gorgeous Alexa" she said.

" Thank you Anny. You looked beautiful too." I replied.

" Well, let's go. It's time", Max said, and then He open the door for us to go the the car.

We arrive at the graduation hall, and it was crowded with graduation candidates and their parents. Kate phone called me.

" Alexa, where are you? Are you in the hall already?"

" I just arrive. Where are you?" I asked her as I looked around for her.

" Just go inside, I'll meet you in the stair." she said

" Okay." I said then we hanged up.

" I'm going in now," I said to Max and Anny.

" Okay, we will sit on the tribune. " max said to me. Then we seperate. Max and Anny find their seat in the parents area. And I join with the rest graduation candidates. I met some friend, but they didn't seem to know me. They just passed me. Probably they got busy with the graduation. And then I saw Kate near the stair.

" Kate!" I called her.

She looked at me and then she cover her mouth.

"Alexa? Wow, looked at you girl! Where is your glasses?" she said in surprised as she hugged me. My glasses? Oh s**t! I forget my glasses.

" I barely recognize you! I thought you cant see clearly without your glasses." she said still looking at me.

" yeah... I wear contact." I said lying.

" You better like this for the rest of your life Alexa. You are beautiful!" she said

" Thank you Kate. And you looked beautiful too. " I said.

" I know right" she said smiling.

" Come on let's take out seat." she said as we walked inside the crowd.

" Kate, who's your friend?" Scott asked Kate once we had our seat.

" You don't know her? She is Alexa silly head." Kate told him.

" No way!" Scott said loudly as he walked toward us.

He stop beside me and hold my shoulder to turned me to him. And then he looked at my face.

" What are you doing Scott?" I asked him.

" It is you, Alexa! Where the hell are you all this time?" he said grinning.

" Well you blowed your chance Scott! " Kate said to him.

" maybe some other time Alexa?" Scott said to me.

" Maybe" I said smiling. And then he went back to his seat, a row behind us.

I spotted on Brian, he took his seat 2 row in front of us. He looked around and I wave at him. He looked at me a little while before he wave me back.

We all waiting the graduation to start, and we taking picture. And I thinked how careless I am forgetting my glasses. So I have to cover my face with my hand, pretending like I hold something in my noise or in my forehead, just to make sure I didn't get caught with full face in the picture.

I saw max and Anny in their seat on the tribune in between all other parents. I know Max and Anny were not my real parents. But max treat and raise me like his own daughter. And Anny, she help me alot going through my high school time. I was grateful to have them in my life.

The graduation started with some speech and formalities. And then it's time when they call the graduates student one by one.

" Alexandra Carter"

And I step up to the podium to receive my academic degree, shaking hands with the dean and professors. And I feel glad, relieve and happy that I finally made it. And I took a glance at max and Anny, they claps their hands for me, and I wave them on my way down the podium. I know Max proud of me and I was glad I made it.

All graduated congrats each other when the graduation is finally end. We tossed our cap to the air and we all happy we made it.

A lot of my friends surprise to see me, especially when I took off my regalia. I know I barely wear dress or put on make up as long as I study here. But hey, this is graduation! So, it should be okay, right?

Max, Anny and I having lunch together at this fancy restaurant to celebrate my graduation.

" I'm so proud of you Alexa" Max said. I know he was sincere.

" Thank you max. I would not make it without you both." I said. And it was true. I won't be here if max didn't find me that night and took me with him and raise me as his own daughter. They both smiling proudly at me.

****

I wear my orange body on dress, light make up, and put my hair loose with scarf headband before I wear my sunglasses on. And I'm ready for graduation beach party!

I went downstair and wait for Brian to pick me up in the living room

I was listening to bohemian Rhapsody by Queen in my ipod when Max come to the living room.

" Going somewhere?" max asked me.

" what?" I asked him again taking off my headphone.

" going somewhere?" he repeat his question.

" Ya, graduation party. I've told you before." I told him

" why dress like that?" he said. His eyes pointing to my dress

" It's in the beach. " I explained

" I see.." he nodded.

" Is it too much?" I asked him

" No, I just forget sometimes, that you are grown up" he said smiling.

" mm.. Waiting for someone?" he asked again

" Yup. Brian will pick me up."

" Brian who?"

" You never met him before. He is Kate's friend." I told him.

" Okay. He study computer too? " he asked. And I nodded.

And then someone knocked on the door.

" I think it's him." I said as I walked to the front door.

I open it and Brian standing in front of the door.

" Hey Brian, come in. " I said.

" Hey Alexa, you looked beatiful" he said as he step in.

" Thanks Brian. You looked great to" I replied.

" Thanks." he said shortly.

" You want to drink first? " I asked him

" No, I'm good. Thanks. " he said fixing his glasses.

Max walked toward us.

" Max, this is Brian. Brian, this is Max, my dad." I introduce them

" Hi Max, nice to meet you" Brian greet him.

" Hi, nice to meet you too." max said.

" Okay, let's us get going then." I said.

"Okay, have fun and be safe." max said to us.

" Thanks max, bye." I said good bye to max

" Bye max" Brian said.

We walked outside to Brian's car.

" That's your dad?" he asked me once we sat and he started the car.

" Yup" I said shortly. That was a usual question when I introduce max to someone new. Max a bit too young to be my dad. Well, he is 42, he usually explained to other people he had me when he was only 20 when he was in college, and married at young age. Oh well, Probably it much easier if he said he adopted me.

" And you call your dad by his name?"

" Yeah, he like to be called that way" I answered.

" So, what do you plan after graduate?" I asked him changing conversation.

" just doing my stuff for awhile." he said

" such as?" I asked him curious about his activity. I've heard some rumors about him.

" well I make some apps and sold it... And some other things."

" Is the rumors true that you hack Nasional security system?" I asked me.

He didn't say a word, just smiling and keep driving.

" So, it's true?" I asked again.

" If you do, you won't say to anyone don't you?" he gave me a question.

" Well ya.. Damn! Its True!" I said when I realize the rumors is true.

" how did you do that?" I asked him

" I tell you what.." he said, "I will show you how, if you answer my question."

" Okay, what question?" I asked him.

" How is it possible I can't found your picture, face recognition of Alexandra Carter in the net? social media? Nothing." he asked me took a glance at me.

I was shocked with the question, but I keep my face expression as normal as I can be.

" Are you stalking me? " I asked him

" I'm not. I just curious about your changing appearance. So I check what your face really looked like. And I found nothing. Absolutely nothing about you in the net."

" Well... Ya, I don't like to take picture and I don't like social media. That's why. " I answer him

" that's not it. Who are you hiding from?" he asked me again.

Damn! I just sit 10 minutes in his car, and he already asking a question that I tried to avoid for the last 7 years.

" What are you saying? I'm not hiding from anyone." I said smiling.

" really? "

" Yeah. if I'm hiding from someone, anyone, I won't be here with you, on the way to a party. See? I'm not hiding." I said trying to convince him.

" well, let's see then." he said smiling.

We arrive in the beach, and Brian Park his car. He bring a backpack with him.

" Kate, where are you? I just arrive with Brian. " I phone called Kate

" I'm at the bar with Eric. " she answer me.

" okay, will be there. " I said before hanged up the phone.

I told Brian where Kate was, and we both walked to the drink table and found Kate with Eric. The party was amazing, unexpectedly we stayed there til night.

I looked for Brian after dance with Kate and found him seat few meter from the party, being busy with his laptop.

" what are you doing?" I asked him

" Just doing some stuff" he said still typing in his laptop.

I don't really understand what he was doing, so I just sit there watching him. His hand type the keyboard fast as his being focus looking at his laptop screen. He really good at it. Then he made a phone call.

" It's done." He said. And then the screen showing a police department symbol.

" Did you just--?" I didn't finish my sentence. As I saw him break into the police department confidential line.

And he close his laptop screen.

" Yup." he said.

" Are you going to killed me after I saw you did that?" I asked him jokingly

" What? No. " he said laughing.

" I have secret. You have secret. We are even." he said.

Yeah, like you know my secret.

" And I will find out your secret soon. Trust me. " he said as he drink his beer.

" you can try, but like I said, I hide nothing." I said.

" Sure. Let's go home. Before max worried about you. " he said.

" right." I said as I stand up.

He drove me back home and he was right, max waiting for me in the living room. He always wait for me if I go home late.

" Hey, hows the party?" He asked me

" It's great. Probably the last one from the college." I said smiling.

" What's your plan after this? After finishing college? " Max asked me

" find a job. " I said

" Do you have any plan where too? " he asked me.

" I've been looking for from advertising. But I'll put my resume to the head hunter. " I said.

" Alexa, I have something to talked to you. "

He said.

" sit here" he pointed to the couch not far from him.

I did what he told me. I sit in the couch.

" I told you, that after this job, we have to leave."

" Ya Max, what do you mean? Are we going to move again?" I asked him. Took awhile before he finally talk.

" I work for a mafia long time ago. His name is Frank" rat" Welch. I do the robbery for him. But then I quit. I work independently with Harry." he continued. I listen to him carefully.

" And then a month ago Frank found me, and force me to do the jewelry robberies, and you know I did that. So the next one is the last one. And I'm done doing it. "

" after this we left and we will need to have new ID." he said.

" Should we? " I asked him. I feel comfortable with Alexandra Carter already.

" yeah, the things is.. " he said." you are grown up and you have your degree. And I think it's best for you to have your own life. " he said looking at me.

" What is that Means max? Are you going to leave me? " I asked him

" it's best if you live without me. The scar men will not found you. If you stayed with me, you'll be in danger. He already know my real name. " I was about to say but he raise his hand, asking me to listen to him.

" Looks Julie... I made you new ID, you will be save. You can find a job. You have skills. It's for the best. And I want you to pack necessary things, few clothes, some money, what ever you want to take with you in a backpack, incase we need to go in rush. " he said. He called me my real name, it means he serious about what he said.

" But Max.. What about you? " I asked him

" I'll be fine Julie. I made new ID as well. But for the savety, we better live seperate. Mean while, stayed low as usual. "

" I'm sorry I make you in trouble." I said as I hugged him.

" no, Julie. Im glad I take you with me all this time. " he said.

" Thank you max, I don't know how to pay back everything you did for me." I said.

" Just stay safe Julie" he said, " Go get rest now."

I nodded and walked upstairs to my room.