Age: 16
Word count: 2210
Summary: Things have been great with Julia Belle ... until they weren't. Is Alena gonna be strong enough to make a decision she'd been dreading?

Alena sat in her room, music cranked up all the way and knees pulled up to her chest. She was weighing all the possible outcomes of the decision she was about to make. Break up with Julia Belle or not?

Both outcomes weren't exactly great. If she stayed with Julia Belle, she would forever question her feelings for Peter and end up resenting the relationship she was in, but if she did the thing her mind told her to do, break up with the 17 year old, her heart would shatter and she wouldn't know how to move on.

Either way, someone was gonna get hurt. If she was honest, Alena just wished to have the ability to read someone's mind in that very situation. If only she knew for sure how Peter felt, if only she knew how she felt.

There was no 'right' choice, just the easy one and the one which would finally give her peace of mind.

Before she could overthink her situation further, her mother's head popped into her room. Natasha had a worried expression on her face. She knew, whenever she could hear her daughter's music from all the way to the kitchen, that there was something wrong.

Alena turned down the music before meeting her Mom's eye.

,,Did you need something?"

She asked, her baby blue eyes wide and lips curled into a frown. The 15 year old was torn between wanting to tell Nat everything and just handling it on her own.

Natasha shook her head and promptly closed the door after slipping into the room. Seconds later, she sat next to her daughter on the floor, leaning against the wall.

The older redhead put a gentle arm around the younger ones shoulder, pulling her into her embrace. Alena leaned into the hug, staring at the closed door opposite them.

,,I dunno what to do"

She admitted, her gaze still fixated straight ahead. The 15 year old knew that if she disfocused, she'd be crying into her mother's shoulder in 5 seconds.

,,Dyou want advice or do you just need me to listen?"

Natasha asked. If there was one thing she'd learned from raising her child for the past 15 years, she noticed that the redhead didn't always want her advice or a solution to the problem, but rather just someone who listened to her complain or cry.

Alena shrugged. For the first time, she didnt know whether or not she needed an outside opinion, because the matter was so personal and close to her heart. She was scared that if she let her mother give her opinion, she'd feel like the choice she made wasn't her own anymore.

On the other hand, she didnt know what to do, so a second opinion wouldn't be all too bad. Especially with the whole Peter situation, it would be better if someone who looked at them from the outside told her what it looked like they were.

,,Both? Listen first without interruption and then give me advice"

Alena finally found a way to put it. She'd decided that she needed an outside opinion, even though it might not be what she wanted to hear.

Natasha nodded, giving her the sign to go ahead. She was ready to give the emotional support her daughter needed.

The 15 year old took a deep breath, getting her thoughts in order, before she began:

,,So, Julia, you've met her, and I have been together for around 6 months now, and last week I introduced her to the gang. MJ and Ned were so sweet and I felt like they really liked her, but Peter was just weird. And then, Julia called me by my nickname, you know, Light, and he just lost it. He stormed out of the room, but before he did he gave me that look"

Alena had to take a breath, her eyes began burning with tears. She didn't want to cry, she didnt even know why her eyes watered right now, but for some reason, the memory of that look was a moment of realisation, hurt, confusion, everything she could think of.

,,He looked at me like I had betrayed him in the worst way possible and I dunno, that look, it did something to me. It's like it opened my eyes but I didn't want it to. I didn't want to open my eyes. I was happy with Julia, and then those stupid feelings got in the way"

Again, she took a deep breath. This was the first time that she admitted out loud that there was something between Peter and her.

Natasha pulled her daughter a little deeper into the embrace. She could only imagine how confusing all this must be.

,,Yea so anyways, I got frustrated because Julia and I wanted to go to the movies, but I really needed to talk to Peter and she was so sweet about it and told me to go talk to him, but either way I would've felt bad. I ... I decided to go after Peter, because I was so mad at him in that moment and then we got in a fight"

Alena inhaled sharply.

,,We both said some things, but I think there's something between us, I-I can't really place it, I can't tell you what I feel but every time I see him I just wanna stay with him forever. He's my safe space, we understand each other without words, we can just stay silent together for hours on end it still, it feels like only minutes have passed"

She wiped the tears that managed to escape, still, she found herself smiling as she talked about her best friend. Natasha merely observed, keeping the opinion she'd had for months to herself for now.

,,I realised something that day, but I don't know if it's the right decision. I've realised that ... that Julia and I might not be the match I wanted us to be. Maybe we're just too different. Don't get me wrong she's amazing, so sweet, drop dead gorgeous and we did connect in a way, but I feel like I can't go deep with her. Our conversations feel flat and the silence gets awkward after a while"

The 15 year old concluded, her baby blue eyes now meeting her mother's eyes. They were glossed over as she confessed what she hadn't yet spoken.

Natasha studied her daughter's face. She'd suspected something for a while, simply by watching the way Alena and Peter interacted when they were together. They were so comfortable around each other and if she didn't know any better, she would've easily mistaken them as a couple.

,,What do you wanna do?"

She asked, stroking a piece of hair behind the young redhead's ear. It was really important for Alena to get clarity and the best way to give her that was to let her figure it out.

The girl in question thought about it for a moment, before the final realisation struck her.

,,I have to end things with Julia. It wouldn't be fair for me to continue to be with her when I don't know what I feel for Peter. She doesn't deserve that. She deserves someone who's all in and is 100% ready to give her the world and ... I can't be that person. Not for her..."

Alena uttered, her eyes flickering, like they always did when she was feeling big emotions. While it hurt to admit that, she knew it was the right thing to do.

Natasha nodded, a small smile making its way to her face. She was glad that her daughter had the strength to decide what was best for her and everyone part of it. She was glad that she was empathetic and fair enough end things in order to not hurt Julia more than she had to.

,,You'll make the right decision, детка свет (baby light), I know you will. Просто делай то, что подсказывает твое сердце, правильно (Just do what your heart tells you is right)"

She advised, to which Alena gave a nod before burying her face in her Mom's shoulder. The younger redhead was grateful for the support her mother gave her, without pushing her in any direction.

,,Спасибо, мама (Thank you, Mama)"

,,В любое время, мой милый маленький свет (Any time, my sweet little light)"

Natasha whispered, hugging her daughter tight. In hindsight, it only felt like it was yesterday that the girl in her arms was 5 years old and telling her how she was gonna marry Rapunzel and now she had problems like these. It was crazy just how fast her little light had grown up.

....

Alena took a deep breath as she stood a few meters away from the bench she had agreed to meet with Julia Belle at. The day was rather beautiful and warm, still the redhead shivered.

Another breath and she began walking towards the girl she'd called hers for the last 6 months. Even though she'd taken the decision and knew it was the right one, her heart still ached at the thought of having to break Julia's.

,,Heyy, how are you, Alena?"

The girl in question asked, smiling at the redhead. Something about the smile already seemed sad, hinting that Julia kinda knew where this is going.

Alena sat down next to her, returning the smile the 17 year old gave her, although hers felt different entirely.

,,I'm ... okay I guess. Look, we need to talk"

She cut right to the chase. Internally, she just wanted to get it over with and go home and cry, but she knew that it wouldn't give the closure they both needed, neither was it fair to just leave without an explanation at least.

Julia's smile dropped, her brown eyes, which had completely lost the dreamyness Alena once saw completely now, radiating a hint of sorrow. She definitely knew what the 15 year old was gonna say.

,,Yea, I'm all ears, what's the matter?"

She asked, trying to smile again, but failing. Instead, she swallowed hard, her face serious.

A

lena hesitated for a moment, before her baby blue eyes met Julia Belle's brown ones. This was even harder than she feared it would be.

,,I don't think we work out. It's nothing you did, you're amazing, I just feel like I'm not the person you deserve to be with. I feel like I can't give you the love you deserve because there's just too many things between is that just ... don't work. Julia, I'm sorry, but I don't think we should see each other anymore"

She blurted out, her words genuine. Alena truly wanted the best for Julia Belle, but unfortunately, this wasn't her.

,,With things you mean Peter, am I right? I saw the way he looked at you the day I met your friends. Look, thank you for being so honest with me, that's really kind of you. I ... I see what you mean and ... to be honest, I've thought about it as well"

The older of the two explained, breaking eye contact with the redhead.

Alena chose to remain silent. Before she could answer the question she'd just been asked, she herself had to figure out what exactly she felt. Still, it brought a little relief to know that Julia Belle had seen the issues in their relationship as well.

,,You were a wonderful first girlfriend for me, Julia Belle"

She admitted, her voice quiet but genuine. Julia smiled, giving a single nod to show she reciprocated.

,,Good luck, Alena"

The 17 year old uttered, her expression in no way bitter or angry. Instead, it radiated that she, just like Alena, wanted nothing but the best for the girl opppsite her.

,,Goodbye, Julia Belle"

Alena smiled, her voice soft, as she got up and turned around. She figured it was best to give Julia and herself some space to process what just happened.

Although she was sad, this break up just opened a whole lot of nee doors for her. This relationship, although it failed, gave her so much, taught her so much. She was grateful for all the Happy moments they had, all the things she discovered through it and she'd learned what it meant to love someone.

In a way, one could say that Julia Belle was the reason Alena would be able to see the signs for her soul mate. If she'd found them or not yet was still to be revealed, still to be discovered, still to be thought about.

But for now, she was forever grateful for Julia Belle and the story they shared.

A/N: Aaaaand that's a wrap. This was the fourth and last part of my little mini series, please lmk if you want more bigger projects and if you enjoyed this one.
I know, it got very long, but I feel like I needed it to be to fit everything in here, especially the revelation of Alenas feelings was important for me.
Anyways, have a great day/night, beautiful people, stay amazing and I'll see you around <33