THERE WASN'T MUCH that scared me, but a furious ten-year-old sure topped the list. He sat in the passenger seat of my car, slamming the door shut behind him. He was mad, and he wanted the whole world to know. "You were supposed to pick me up forty-five minutes ago!"

"Give me a minute while I think of a good excuse."

Alex folded his arms across his chest. "That's not funny, Dani."

My foot pressed down on the gas pedal as I drove home, giving the road extra attention to avoid eye contact with him. "Would some apologetic fro-yo make up for it?"

I peeked at him out of the corner of my eye, letting out a sigh of relief when a grin made its way onto his face. He smiled so wide I could see his missing front tooth. "Can I get a chocolate fudge brown—"

I raised my right hand to stop him. "So long as this stays between us, I don't care what you get."

Alex bounced excitedly the entire ride, which made me start to question whether giving him more sugar was a good idea. I flicked on my right indicator to signal as I turned into the familiar plaza. Before I could even fully park my car, Alex hopped out, his excitement taking precedent over safety.

Again, I was really starting to question if this kid needed more sugar.

I opened my wallet and pulled out some cash as I trailed behind him. "Here's a twenty. I better get my change back."

Alex swiped the bill out of my hand. "Want anything?"

I patted my stomach as I contemplated. Spending nearly every evening on the couch eating junk food wasn't exactly doing the best job for my figure. "I should really watch the calories..."

He shot me a flat look, an unamused expression on his face. "Vanilla cake shake with extra sprinkles?"

Then again, one little dessert wouldn't kill me.

I ruffled his hair. "You're a good man."

While Alex scampered off to order our desserts, I sat at a table near the windows. Since I was a little girl, my family had always gone to our town's local diner, Stone Creek Café, for just about every damn celebration. It was a cozy little place where they had a jukebox and the workers knew everyone by name.

The only downside was since this was such a small town, everyone went here.

"Dani?" a familiar voice called out, making me instantly regret bringing my brother here.

"Shit," I murmured as I feebly tried to cover my face with a menu.

It was to absolutely no avail when the figure sat across from me, a longing looks in his eyes. "It's been a while."

"Clearly not long enough."

He looked taken aback, his mouth ajar.

"Oops, did I say that out loud?" I said dryly.

"I've missed you."

I stood up, not wanting to get dragged into this again. "I should get going."

"Dani, please."

I made the mistake of looking into his soft caramel eyes. Those damn eyes. They emitted nothing but warmth and love, but I knew better.

"I have to go."

Just then, Alex came over, his hands filled with our desserts. A puzzled look appeared on his face, and his lips pulled into a slight frown.

"We're leaving," I told him.

He nodded his head in understanding, not a single protest coming out of him. I mentally thanked God for giving my little brother enough sense to know when to shut up.

Alex didn't speak until we were back on the road. "Was that—"

"Don't bring this up when we get home," I interrupted.

"Okay." He quietly ate his frozen yogurt for the rest of the ride.

I pulled into our driveway, and Alex hopped out of the car, making a mad dash for the door. I didn't entirely blame him though, the atmosphere in the car was unbearably awkward. I held onto my milkshake, suddenly feeling a loss of any appetite I had. I was just about to dump its contents into the dying plants in the front yard until I heard a bunch of voices.

"Thanks for the ride, Mike."

I suppressed a groan upon hearing that irritating voice. Unable to hide, I turned around to face the car filled with teenage boys.

"Don't forget about the party on Friday," the aforementioned Mike said to the boy.

"Expect me there." He hopped out of the roofless car and waved to his hooligan friends.

"Oh, and Dani can come too," the driver added, shooting me a smirk that made me want to chug this milkshake and puke its contents in his convertible.

The boy flung his arm over my shoulder. "She'll be there!"

His friends hollered in response as the idiots drove off.

I elbowed his rib. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Don't be such a buzzkill." He swiped the milkshake out of my hands. "Thanks, Dan, how thoughtful."

"Give it back, Brent." Even though I didn't want the drink anymore, that didn't mean I was fine with my brother taking it. I'd rather feed it to the dying plants.

He held the milkshake over my head, smirking down at me. Curse him and the stupid four inches he had over my 5'6" stature. "Or else what?"

I wanted to comment on his height making up for missing inches elsewhere, but someone else beat me to the punch and spoke.

"Brenton Wilhelm Parker, stop being a dick," another voice chimed in.

"Niko!" we exclaimed in sync, both of us momentarily forgetting about the milkshake.

I ran over to our older brother, shoving Brenton in the process, before leaping onto him and throwing my arms around his neck. "You never told us you were coming home!"

He sheepishly grinned as he put me down, his arms still wrapped around me. "Surprise."

"Here, a gift for you." Brent handed him my milkshake, earning a gasp from me.

"Unbelievable." I wriggled out of Niko's grasp and kicked Brenton in the shin.

"Tell your sister to work on her anger management," he winced, clutching onto his bruising leg for dear life.

Niko shook his head disapprovingly. "You idiots fight too much."

"He started it!" I yelled at the same time Brenton said, "She started it!"

"Man, you really are twins."

"Don't insult me like that again, Nikolas," I scoffed.

He raised his eyebrows. "Full names, huh, Daniella?"

I scowled at him. "Suddenly I'm not so thrilled that you're home."

~*~

"Tell me," Mom said as we sat at the table. "How was everyone's day?"

"Today was great!" Alex exclaimed, evidently not over his sugar high. "We watched a movie in class, and I won manhunt at recess, and Dani got frozen yogurt!"

"Damn it," I hissed.

"Daniella," Mom said, making me wince. "What did I say about sugar before dinner? You'll stunt Alexander's growth!"

"Mom, I don't think that's actually—"

"I don't need the attitude." She turned to my twin. "How was your day, Brenton?"

"We won our lacrosse game," he said with a grin.

"That's excellent, sweetheart! Tell my secretary when the semi-finals are, so she can clear my schedule for that day," she said as if she'd actually come. Mom turned back to me. "How was your day, honey?"

I played around with the unseasoned mashed potatoes on my plate. Seriously, this crap tasted like baby food. "It was okay."

Mom frowned, displeased with my answer. "Just okay?"

I shrugged. "Nothing happened."

"You saw Cade today!" Alex chimed in. I had to fight the urge to stab my brother with the butter knife on my plate. What happened to keeping his mouth shut?

"Cade?" Brenton demanded. "As in Cade Thompson?"

"Looks like I came home at the right time," Niko added, rolling up his sleeves. "Where's this prick so I can beat his ass?"

I avoided their gazes. "There won't be any ass beating, okay?"

"I agree. No violence under my roof whatsoever," Mom ordered.

Niko waved her off. "I'll just invite him to my dorm and kick his ass there."

"Speaking of which, your semester break isn't for another month, so why are you back home?" Mom asked.

Niko gave her a sheepish smile. "I was feeling homesick?"

"If I left home I'd never come back," Brenton mumbled. I couldn't help but internally agree. Niko was living his best life the past two years at college, so what on earth possessed him to come back to this shit hole?

Niko let out a sigh, ignoring Brenton's remark. "I broke up with Monica."

Mom's face was filled with concern before it morphed into something else. "Oh, thank goodness! I never liked that girl."

"It's about time that ship has sailed," I piped in.

Brenton nodded. "She may be hot, but that chick was psycho."

"Unbelievable." Niko stood up, abandoning his steak and mashed potatoes. "Thanks for the support."

"You'll find someone better, honey," Mom assured him.

"Hopefully there are fewer crazy fish in the sea," Brenton said, not making eye contact as he stabbed his fork in the steak on Niko's plate.

Mom gave him a stern look before focusing on Niko. "Why don't you go to your room and rest, darling?" She glanced back at Brenton. "As for you, dish duty."

Niko snickered as he and Brenton left the dining room.

"I can't wait to move out," Brenton called over his shoulder.

"We can't wait either!" Alex called back.

"Alexander, honey, go upstairs and start your homework. I expect it all to be done by seven-thirty," Mom said.

He gave her a mock salute. "Yes ma'am."

"I guess I'll go upstairs and do some work," I said in an attempt to leave. I did not want to be alone with Mom.

"I know I always seem busy, but if you want to talk about Cade..."

I gave her a forced smile. "I'm fine." I'd rather hear the gruelling details of Niko and Monica's breakup than have a relationship heart-to-heart with my mother.

I went upstairs to my room before she could call me back. I walked over to my closet and changed into a pair of shorts and one of Niko's old t-shirts. Now dressed in more comfy clothes, I plopped down on my bed and took out my laptop, actually choosing homework over talking to my family members. I opened up an unfinished document to work on a research report for school.

After I finished a decent amount, I grabbed my cell phone from my side table as a treat for myself. My eyebrows shot up in surprise when I saw the numerous notifications on my phone. Of course, they were all from Cade.

8:12 Missed Call from Cade Thompson

8:14 Missed Call from Cade Thompson

8:19 Missed Call from Cade Thompson

8:25 Missed Call from Cade Thompson

I let out a sigh and deleted all of the messages he left on my voicemail without listening to any of them. Every time I was ready to move on, he came back and clung like a leech.

A knock on my bedroom door snapped me out of my thoughts. Before allowing me the chance to respond, Niko popped his head in. "Permission to enter?"

I laid down and turned on my side, facing away from the door. "Permission denied."

Niko snorted in reply, entering anyway. "Move over." He laid down beside me. "Want to talk?"

"Not in the slightest."

"Want me to bash his face into my car?"

"No."

"Want me to bash his face into his car?"

I chomped on my lower lip to hide the smile creeping its way onto my face.

"Nice try, Dan."

I turned to face my big brother. "Why are boys so infuriating?"

He mussed my hair affectionately, a sad smile on his face. "Trust me, girls are just as bad."

I sighed, propping myself up on my elbow. "I'm sorry about Monica."

He waved me off. "Don't be. Everything happens for a reason."

"Think what you want."

Niko smiled at me. "Cheer up, little girl." He stood up and walked toward the door. "Nice shirt by the way."

"There's more where that came from."

He chuckled. "Night, Dan."

"Wait, Niko?"

He stood in the doorway, eyebrows furrowed.

"I'm glad you're home."

"Same here, kid."

~*~

"Wakey, wakey!" a voice cooed in my ear.

"Five more minutes," I groaned.

"You have five seconds, or I take the car."

That was enough to have me bolt out of bed. "Brenton, put your hands on my car and I swear your ass is done for."

"We made a deal, Dani! Fifty-fifty, remember?"

"That was before you started leaving me empty tanks. Mom said if you don't get your shit together then the car is mine."

On that victory note, I went to the bathroom. I slipped off my clothes and stepped into the shower. I wasn't even in the bathroom for two minutes before my stupid brothers infiltrated it.

"Gotta pee!" Alex yelped.

"I need to shave," Brenton added.

I peeked my head out from behind the curtain. "Get out!"

"Has anyone seen my cologne?" Niko, too, entered the already crowded bathroom. Despite our large house, all four of us were forced to share one cramped bathroom. "It's not in my dorm, I'm pretty sure I left it here."

"Dude, watch out or I'll cut myself," Brenton whined.

"Move over! I need to wash my hands," Alex said.

Niko sighed. "Look, guys, I just want my cologne!"

"Everyone get the hell out!" I screamed. All three boys looked at me, dumbfounded. I closed the curtain and resumed my shower, pleased with myself for taking control.

"You made me cut my goddamn face, man!"

"Let me wash my hands!"

"I just want my cologne!"

So much for that.

~*~

"Good morning, sweetie," Mom said as I entered the kitchen.

I scowled at her as I poured myself a glass of juice. "We need another bathroom."

"I second that." Brenton swiped my drink, sitting on the barstool beside me.

"Get your own OJ." I tried to get my juice back, but he chugged it all in one sip.

"Ah, that sure hit the spot." Brenton handed me back an empty glass, a devious smirk on his face.

Being the mature seventeen-year-old that I was, I folded my arms across my chest and stomped on the floor like a brat having a tantrum. "Mom!"

"I don't have time for these petty arguments. I'm going to be late for work." Mom poured coffee into a thermos, and she grabbed her briefcase. "Please drop off your little brother at school."

Before I could protest, Niko entered the kitchen. "Don't worry, I got it."

"We need to discuss your plans to return to school," Mom said. "Goodbye my darlings, have a lovely day!" Just like that, she was out the door.

"I'm surprised we even saw her this morning," Brenton muttered.

Niko rolled his eyes. "Cut her some slack. It's not easy raising four children."

Brenton shot him an annoyed look. "Could have been three if the overgrown baby didn't have an episode and spontaneously come back home."

"Is there a problem here?" Niko shoved Brenton, his 6'3" stature towering over my twin.

While it was refreshing to see Brenton get picked on by someone bigger than him, I knew I would have to intervene before my twin's short fuse sparked. As predicted, the idiot curled his hand into a fist, but I stepped in before things could get ugly. Brenton had a nasty temper, and I wasn't going to let him hurt Niko over something so stupid. 

"C'mon, let's go to school." I grabbed my twin by his hand and led him outside.

"You didn't have to do that," he grumbled.

I shot him a bored look, placing my hands on my hips. "Someone needs to step up and be mature."

Brenton stuck out his hand. I narrowed my eyes at him in reply. He raised his eyebrows in anticipation as we stopped in front of the car.

"Fine." I smacked the keys onto the palm of his hand.

Brenton sat in the driver's seat, looking too damn pleased with himself. "Hey, what's that?"

"I don't care," I muttered, annoyed that he was driving.

"No, look." Brenton pointed his finger at something in the rearview mirror.

I followed his finger and noticed a large white truck behind us. "No way. New neighbours?"

"That house has been empty since before Alex was born!"

"I wonder who bought it, and why?" I thought aloud.

Stone Creek seldom had new residents, so us living beside new neighbours was an absolute rarity. I was beyond curious to see who these people were, and more importantly, why on earth they decided to move here of all places.

~*~

When we reached school, Brenton and I parted ways. At home, we were forced to be together, but at school, we liked to keep as much distance as possible. If we weren't the spitting images of each other then no one would have known we were siblings. What a nice world that would be...

"Thanks for replying to any of my texts last night," my best friend, Amber, said as I took my textbooks out of my locker. I was so preoccupied with Cade's missed calls I didn't even notice she sent me any texts.

"Sorry, something came up."

"Sounds like gossip! Spill."

I closed my locker door to look at her. "Cade called."

Her jaw slacked. "What does he want?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Hell if I know. I thought he was old news, so I don't know why he keeps coming back."

"What you need is a new man," Amber said. "That way he'll finally leave you alone."

"I think I'll pass on the dating scene for now." We started to walk to our homeroom - biology.

"You're going to have to move on eventually."

"That doesn't mean anytime soon."

"Dani..."

"Can we drop it?"

"So," a smirk graced her face, "I hear a certain babe is back in town."

I felt bile rise in my throat. "Please don't refer to my brother like that."

"How's his crazy bitch?" she asked.

"They broke up."

Amber stopped in her tracks, an elasticated grin on her face. "Oh my God, shut up! Does this mean I finally have a chance?"

"Amber, you've been my best friend since forever. If anything, Niko sees you as another little sister." Seeing her deflated expression made me feel kind of bad. "There will be other guys."

"But none as hot as Niko," she whined.

"Niko's overrated, I think Brent's hotter," the irritating voice of my twin filled the air. Brenton placed his arms over my and Amber's shoulders as he stood in between us. "Good morning, ladies. Fancy seeing you here."

I pushed his arm off. "I should be saying that to you considering you're never here."

"Congrats on your win yesterday," Amber said.

"We're having a celebration party on Friday. You should come." Brenton flashed her his signature smile, suddenly making me relieved I didn't drink the orange juice, otherwise, I'd puke on both of them.

"I'd love to!" she beamed.

"Bring little miss moody while you're at it." He nudged his head in my direction.

"I should've let Niko break your ugly little face."

Brenton patted my cheek. "Nice try, kiddo. We have the same face."

"Damn it."

"ALRIGHT, IT'S OFFICIAL. I'm in love with both of your brothers."

My foot slammed on the brake pedal, making the car pull to an abrupt halt.

"Dani, what the hell?"

"Don't say repulsive things like that when I'm driving!"

"Sorry."

"Thank you," I breathed in relief. I lightly tapped the gas pedal and my car accelerated forward, basking in the peaceful silence. Of course, that didn't last long.

"Imagine they weren't your brothers, and you had to pick one—"

"Amber!"

"Right, sorry."

"Fantasize about Niko or Brent once more, and I will kick you out right now."

"Where is Brenton anyway?"

I slowed down the car and turned into Amber's street. "He has lacrosse practice."

"Don't you have to pick up Alex?"

"Niko said he would." I pulled my car into her driveway. "That'll be twenty bucks."

"Funny," she said dryly. "Want to come inside?"

I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel. "Can't. Mom wants us all home for dinner."

Amber raised an eyebrow as she slung her bag over her shoulder. "To talk about campaigning stuff, I presume?"

"Don't even get me started. I can't wait until this stupid election is over."

"I should let you get going." She opened the car door and stepped outside. "You're coming to the party tomorrow right?"

"Like hell I am."

"Please, Dani?"

"Bye, Amber."

~*~

I placed my backpack on the couch, and I made a beeline for the kitchen. Mom was going to be home in an hour, and by the smell of it, dinner was nonexistent. With Mom extra swamped at work, she laid out strict expectations from us, with one of them being to prepare dinner every night.

"Dani?" Alex called out.

"In the kitchen!"

"Are you making dinner? I'm starving!"

I rummaged through the fridge in search of something to make. I couldn't even remember the last time anyone went grocery shopping. "Are you in the mood for some lasagna?"

Alex made a face. "You made that two days ago."

"Soup?"

"Yuck."

"Burgers?"

"We eat them three times a week."

"Casserole?"

"What even is a casserole?"

I stopped for a moment, taken aback by his question. "I have no idea."

"Can we have pizza?"

"We don't have any pizza dough."

"I know someone who does." Alex grabbed the landline, and he dialled a number. "Can I have two extra large sausage and pepperoni pizzas with mushrooms, green olives, and extra cheese? Chicken wings are half off this week?" He paused to look at me. "I'll take three orders of barbecue wings!" I glared at my little brother who smiled innocently at me. "Our dinner should be here in half an hour."

~*~

"This homemade pizza is delicious. Good job, Dan," Brenton teased.

"When I said I wanted you to take care of dinner I meant for you to make it," Mom chastised.

"Don't blame me, Alex made the call!" I knew it was immature of me to blame my kid brother, but there was no way I was taking ownership for something he did.

"That doesn't matter, Dani. You're the older sibling."

"Did you guys see the moving truck next door?" Niko said in an attempt to change the topic.

"That's actually what I wanted to discuss with you all." Mom left her untouched slice of pizza to go to the kitchen.

The second she was gone, my pig of a twin grabbed her slice and gobbled it down. "What?" he said between mouthfuls of sausage and mushrooms when he saw my disgusted expression.

Before I could call him a gluttonous swine, Mom returned with a plate and a box of store-bought brownies. "I'm sure you all know how much this election means to me."

"So we're celebrating with brownies?" my stupid twin asked.

"No, hon, these are for the new neighbours." Mom placed the brownies on the plate to make them look as if they were homemade. "In order for me to win, I have to appeal to as many voters as possible."

As if she already didn't have enough time for her family, our mother was running to be the next Mayor of Stone Creek. She worked as a paralegal for years, but I guess she wanted to be adventurous and try something out of her comfort zone. As a result, things have been hectic at home the past few weeks. We were all still getting used to Mom's crazy work hours, and being on our best behaviour - which was easier said than done for we Parker kin. Everything we did had an impact on her likeliness to win and become elected.

"Therefore, I want to be neighbourly to our new neighbours, so when they vote they see a familiar face," Mom continued.

"So you're going to persuade them to vote for you with store-bought brownies?" Brenton asked with a frown, clearly still upset he wasn't allowed to eat the brownies.

"Eat a wing and stop complaining," I said with an eye roll.

His frown deepened. "They're finished."

Being the mature sibling I was, I picked up the last chicken wing on my plate and I shoved it in his mouth.

"DP the MVP," Brenton chanted with his mouth full.

Our mother looked at her filthy son with distaste before finishing what she was saying. "I can't fraternize with the townspeople of Stone Creek, or else it will seem like I am buying votes. However, one of you can do it for me."

"Not it!" all my brothers called out simultaneously.

"You guys are so immature," I berated, though I was secretly regretting not saying it first.

"Make sure you mention me when you go, honey," Mom instructed.

I picked up the plate, grumbling incoherent words under my breath as I walked to the house next door. It was similar to ours in exterior, minus the beyond dead plants looming outside. It made sense considering they hadn't been tended to in over a decade. I stepped over a row of dead tulips, and I rang the doorbell. The moving truck was gone, and there were no vehicles on the driveway, so I wasn't entirely sure if anyone was home. But my mother was a persistent woman who wouldn't let me return home with the plate of brownies, so I had no choice but to keep trying.

I rang the doorbell so many times, I was sure the whole street had heard it by now. Yet there was still no answer. If anyone was home, surely they would have answered by now. Instead of sticking around to wait, I left the plate on the doorstep, and I returned home. Thankfully Mom was on a work call when I came back, so I managed to slip past her and go to my room.

I entered my bedroom and flicked on the lights. I was about to change my clothes when I noticed a beam of light coming from the window. Much to my surprise, the light was coming from the house next door. It wasn't until I noticed a figure from the window across from mine did I realize someone was home all along.

"Hey!" I yelled through my open window.

The figure turned around, revealing a boy who seemed to be around my age. He had blonde hair, tanned skin, and earbuds in his ears. He pulled out an earbud, an annoyed look on his face. 

"Do you greet all of your neighbours like this?" he said through his open window.

"You were home this whole time."

He gave me a bored look. "Yeah, and?"

"Didn't you hear me ring the bell?"

A pompous smirk tugged at his lips. "Ah, so it was you who was attempting to destroy my doorbell."

"You know, it's common courtesy to open the door when someone is ringing it."

He let out a fake gasp. "Really? Please, do enlighten me."

I balled my hands into fists. "You don't deserve the brownies I brought."

"I'm sure they taste terrible anyway."

Without a word, I turned around and sprinted down the stairs, out the door, and to his porch. Just as I was about to grab the plate, the front door swung open and that damn boy got the brownies before me. "First you damage my doorbell, and now you're trying to steal my brownies?"

"Give them back, asshole."

"Nah, I think I'll keep them. Let's see how good of a cook you are." With that, he slammed the door in my face.

"Joke's on you, they're store-bought!" I yelled at the closed door.

"Good, you're back," Mom said when I stepped inside. "Did they like the brownies?"

I forced a smile onto my face. "I'm sure he loved it."

"Perfect! Thank you, darling," she said, oblivious to my sarcasm.

I trudged to my room, annoyed with my mom for making me go next door, annoyed at the new neighbour for being an asshole, and annoyed that I had no brownies. I marched over to my window, also annoyed that for the first time in forever I had to shut my curtains.

The stupid boy was in his room, his earbuds in his ears as he munched on the brownies. He was stacking a bunch of boxes in his room. He let out a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. Something was sticking out of one of the boxes on the bottom and he reached out to grab it. He tried pulling the object a few times, but he was unsuccessful in taking it out. He kicked the other boxes off, each one falling to the ground with a loud thud. I accidentally snorted, causing him to look at me.

He walked over to his window, irritation evident on his face. "Don't you know what privacy is?"

"Don't you know what anger management is?" I couldn't help but say back.

He scowled at me and without another word, he closed his curtains.

~*~

I rolled off my bed the next morning, due to the loud screams that infiltrated the house, catching me by surprise. Oh, what a pleasant way to start my day. I walked to the source of the noise in all my groggy glory. I leaned against the staircase railing to get a better view of the commotion downstairs.

Brenton came up beside me, stretching his arms as he let out a yawn. "Are Mom and Niko going at each other's throats again?"

Alex joined us, rubbing his sleepy eyes. "Why's Mommy mad this time?"

I wrapped my arms around my baby brother, resting my chin on top of his head. "Don't worry about it, kid. Go get ready for school."

The sleep deprived child meekly nodded his head before walking headfirst into the linen closet. Much to our horror, he pulled down his pants. Before either of us could stop Alex, he began to urinate all over clean towels.

"At least they're doing their job," Brenton remarked.

"Nikolas Germaine Parker, you better get your ass back to your school this instant!" we heard Mom yell from downstairs.

"Yikes, full name," Brenton muttered.

"What don't you understand by I can't go back right now?" Niko argued back.

"I'm not paying thousands of dollars for you to come home on a whim! You are going back to college and that's final."

"You're ridiculous," Niko said.

"Don't you dare walk away from me!"

"Or else what? I don't live under your roof anymore."

Brenton nudged me. "You think he's going to go back to school?"

I rolled my eyes. "He's a mama's boy, of course he will."

"Bye, Mom." Niko walked near the staircase so that we were directly in his view. "Bye, eavesdroppers."

"We've been caught," Brenton whispered.

I wrinkled my nose in disgust. "Go brush your teeth."

"How do you like me now?" Brenton taunted, emphasising the h so I could a stronger whiff of his morning funk.

I smacked his face away as I watched Niko. The eldest Parker sibling slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked out, much to Mom's anger. Brenton and I were about to go hide before we could face her wrath, but we were seconds too late.

"I expect you two to be home for dinner tonight."

"We can't," Brenton said abruptly. My eyes widened, and it wasn't from his stink. Was he trying to get us killed? "I have a game tonight," he continued before Mom could lash out.

"What does that have to do with your sister?"

"She's my ride home. Tyler's car broke down, so Dani offered to stick around and watch the game."

"Dani, is this true?" Mom asked.

I had no idea what Brenton was up to, but judging by his pleading look I decided to go with it. "I'm just trying to be more sisterly."

Mom eyed us strangely, but thankfully her phone rang, momentarily distracting her. "Make sure you pick up Alex after school."

"Will do. Have a great day, Mother," Brenton said a bit too cheerily. As soon as she was out the door, Brenton grinned at me. "You're coming with me to the party tonight!"

My jaw slacked. "Wait, what? No way!"

"Come on, Dan, please?"

I pushed past him. "No thanks."

"I even convinced Amber to come just for you!"

"Why do you want me coming so badly?"

Brenton avoided my gaze and looked down at his feet. "You've been really down ever since the breakup, and I just wanted to cheer you up."

"You're such a dork."

"Just come, Dan," he whined.

"Promise to stay out of my love life if I come?"

Brenton nodded his head rapidly. "Promise!"

I realized that was too easy, and I should've added more to what I wanted. "And, you have to pay for gas for the next month."

"Hell no."

"Fine. Enjoy walking to school."

He groaned. "Ugh, okay, you win.."

I beamed at my twin. "Great, I'll see you tonight!"

"Oh, and Dani?" he called. "Don't wear your usual boring attire tonight."

~*~

"I can't believe Brenton actually convinced you to come," Amber said for the fifth time that period.

"Yes, I get it. I'm going to a party, how shocking."

"Dani Parker at a party? Are pigs flying now?" another voice chimed in.

"I don't know, can you fly?" I retorted.

He chuckled and sat down beside me. "I'm glad Brent was able to get you to come. My last party wasn't as fun without the better twin."

I pretended to fan my face. "Oh, Holden, you sure know how to make a girl blush."

"It's one of my many specialties. Come to my party and you'll see the rest."

"Tempting."

His green eyes widened in anticipation. "So will I see you there tonight?"

"Only if you're lucky."

"I'll be sure to search for my four-leaf clovers then."

"Good morning, everyone. Please find your seats," our biology teacher, Mrs. Frazer, said as she entered the classroom.

"Save me a dance," Holden said before walking out of the classroom and to his actual class. With him being a star athlete and a straight-A student, he never got into trouble for anything. It was quite enviable.

I took out my notebook and started jotting down whatever Mrs. Frazer was rambling about virulent bacteria. Amber suddenly kicked the back of my chair, making me smear blue ink on my page.

"What was that for?"

"Are we not going to talk about what just happened?"

"Girls, quiet down," Mrs. Frazer said to us.

"There's nothing to talk about," I whispered once Mrs. Frazer was focused on her lesson.

"Yes, there is." Amber grinned at me. "Holden is so into you."

"I've known him forever. Shut up."

"Say what you want, but he definitely likes you."

"He's Brenton's best friend. That's repulsing."

"He could be a nice distraction for the meantime. He's cute and smart. I'd go for him."

"What happened to your lifelong goal to become a Parker?" I teased.

She waved me off. "That's still going to happen. But who knows how long it'll take. Do you know if Brenton is seeing anyone right now?"

"Who hasn't he seen?"

Brenton was the type of guy who couldn't retain an interest in anything for too long, whether it be girls, music, or even the wallpaper in his room. The only thing my twin has been consistent with for more than a few weeks - aside from making my existence intolerable - was lacrosse. Lacrosse was basically his life. There was nothing he loved more than the sport, except for himself.

"Have you decided what you're going to wear tonight?"

I looked down at the sweater and jeans I was wearing. "I was thinking these."

"You've got to be kidding me," Amber deadpanned.

"Girls, that is enough!" Mrs. Frazer said. "One more word and I will move—"

"Sorry to interrupt, Mrs. Frazer," Principal Hale said as he entered the classroom. "We have a new student who will be attending Stone Creek High as of today."

Whispers erupted all around the room, and everyone chattered animatedly. There was excitement and curiosity plastered on everyone's faces. A new student at Stone Creek was already rare, but to have them in your class was even rarer.

"I can't believe it!" Amber exclaimed. "The last time we had a new kid was in the seventh grade!"

I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach at the thought of who this new student could possibly be. Was there a chance that another family moved into Stone Creek yesterday and the new student was someone else?

Principal Hale clapped to get our attention. "Students, please give a warm welcome to your newest classmate, James Hastings."

MY BREATH CAUGHT in my throat the second he stepped into the room. This couldn't be happening. I knew my luck was questionable but was it seriously that shitty?

"I think I've found my husband," Amber whispered to me as she ogled him. She wasn't alone. The rest of the girls and some of the guys were fawning over him too.

Despite the newfound attention, he looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here. He was wearing a denim jacket over a white shirt and a pair of black jeans. His blonde hair was tousled, and he had steely grey eyes that burned holes into anything in their view. His large figure towered over the desks and I suddenly felt very small.

I was hoping I was small enough for him to overlook me and not recall yesterday's occurrences. I ducked my head down before he could look in my direction. There were only a few minutes left of this period and then I was off to my next class, far away from him.

"Take a seat wherever you'd like," Mrs. Frazer said to him.

He sat at a desk near the windows and away from the rest of the class. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the typical teenage angst radiating off of him. His antisocial demeanour wasn't going to get him far, especially not in a town this small. Luckily the bell rang, signalling the end of this class. I packed up my backpack and bolted out of the classroom. I didn't even wait to say bye to Amber. I just had to get out.

~*~

I was at my locker swapping my morning textbooks for my afternoon ones when my door was slammed shut.

"Thanks for waiting for me," Amber spat.

"Right. Sorry about that."

"Why were you in such a hurry anyway? You hate psychology."

"I was cramming for a quiz," I lied. I looked around the hallway as students passed by to see if I could spot him. It was the lunch period so there was a likely chance he'd be somewhere here.

"How'd it go?"

"What?"

"Your quiz."

I continued searching for him through the multitude of students. "What quiz?"

"Your psychology quiz!" Amber said.

"Oh. I think it went well."

"What are you looking for anyway?"

"I'm not looking for anything."

"Yes, you are."

"Want to get some lunch? I'm starving."

She eyed me strangely. "Dani, are you okay?"

I smiled back. "Just hungry."

We went to the cafeteria and waited in line to buy our food. I grabbed a tray and put two cartons of chocolate milk and a slice of pizza on it. "Oh, I don't want any chocolate milk," Amber said.

I raised my eyebrows. "They're for me."

"Why do you need two?"

"Uh, because it's delicious?"

"I read online that chocolate milk contains cow blood," she said, wrinkling her nose.

"Keep your preposterous fake facts to yourself." Just for that remark, I placed another carton on my tray. I paid the worker behind the counter and I carried my tray to an empty table, Amber following in suit.

"Can we fawn over how hot that new guy is?" Amber gushed as we sat down.

"Can we not? I don't want to lose my appetite."

She pointed her fork at me accusingly. "How do you not think he's hot, Dani? He is gorgeous."

"Talking about me, ladies?" Brenton asked, sitting down beside Amber, much to her joy and my dismay.

I pushed my tray away from me. "I've officially lost my appetite."

"Don't mind if I do." Brenton reached over to take my slice of pizza, but I smacked his hand before he could get near. He glumly retreated and took a bite of his pasta salad. "Have you heard of the new guy?"

"We not only heard of him, but we saw him," Amber said enthusiastically. "He's beautiful!"

"Didn't you meet him yesterday?" Brenton asked with his face full of pasta.

Amber's jaw dropped. "You met him and you didn't tell me? What other secrets are you keeping from me?"

"Our mom made Dan give the new neighbours brownies," Brenton said.

Amber gasped. "I'm sorry, your neighbour? Why didn't you tell me?"

I bit into my pizza as an excuse to not talk. Brenton shot me a wary look and slowly rose to his feet. "Seeing the tense atmosphere I have created, I think it's time for me to leave. I'll see you ladies tonight."

For once, Amber wasn't fawning over Brenton after he left. Instead she was too busy staring daggers at me. "Why didn't you tell me? I thought we were best friends."

I shrugged, not really seeing why this was so important. "Amber, we are best friends. I'm sorry, I just didn't think it was a big deal."

"Promise to keep no more secrets?"

I nodded my head in agreement. "No more secrets."

"Good." She paused. "So how hot was he up close?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but stopped when I felt a presence behind me. Judging by the look on Amber's face, I figured it was Holden. "How can I be of assistance at this fine hour?"

"Giving me one of your many chocolate milks would be a lovely start."

I froze.

That voice did not belong to Holden. Slowly, I turned around to see the figure looming over me, my breath catching in my throat. "What are you doing here?" I managed to wheeze out.

"This is a school. I came here to learn."

"Cut the crap. What do you want from me?"

"I saw a familiar face, so I thought I'd say hi." He paused, his lips curving upwards. "Hi, neighbour."

"Bye, neighbour."

"Not very neighbourly, now is it?"

"What do you know about being neighbourly?" I sneered.

"Speaking of which," he leaned in a bit too close for comfort, "those brownies were delicious." He stepped back, flashed me a devilish smile and walked away.

"Oh my God," Amber said.

I groaned. "Don't start."

"Dani! He came up and talked to you! What happened yesterday?"

"Nothing happened."

"What happened to not keeping secrets?"

I exhaled through my nose. "Fine." I recounted the entire story to her. Amber was grinning ecstatically the entire time. When I was done she let out a squeal that nearly burst my eardrums.

"Oh my God, Dani! That's so exciting! What if you two fall in love and—"

"Amber."

She gazed lovingly into the distance. "Yeah?"

"Shut up."

"You know, he'd be the perfect rebound from—"

"Don't say its name."

"Harsh."

"He deserves it."

She frowned. "You never told me why you two broke up."

"Can we just drop it?" Silence fell upon us as we finished up our lunches. I emptied out my first and second cartons of chocolate milk, but my third carton was nowhere to be found. "Have you seen my milk?"

Amber shook her head. "Did you leave it at the cash register?"

"No, I had them all with me. Did Brenton take it?"

"He left with his own tray."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Then who..." My eyes locked in on James, sitting on the other side of the cafeteria. He caught my eye and held up the chocolate milk carton. "That jackass!"

~*~

I was in my last class of the day, English. As soon as this class was over I was free to go home. My plan was to buy as many cartons of chocolate milk as I could to drink my anger away.

"As you can see, I am handing you all a copy of Shakespeare's Macbeth," my English teacher, Mr. Ridgeway said as he passed around old, dusty books that looked like they hadn't seen sunlight since Shakespeare, himself, was alive. "This is personally one of my favourite plays, and I am excited to share it with you all. For tonight I want everyone to read the first scene..." My phone vibrated in my pocket and I carefully took it out to ensure Mr. Ridgeway wouldn't see.

You look bored

I glanced at the other side of the room where Holden was seated. He looked up and smiled at me. I typed a reply back to him as sneakily as I could without getting caught.

Trust me, I am

Excited for tonight?

I peered at him to see a look of anticipation on his face.

Maybe a little

I promise I'll make it worth your while

Congrats on your lacrosse win by the way

It was all Brent, not me

You sell yourself too short

Dani Parker being positive for once? Never thought I'd live to see the day

Hilarious.

I thought so :)

I looked up and smiled at Holden. When the bell rang, he walked over to join me. "So what are your plans for this afternoon?"

I searched for my car keys in my bag. "I have to go pick up Alex from school."

"Want some company?"

"You don't have to."

"What if I throw in a milkshake on the house?"

"Ugh, fine."

He chuckled. "I see the milkshake addiction is still there."

"Anything sweet and I'm sold." We walked to the parking lot and reached my jeep. I sat in the driver's seat and Holden sat beside me. "Don't you have a car?" I asked.

"I'll just get one of the guys to drop it off at my place," he said with a wave of his hand.

I pulled out of the parking lot and took the path to Alex's school. "Must be nice having an army of mindless minions."

Holden placed a hand over his heart. "How dare you insult my bitches?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "So where are the parents off to this weekend?"

"Some conference in Baltimore."

"What about the café?"

"My dad put the assistant manager in charge."

Holden's parents were always on the go. His dad ran the local café and his mom was a renowned nutritionist. They made an ironic duo to say the least. Due to his mom's success, she was always attending various events to speak about her work, and his dad usually tagged along. As a result Holden was alone quite often. With him being an only child things got lonely, so he frequently threw parties. His parents had to be just about the coolest and chillest parents ever. They were well aware of his parties, but instead of yelling at him or grounding him, they just pretended like nothing happened.

"Have you decided which career path you want to take?" I asked. We started having college application seminars at school because in a few months we'd have to start applying.

"You know, the dessert path really spoke to me, but I think I want to go into law."

"I'd go down the dessert path."

"With all that chocolate you consume, I'm not surprised."

"My mom could help you out with deciding where to apply," I offered.

"Really? Thanks!"

"Only after all this election stuff is over," I added.

"How's that going?" he asked.

Refraining from using the many choice words I had to describe it, I opted for a more positive response. "Let's just say I can't wait until it's over."

Holden laughed. "So what does the great Dani Parker wish to do with her life?" he asked.

"I've been thinking of veterinary school."

"Never knew you were an animal person."

I snorted. "I'm not."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm serious. What do you want to do?"

"I'm still thinking." I made a left turn. "Maybe social work."

"That's an interesting pathway," he said.

I shrugged. "I want to do something where I can give back, you know. I've been fortunate to have so many opportunities, and I'd like to help those who don't have the same."

"You're a unique character, Parker."

"You're not too shabby yourself, Rollins."

When we arrived at Stone Creek Elementary, Alex ran over to my car. He was about to sit in the front, but made his way to the back when he saw Holden.

"Hey, bud," Holden greeted.

"Where's Brent?" Alex asked, clearly not pleased Holden took his seat.

"He's not here. Holden's been keeping me company." Alex was eyeing me strangely, so I continued talking. "Want to go to the café?"

"Two days in a row?" He was already bouncing in his seat.

I looked at him through the rearview mirror. "You have Holden to thank for that."

"Thanks, Holden!"

Holden chuckled. "Now he loves me."

"I guess all Parkers can be won over by food," I joked.

I parked my jeep in an empty spot and we all got out. Alex ran past us to go wait in line. Holden and I joined him as we talked more about careers. "You know, there are rumours going around that college scouts are coming to our semi-finals," he said.

"That's awesome! Think you'll get a scholarship?"

He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Eh, I don't know about me. But Brent is getting one for sure. You should see that guy on the field!"

"Now he just needs to keep his grades up," I murmured. I loved Brenton - somewhat - but my twin had shit for brains.

Alex snickered. "Fat chance!"

"I'm sure he'll get there." Holden smirked. "Especially with Rebecca's help."

"Who's Rebecca?" Alex pondered.

"His girlfriend of the week," Holden answered with an eye roll.

I shook my head. "Girlfriend is too exclusive of a term for Brent. If anything she's his 'study buddy' until his next test," I said with air quotations.

Holden laughed. "Brenton's awful."

I ruffled Alex's hair. "You won't be anything like Brent, right?"

"I promise!"

"That's why you're my favourite brother."

~*~

After dropping Holden home, I drove us back to the house. Alex chatted animatedly about his day, and I nodded and commented whenever appropriate though I wasn't listening to a word. 

"Is Holden your boyfriend?" he said out of nowhere which was enough to have me pay attention to him.

"What?" I screeched, swerving the car in response. Alex let out a yelp, his face planting into the window, while my forehead smacked against the steering wheel. We were lucky no one was on the road so after making sure he was alright, I took a shaky breath, adjusted our position and continued driving.

"Are you and Holden together?" he repeated, completely unfazed by what just happened.

"No! Why would you say that?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I thought you were."

"Well we aren't, so don't go around saying that." The last thing I needed was for Brenton to go beat up his best friend for supposedly hooking up with his sister.

"I like him," Alex said.

"I do too, but just as a friend."

"Are you ever going to have a new boyfriend?"

"Okay, kid, end of discussion." I parked my car on the driveway and we got out.

"What's that smell?" Alex said as we walked to the porch, scrunching his nose.

I looked around until I found the source of the smell. "Go inside, Alex. I'll be there in a second." Once he was inside I turned to face our annoying neighbour. "Would it kill you to not smoke out here?"

James blew out another puff of smoke. "It's a free country."

"You're poisoning not only your lungs, but ours too."

He remained seated on his porch steps, a bored look on his face. "Thanks for the free health lesson, but I don't give a shit."

"You're annoying," I yelled as I stormed inside.

"Get used to it, neighbour," he called out before I could shut the door.

"Can I have mac and cheese?" Alex asked when I came inside. He was sprawled across the couch watching a TV show.

"There's leftover pizza from yesterday."

He nodded his head in understanding. "So mac and cheese or what?"

"I hate men," I grumbled. I went to the kitchen and got the ingredients needed for my spoiled brother's snack. "Alex, do you know where the cheese is?"

"I think it's done," he called back.

"How the hell do you expect me to make mac and cheese if there's no cheese?"

"Now, now, Dani dearest, watch that potty mouth of yours."

I didn't have to turn around to know who it was. "Shut up before I smack you."

"Is that any way to talk to your favourite brother?" Brenton chided as he entered the kitchen.

"Actually, that's me," Alex shouted from the living room.

"It's Niko now," I muttered.

"Have you received any texts from him?" Brenton asked.

I shook my head. "He needs a day or two to calm down, then he'll come around." Reckless decision making was a skill we four Parker children possessed. We tended to make impulsive choices in the moment and then eventually returned back to our senses.

Brenton glanced at his phone. "You should start to get ready."

"What about my mac and cheese?" Alex whined.

"Get off your lazy ass and learn to do something on your own," Brenton shouted back. He grinned at the disapproving look I gave him. "Parenting at its finest, don't you think?"

"DAN, ARE YOU ready yet?"

    "Give me a second."

    "You've been saying that for the past twenty minutes!"

    "If you want me to come then be patient," I shouted back. I did last-minute touch-ups to my makeup before joining Brenton.

    "Where do you think you're going in that?" he demanded, looking at me with his forehead so creased I could see a small vein bulging on the side of his head.

    I glanced down at my outfit, confused by his question. I was dressed in a strapless black dress paired with a denim jacket on top. It was simple but also cute and Amber approved, so that was good enough for me. "Is it that bad? I thought I looked fine."

    "I said to dress nicely, not as a prostitute." Brenton sighed. "You're not going out in that."

    I pushed past him. "Like I'm going to take orders from my little brother."

    "We're seventeen minutes apart!" he exclaimed.

    "Look, we're going to be late, so let's get a move on."

    Brenton gave me a stern look, staying stationed in place. "Dress test."

    I gawked at him. "What? No!"

    "Dress test or we aren't going."

    The last time I had to do one of his stupid dress tests was when we were thirteen and went to our first boy-girl birthday party. "You're unbelievable."

   He clapped his hands obnoxiously. "Chop chop, let's go."

    I let out a groan, but I did as I was told. I held my arms above my head, then I leaned forward and bent down. This was followed by sitting down and reaching for my toes. "Are we done?"

    "Fine," he said begrudgingly. "But if I see anyone stare at you for a second too long, you're wearing my spare sweatpants in the trunk for the rest of the night."

    I couldn't hide the grimace on my face. Those sweatpants hadn't seen a washing machine since sophomore year.

    "Wipe that look off of your face, I'm serious," he warned.

    I pinched his cheek. "It's so adorable when my little brother gets protective."

    "Seventeen goddamn minutes, Dani."

    "Doesn't matter, you're still younger."

    Brenton grumbled some choice words under his breath as he stomped past me.

    "I'm driving," I said.

    "Come on, Dan. I'll be the DD for the night. You should have fun."

    "Brent, you're notorious for getting hammered within the first twenty minutes of any party," I scoffed.

    "Not tonight." He swiped the keys out of my hands as we walked to the front door. "Be a good boy, Alex."

    "Coming from you," Alex said without looking away from the TV.

    After Brenton ensured Alex wouldn't tell Mom where we were off to, we left. It should have only taken us ten minutes to drive to Holden's house, but thanks to my crappy navigator and driver it took a solid half-hour. "How do you not know where he lives? You two have been best friends since forever!" I exclaimed.

    "It's a complicated route," Brenton defended. "Too many turns."

    I gave him a flat look. "You take Maple Road the entire way to his house. There's not a single turn."

    He parked on the side of the street near Holden's house. "Shut up." 

    We got out of the car and walked to his house. The evening was brisk and I was suddenly beginning to regret wearing a dress. I had to keep quiet because if I complained in the slightest Brenton would start his whole I told you so ramble, so I had no choice but to toughen it out.

    The minute we entered the house, Brenton was greeted by his lacrosse teammates. "Let's get wasted!" he exclaimed, immediately forgetting his promise to be the designated driver.

    I swiped the keys out of his hands before he could get too far. If they were kept in his care, they'd probably end up in one of the toilets. 

    Brenton rolled his eyes when he saw the displeased look on my face. "Don't be a buzzkill, Dan."

    "It's called being responsible."

    "Screw responsibility." Brenton grabbed two cups off a table filled with snacks, handing one to me. "You're going to have fun tonight."

    "Who's going to drive, idiot?"

    He ruffled my hair. "Don't worry about it. I'll get one of the sober guys to take us home. Now go have fun."

    I grabbed him by the collar before he could walk off. "You're leaving me?"

    "Go find Amber or go mingle." A serious look appeared on his face. "If you run into that dick, come find me. Okay?"

    "Brent, I'm not a little—"

    "Okay?"

    I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, okay."

    He grinned. "Good. Bottoms up."

    "No thanks."

    "If you come to my party, then you got to have fun," another voice said. Holden bumped fists with Brenton and smiled at me. "Glad you showed up. Care for a drink?"

    I held up my full cup. "I'm good."

    Holden grabbed two cups from the table and he handed me one. "Chug the first and then the second."

    "Like I said before, no thanks." Someone had to be responsible and if Brenton wanted to be an idiot then it was on me to make sure we got home in one piece.

    "Come on, Dani," Brenton whined.

    "Yeah, come on, Dani," Holden mimicked.

    I rolled my eyes at their childish behaviour, well aware the duo wouldn't stop pestering me until they got what they wanted.

    "Fine." 

    I gulped down the contents in my first cup, ignoring the burning sensation in my throat. I then did the same with the second cup, making the boys cheer.

    "Bet you can't do another," Holden said.

    I arched an eyebrow, my lips curving upwards. "Is that a challenge?"

    He chuckled. "Maybe it is."

    I swiped the cup out of his hands. "There's one thing you may not know about me." I took a swig, drinking the cup's entire contents in a single swallow. "I don't back away from a challenge."

    Holden watched me with amusement. "Is that so?"

    I nodded, feeling a little dizzy. "Try me, Rollins."

    He took my hands in his. "Then I challenge you to dance with me, Parker."

    I laughed. "You're on."

                        ~*~

    The entire night was spent with me running around and dancing like my life depended on it, despite the fact that I basically had two left feet. I couldn't remember a time I was this carefree. Or drunk out of control... The most intoxicated I had planned to get was tipsy, but tipsy was a state I had long since passed.

    After hours of drinking and dancing, I was hit with the overwhelming need to pee. Currently, I was walking around Holden's house in search of a bathroom. I knew his house was large, but I didn't remember it being this massive. Every door I came across was locked or had people in there doing things one shouldn't do at someone else's house. After several minutes of searching, I finally found it. I ran over to go inside, but the door was locked. I banged on the door repeatedly until it finally opened.

    Oh, how I wished I had just urinated out in the bushes.

    "I didn't think I'd see you here."

    Even in my drunken state, I felt goosebumps form on my arms and legs at the sight of him. I swallowed hard, trying to look as sober as possible. "Why don't we pretend you didn't and I'll be on my way?" I basically sprinted down the stairs to find the nearest exit. Unluckily for me, I wasn't fast enough.

    "Wait up." He grabbed my wrist to prevent me from going any further. "Can we talk?"

    "We just did. Bye." I didn't even care about peeing anymore, I just wanted to get as far away from him as I could.

    "Dani, please?"

    "No thanks."

    I rapidly walked to the back door and slipped outside. Holden's backyard was filled with people, but I didn't mind. It beat being alone with him. My head was spinning as I tried to remember where Brenton parked the car. I let out a sudden yelp when a hand clamped down on my shoulder.

    "Let's talk."

    He guided me away from the crowds of people to the side of Holden's house. With the Rollins' being loaded they not only bought this mansion of a house, but they bought the land surrounding it. The number of people at the party started to dwindle as he led me away from the party and towards the thick stretch of trees in the darkness ahead. I should have ran or screamed or something. Instead, I let him take me further and further away from civilization. My teeth chattered as a swift breeze blew past us. I seriously regretted not bringing a jacket.

    "You look amazing," he said after a while.

    I didn't turn to look at him. "You can barely see me."

    "I've missed you."

    "Too bad I can't say the same."

    He sighed. "Why won't you talk to me?"

    I spun on my heel to face him, upset that even in the dim lighting I could make out his heartbreaking face perfectly. "There's nothing to talk about, Cade. We are over. You and me? Done. Whatever we had no longer exists, so please leave me alone." I turned around to walk back to the party, but once again he grabbed me.

    "Dani, I miss you. I made a huge mistake, and there's not a day that goes by that I haven't regretted it. Please talk to me."

    I chomped down on my lower lip to prevent myself from being sympathetic. He was spewing out lies and I damn well knew it, yet something inside of me made me want to hear him out. "Goodbye, Cade."

    "Wait!" He placed his hands on my shoulders, slowly trailing his fingers down my arm. "I miss you," he breathed into my ear. I caught a whiff of alcohol in his breath and I was slightly thankful that this was a drunken stupor and not Cade sober.

    "Get off of me, you're drunk."

    He pressed his lips against my neck. "I can't stop thinking about you."

    "That really is a shame. Now get off of me."

    I tried to wriggle out of his grasp but he was holding me too tight. He grabbed my waist and pulled me into him. Before I had time to react, Cade kissed me. I tried to pull away as he shoved his tongue down my throat, but he was far bigger and stronger than me. Out of ideas, I smacked my forehead against his.

    "Yo, what the fu—"

    I punched him square in the jaw before he could finish. He let out an agonizing groan but I didn't care. "Don't touch me or talk to me ever again."

    The sound of clapping and laughter behind me made me instantly whip my head around. "If all parties are this entertaining then I might have to start going to them more."

    Out of the shadows and into the dim light stepped none other than James Hastings. He was dressed in a navy blue button-up with black jeans and what seemed to be his signature tousled hair. 

    Unsurprisingly a cigarette dangled between his lips. "Fancy seeing you here, neighbour."

    "Are you following me?" I demanded.

    "Don't flatter yourself now. I don't even know your name, why would I care to follow you?"

    I narrowed my eyes at him. "I don't know, but you sure seem to be doing it a lot, James."

    He simpered at me. "Ah, so you know my name. Maybe you're the one following me."

    "Guess again, idiot." I decided to leave and salvage what was left of my dignity.

    "Where are you going?" Cade asked.

    I didn't bother to spare him a glance. "Home."

    "But we aren't done talking!"

    "Didn't seem like you two were doing much talking," James remarked.

    "Mind your own damn business," Cade snapped. "Who the hell even are you?"

    "Asshole, meet James," I grumbled.

    "You know I never caught your name, neighbour," James said.

    I turned around to give him a sickly sweet smile. "And with any luck you never will."

    "Is that any way to treat your neighbour?"

    "Stop talking to my girl," Cade intervened.

    I raised my eyebrows. "You lost the rights to call me that a few months ago."

    "Come on, let's go." Cade grabbed my hand and pulled me with him.

    "It doesn't seem like she wants to go anywhere with you," James said.

    "I told you to mind your own damn business," Cade barked.

    James' lips curved upwards, an amused look on his face. "Or else what?"

    "Don't test me," Cade warned.

    A part of me felt like I should warn James about my ex-boyfriend's temper. Let's just say he was almost as bad as Brenton in that department.

    James chucked his cigarette butt at Cade's shoulder before I could say a word. "Too late."

    Too late indeed...

    Cade let go of my hand, and he lunged towards James. He launched his fist at James, who caught Cade's hand and spun him around, trapping him in a chokehold.

    "Let go of me!" Cade shouted as he tried to escape James' grasp.

    "Doesn't feel too good having someone force themselves on you, does it?" James tightened his grip. "I'm gonna let you go and either you stay and get your ass kicked, courtesy of me, or you walk away and we pretend this never happened."

    Cade didn't argue back so James released him, much to my dismay. I would have paid good money to watch someone beat the shit out of him. Cade didn't even turn back once and he returned back to the party. 

    James turned to me, a pompous look on his face. "A thank-you would be appropriate right about now."

    I pushed past him and walked back to the party. "I didn't need your help. I'm perfectly capable on my own."

    I heard footsteps as he caught up to me. "Judging by his potentially dislocated jaw, I'm sure you are. Not only was my tactic more effective, but I didn't dislocate any body parts in the process."

    "Fascinating."

    "You don't seem fascinated."

    "That might be because I'm not."

    "You should be."

    "Why?"

    "Because I'm fascinating."

    "And creative too I see."

    "Why thank you."

    "I was being sarcastic."

    "Doesn't matter, you still said it."

    "Leave me alone, you're giving me a headache."

    "Is the little girl already hungover?" he teased. "The night's still young."

    "I've had enough of tonight," I muttered. We were back at Holden's party and I was trying to recall where my car was.

    "How are you getting home?" he asked. I waved my car keys in front of his face in response. James snatched them out of my hand and slipped them in his jeans' pocket. "You're not driving home drunk."

    "I'm not drunk, so give me back my keys!"

    "Prove it."

    "What?"

    "Prove you're not drunk."

    I scrunched my forehead in confusion. "How?"

    "Walk to your car without stumbling."

    I shrugged my shoulders. "Deal." I took in a deep breath and walked. I nearly lost my balance, but I caught myself and continued. One foot in front of the other. Left, right, left, right, left, right. I squinted my eyes as I stared at the car in front of me. My vision was blurry, but I was pretty sure that was my jeep. "Hand me my car keys."

    James walked past me to the car a few cars in front of the one I was at. "Not only did you stumble, but judging by the remote on your keys, this is your car."

    "What?" I was beyond certain this was my car.

    "You own a grey jeep. That's a red truck."

    "It is?" I ran my hand over the hood of the car. "It's so pretty."

    "Unlike you. Come on, you drunkard." James led me to the passenger side of my car.

    "I don't wanna go inside," I grumbled.

    "Would you rather sit on the roof?"

    "Oh my gosh, can I?"

    "No. Get inside." He opened the door and pushed me in. "Put on your seatbelt."

    I folded my arms across my chest. "No, and you can't make me."

    "Suit yourself. Not my fault if you die." On that cheery note he shut my door.

    When James sat inside, he lit another cigarette. "You're going to die if you keep smoking," I warned.

    He gave me a flat look. "We've been over this, I don't care."

    "You should take your health seriously."

    "Am I really going to take advice from a girl who will likely die of liver failure?"

    I slumped in my seat. "Wait a minute," I said as he drove. "How do you know where I live?"

    "I know all, little drunkard."

    "What does that mean?"

    "What do you think?"

    I smiled. "Something nice?"

    "Kill me," he murmured.

    "Did you know banging your head against a wall burns one hundred fifty calories?"

    "Maybe you should try it," he suggested.

    "I will!" I leaned back before launching my head above the glove compartment.

    "Hey!" James swerved and pushed me back before I could make contact. "I was just joking."

    I frowned. "It wasn't a funny joke."

    "Thanks for the feedback."

    "Do you want to be a comedian?"

    "Stop talking to me."

    "That's not an answer."

    "No. Now stop talking to me."

    "Oh my God," I said as the realization hit me. "You're the chocolate milk thief!"

    "And you're the shit-face drunk."

    "I hope that milk gives you salmonella."

    "Big word for someone who doesn't know what a drunkard is."

    "Did you know banging your head against a wall burns one hundred fifty calories?"

    "Don't—"

    "Wanna see me try it?"

    He slowed down the car and parked it on my driveway. "Please wait until you're in the safety of your home before you attempt to injure yourself again."

    "I feel nauseous."

    "Of course you do."

    "I think I'm gonna puke."

    "Just don't do it on me."

    My stomach rumbled and I quickly opened the door. Before I could register what was happening, I hurled on my driveway. I thought I'd feel better after letting it all out, but I only felt sicker.

    "My mom is going to kill me."

    James got out of the car and made a disgusted face when he saw my upchuck. "Should've thought of that before you decided to go party."

    "Shut up."

    "I expect my thank-you gift tomorrow morning."

    "That's not happening."

    James began to walk to his house, but he stopped and turned around. "By the way, you have some vomit residue on your chin. Nighty night, neighbour."

THE NEXT MORNING I woke up to what felt like an army of mini Alex's beating my head like it was some kind of drum. When I finally forced myself to get out of bed, I stumbled to the bathroom. My head was spinning like crazy and I really had to pee. I almost let out a scream when I saw my reflection. My dress was wrinkled and stained with dried up vomit residue, my hair was a bird's nest, and my face resembled that of a rabid raccoon. 

    There was no chance I could let Mom see me like this, so I stripped out of my clothes and stepped into the shower. I tried to recall memories from last night but it was all a blur. When I stepped out of the shower, I wrapped a towel around my body and walked back to my room. Then I changed into the comfiest pair of pyjamas I could find and braided my wet hair. Once I was dressed I went to the kitchen while trying my hardest to not collapse. Alex was eating pancakes as he watched a TV show, so I passed by him to get some painkillers from the kitchen.

    "Aspirin's in the top left cabinet," Alex said without sparing me a glance.

    "Good morning to you too."

    "It's two o'clock in the afternoon."

    "Then why are you eating pancakes?"

    He looked offended. "Pancakes are universal. They deserve to be eaten at any time."

    I rolled my eyes. "Is Mom home?"

    He snorted. "When is Mom ever home on a Saturday?"

    He made a valid point. Even before the elections Mom was never one to sit around and relax. She always had to be doing something. I opened the cabinet and took out the aspirin. I dumped two pills on my hand and popped them in my mouth before washing them down with a glass of water.

    "How'd you get home last night?" he asked.

    My eyebrows furrowed as I tried to recall. "Not sure. I think Holden gave me a lift."

    "And you're just friends, hmm?" Alex teased.

    "Shut up and eat your breakfast." 

    When Alex scowled at me, I simply smirked. I decided to go to my room and rest in an attempt to nurse my pulsating headache. As I walked to my bedroom, I happened to pass by Brenton who looked just as bad as I did. His hair was disheveled, his eyes puffy, and he was an overall mess. 

   "Are you aware that your shirt's inside out and backward?" I asking in a taunting tone.

    He shot me a groggy glare. "Bite me, Daniella."

    "Someone isn't in a good mood," I mused.

    "Damn right I'm not. Care to know why?"

    "Not really..."

    "Last night I was drunk as hell and ready to sleep for the next ten years, but you know what I came home to? Freaking puke on the driveway!" He ran a hand through his messy hair. "So there I was at four in the damn morning hosing off the driveway so Mom wouldn't see. At times you're such a piece of..."

    I tuned him out when something clicked in my head. Memories of last night began to resurface. The numerous beers I drank, my run-in with Cade, and... Despite my throbbing head, I sprinted down the stairs to the front foyer. I rummaged through the keys on the keyring near the door but it wasn't there. I couldn't find my car keys.

    "Don't you have any manners?" Brenton yelled from the top of the staircase. "If I'm bitching at you, then at least have the courtesy to stick around and let me bitch!"

    I swung open the front door and ran outside, not caring that I was wearing pyjamas and fluffy pink slippers. I shielded my eyes from the harsh rays of the sun, which really didn't help my headache in the slightest. I breathed a mini sigh of relief when I saw my car on the driveway. 

    At the very least he didn't steal it. 

    I walked onto his porch and rang the doorbell several times. Inevitably the jerk didn't open the door but instead of milling around outside, I decided to try my luck and jiggle the doorknob. The door opened with surprising ease. Either I was excellent at breaking in or he never locked his door. While a sane person would definitely not walk into the sketchy house with the unlocked door, I couldn't exactly pin myself as sane.

    The door opened with a creak and after looking over my shoulder to make sure no one was watching, I entered. This house may have looked like mine from the exterior, but the interior was a whole other story. The living room floor was littered with empty beer cans and takeout containers, the white carpet now a blend of browns. The paint on the walls was chipping, and there wasn't much furniture except for a couch and a dusty old TV.

    I tiptoed around the living room in search of my keys, peeking under old newspapers and empty coke bottles, but it was nowhere in sight. Desperate to find them, I opened up a moldy pizza box, but second I did, several tiny spiders scattered out of it. I clamped my mouth to suppress a scream and I toppled over, landing on the ground with an audible thud.

    "Who's there?" a voice demanded at the top of the stairs. 

    Afraid of getting caught, I quickly crouched behind the TV. 

   "Show yourself. I got a bat and I'm not afraid to use it." 

    I heard footsteps creep closer and closer to me. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping the footsteps would recede. Maybe if I couldn't see them, they couldn't see me. That seemed logical, right? 

    "Found you, bastard." Someone grabbed my collar and the bat dropped. "Why the hell are you in my house?"

    Slowly I opened my eyes. Above me stood a very furious James. The only thing different about this encounter — aside from the fact that I could basically be charged for breaking and entry — was James was clad in boxers. Solely boxers. 

    I would have answered his question, but I was too busy staring at his near-naked body. Maybe I was still a little drunk or maybe the sunlight was hitting him at the right angles and defined his already lean muscles even more... I shook my head, trying to snap myself out of what would have ended up becoming a horrific daydream.

    "I believe I asked you a question. Why did you break into my house?" he repeated in a gruff voice.

    I awkwardly rubbed my arm, shooting him a sheepish smile. "The door wasn't locked so technically it wasn't a—"

    "Okay, I'm calling the cops." He picked up the nearby landline and began to dial.

    I snatched the phone out of his hands before he could finish typing in the number. "Wait! I came to get something that belongs to me."

    James folded his arms across his chest, and it took all of my willpower to not ogle at his toned arms. "The garbage? By all means, go ahead."

    "Funny," I said dryly. "I'm talking about my car keys."

    "Speaking of things that belong to us, where's my gift?"

    "Huh?"

    The corners of his lips tilted up. "You don't remember much, do you?"

    I didn't know what kind of game he was playing but I was far too hungover for this nonsense. "I remember you have my keys."

    "Let's make a deal," he said. "You give me your name, and I give you your keys."

    "How about you give me my keys or I get you arrested for car theft?" I retorted.

    His mouth turned into a scowl. "Coming from the drunkard who broke into my house."

    I narrowed my eyes at him. "Keys please."

    "Nice rhyme, Edward Lear."

    "Who?"

    "Never mind. And your name is?"

    "None of your business."

    "Then no keys," James tutted, slowly turning around to walk away. I was certain he was bluffing, but I didn't want to take any chances.

    "Dani," I mumbled.

    He stopped. "What?"

    "Technically Daniella Evangeline Parker, but I go by Dani," I said with a sigh.

    He smirked. "Nice to officially meet you, Daniella."

    I grimaced upon hearing my full name. "Just give me my keys."

    James walked down the living room and I followed him to what looked like the kitchen. He opened the fridge door and took out a carton of milk before taking a sip directly from the carton. "Don't have 'em."

    "Excuse me, what?"

    "I do not have your keys." He made sure to say every word slowly as if I couldn't understand them if he said it any faster.

    Panic was starting to kick in. "Where are they?"

    "Beats me. You had them last."

    I paced back and forth. "I am so dead. Oh my God, oh my God, oh my—"

    "Will you shut up?"

    "I can't help it! I'm freaking out over here!"

    James took another sip from the carton. I was too busy worrying to lecture him about not being a filthy scum. I mean seriously, who drank directly from the carton? I lived with three ogres and even they had the decency to pour their milk in a glass. 

    "Last I remember, you put them in your pocket. Now get your ass out of my house." 

    Without a warning, James literally pushed me to the front door and outside. Before I could say anything he slammed the door in my face. Yet again.

 I didn't waste a second, and I marched straight to my house. I ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time as I made my way to the bathroom. I leafed through the pile of dirty clothes in the laundry basket before I found my dress from last night. I dug my hands into the pockets, a sigh of relief escaping my lips when my fingers grazed over the cool metal. I pulled my dress into my chest, hugging it tightly. 

    "Thank God."

    Someone cleared their throat behind me, catching me by surprise. "You should really learn to knock," Alex said, seated on the toilet with an unamused look on his face.

                        ~*~

     "No way," Amber said in disbelief.

    I flipped through TV channels, unwilling to make eye contact. "Unfortunately it's true." 

    We were hanging out in my living room and I was recounting what went down at the party to her. I would have preferred to omit the James part, but I knew if she found out from someone else she'd be mad at me again, so I decided to tell her everything.

    "And here I was thinking you ditched me at Holden's when all along you were getting it on." Amber threw a handful of popcorn at me. "Look at you, Dani!"

    "Okay, no more popcorn for you." I grabbed the bowl out of her hands and put it on the coffee table. I continued looking through different channels to see what movies were on. "Top Gun or Toy Story?"

    Amber shrugged. "Doesn't matter, I'll probably sleep through it anyway."

    "The whole point of a sleepover is to stay awake and have fun."

    She popped open a can of sprite and took a sip. "Did you guys kiss?"

    I picked up a cushion from the couch and groaned into it. "Don't remind me of Cade."

    She shook her head. "No, I meant you and your hot neighbour."

    Had I been drinking a beverage at that exact moment, it would have been the perfect opportunity for me to do one of those classic movie spit-takes. Unfortunately, I was not, so I ended up choking on my saliva.

    "Why the hell would you say that?"

    She took another sip and raised her eyebrows suggestively. "The two of you drunk, alone in your car at night..."

    "He wasn't drunk," I pointed out. At least I hoped he wasn't. Or else my car could've been severely damaged.

    "Have you two spoken since?"

    I focused my attention on the movie in an attempt to dodge her question. "So when does Tom Cruise come in?"

    "You're watching Toy Story," she deadpanned. "Now answer me."

    "Perhaps."

    Amber smacked my arm. "Spill!"

    "I may have broken into his house."

    She gawked at me. "What's wrong with you? Super sexy neighbour won't hold up in court for you committing crimes!"

    Brenton entered the living room and flopped down beside me on the sofa. "Since when was Dan a felon?"

    I scowled at him. "Could you, uh, not eavesdrop?"

    He took a handful of popcorn and threw it in his mouth like the slob he was. "Could you, uh, shut up?"

    Amber gazed at my twin lovingly. "Hey, Brenton."

    "I missed you at the party yesterday," he said, not even sparing her a glance as he gobbled down more popcorn.

    "Maybe because you were smashed beyond repair," I muttered.

    "I didn't stick around too long. I had a job interview this morning," Amber said though I didn't miss the stink-eye she gave me.

    "How'd that go?" Brenton asked, pretending to care.

    Amber smiled at him. "I think it went well."

    "You never told me about an interview," I said.

    "You never asked."

    I cocked an eyebrow. "So much for telling each other everything."

    "Why don't you go cry us a river in the kitchen and bring chips?" Brenton suggested.

    "Why don't you get off your fat ass and get it yourself?"

    "Amber." Brenton turned to face her. "Would you like some chips?"

    "I'd love some!" she chirped, a grin on her face.

    "Now, now, be a good hostess and get the chips," Brenton said to me.

    I grumbled incoherent words as I walked to the kitchen. Of course Amber agreed with him. If Brenton told her to jump off a cliff she'd do it in a heartbeat, no questions asked. When it came to boys Amber was a fool, but when it came to my brothers she was a puppet. It was sad to watch her be such an idiot at times. 

    Worst of all, whenever I said anything she assumed it was all due to my bias and disgust of her liking my brothers. I mean, that was partially the reason but not all of it. I genuinely believed Amber could find someone more suitable for her because the guys she always went for were not a good match. 

    When I returned with a bag of chips, the two of them were so deep in conversation they didn't even notice me. I decided to turn around and head upstairs with the salty goodness. If anyone deserved an entire bag of ketchup chips it was me. I flicked on my bedroom lights, ready to waste hours watching mindless videos on my laptop. Just another Saturday night.

    I let out a yawn and my gaze shifted over to the stream of light pouring in from the window across from mine. My eyes widened when I saw James — who was still in his shirtless glory — and I quickly ducked down. Upon doing so, I smacked my head against the side of my bed and shouted some choice words.

    "A criminal in the day and a peeping Tom at night," the voice of James mused.

    I rose to my feet and rubbed my aching head. My poor noggin had been through too much today. Out of comebacks, I held out my hand and flipped him off. 

    "That's a little inappropriate, don't you think, neighbour?"

    "I think you need to leave me alone." I reached over to shut my window.

    "Before you leave, I think I have something that belongs to you." Aside from my dignity, I didn't think there was anything else I left at his house. Proving me wrong, James held up a fluffy pink slipper...my fluffy pink slipper.

    "Are you sure you don't secretly harbour a love for pink slippers?" I questioned.

    He threw it at my face. "It's fuchsia, not pink."

    "Thank you for the useless fact of the day."

    "Have you banged your head against a wall recently?"

    I gave him a confused look. "What?"

    His lips curved into a smirk. "You don't remember the demonstration you offered to display for me?"

    "What are you talking about?" I tried to channel any memories from the car ride, but my mind was blank. I couldn't recall a single second of that ride.

    "A little birdie told me banging your head against a wall burns quite a few calories." He lit a cigarette, his eyes glimmering mischievously when he noticed my distasteful expression. "Want one?"

    "You're filth."

    "That's probably true, but at least I remember what I did last night." James took a drag of his cigarette. "Try not to get drunk again, neighbour." On that last note, he shut his window.

    Once James was out of sight, Amber happened to enter my lair. "Hey, my parents want me home so I don't think I can spend the night."

    I sat down on my bed and took out my laptop. "That's fine."

    Amber leaned against the doorway. "Are you okay, Dani?"

    "Just dandy."

    She sighed. "Sorry for getting sidetracked with Brenton."

    I didn't bother looking up from my computer screen. "You should get going. Don't want to keep your parents waiting."

    "I'll text you tomorrow," she said before leaving. 

    It wasn't as though I was that mad at Amber. I mean I was slightly miffed at most, but if I let her chitchat for a while, all she'd talk about was what Brenton said, or how his hand accidentally skimmed her leg, or how he supposedly winked at her when in reality he probably just blinked. I just hoped her obsession with Brenton would end soon because I couldn't bear another second of it.