i didn't talk to parker for the first thirty minutes of class.

mainly because i had nothing to say.

but after a weird period of silence, i decide to talk to him. "so you're hanging with riley today?" it takes everything in me to sound cordial. "yeah, i guess i am." he looks up at me. "what are you guys going to do?" i tell myself that this was going to be my last question so i didn't sound nosy. "i'm not sure yet. it was kinda random."

i nod. "cool."

and that was that. i stopped thinking about it. today is going to continue being a good day. i made sure to look around for mason but i had no luck until lunch. "hey." i say walking up to him. "hey." his face lit up. "that happy to see me?" i joke. "yeah i am actually. you're pretty much the only person i know here besides the soccer team."

not the soccer team. "damn it." i sigh. did he meet my brother already? i sure hope not. "little sis! mason!" speaking of the devil. we both turn around to see the table full of the team. "come on." mason walks over to them. i don't. oh god. i never ever go over there. not to say hi to my brother or for anything else.

"sis, come on!" my brother waves for me to come over. i force a smile and i shake my head slowly so he gets the message. "yeah little sis, come over." one of his teammates yells which makes the entire table call my name. people in the cafeteria start looking around.

ugh. males. i quickly walk over to the table. "i'm here, you happy?" i cross my arms. "hell yeah, you're looking fine as hell today." josh, another one of my brothers teammates say. i feel uncomfortable kind of. "thanks..." i whisper. "so when are you going to to let me take you out?" he says and the boys all act stupid with their ooooo's and ahhhh's. "in your dreams babe."

oooooooo burn. this is why i don't come over here.

josh and i almost had a thing this summer. he was always over my house hanging with noah. it became normal seeing him everyday but because i'm his "best friends little sister," we both decided it wasn't a good thing to do. he still flirts with me to this day.

"stop flirting with my sister!" noah rolls his eyes. wow the overprotective brother really jumped out. i almost forgot mason was here. he looked just as uncomfortable and i was starting to feel.

"mason why do you know these losers?" i ask. he opens his mouth but my brother pats him on the shoulder. "mason is trying out for the team." he says, now i'm excited. "you play soccer?" i ask and he nods. hot. "how do you know mason?" noah looks at me.

"i met him at a park." i keep it short. "wait a park? she's the girl you hit in the face?" noahs voice gets louder. i'm really not going to live that down huh? noah starts cracking up and some of the boys do too. i hate the male gender.

"later losers, see ya later mason." i roll my eyes and i walk to my table.

❀

as i pull up to my house i see my dads car in the driveway. i scream from excitement and hurry to park my car.

"dad!" i burst through the door. i see him in the living room talking to my mom. i run up to him and hug him so hard i'm pretty sure neither of us is breathing. he hugs me back just as hard.

i've missed my dad so much i didn't even realize how much of an impact he's had on my day-to-day life. "bri let your father breathe." my mom says and i let go.

"are you back? what the hell did they have you do? you were gone for months." i finally breathe. "yes i'm back." he smiles, revealing his straight, white teeth that i had inherited myself.

before i could say anything, noah came in the door. "noah look!" i get excited again for him. noah rips off his earphones, throws his bag on the floor and runs up to my dad.

this is what i've missed. i've missed my family together.

i looked at my moms face, she didn't look too happy. "what's wrong? why aren't you happy? dad's back." i ask, becoming a little upset.

something wasn't right. i felt it in my gut. something was about to go terribly wrong. my fathers face looked like the happiness had been sucked from it. "what's going on? are you back?" noah asks.

"not really." my father changed his answer. that's not what he said to me. "what do you mean? you told me you were." my tone changes. i need this feeling to go away. this feeling of uncertainty. "your father and i have something to tell you." my mother says and i really don't like her tone.

i somewhat already know where this is going. "well..." i look at my dad. he looks at me, and that's when i know. i could tell by the look on his face. heartbreak. "there's no easy way of putting this... your mother and i are getting a divorce."