"THAT'S NOT HOW to write an E," I peer down at the notebook spread on top my bed. "It looks more like... a strangled wrung snake."

My little sister, Ellie Richards slams her pencil on the notebook and turns over to her back running a hand over her face. "I'm tired. I hate E."

"You can't hate the letter E, your name starts with it." I tell her rubbing nude pink polish over my toe nails.

"Let me." Ellie says jumping up on the bed into a cross legged sitting position and prying the polish off my hand.

"Be careful and this doesn't mean we've given up on your handwriting exercise. We must continue after." I tell my impatient seven year old sister.

She groans, "I hate writing. Why do I have to be the only one with sloppy poop handwriting? I bet you didn't have to do a lot of writing exercise in your days."

"You bet wrong then." I said eyes trained on my nails. Just because I play soccer doesn't mean I can't have fine nails and yes, no one would see them at school because of the socks but they'll still rock when I step foot on my carpet. "I did a lot. Maybe more than you."

Ellie frowned in confusion, "how so? Your handwriting is great. Superb- whatever that means."

"Superb means extremely good and it wasn't this way when I was your age, I had to do a lot of practice. I'm still practicing and working on my handwriting up until now."

"Really? Don't lie."

"I am and you should know my writing is like greasy sloppy quashed poop." Ellie bursts into a giggle and I laugh along.

"Maybe it runs in the family." She says in the middle of her laughter.

I nod, "who do you think we got it from?"

She pursed her lips and thought, then we both answered together. "Dad." Our laughing sessions was interrupted by a knock on my door and then our father's head peeked in.

"I heard laughter." He says with a smile and Ellie shoves the polish bottle at me, leaping off the bed and jumping into his arms.

"Daddy!"

"Gee, thanks sister." I say finishing off my picky toe and shaking my head in amusement. "Welcome father."

"Hi darlings, how are you?" Dad asks holding Ellie up in his arms.

"Fine. Fine." We both answer.

"How was the hospital?" Ellie ask poking his cheek.

"Fine, daddy helped a mother give birth."

I smiled, "boy or girl?"

"Girl. She was almost as beautiful as you two." Dad says causing me to laugh.

"Can I see her?" Ellie asks.

"And how would you do that?" Dad asks and Ellie turned to me.

"Anna will bring me to the hospital tomorrow." She says like its nothing.

"Anna won't. Anna's busy." I say.

"Why?" She asks pouting like she's gonna cry.

"Her mother would be gone by then, with her. In fact, they are going this night." I say nodding in mock remorse.

"Really?" She asks dad and I give him the eye to support me.

"Yes. Yes baby but don't worry, you'll see the next one and she'll be even more pretty." Dad says giving her a hug. "I better go and shower up. I'm so hungry."

"Christ, dinner!" I exclaim loud with wide eyes.

"Your mum's making some downstairs, why?" Dad asks confused.

"Crap. Crap. Crap!" I jump down my bed, push my legs into my furry slippers and run past them, sprinting downstairs to the kitchen.

True to dad words, mum's busy in the kitchen, and the yummy aroma is already round the house. I'm too late. Dinner is set. I'm dead. I slowly walked into the kitchen with my head down.

"Nice of you to join me, just when dinner is ready. How convenient and very helpful, Anna." She says turning to me with a frown.

"I'm sorry. I lost track of time and--"

"What were you doing?" She asked cutting me off.

I look down at my nails, twisting my fingers together. "Painting my nails and helping Ellie with her writing."

Mum laugh, a very dry mocking laugh. "Of course, an excuse. Couldn't you have painted your nails some other time and do you think helping Ellie justifies you?"

I start shaking my head but she was on a roll.

"You have to learn to manage your time Anna. You have responsibilities now and everybody does too. We'll all trying to fit in and you're not helping. Your sister use to do everything, while you do nothing. Do you expect to leave everything up to me now? Adjust Anna, when will you learn to adjust?"

I don't think she even realizes that she's already shouting and fat tears are welling up in my eyes. "I'm sorry." I muttered and turn to run back to my room and cry my eyes out.

"Stop right there Anna." I did. "Where are you off to? Back to your room again? And who'll bring out the food? Me again? Or maybe Ellie?"

She walked closer to me. "The earlier you stop crying like somebody that was hit and start being responsible, the better for you. Take correction, saying sorry and running away won't get you anywhere."

And with that she walked out, leaving me alone in the kitchen. I wiped at my cheeks and started dishing out the meal.

"Take it easy on her." I hear my dad say.

"Please don't start with me, Anthony." Mum snapped and I hear her foot stomp upstairs.

I silently bring out the dishes and after everything, Ellie ran upstairs to call mum, she came down laughing with her and the Evening continued like nothing happened. Well, nothing unusual happened, I'm always disappointing my mother and she's always lashing out. That's the Richards for you. After dinner, I wash up the dishes, lock up and finally retreat to my room.

I dialed Finn, "how about that marathon?"

"Anna Richards asking for an Avengers action movie marathon? What's up?" He asks then yawns.

"Were you asleep?"

"No, just stumbled into my room now." He said and I heard a thump and him sigh.

"So you're drunk?" I ask with a frown.

"Nope, I was the designated driver."

"Oh. I'd love a drink right now. I feel like shit."

"What happened?"

"My mum." I answered shortly although she wasn't the problem, I was.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Nope. Tell me something Juicy, something about Aiden." I said tucking myself in.

"Not again. I've got nothing but maybe it'll cheer you up that he wasn't with Evelyn at the party. Just us boys."

"Yay." I say unenthusiastically.

I hear Finn laugh, "Go to sleep Anna and dream about your Hulk."

I smiled, "Great idea. Goodnight."

"Night."

I rolled over and when I closed my eyes, expected to the new guy but instead I saw Rachelle. My senior sister – beautiful, blond, perfect.

*****

I stood relaxed on my locker feeling lazy about opening it up. My light weight gym back now felt heavy on my shoulder and I couldn't just find the strength to crouch down and sort my books out.

As I stood there sighing and sighing waiting for motivation, my eyes almost popped out when I saw ripped dark jeans, white shirt and black jacket heading towards me. His hair was a messy bed head that framed his face perfectly, the curly long bangs falling into his eyes, and he used his breath to blow the strands away. I could see his eyes glint, bright and beautiful. I stood up straight immediately, all ounce of tiredness gone.

"Hey." I greet adding a little hand wave. He stops right in front of me with a blank look. "What, are you going to pretend you weren't looking for me?"

"No," he answers, his voice almost catching me off guard. I love it! "I'm not going to pretend, I wasn't looking for you."

"Oh, then why are here?" I ask still keeping my smile on.

"Heading to my locker."

His locker, great. "Where is it?" I hope my excitement is not transparent.

"Behind you."

"Behind--" my jaw dropped, "this one?" I asked pointing at it.

"Yeah." He answers raising his brow at me and I blush. I don't need anyone to tell me that my behavior might have come off as strange. I take a quick step away from his locker.

"I'm sorry, its just... I've never had someone own the locker above mine."

His eyes lower down to my locker and to me, "oh, lucky me then."

I smile, "is that sarcasm or do you really consider yourself lucky?"

He puts in his lock and the door opens with a click. Mine never does that, it's too rusty for its own good. He raises a brow at me. "What do you think, Roxanna?"

I would have had a reply, if he didn't just call my name. My full name. I've been going by Anna since thy kingdom come and I don't think anybody has ever called me by my full name, except on rare cases or when I'm in trouble. He just did. "I... It's just Anna."

He pushes the door aside to look at me, "then why did you introduce yourself as Roxanna?"

Oh, I did. I usually don't so that's surprising. "Hmm."

"Yeah." He nods and returns his attention to his locker.

That reminds me, he lied about his name! "Ah, I did tell you my name. My real name. Why did you lie about yours?"

"Lie?" He asks and I couldn't see his face, which upset me.

"Yep. Banner, really?"

He doesn't say anything, not until he shuts his locker holding a textbook in his hand. "What makes you think I lied?"

"Because, Banner is the name of a superhero Hulk and you didn't say your first name." I point out, thinking back to my conversation with Finn.

"So?" He drops the textbook into the bag hanging on one of his shoulder and crosses his hands, challenging me to go on. Its then I notice that a camera is on his chest, hanging on his neck with a black strap.

"What's your first name?" I ask, crossing my arms like him and daring him to lie again. "Or last?"

"Bruce." He says with such a straight face, I felt like laughing.

"Ha." I jab his shoulder with my finger. "Liar. Stop lying." Am I seriously fighting a smile when I'm being lied to?

He smiles, the first smile I've seen on him. "Did your brother convince you on that?"

"What makes you think I have a brother and he convinced me?"

"Because you didn't seem to think I'm lying yesterday."

I wave my fingers, "I was just distracted by your face, if I had thought hard enough, I would've figured it out then and there."

"What's with my face?" He asks with a frown.

"Nothing, its..." I trail off, then shake my head. "Stop changing the topic. What's your name?"

"Bruce Banner."

I exhale loudly through my nose, glaring at him. As much as I loved our back and forth talk, I really really want to know his name. He smirks at me, sensing my growing impatience. I open my mouth to lash but I beaten to it.

"Ian?" Jamie asks appearing beside me with a sweaty Christine.

Banner-- My lying locker neighbor sighs dropping his head while I smirk. "Ian, huh?"

He looks up at Jaime, "thanks a lot, Jaime." He ignores her confused face and turns to me, "It was fun while it lasted."

He walks away and I gap at him, ignoring my best friends raised brows, I go after and stop him my holding unto his arm. "Ian what?" I could've asked Jamie but I wanted to hear it from him.

"Maurice. Ian Maurice."

I just stared, digesting the name. Ian Maurice.

"See? Banner was so much better." He speaks up.

"I love it." I blurt out and he raises an amused brow causing me to blush. "Your name."

His lips tug up slightly, "Thanks, Roxanna." I watch him leave before going back to my confused friends.

"What?" I ask them crouching down and yanking my locker open.

"Who was that? And why is he so..." Christine trailed off.

"Gorgeous? Handsome? Dashing? Sumptuous?" I supplied looking up at her as I switched my books.

"I wouldn't say sumptuous but yeah."

I laughed getting up to my feet, "Thats--"

"My assistant." Jamie says cutting me off. "The guy I told you people about."

"Oh." Christine says.

"I met him yesterday at your office and turns out his my locker buddy today." I tell Jamie.

"Hmm, I'm surprised he's even talking to you. I haven't seen him talk with anybody, we barely even talk and we share an office." Jaime says.

That made my heart swell. "Maybe its my charm?" Christine shakes her head amused and Jamie narrows her eyes. I laugh. "So what made you both late?" At that, Jamie smiled.

Christine groaned, "my scooter fell."

"And turns out the thing weighs more than me." Jamie says laughing.

Christine groans, "I didn't think we'll ever get it up. I double hate that thing."

"Sucks to be you bae." I say.

"Let's just get this day over with."

-----------------------------------------------------------

What do you think so far?

I just had a fallout with a friend of nearly three years and it seriously looks like the end of 'us' and I feel like shit.

•chapter goal - 7 votes, 10 comment •

Next chapter would be out once we've obtained the goal ^.

x peace.