"I'm up! I'm up!"

Elijah snickered but kept his eyes closed as his cat Ares purposely tapped his forehead with his paw while the other, Apollo sat on his chest waiting patiently.  This was their morning routine of waking their master, even if their food bowls were already filled. Elijah deducted it of them being controlling pets. They will wait patiently for him while he takes a shower, gets dressed, talks on the phone then trail behind him when he leaves the room. Opening his eyes slightly, Elijah found himself staring into the blue and black gaze of Ares. Total adoration he found in those widened black pupils of his pet. Every time he plays or simply stares at them, he always remembers the day his sister surprised him by having his first pet. Speaking of the devil. His cellphone rang with her distinctive ringtone of a video call, searching below the covers with Apollo mistaking the search for playtime, Elijah finally found his phone and answered it. 

"Hey, bug. Ready for the first day of being a senior," his sister asked with a beaming smile on her face. Pushing back his mass of curls, he gave her a shy smile and sat up more in bed. Propping his chin on his hand he watched on as she flitted about the kitchen at her home in Texas with the twins talking in the background. 

"One more year. Maybe it will be special for you, just like mine was," she said trying to brighten his mood.

"Jealous chicks. Teenage drama. Vengeful friends and love? Do you want me to go through the same?" he asked teasingly clearing his throat a bit.

"The love part seems nice," Jayden quipped from in the background. A blush stained Mari's cheeks with her focus out of frame. Elijah laughed at how the twins were still able to make her blush after all these years. 

"I'm not for that...."

"I respect your decision but if you're giving up for what that little girl did, I will personally pay her a visit. I had so much hope for you two," Mari fussed. 

"MJ. No. Not now."

Marielle truly focused on her little brother and saw how much it still pained him. She felt guilty for bringing up the past so early in the morning. Scrubbing his face roughly, he took a deep breath and wished the memories away. He thought spring break plus summer break will help him forget the shit he went through but it still felt raw. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Everyone knew just how much Elijah cared for Bree, she was his childhood crush, even after her phase of ignoring him, he still carried a flame for her. When word got to them about what happened earlier this year, it pained them all. Their mother called her in hysterics, not knowing what to do, their father was livid but he stayed by his son's side and cried along with him. His cousins and friends rallied behind him, his older brothers and sisters extended to him, invitations to their place all over the country to help heal his broken heart.

"It's okay, sis. Thanks for being there for me but I have to do this year by myself. I-I have to fight my own battles now," Elijah said firmly. Marielle was about to protest but Carson came into frame and whispered something in her ear. Her shoulders slumped in defeat, she bit her lips in apprehension and took a deep breath. 

"I have to let you go, huh?" 

Elijah smiled knowing how protective she was of them all. He nodded and gave her his brightest smile. "Fine. I love you. Have a great day," she said with a tremulous smile. 

"Bye bug. Be good," the twins said in unison before the call was ended. 

He stared at the far wall of his bed that was full of pictures over the years with his family in each of them. There were spots missing and he knew why that was. Turning away from the photo mural, he hopped off his bed and set about his morning. As said before, the two Bengal cats, followed him out of his room with their heads held high, making their way downstairs to the one place where everyone will be gathered. Elijah grinned at the chaos in the kitchen. His mother was flittering around the room, just as Mari was doing earlier, Mischa and Harem were stuffing their faces with phones to their ears, Shaye was on her iPad face-timing their sister, and his father was helping his wife eat. 

"Morning everyone!" he greeted. Giving Shaye a wet kiss to her cheek, he made his way to his mother, who just received a sharing of waffles from his father's fork. "Hi, sweetheart," she returned kissing his cheek before he turned to his father. Eli took his only son into his arms and held him there for a while before letting him go. Elijah wasn't ashamed of his parents' show of affection, he loved it. The entire Johnson clan was close. You mess with one, you mess with them all. 

Breakfast has always been a noisy part of their morning. Mischa and Harem joined their family after Mari left for college. Apparently, his parents, uncles, and aunts were worried about him with that change in his life, plus with a new baby in the mix. Not to mention, Harem was being bullied at his old school and Mischa numerous altercations with classmates made the decision easier for the parents. Elijah saw it as having two brothers living with him and couldn't be happier. The trio made a name for themselves in Spencer without their knowledge for their first year together. The Johnson genes were the cause of this. The green and brown eyes of the family, not to mention their good looks, athletic, and academic success gained them popularity they never wanted but just let it flow. 

Janine chatted to them all while preparing lunch for her husband and kids, a few teasing and bits of advice were thrown before breakfast ended. Eli lifted his little princess in his arms, kissing his wife squarely on the lips before leaving the kitchen with a giggling Shaye. Janine simply smiled lovingly at the two, her husband was repeating the same routine he had with Marielle. Helping her get ready for school and do their little mantra to help her make it through the day. Shaye was blessed with dark hair like her mother and sister, dark eyes like Janine's, and flawless caramel skin, a result of her parents' love. They were thankful for kids being friendly with her no matter her size, she was a bit on the chubby side but not overweight. Some kids can be mean and they were thankful she had great friends.

"All set for school?" Janine asked placing the boys' packed lunches in their respective backpacks. Mischa and Harem answered positively but Elijah gave her a low response. He couldn't help but worry about his last year of high school. Every senior expect it to be grand and full of adventure, yet here he was halfway enthusiastic about it, unsure of his future, fearing meetups with his ex-girlfriend, rumors that spread lies of his non-existent love life, and being away from his big sister. Nervously he clenched and unclenched his fists, Bree's taunting words of him being a wimp hiding behind his mother and sister's skirts echoed in his mind. From young, he knew he was different from other kids and was closer to his sister than any other kid and saw nothing of it. Now in his teens, his peers saw it as weird and disgusting. Mari was his second mother and the only person who understood him without him saying a word. His big sister was his rock but doubts rang in his head.

Was he dependant on Mari?

Was he really a mama's boy?

Staring blankly into his 'back to school' waffles, he touched his now bleached hair in which Mari did then touched the clothes his mother purchased for him while he was away. 

Are they right?

"Sweetheart?"

Janine's touch on his shoulder startled him. Looking up, he met with his mother's worried dark eyes and his cousins' looks of concern. "I'm fine. I'm just a bit apprehensive of starting a week late for senior year," he said with a humorless laugh. They knew him enough not to push, he tends to figure out his problems on his own before asking for help if he can't.

"The classes are to your liking, right? Principal Costas assured us that the college prep classes are exceptional for your grades. We don't want you to burden yourself with so much school work and forget about being a teenager. I want at least one of my kids to be a teen and have a party with drunk kids on my lawn. Maybe Shaye will be the one," Janine mused.

"Expect a call from the cops with her. She already has her principal calling the house," Harem said with an amused grin on his face.

Janine tried to hide her grin as she remembered her daughter's prank from last semester. Who knew Youtube can be extremely informative to a seven-year-old?

"Well.... right... forget my blabbermouth. Go on. Go get ready," she said chasing them out of the kitchen. Watching them leave she couldn't help but worry about her only son. When it comes to emotions he was extremely fragile, Elijah was known to wear his heart upon his sleeve and was always quick to smile but after his break up with Bree, he became closed off. They got traces of the old Elijah sometimes but overall he became aloof and cold to everyone outside of his trusted circle. Janine prays he finds happiness somewhere good and worthy.

That's what every parent wants for their child right? Happiness.

It has been a week since Erica has been attending her new high school and she was lucky to find new friends such as Bree. Natalie was an acquired taste but she understood her bitter tongue lashing to her friend's ex. They both explained the situation to her and even she was disgusted and felt sorry for Bree. What confused her was Shaun's reaction to Bree? He always had a dirty look on his face whenever Bree came along or even see Erica and Bree chatting like best friends. Erica asked Natalie one day if Bree and Shaun had a falling out because their dislike for each other was pretty obvious. The girl simply shrugged and replied Shaun was once a friend of Elijah's. When word got out of the couple's breakup, Elijah stuck to his small group of friends. "They were all against him being with Bree. They pushed him to do what he did. They may all look perfect but they are all egotistical rich kids," Natalie ranted to her. Erica's disregard for Elijah grew by a few words when she never personally met the poor guy. Her dislike went as far as unfollowing him on Instagram and being Bree's number one champion. 

At the end of her first week, Erica was proud to report to her father that she made friends. Bree invited her out that weekend to check out the town from a teenager's perspective. The entire atmosphere was different that weekend, Erica noted. There were more kids around and the energy moved from relaxed to busy. They all went to the mall to do some shopping in which she was happy to do. Shopping with her father was one thing but to shop with girls was another thing. The mall was beyond her expectations. Each floor had its own restaurants along with different stores. Her main interest was the magnificent water fountain and stone benches surrounding it. Koi fishes in which she always wanted to have as pets filled the clear waters of the fountain. Each one had a beautiful pattern mesmerizing the patrons of the mall.

Bree led her to an urban clothing store with a wide variety of styles to choose from. Upon entering the store, Erica noted the immediate change in the store but brushed it off as her being new to it all. Her father gave her enough to get more than she needed. When asked by Bree how much spending money she was given, a shocked look was what she received. Erica didn't understand. The one thousand US was the same amount of cash her father sent to her in Tobago as child support. She didn't dare tell her father she never really got to spend it on herself back home. Having her own money made her feel free. She can spend the money her father earned for her on her own terms.

"Is your dad rich or something?" She bluntly asked Erica.

Erica frowned at the question and shrugged. "He owns his own business. He gets by," she answered nonchalantly. Erica missed the look Bree gave her when she turned her back to look at shoes that caught her attention. They perused the store grabbing a few things and checked out. That's when things got weird from Erica's perspective. The sales clerk gave Bree and Natalie a frosty reception. The girls' attitude towards the sales girl was rude, they checked out under four minutes and were practically pushed out from the store. Erica's reception from the same girl was different, she received a smile and also a discount on her purchase.
Meeting her new friends out of the store she asked them what happened back there.

"The mall is owned by the Johnsons. Guess who side those bitches in there took," Bree sneered.

"Oh," she answered. She didn't dare tell them how she was treated. Wanting to enjoy the rest of the day with her new friends, she brushed aside that little episode. That experience was kept in her memories putting those nagging thoughts into perspective.
They visited a few shops before settling at a restaurant where most teenagers opted for also. After getting their orders and tucking into the much-needed food, loud murmurs erupted around them, looking up she noted a group entering the seating area, chatting among themselves. Three girls and two boys to be exact. Erica knew her jaw got slack when she finally got the view of the male beauties and their counterparts. It didn't take her long to know who they were, she saw enough pictures and videos of them over the years to know them. She missed the sneer and scoffs from Natalie and Bree due to the fact that she was seeing Mischa Johnson and Harem Kertalis in reality. The female best friends Raine, Selby, and Ayanna found seats while the two boys went to place the orders. They were perfection, the girls in the seating area followed each step they made while the guys stared at the three girls who were packing away shopping bags.  Each girl had a distinctive beauty that belonged in movies or novels while the guys were every high school girl crush.

"Did you know they were back? I don't see him," Natalie whispered.

"He's probably with his sister crying about something pathetic. Who's that close with their sibling? It won't be a surprise if something is going on with them. If they accepted her marrying two guys imagine what they tolerate next," Bree whispered harshly. Erica heard them both but didn't say a word. It got her thinking of just how much she hated her ex and his family. How can someone so young be so bitter by a high school breakup? It made Erica uneasy by their whispered insults towards the group, she didn't know the history and was just the new girl, so she kept her mouth shut and opted to observe. 

The remaining weekend found her locked away in her room talking to her friends from back home and preparing for the next day. 

Mondays.

Everyone hated Mondays but on this particular Monday, the students of Spencer High were weirdly excited. Girls took more effort into their appearance and the guys were idly hanging around the carpark and hallways for some odd reason. Erica never saw them do that the first week she was here. She wanted to ask Bree what's happening but she didn't see her new friend yet. The bell rang to get to class, just as two highly expensive-looking cars came speeding into the parking lot, followed by a black SUV which put the rest of the cars in shame. Her curiosity peaked but she had to talk to the school counselor before class.
It took the entire first block for the counselor to help her decide the next year of high school. Moving quickly to her second class, she shot a quick text to Bree and Natalie, as she walked into the assigned classroom. Taking the same seat for the past week, she shuffled around her classmates awkwardly to reach her seat. What she didn't expect, is for her seat to be occupied by the most unlikely person. His head was down in his phone when she approached, probably sensing her presence he looked up, brushing his light brown curly hair out of his face, showing her his beautiful brown eyes. 

Elijah. Fucking. Johnson. 

Elijah Johnson was in her seat. 

Erica realized she was probably gaping like a fish and eye-raping her friend's ex, quickly she schooled her features and tried not to be affected by those dimples in his cheeks.

"You're in my seat." She internally winced at how harsh her words sounded. Something inside her heart stabbed her when his bright welcoming smile dimmed.

"Were you sitting here last week? This was my assigned seat in the package I was sent," he said lowly. Erica didn't miss the low timbre of his voice and the apologetic tone in his voice. Her eyes took in her fill of him. He was tall for sure, his light brown-toned skin made his background indecipherable, pierced ears with a pair of silver dangling earrings on his right ear and a silver barbell on his left. She only saw that type of male dangling earring on Kpop boy band members and it looked great on him. His style screamed Korean due to its colors and cut, again it fits him. Elijah Johnson was in a league of his own. What she noticed was the tattoo on his forearm. Three triangles in different colors intertwine with each other with handwritten names circling his arm.

"What package?"

"I tend to arrive a week late back to school so the faculty prepares a package for my cousins and me," he explained.

"So golden child treatment because yuh rich then. Did they put a gold nameplate on the desk too?" Again the words came out bitter and harsher than they should. Verbal diarrhea she calls it. Elijah frowned up at her then abruptly got to his feet. Gathering his backpack and phone, he stood extremely close to her, enough for her to get a whiff of his cologne and feel his warmth. Her chest was painful due to how fast her heart was beating.

"Gorgeous but a fucking shitty attitude," he said for her ear only before walking off. On trembling legs and burning eyes, she occupied the still-warm seat feeling like a bitch. Erica felt something close to heartbreak but didn't know why. All she can say to herself were the words she wishes she can tell Elijah. 

I'm not like that.