The next day was Sunday, one day before I was to venture into my new school. Early in the morning, or at least early by my standards, Cheyenne threw my door out of her way as if it was a grenade. The sound of it banging against the wall bolted me straight from my slumber, interrupting one of many haunting nightmares featuring Tasha. There stood Cheyenne, fully dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, with a smile caked onto her face.

"Connie, wake up!" She chirped, slightly giggling as she took in my disheveled appearance.

By glancing at the clock, I was informed that it was merely nine in the morning. To me, that was the crack of dawn with the sun struggling out of its slumber. Blinking the sleepiness out of my eyes, I whined, "It's only nine o'clock."

"Nine-oh-one," she cockily replied.

After rolling my eyes, I chucked one of my pillows at her face, the fuzzy pink heart missing her by about an inch. She swiftly sauntered over and ripped the covers from ontop of me. I was exposed to the frigid temperature produced by the air-conditioning. Shivering, I reached for the covers, only to watch as they were helplessly tossed to the carpet.

Grumpily, I hopped out of bed. "Fine. What's the point of waking up so early?"

She beamed, the expression lighting up her entire visage. "My friends invited us to the beach, silly!"

A feeling of dread filled my stomach. "At nine o'clock?"

Holding up a finger, she shook her head. "Ten o'clock. You said you'd hang out with us, remember?"

Sadly, I did. However, I never expected them to act on the offer, never mind this soon or this early in the day. "Yeah," I voiced, almost choking on the simple word. "But-"

"No buts!" She chirped. "Now, get dressed!"

With that, she marched out, a bounce in her step. After emitting a soft, stretched out sigh, I hopped from the comfortable mattress. Sleep still plagued my system, causing my eyes to droop and my muscles to lag. I did manage to freshen up and toss on an outfit; Cheyenne's heart tank with some simple jean shorts. My one piece bathing suit hid underneath.

By the time I headed downstairs, the clock above the stove read 9:30. Even after thirty minutes had elapsed, my grogginess had yet to leave me. So, I ambled over to the kitchen sink. It seemed breakfast had been made earlier this morning, probably before Brenda and Drake left for the shop. Dirty plates precariously stood atop one another, eagerly awaiting a cleansing.

Careful as to not disturb the dish-art, I turned the handle to stimulate the flow of water. It trickled slowly until I amped up the force, a steady stream roaring and splashing onto the plates. Some left over food scurried towards the drain as I gently placed my hand under the running water. Swiftly, I jerked back, biting my lip as a stinging sensation attacked my flesh. That was the hot water.

This time, I jerked the handle in the opposite direction, to the left. After the steam had disappeared, I hesitantly swiped my hand under the faucet. Frigid water greeted my flesh. Grinning and shutting my eyes, I gathered the liquid into my cupped palms and splashed it into my face. I jolted back at the sudden surge of cold, my eyes snapping alert. The water dripped off my flesh and into metal sink.

After ripping off a paper towel, removing the excess moisture from my face, and tossing the now soaked towel in the trash, I decided to wash the dishes. I turned the water back to the right, careful to make it warm and not flesh-singeing hot. Then, I grabbed a rag, drenched it in liquid soap, and began to scrub. Honestly, I had never done chores before. My mom was adamant about cleaning herself. Not even Dad could reach her cleanliness standards. However, I wished to help out Brenda and Drake. After all, it was the least I could do to thank them for welcoming me into their home on such short notice.

"Hey, no chores! We have ten minutes to get there!" Cheyenne exclaimed, roughly ripping the bubble-filled cloth out of my hands. "Guests don't do chores, silly!"

I rolled my eyes, rinsing my hands under the soothingly warm water before shutting off the tap. Next, I grabbed another paper towel, dried them off, and tossed it into the bin to my left. "Well, you weren't ready yet and I was bored. Besides, it's the least I could do. Really."

She shook her head. "Connie, you're too sweet some times." Then, a grin crept onto her face. "Welp, let's go. I'm sure my lovely friends grabbed some breakfast for us."

"Alright," I sighed, turning away from my distraction. Nerves jumbled within me as I ambled towards the door. Cheyenne was oblivious to my unease, lost in her world of blissful thoughts. Of course, I couldn't rip her away from them. If this silly meet up made her happy, then I'd endure it.

We exited the house and walked for about five minutes. The walk was quite and thoughtful, sounds of laughter and excitement floating on the breeze. Cheyenne's light pink glasses had been switched for contacts, bringing out her light chocolate eyes. She still possessed a bounce in her step, yet now it was more prominent. My friend was practically skipping, slightly hopping into the air with each placement of a foot in front of her. Her excitement was nearly contagious, yet my nerves kept any excitement trapped in a cage. I didn't want to make any new friends. They'd betray me, or worse, I'd betray them.

I'd been contemplating the whole Tasha situation, and while it might have been a selfish thought, I realized how many people were waiting for a reason to reject me. I knew that my actions were followed by consequences, that the blame should have squarely fell on me.

A new question was niggling at the back of my mind: does anyone truly care about me? Do my parents feel obligated to protect me? Did they ship me off simply because they were ashamed of my actions? Rather that a single question, a whirlpool soon called my mind home, almost like a tick claiming residence on a dog. What about Christie? Why did she defend me? What did I do to drive Josh away from me and into Tasha's arms?

"Connie?" Cheyenne whispered, nudging me in the side.

Snapped out of my raging thoughts, I blinked at the scene before me. We seemed to have stumbled into a clearing for a beach hang out, a strip of sand lacking housing. Waves rolled onto the shore in the distance, the bright sun radiating off its surface. As I stepped off the sidewalk and onto the sand, my flip flops sunk into the grains. Immediately, I kicked off my footwear, picking them up and gripping them in one hand. The sand slightly stung my feet, but I welcomed its soft caress.

"Hey!" A girl suddenly exclaimed at the sight of us, dashing across the sand in our direction. Blonde hair that rested slightly below her shoulders flew behind her, dark muddy eyes soon visible as she slowed to a stop in front of me. A smile graced her pale lips, her skin clearly in dire need of sufficient sunlight. Thin black glasses rimmed her dark eyes, which were coated in mascara and curled upwards. Her eyeliner was perfectly winged, her makeup so flawless I couldn't help but stare at it in awe.

"Oh, this must be Connie!" The girl cheered, the top of her head level with my eyes. "Hi, I'm Vivian, but everyone calls me Vivi!" With that, Vivi stuck her pale hand in my direction, her multicolored dress billowing in the wind.

"Hey," I greeted while shaking her hand, letting it drop after a few seconds. "Did you do your makeup, because it looks awesome!"

She flushed before bobbing her head up and down. "I'm glad you like it." A streak of purple was barely visible on the right side of her hair as she turned, waving a hand in the direction she was heading. "Now, I heard you met Meatbag," Vivi scoffed, her voice sounding hostile as she spit out the last word.

"Vivi!" Cheyenne cried, jogging to her friend's side. "Stop calling him that."

"Calling who?" I asked, curiosity bubbling within me.

"Luca," Cheyenne muttered, deflated. "They just can't get along."

As I stepped up to Vivi's other side, her left, I felt like it was my duty to halt the incoming argument. "Well, I'm sure Vivi has a good reason to hate him. But Cheyenne also likes him, so maybe you should both respect that," I nervously exhale.

Vivi suddenly halted in the middle of the short stretch of beach, plopping herself onto a navy blue folding chair. "Well, I can already guess you're a problem solver. Meatbag is a problem magnet, so you'll be a great addition to our friendship group."

Slowly, I nodded, wondering why Vivi loathed Luca. The boy in question was standing in the water, water swallowing his ankles. His body faced us while his head titled to chat with the boy sprawled in the shallower water. Water splashed in the boy's face so he bolted upright. He smoothed down his light brown hair before hopping to his feet. Luca pointed in our direction, and the two headed over to us.

Cheyenne plopped onto the sand next to her friend, leaning her head against the chair. Vivi stiffened, anger practically radiating off her as Luca approached. Soon, he stood in front of me, grinning from ear to ear. Vivi clenched her teeth and her fists while Luca ignored her very existence.

"Hey!" Cheyenne called to her boyfriend, quickly hopping up to provide him with a light peck on the lips.

Vivi gagged next to me, holding her head in her palm. "If only I had a sniper right now," she muttered under her breath, a giggle escaping her lips as she most likely imagined Luca's demise.

"Connie, I'm so glad you made it!" Luca beamed at me.

I smiled, ready to give him a hug until I remembered his germ phobia.

The brown haired boy smiled warmly at me, his eyes nearly as blue as the sea behind him. "Hey Connie, I'm Joel."

We proceeded to shake hands, his feeling wet against my flesh. As soon as we dropped our arms, he glanced over at Vivi. I could visualize steam escaping from her ears as she made a disgruntled noise at the back of her throat. I turned to see Cheyenne and Luca skipping down to the water. The sight made warmth spread through my chest but Vivi radiated boiling anger. I wished they could both be happy. I also felt as if I was intruding. They all knew each other and I was just a random stranger to everyone but Cheyenne. Well, I had met Luca once before, but it wasn't like we had a heart-to-heart.

"Vivi," Joel whispered, "don't you want Cheyenne to be happy?"

She bared her teeth at him, her arms crossed over her chest. "You know that. I don't need my brother to reprimand me."

"But Mom will if I tell her," Joel smirked.

Vivi childishly whined, throwing her head back against the chair and eyes to the sky. "But he's a meatbag! He's probably just gonna play with the strings of my best friend's heart!"

Feeling like I was disturbing the brother-sister moment, I slowly began to back away.

Joel caught me out of the corner of his eye and let out a tired sigh. "Wow, Connie, how welcoming are we?" He ended his sentence with a friendly smile.

I softly smiled myself, something twisting in the pit of my stomach. "No, you're perfectly fine! I'm the one intruding!"

Vivi and her brother simultaneously shook their heads.

"No, you're not!" Vivi quickly exclaimed, hopping from her chair, sending it crashing into the sand. "Do you want to give the couple some private time and grab a bite?"

"Yeah," Joel seconded, "Vivi and I could take you to a locally owned pancake house just around the corner."

"Alright," I sighed. "But really, only if it isn't too much trouble." The last thing I wished to be was a bother. I dropped my flip flops onto the sand and stuffed my feet into them, a few grains slipping onto the shoes.

They both smiled. Joel headed left and up the small incline to the sidewalk. Vivi surprised me by linking her arm through mine and tugging me along.

"We're gonna get some pancakes, lovebirds!" Joel paused to shout, cupping his hands around his mouth. "We'll be back soon!"

"Okay, have fun!" Luca yelled in response, his voice simply a faint echo from the distance we were at.

"But, really," Vivi suddenly muttered, "do we have to leave Cheyenne with- that?"

Joel shot her a glare. "Vivian, you're the only one who hates him. Stop acting like a selfish little kid." There was a dangerous edge to his voice that caused his sister to zip her lips.

For the rest of the time, we walked in silence. It was finally broken by Vivi's scream of delight as she rushed towards a small white building called 'Pete's Pancake's'. Joel let out yet another tired sigh, slowing down slightly so he ambled next to me. Vivi impatiently tapped her foot as she halted outside the pancake house door, tapping her watch.

"This is going to be a long hour," Joel muttered sarcastically. "Welcome to the annoyingness that only comes with Vivi."

I lightly laughed. "Oh, she can't be that bad."

"Oh yes-"

Vivi swung open the door, narrowly missing Joel's face. "Come on, slow pokes!"

Joel grumbled something under his breath as the hostess greeted us.

"Hi!" An elderly lady beamed at us. Her silver hair was pulled up into a bun at the top of her head. "For three?"

We all nodded. She flashed us a slightly yellowed smile before grabbing three menus and heading inside the restaurant. "Right this way!"

The sweet smell of pancakes wafted through the air, various people occupying nearly every table and munching on pancakes. Surprisingly, light blue carpet was splayed beneath our feet and the walls were it's neon counterpart. Cheyenne must've loved this place.

The hostess plopped a menu in front of three of the four wooden chairs surrounding an oakwood table. We each thanked her politely before sitting down. Joel and his sister disregarded the menu, already familiar with it. I took it into my hands, smiling at the cartoon pancake sporting bacons eyes, a bacon smile, and bacon limbs. Then, I flipped to the first page, the plastic cool under my fingertips.

"So, they only serve pancakes?" I asked incredulously, eyeing the two symmetrical pages of varying pancakes.

Vivi nodded beside me. "Yep. But what else would you order, am I right?"

Joel shook his head, a small smile creeping onto his face. "Well, I'd order some waffles."

Vivi shoved his arm playfully, all snark and negativity dissipated. "Then go to IHop."

"Do they even serve waffles?" Joel queried, folding his hands over the menu.

Vivi shrugged. "I don't care because I don't go there. Pete is my man."

Stifling a laugh, I returned my focus to the menu. The picture of the Nutella pancakes caused my mouth to water. Instantly craving the hazelnut goodness, my order was decided.

"You know," Joel mused, my eyes snapping up as he glanced at me, "Vivi and I don't bite."

My cheeks reddened. "Sorry, I'm just not very good with new people." Evidently, I just wasn't good with people in general. My heart sunk to my shoes as I stared at the menu. I was simply a nuisance.

The waiter, a bored looking man in his twenties, cut off Vivi's reply. "Hello, welcome to Pete's. What can I get you guys to drink today?"

"Orange juice," Vivi smiled.

"For me as well," I piped up.

"Water," Joel grinned.

"It's bland, like you," Vivi teased, her tone devoid of it's previous hostility.

"Okay," the waiter, Tom, as his name tag read, responded dully. "Are you ready to order?"

"Nutella pancakes!" We shouted in unison, our voices laced with such vigor that the waiter placed a silencing finger to his lips.

A grin stretched across my face. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

_________

For those who like to skip my long author's notes, I bolded the info I'd really like you guys to read. :)

Super long chapter. I finally got the chance (and motivation) to sit down and write. I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. I'm kind of proud but kind of unsure. Thoughts appreciated.

Yay I'm in Canada. :)

So the fiction awards are going on. If anyone wants to nominate this book, then give them a look. Just look up fiction awards or I'll give the link if you want. Okay, am I getting carried away?

Tysm SilentSpeaker01 for nominating me for the you matter awards!!!

No one commented any questions. :( So I have none to answer.

QOTD: Thoughts on Vivi and Joel? (Joel is another name suggested by Silent Speaker!)

Thanks Carrot Weather app for inspiring Vivi's nickname for Luca.

Any more name suggests? (any gender). Might need some more and I'd love to use names suggested by my readers.

Thanks for over 100 reads and 26 votes!!! It's a lot for me, 5 chapters in when I barely just posted this.

If anyone wants to participate I'd like to hold a one shot contest for this book. Might be fun. ;)

Peace,

-Sarah.