"2 years ago Cole, 2 years!" She yelled at him, "You want to know why???" She said as she stood closer so they were almost nose to nose.

"Yes, now tell so," Cole said quietly.

"Well, you started to hang out with your gang, your friends, possy. Whatever you called it. You left me behind. You were so happy, and I didn't want to ruin that, so whenever you or dad asked. 'So, how about your friends?' or 'why don't you hang out with your friends?' I would lie, lie I say! Simon here, he's the first friend I've had in what? 6 years! Well, besides you!" Keiko said tears streaming down her face. She was tense, but she seemed to be relaxing. She knew she had lost, she surrendered and left him. She turned to sit in her bay window.

Cole was confused, he hadn't known about this. He stopped tensing his muscles, slumping his shoulders a little, he walked over to his sad sister. He placed his rough hand on his sister's shoulder. He could feel her flinch when she felt his touch, he had no idea that it was that bad.

"You're the first friend in 6 years?" He asked to make sure. "Who was the one before Simon?" He glanced at him, and he was now staring at Keiko with concerned eyes, Cole had no idea what he was thinking, but he seemed concerned enough.

"It... it was you." She replied sadly. She leaned on the side of her bay window and brought her legs up onto the cushions and held them tight to her chest. As she buried her head into her hands, she started to cry silently.

"Oh." He removed his hand from her shoulder and sat down beside her feet. Cole still had a lot to learn about his sister, but this was something he should've learned a long time ago. He feared it was too late, but he knew it would hopefully be alright. He thought about fighting back, but he knew not too, but too late.

"I never left you! You should've told me." He stated as he stood once more.

Keiko stopped her crying. She froze for a moment, and looked up, with an angry fire in her eyes. "I should've told you? I should've told you???" She repeated. She swung her legs back into sitting position. She stood up, tall and straight, she wasn't as tall as Cole, but she came close. "How dare you?!?" She yelled again as she stepped closer.

"How dare I? How dare you!" He stepped so close that their noses were touching.

"You know what? Stop talking to me!" She yelled to his face. "No more interaction with me, I haven't had a friend in years, and now you're telling me to be a lonely idiot?"

"No! I'm telling you I never left, and no offense, but just NO! You shouldn't be having boyfriends in grade 6!" He said strongly.

Keiko was surprised. "Boyfriend? He's only a friend that just so happens to be a boy, I mean you have friends that are girls don't you?" She stepped back, side by side to Simon.

Simon was now standing with her, never speaking, but he didn't move, he stood by her side.

Cole nodded, but then he told her something. "Have you told him why you're so different from the rest of our family?" He asked with a bit of a smirk.

"Actually... I have." She smiled at Simon. "I didn't tell him until I thought I could trust him, I told him, and for the first time, he didn't leave and say I was weird, or tease me or anything. That's how I knew he was a keeper."

Simon smiled back, but said nothing, he seemed to be lost in the conversation.

Cole was stunned, he knew not many people treated her right, just because she was different, so different. She had started out really mean, and gruff, just because of what happened to her at a young age, but when she met Cole and his family, she began to change. She was different.

He hadn't known how hard it was for her to find a friend. He thought that she'd been popular because of her difference, but how could he be so wrong? He hadn't known.

Keiko interrupted his thoughts. "Come, Simon, I'll take you home." She walked out the door, Simon following. They took the back door, and they left.

Cole had decided to follow them, not knowing what could happen. He waited until they were out the door, and he followed them. They had taken their bikes, so he decided to take his, and pretend he was going somewhere else.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Keiko had asked.

"Getting some stuff from the corner store, duh," Cole said plainly. he made it look like he'd take awhile, so they would leave and he could follow, it worked.

She had left, and Cole came after them, after all, the corner store was in the same direction. Every time Keiko turned back to look, Cole slowed down, and she raced away with Simon. She would try her best to 'run' from Cole, and whenever she did, she pretty much succeeded.

Cole could see Simon talking with Keiko, and he had a dreamy look in his eyes. He didn't want his sister to be caught up in love, he had loved the way she was, and still, hopefully, is. A boy kind of girl -tomboy- he had loved his sister like that, ever since they met, but he didn't want that to change, he never wanted it to, but now, it might happen.

As he stopped at the corner store, they passed it and left. He didn't have any leads anymore. Not on his sister. He knew he should trust her, but he had the sensation that he shouldn't. Never trust her, he had thought before, but then again, it was his sister. They would do anything for each other.
Even though they weren't really related by blood. Not a single drop.