I stand in front of my art teacher's desk and present my finished project to her. I smile contently, quite proud of myself and the art I somehow managed to create.

I'm not one to big myself up, I'm actually quite humble, but I have to admit that my art work is something special.

Miss Redford slowly drifts her eyes away from her laptop screen and allows them to drop on my page. She examines it, looking the least bit impressed.

I internally sigh.

"Hmm. Only took you three weeks longer than everyone else," she sighs. "Still, it's better than nothing, I suppose."

I cannot wait to leave this place.

"Thanks, Sierra. You can go now." She asserts her gaze back to her laptop screen and doesn't even bother to look at my face. My shoulders slump as I drag my feet out of the classroom and away from her moodiness.

"Went well then?" Liliana jokes once I join her in the corridor. She grins after witnessing my annoyed expression.

"She's in an even bigger mood than usual."

"Can you blame her? Three weeks late. That's got to be a record."

I steal a crisp from her bag and chuck it in my mouth. "At least I got it in eventually."

"You're certainly something, Sierra."

We walk to the front of school that is bombarded with cars where parents wait for their children to finish school.

"Hi, girls!" a familiar voice shouts out to us as we walk towards my dad's car.

We look around, searching for Hayden's mum who's voice I can recognise anywhere. We finally find her sitting in her car with the window down and waving at us, a large smile present on her cheeks.

Liliana and I rush over to her without hesitation, eager to say hi and have a catch up, even though we only saw her the other week when we had a movie night at Hayden's.

"Hi, Kat!" I say.

"How are you?" she asks us both in return.

"Great, thank you. We've been revising all day," Liliana informs her.

She sighs. "Exam season. It's the worst, isn't it?"

"Yep," I agree while widening my eyes, making her laugh.

Hayden and her are so unalike. They're both the nicest people on earth, but she's so confident and talkative, while he's quiet and reserved. His dad is outgoing too, so I'm unsure why Hayden isn't the same.

"Here he is," Kat says, staring behind us.

I turn around and spot Hayden walking in our direction, beaming a small smile at all three of us. He looks nervous and awkward as he grows closer, seeming like he's so unsure of each step he takes.

"What are you guys doing?" he asks in his usual soft tone.

"Just chatting," I say.

Hayden switches his gaze between the three of us with a straight smile present.

"Well, it was lovely talking to you both again. You'll have to come around sometime so we can have a proper chat," Kat says.

"Definitely. It was nice seeing you." I give her a small wave and take a step back, allowing Hayden to pass me so he can get to the passenger door.

"Bye, girls!"

Both Liliana and I say goodbye to Kat and then wave to Hayden who's sat down in the seat, clipping on his seatbelt.

"See you tomorrow," he tells us.

"Bye, Hay."

He shoots me a warning look that makes me giggle silently before we walk in the opposite direction and head towards my dad's car.

"I love his mum," I say casually.

"Me too."

Kat has always been, and always will be, a second mother to us both. Since the start, she's always been there. She's never once let us down...not like my biological mother.

* * *

Dad drops me home before he drives off to his next shift. I race to the kitchen as quickly as I can to fill my empty stomach that is craving food. I fish around in the cupboards and find the noodles that I pour into a pan.

"What do you think you're doing?" a deep, sinister voice speaks from behind me.

A deafening shriek escapes my mouth as I jump around and feel my heart almost burst out of my chest.

Issac is stood behind me with a humorous grin smothering his cheeks at my reaction. He simply smirks at the fact that I almost suffered a heart attack due to his horrid prank.

"You scared the crap out of me!" I gasp, holding my chest and using the counter behind me for support.

"Sorry. Had to be done," he cackles.

I glare as he walks past me to look in the cupboards to hunt for food.

"It didn't though, did it?" I ask a rhetorical question and roll my eyes before returning to my food. "How long have you been here for?"

"An hour or so. I finished work early, so I thought I'd pop in for a visit."

"Yeah, and almost kill me in the process," I mumble.

Issac sighs and scuffles my hair. "Okay, drama queen. How've you been anyway?"

I shrug my shoulders and smile contently. "I've been okay. Nothing new. You?"

"As good as can be. I actually saw mum the other day."

My stomach drops and I pull a look of disgust as soon as he mentions her name. "Why?"

"Her and step-prick called my company because they wanted some work done on their house. I didn't realise it was them until I arrived."

"Did she say anything?"

"Not a lot, just asked how we both are and what we've been up to. Apparently she's tried to message you, but she hasn't heard anything back."

"Is it any wonder? She put her stepchildren before us. She couldn't give less of a crap. I know she's been through a lot, but that's no excuse for putting us through all this. I don't want her in my life when she's only ever going to make me feel worthless."

Issac nods his head and peels the skin from the orange that fills his entire palm. "I know, I get it."

"You still talk to her, right?"

"Rarely. Usually it's only on birthdays or Christmas, but there's some times where she'll ask how I'm doing."

I scoff and shake my head, offended by the fact that she rarely speaks to us but spends everyday with her 'perfect' step kids.

"How's work?" I ask, trying to change the subject to a lighter one.

"Busy," he sighs. "Never get a days break."

"I'm dreading working. I don't know how people do it. It seems so exhausting."

Issac shrugs his shoulders and smiles flatly. "Just the way things are. Have you applied for any jobs?"

"A few. I have an interview for a waitress job on Sunday. It'll be a Saturday job, but they said I'll work more days in the summer. I'll be rolling it in." I wink and rub my thumb against my fingers, making Issac chuckle.

"Wait until you get a house."

"I don't want one. I want to travel."

There's of a look of disapproval on his face that I try to ignore, but I soon realise it's because he doesn't believe I can do it.

"Good luck with that," he scoffs.

"What do you mean?"

"I used to say that and all. Almost everyone I've met has said that."

I blink, waiting for him to finish his sentence, but he never does. He just stares back at me and expects me to know the ending.

"So?" I finally say.

Issac sighs and takes a seat on the kitchen stall, like this conversation is exhausting him. "Life is hard, Sierra. They don't teach you that in school."

Grinning, I take the remaining orange from his hand and chuck a piece into my mouth. "Just you watch me. I'll be travelling around the world, living on beaches and drinking cocktails. I'll be like a bird; free." I spread my arms like wings and lift my head high.

He chuckles again, still shaking his head. "You've got the spirit, I'll give you that."

I smile contently in his direction, excitement growing inside me at the thought of living my dream.

"So," he says, now grinning mischievously. "How's Hayden?"

My smile drops instantly. "Stop," I warn him.

"What?" He holds his hands up and laughs innocently. "It was only a question. Is that so bad?"

"I know what you're trying to do."

Issac grows closer, leaning his forearms on the counter. "Oh yeah? What's that?"

"You're trying to wind me up because you think I have some sort of crush on him. You're wrong, Issac. Very wrong."

"Am I, though?"

I slap my palms against the counter and glare at him. "Yes."

As I walk to the stairs so I can escape to my room and get out of the itchy uniform, I hear Issac speak from the kitchen: "You're in denial."

"He's not even my type," I say back, having to raise my voice so he can hear.

"Type? Who the fuck has a type?" He's laughing hysterically now, finding everything I say hilarious.

"Everyone. I need someone who can take control a little bit — and not in a dirty way, I know how your mind works, sicko."

I'm at the top of the stairs when Issac whips around the corner and leans on the doorframe that leads to the kitchen.

"Gross. I wasn't even thinking that," he says while trying not to gag. "You might think that now, but just wait a couple of years. You'll be begging for someone like Hayden. He's one of the good ones."

"I know that, but maybe I don't want the good ones," I joke.

Issac doesn't seem to find this one so funny. He shakes his head and stares down at his feet. "You'd rather be with a dickhead rather than someone who treats you good? I think you need help."

I hum contently before I dance away to my room, only annoying my older brother even more. It's amusing to see his deep scowl and hear the irritated sighs he makes.

He's right. Hayden would be good for me. But I can't ruin our friendship, and I can't lead Hayden on by promising something that isn't true. I have feelings for him, but not ones that run that deep. He deserves someone who will truly love him. That isn't me.

I wish I could love him, but I can't see that ever happening.