Pushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear, I took a deep breath and took in my immediate surroundings. Though dusty window panels, I saw the sun shining like a new penny through the thick clouds that made the sky seem gray. Silence filled the empty house, and I closed my eyes to savor the quiet before flipping through the photo album on the coffee table in front of me.

"Hi Mom," I heard my son thunder in, "what are you doing?"

"Just looking through photo albums, wanna see?" I responded, looking up and meeting the cold eyes of my son, 16 years, I thought, how is he already 16. I felt the soft leather sofa sink down next to me.

"Is that me?" Caiden smirked, pointing at the almost mirror image of himself in the picture, "I look hot," he insisted dropping his voice down a few octaves, the strong smell of Axe wafting around him

Internally, I groaned rolling my eyes at Caiden's normal teenage cockiness wondering when I would get my little boy back before flipping the thick page of the photo album scanning down it until I saw the picture of my brother, who was 16 at the time, and I, both in pajamas asleep surrounded by a pile of pillows.

"When was this taken?" Caiden asked in confusion, "I don't remember ever doing that. Why would I be hugging my little sister?" He added with a tone of disgust.

"Caiden, none of these pictures are of you," I sigh, slapping the photo album shut, fed up with his attitude, "they're of your Uncle James."

Looking back down at the picture, my mind drifted towards the night the picture was taken. I sighed anguish not even bothering to fight off the old memories.

The flash of lightning lit up my small bedroom for a split second, making jump up in fear. I let out a small whimper and jumped out of bed, my feet made a light padder a on the slick wood floor. I turned as soon as I saw the brown brooding bookcase against the wall and ran into my brother's room. The familiar oaky smell filled my nostrils as I approached the sleeping figure snoring on the bed in front of me.

"Jamie," I shook my brother's shoulder lightly. Then pushed him onto his side when he didn't respond, "James, wake up. I'm scared."

"Go away Addie, I'm sleeping," my annoyed older brother mumbled.

"But it's storming and I had a nightmare. I don't wanna be alone," I stammered trying to keep my voice level.

"No. Get out Addison!" James hissed at me like a cobra ready for attack, his eyes filled with rage.

My bottom lip trembled slightly, before I bolted out of the room and curled up like an armadillo to stare out the window in the hallway. Flinching every time the sky grumbled or whenever a flash appeared. I heard heavy foot falls then a loud bang.

"Okay, ow when did this get here?" I looked to my right and saw my dazed older brother sitting on the ground looking up at the bookshelf like it appeared out of nowhere.

Shooting up like a jack in the box, I got up and ran to my room making sure I was as quiet as a mouse. I covered myself with my black comforter, after I skidded into my room, trying my best to hide in plain sight.

"Addie," James whispered, when I didn't respond he added. "you know just because you can't see me doesn't mean that I can't see you."

As I uncovered my face to frown at the teenage boy I heard a deafening roar of thunder. I whimpered slightly and James frowned before he picked me up and placed me in his lap, hugging me close while he breathed comforting words to me.

"I'm sorry Addie," he cooed softly, trying to clear the tears from my eyes, "I shouldn't have been so insensitive to you."

"What does 'ni'sesitide mean?" I uttered in confusion, my six year old mind not having a big enough vocabulary to understand.

"I shouldn't have been a buttface" he sang, changing his words so I could understand him. He didn't even bother to correct my mispronunciation of the word.

"You weren't being a buttface," I pouted, crossing my arms, "I shouldn't be scared of the poopy weather, I thought I was a big girl, but I'm not. I'm just a baby," I finished with a frown.

"Don't fight me on this," he blankly stated, his eyes filled with sympathy, "I've known you, your whole life and I can tell when your lying, your little nose scrunches up and your eyes dart to the right."

My eyebrows knitted together in thought. I never thought he payed attention to me. I'm just his annoying little sister, I think to myself. All I do is annoy him.

"You know I don't hate you," James remarked after a minute of silence. "I don't mean to get mad at you all the time. I ju-" he took a deep breath, after stumbling over his words, "I want you to be able to fight for yourself when you're older. I don't want you to be teased, for being too weak."

He placed me back onto my bed, and shuffled out of my room before appearing back in the doorway with his pillows and blanket, his hand behind his back. James dropped the pillows on my head laughing as they bounced off forming a small mountain at the foot of my bed.

"I brought you something," he teased, showing me the bright packaging filled with candy.

"Sugar!" I squealed, my eyes shining with happiness. After struggling to open the bag, I shoved the brightly colored pieces of candy into my mouth.

"It's sour!" I shrieked, and attempted to spit it out, but stopped when my mouth was overcome by sweetness.

"Sour Patch Kids," James explained, smiling at my reaction, "They're sour before they're sweet."

Just like you, I thought, while I tossed a few pieces of the candy towards him, giggling when they caught him straight in the nose
"Mom does Jaylen hate me," I snapped out of my memories I look at my son thinking about his shocking question. What, why would think that his little sister hates him. Biting my lip I sigh trying to find the right answer to his question.

"Caiden James" I consoled, using his middle name to make him listen to what I would say next,"Jaylen doesn't hate you, she loves you more then anything, its just that you scare her sometimes. Don't put up the teenage act for her Cai, show your sweet side, because all she's seeing is sour."

The warm smile that crept slowly onto Caiden's face, replacing the cruel smirk it usually held, making the room seem brighter than the sun. "Mom can I come with you to pick Jaylen up from her friend's house?" he proposed, with new found sparkle in his eyes.

"Yeah, of course," I chirped,a smile appeared on my face, "She'd love that."