It was probably the best night's sleep I had ever had, as soon as she left the room a jumped out of bed and bolted for the bathroom. I knocked on the door to see if Stephy was inside and she wasn't, which was a relief. So, I hopped into the shower and the water was hot for the first time since I could remember. I let the hot streams flow through my hair and as the water washed over my face I felt something wrong, but I couldn't tell what. When I got out of the shower the steam had fogged up the mirror and when I wiped it away my face looked normal. My cheek had gone back to its normal size and the cut on my forehead had closed up and all that was left with a little scar over my eyebrow. I looked all over my body for bruises from yesterday, but they were all gone. It made sense why mom hadn't mentioned when she woke me up. Since I couldn't explain what happened I left it alone and went to my room and caught Stephy in the hallway coming to the bathroom. Her hair was ruffled up and she looked worn out like she had sent the night partying.

"Please tell me you didn't use up all the hot water?" She asked me with a large yawn at the end.

"Sorry, it just happened," I said with a grin, but she completely ignored me and grunted as she entered the bathroom. She didn't notice that my face was completely fixed either and she saw me last night, or maybe she was too tired to care. I went into my room and got changed into a grey how-to pick-up chicks with a picture of a guy picking up a chick on it, a pair of jeans and my black hoodie. When I got downstairs I was hit by the smell of pancakes, scrambled eggs and God's perfect creation, coffee. In the kitchen, mom had made a whole Valentine's day themed breakfast with heart-shaped pancakes, eggs in the shape of hearts and sausages made into little heart arrows. The table had a bouquet of roses in the middle and a red cloth draped over it. When I saw my mom, she had tied her hair back and wore a red bow over her it, she wore a pink dress with polka dots over them. She turns around and looks at me with a huge smile and her big blue eyes inside of her glasses.

"Oh, good morning love, how did you sleep?" Her voice was full of so much joy that she was almost a new person.

"I slept amazingly, as soon as I got bac, I jumped into bed and knocked out."

"Speaking of you getting home, you got home quite late last night, I was worried you know. You could have called." Her voice changed completely to sadness and disappointment.

"I'm sorry. I dropped my phone and it broke so I couldn't call, and I also damaged my bike, so I dropped it off at the bike guys to fix it and walked home." I lied, I wasn't in pain anymore and I didn't have any wounds so there wasn't a point mentioning it anyways.

"Okay then. Now go sit down on the table and wait for your sister as I finish making breakfast."

I didn't take long after that for Stephy to find her way down the stairs, she had a black beanie on, a purple Fall Out Boy under her black Zelda hoodie, jeans and high-top sneakers. She dragged herself to the table and poured herself some coffee, which was weird because she didn't like coffee, but logic had been thrown out the window at this point. When we finally put food our plates, Stephy inhaled hers before mom and I could even start.

"So, how was your date?" Stephy said, at least I think that's what she said, she had a mouthful of eggs.

"It went very well, he wants to take me to the movies tonight."

"OHHHHHHHHH," Stephy and I said in unison.

"Oh, shush you munchkins." She said while her white cheeks turned to the colour of the rose on the table.

"So, it looks like Oli isn't the only one with a date tonight."

"You didn't tell me this."

"Yeah, this girl dropped him here last night and he asked her to the Storm Watch party."

"Is it the Pepper girl that he likes"

"I don't like her."

"That is a lie and you know it, but no, it was someone new." Stephy continued to tell mom what happened when I got home.

"What's her name love," Mom asked looking at me as if she was getting a puppy for Christmas.

"Kaitlyn."

"That is such a pretty name," said mom with glee. "I have to meet her. By the way, can you two stop by the bakery at five? I wanted to see you guys before your dates."

"Sure, thing mom," I said with a grin as the same red car rolled up to our house and honked their horn. "Stephy, can I hitch a ride with you guys. My bike is at the mechanics."

"Use mine. It works fine."

"It's pink with glittery tassels handles."

"Firstly, it's better than your useless excuse for a bike and secondly it's not my car."

"Please."

"No."

"Just ask her."

"NO!"

"Stephanie come on."

Then she stared at me, I could feel the tension and anger in the air but if I looked away I know I would have lost. Then she sighed "I hate you. I'll ask Casey, go get your bag."

"Thank you and I know you love me."

I grabbed my bag from my room and the car was still there waiting for me. I grabbed my lunch and kissed mom on the cheek and went outside. The sky was a bright orange/pink even though the sun was high in the sky. In the car was Casey in the driver's seat and next to her was Megan. They had been friends with my sister for most of her life so I knew them pretty well. Casey had short blonde hair that bounced when she shook her hair, she also reached my shoulder when she was standing up straight. She wore a jean jacket with a white t-shirt under it and black pants. Megan had long curly cherry hair with freckles splotched around her nose and cheeks. She was wearing a red and black flannel with light blue jeans. We had dated for about a year, but she ended up breaking up with me after we started drifting apart, things just started to pile up until the only time we saw each other was in the hallway. We had talked a bit once and while, but I was awkward every time we did. Her autumn brown eyes avoided my gaze as I walked up to the car.

"Could you be any slower, we have places to be." Stephy barked from the back of the car.

"Hey girls, it's been a while," I said calmly ignoring my sister.

"Ya I know, we should do this more often," Casey said gleefully

"No." Both Stephy and Megan said in unison, Stephy's eyes beading at me but Megan kept her eyes on the road and houses in front of her.

"Just get in," Stephy said and was not looking like she could take another second of me.

I hopped into the back next to my sister and we rode off to school. The top was down so the brittle wind blew into our faces as Casey drove at concerning speeds. I leaned forward to Megan who was in front of me in the passenger seat. "Hey, it's been a while. How have you been."

"Good." She said but without energy. "Listen, we haven't talked for a while and I'd like to keep it that way okay?"

"Um Ya, ok, sorry." And I sat back in my chair and listened to the radio in silence, watching the scenery slip by as we raced down the road to school.

Today I was not late for classes. In fact, we got to school with 10 minutes to go before the first period. The car ride was awkward after what Megan had said to me, Casey tried to get a conversation going, bless her soul, but  no one in the car seemed to be in a talking mood besides her so the relief of getting out of the car felt like a weight being taken off your shoulders.

The school looked the same, people milling about the entrance waiting for the bell to ring for the first period, each of them split into their own stereotypical high school group. The football players were flirting with the cheerleaders, the A graders were sharing notes on whatever work they had, and the silent people who were always in the far corner of the class trying not to get noticed sat glaring at their phones. I somehow managed to end up in the social outcasts group which worked for me because attention and I don't mix. The crowd was loud, but the same thing kept appearing in their conversations, the Storm Watch later today. They were all trying to figure out who has and hasn't been asked to go so that they can make there move. I scanned the crowd for anyone I talk to, so two people, and spotted a husky Columbian standing at the doors of the school with a much shorter brunette by his side. I also spotted Justin with the Jocks and his minions, he had a black eye and a cut coming from the side of his lip. The girls swarmed him, probably asking if he what had happened to him and he would probably come up with some terrible lie that they would believe, so I decided to burst his bubble before going over to my friends. As got closer to him I could slowly hear him recount the story.

"... punches coming from nowhere, but I still managed to stand my ground, and this dude was about 6"6. I fought hard till he couldn't fight anymore so he ran off and I shouted, 'That's what happens when you mess with a Wong!' If only he wasn't wearing a mask." It sounded so believable. All the girls were praising him for his bravery for being able to stand up to a thug.

"I don't remember wearing a mask, and I'm pretty sure I'm 5"10." Justin looked up at me from the bench he was sitting on and his mouth dropped and just that was enough to make my day, but he recollected himself. Everyone's eyes went on me and my heart began to race, I had realized this was a bad idea when it was far too late to turn back. How does one forget that they do not like attention literally five seconds after thinking about how they don't like attention.

"Stark you weren't there and besides if it were you, you would have bruises to show for it." His entourage backed him up.

"You get bruises from a hard punch like the one that went straight for your eye. If only you could punch harder."

"Please, you don't know what you're talking about."

"Actually, I do, and so does a whole coffee shop. By the way, can I have my bike back, you know the one you stole after you lost."

The girls in the crowd looked at Justin with disappointment and walked away, "Come on, you're not actually going to believe that a football player was beat up by some guy with no friends." But they had already left, he turned to me, the cut on his face had reopened with blood trickling down the side of his chin. He stood up and stared at me with rage. "Stark I don't know what makes up your wearing, but I will end you. Don't leave your house tonight. You'll regret it." And he stormed away with his goons on his tail. As he walked away the bell rang and the crowds merged together as they ploughed through the doorway heading off to their classes. I skimmed through the flock of people and found Juan and Pepper in talking.

"Are we talking about me?" I said squeezing between them and they looked as shocked as Justin was to see me.

"What the hell happened to you. How do you not have a scar or a bruise or anything to show from yesterday?" Pep examined my face looking for anything looking and touched my face feeling for the slightest grove.

"I was confused too but I'm over it now, I didn't get in trouble with mom, so that's a win for me."

"You didn't call either of us yesterday when you got home. I thought the taxi guy kidnapped you." Juan was more disappointed than shocked.

"I actually didn't call a taxi, Justin busted my phone, so I walked."

"I knew we shouldn't have left you. Sorry, that must have terrible," Pep moved hands away from my face and crossed her arms.

"Actually, it wasn't so bad, I met a girl on the way home, she was pretty cool, she walked me home."

"Isn't that the guy's job. Walking the lady home." Juan chimed in.

"I am an advocate for gender equality and I had just been a fight. Anyways I asked her to the Storm Watch party tonight and she said yes. You guys are coming. Right?" I asked but they seemed lost in the fact that I asked a random stranger to a date.

"I would but remember, forever alone," Juan said calmly with a smirk.

"Well, you're going with me now, Debby Downer." Pep said as she walked as walked up to him and hooked her arm around his giving him a childish smile.

"Okay great, guess I'll see you guys there then. This is going to be fun, I can't wait for you guys to meet her." I said to them, trying to hide my jealousy for Juan, as the bell for classes rang. "Talk to you later, I have Phycology now."

The class was empty except for Stephy who was already in her chair, asleep with her head in her arms and hair rolling over them. I got to my seat next to her and started to get my books out from my bag as people walked in filling up their seats, once everyone was in class I tapped my sister on the shoulder to wake her up.

"Noooo... I'm asleep." She mumbled softly.

"Get up, the class is starting."

"Oliver leave me be, I'm tired and if you try to wake me up again I will attack you leaving you with more cuts and bruises then you had yesterday."

"Wait, so you did notice them last night, then why didn't you react when you saw it in the morning?" I asked but she didn't respond. I left to sleep as the class began, Mrs Parker walked in her usual flamboyant way and sat her desk as she gave us a very Valentine's day themed lesson. She wore jeans and a nice pink shirt, her blonde hair stretched past her shoulders and her young blue eyes glowed from the front of the class. She talked about how the brain reacts to emotions like love and such then someone knocked on the door halfway through the lesson, which woke Stephy up from her nap. At the door was Juan with bouquets of rose in a basket, because every Valentine's day the charity committee sells roses that you can send to someone or yourself with a little message on them. This year my husky friend was chosen to hand them out, he handed them out and gave about 3 bouquets to my sister and surprisingly gave me a rose. The lush red petals left a little smile on my face, when I opened the note attached to the stem it said:

To my best friend/brother, I love you so much and I hope you find someone who loves you more than I do because that's definitely your future wife.

Love your second sister Pepper.

I smiled at it until I realized how friend-zoned I am. The note left a bittersweet taste in my mouth as I folded into my pocket. My actual sister, on the other hand, did not seem fazed by the bouquets or note, maybe she was still tired or maybe she was so used to it, either way, she dropped them on the floor and left them there after the lesson had ended.

Lessons flowed by quite quickly, I didn't have McFaralen today, so I didn't get stuck with detention at the end of the day. Stephy had got about 9 bouquets by the end of school, which was less than last year, but she didn't take any of them. Pepper had four roses, one was from me, and Juan had three roses and a bouquet. I still had my friendship rose that I got in the morning and that's it. I wasn't bothered though, it was one more than I had gotten last year so I was proud, not about being friend-zoned, just the rose. Juan, Pepper and I rode over to Bennie's beans. I was riding with Juan on his bike which made for fun conversation and when we got there my sister, Megan and Casey were in a booth in the corner of the café. We sat in the booth opposite next to theirs because our typical table was taken. We ordered our usual's with a plate of chocolate chip cookies that came in the shape of hearts.

"So how are you picking your date up?" Pep asked with her mouth stuffed with cookies.

"Oh, we are just going to meet up where we met yesterday and walk to the spot where the party is."

"What if she stands you up?" She asked stuffing another into her mouth. I hadn't thought about it, I couldn't call because I didn't have her number, so I just assumed she wasn't a terrible person.

"She's not going to stand me up," I said trying to convince myself. I looked at my arm to check the time and it was 4:45.

"Guys I need to go."

"We literally just got here," Juan said with a mocha moustache.

"It's my mom. I would stay if I could."

"It's fine Oli, beside me and negative Nancy needs to plan what we are wearing for tonight." Pep said scooting closer to Juan.

"I am not a negative Nancy... all the time. I'm more of a jolly Judy"

"No, you are not."

"Yes, I am Pep-rika," Juan argued as I walked over to Stephy's table. As soon as I got there Megan stared at me with hatred.

"Stephy we need to go." I avoided Megan's stare as I talked to my sister.

"What, why?" she looked at me trying to remember what was happening.

"Wow, you are really out of it today. Mom told us to come to the bakery at five and it's 4:50."

"Crap ok. Casey can you drive us there."

"Wow, I'm an Uber driver now." She sighed. "Yeah, but this is the last time I'm your taxi except for going to school, even I'm not mean enough to let you guys go to on the school bus." She said calling for a waiter to give her the bill.

"Thank you. Meg, are you coming." Pep said.

Meg glared at me with her brown eyes, "No, I'm fine, my house is down the street and besides I need to get ready for tonight." I could feel the tension between us, but I didn't think it was a good time to bring it up. Getting into a fight in the same place, a day after the first one didn't seem smart. So, Casey paid for the drinks they ordered, and we left for the bakery.

We got there at 5:10 and our mom was waiting inside the bakery. The bakery was wedged between two smaller buildings, its walls were a sweet cream colour with a ruby red roof. Mom was standing at the large window with her apron on and the dress she wore in the morning underneath. She came outside, and both hands were covered in flour from baking and in one of them was a chocolate cupcake with a heart on the top. She came over to us and gave the cupcake to Casey as a thank you for driving us around and she drove off.

"I was beginning to believe that you two had forgotten about me." She said as she wrapped us in a bear hug, spreading the flour over our backs. "Come on inside, I have gifts." Which immediately got both mine and my sister's attention. We followed our mom into the bakery where we greeted with the sweet smell of pastries that never seemed to lose its touch. The display cases had pies, cakes and brownies in them, each appropriately named for Valentine's day. I sat on the little green couch in the corner next to the window where I could see the cars drive down the road, the sky a pale peach colour with large black clouds rolling in behind it. Mom went behind the counter and rummaged around looking for something. Stephy blankly stared into the display case almost hoping for something interesting to happen inside but the brownies stayed still. Mom came out from the counter with two boxes with the Doughy Goodness logo on the top of it. She handed each of us one of the boxes with a giddy smile on her face. I took the box in my hands and steadily opened it up and when I saw what it was I looked my Mom with a perplexed look.

"Gingerbread?" I said with confusion

"Sorry, I switched the boxes." She grabbed the box from my hand and replaced it with the open Stephy had been holding. "Ok, now open it."

I was even more lost when I opened this one. "Is this garlic bread?"

"Fast way to a woman's heart if do say so myself." Mom replied

"She's not wrong," Stephy said. "Why did you bake the gingerbread for me."

"I just know how much you like gingerbread." Mom said as she kissed Stephy on the cheek and proceeded to give me one after. "Now all you little munchkins need for tonight is to get dressed."

"So, I'm just supposed to give her the garlic bread and continue on with the night," I said still confused.

"Yes, what about that is too hard to understand Olivia," Stephy called from the display cases.

"Usually you offer a girl roses or chocolates on a date. Never has a guy gone on a first date and given the girl a roll of garlic bread."

"If she doesn't like them she isn't the one." Mom said gathering her stuff from the counter and washing the flour off her hands getting ready to close the shop.

"I'm sixteen, I'm not looking for the one."

"You should," she called from the other side of the room getting the keys.

"All the girls are either already in a relationship or not interested in men. Anyways, the point is I have time before I need to find the one." I rolled my eyes and got off the couch making my way to the door with my roll of garlic breed. After mom had locked up she drove us home and talked to my sister and me about how to make sure the person is the one and dating tips. When we got home Stephy bolted out the car to showers to get ready and walked into my room to pick out something to wear and I found a black jacket and a light green button-up shirt. I got tired of waiting for Stephy to get out of the bathroom, so I took a towel and went into mom's room. When I got inside the family photos we took from years ago hung neatly on the walls, they reminded me of the happier times in life, when dad was around. I hate myself sometimes, I can never keep myself happy for too long. I walked into the bathroom and took a warm shower trying to clear my mind, but I cannot for the life of me be happy even in the face of a date with a pretty girl. I began to fade into one of the worst days of my life.

It's was the sixth grade, the worst year of school had started. Pepper was sick for the first week of school and Juan was on a family vacation that didn't seem to end, so I was alone. I didn't have anyone to talk to that first week, my sister had chosen to avoid me in school because it was, according to everyone in the grade, bad enough to be related to me. So, I walked the hallways while people stared at me whispering rumours and jokes at my expense, but I tried to drown it out. Lessons would seem to last hours and the disorienting bell would call upon the next lonely walk to the next class with the whispering winds carrying insults around me. On the Thursday of that week, Justin Wong came back from his vacation, I remember the way he stared at me from across the hallway when he came back, he was ready for trouble. He would never leave me alone; any chance he could take to annoy me he took it. He was like a leech, sucking the life out of me, he would whisper things to me like "I was the least liked person in the school." and "even your own blood doesn't want to be around you.", trying to put me down until the weight of what he was saying got to me. I was crying by the end of the day in one of the storage rooms trying to figure out why no one liked me. Then he found me, in the corner of the darkroom crying my eyes out and he stood at the door and laughed in my face. I didn't even want to go to school on Friday, but I went anyway, and it was worse than the day before, everyone knew I was crying after school they would mock me, throw paper balls at me and laughed at me but I couldn't fight back, couldn't speak up because I knew it would only get worse. It was like being frozen in a hail storm and every piece of ice was hitting you. By recess, I went to the roof of the school and sat up there the whole day and no one found me until an hour after school. The door of roof opened up to Stephanie looking scared. She called out my name, and I didn't respond but she found me anyway.

"Where the hell were you. I thought you went missing." She shouted.

"So now you care about me," I mumbled.

"Of course, I care about you, don't be stupid."

"If you cared so much for me, why didn't you come to talk to me. If you cared so much why didn't you come to me when I was crying in a storage room." I shouted at her, taking all my anger and pain on her. "You heard what they were saying about me and you just let them even after they said I was 'the unwanted child'. You couldn't even stand up for me, your own brother. You were the one person I thought would be by my side through this. You can't just show up to comfort me when no one's around to see Stephanie.

"Oliver..."

"Don't apologise to me and don't act like you care all of a sudden, just leave me alone." The tears were burning down my face and my voice was shaking with every word. Stephanie didn't go through, she came closer, I tried to shuffle away but I didn't have the energy to. Then she sat down next to me and wrapped her arms around me, I didn't fight her off me and let her hug me as I let the tears trickle down my cheek, we sat there the rest of the afternoon not saying anything to each other watching sun fall over the horizon as she ran her finger through my hair.

"I'm sorry Oli."

My eyes burned from the tears trying to seep out. The shower was running cold, the icicles stabbed my back, and I started to recite a mantra Pepper once told me to calm my anxiety, this too shall pass and you shall be stronger over and over again. The words rolled over my lips until I made my way to my room, not looking at the mirrors or the pictures on my way out. I could hear Stephy's music playing in her room on the way to mine, I had no idea what time it was or how long I had been in the shower but when I got in my room the watch on my side table showed 6:30 pm. I instantly panicked, the convenience store was too far away to walk and get to in time, so I rushed on my clothes, knocking a few objects over in the process but when I was done I looked pretty decent having thrown on a black blazer and matching shirt with somewhat clean black jeans that fit the look. I grabbed the cologne from my dresser and did a mist walk, at that point I felt prepared. I rushed out of my room and went shot down the stairs. Mom was sitting in front of the tv watching family feud in a blanket, cookies and hot chocolate.

"I thought you had a date," I asked as I walked over to her.

"He cancelled." She said with a sigh. "His daughter got dumped today, so he's keeping her company for the night, but he said he'll stop by the bakery tomorrow."

"That's sweet of him, listen, mom, I'm going to be late to me up with Kaitlyn, so I wanted to ask you..."

"No."

"Come on mom, this is important."

"You haven't got your license yet."

"I'll be fine, I have my permit. Pleeeeeeeeeeeease."

"You are going to get yourself hurt."

"I know how to ride it."

"...this is the last time you drive it without a license, okay!"

"Thank you so much." I kissed her forehead and headed for the garage. "I love you."

"Be home before midnight." She shouted as I grabbed the garlic bread and walked through the garage door. I grabbed the keys from the key rack and went to the corner of the garage next to boxes of clothes and old toys. I moved them away to make space to move it out of the way, a drape had been sheathed over the large mass. I grabbed the sheet and pulled it off to reveal a black Honda Nighthawk 750, my dad's old motorcycle. I had never told mom that I would take the bike on weekends to learn how to ride it for the last four years and I was surprised Stephy hadn't told her about it. The helmet I used was on the seat of the bike and I took a second one for Kate. I started the engine, grabbed the clutch and shifted gears as I drove out of the garage and onto the road.

Kate was already at the convenience store when I pulled over to the curb. She was wearing a knee-length satin red dress with her leather jacket over her that was illuminated by a street light. Her black and purple hair lay against her shoulders, everything about her looked elegant except the black vans she wore. She gave me a smile as I pulled up to her and took off my helmet.

"I was beginning to think you weren't going to show." She said calmly as she approached the motorcycle.

"I was thinking the same about you."

"I guess we were both wrong," she took a step closer and examined the bike. "I thought you had a bicycle."

"I did. It's my dad's." I crocked as I said that.

"Oh, that's nice of him to let you use it for a girl like me."

"Yeah, it was," my voice softened. I rarely spoke about him to people, whenever anyone asked I would say that he was a scientist in Malaysia and can never come around because of work. "Okay, I got you something," I said trying to change the topic. I grabbed the box that I had strapped to the back of the bike before leaving. "This is a very unconventional gift to give a date, but I'm a strange human, so here you go." She took the boxes in her nimble fingers and opened it up. Her face actually lit up with excitement when she saw what was inside.

"GARLIC BREAD!" she screamed. "This is actually better then what I thought it would be. Thank you. It's been so long since I've had garlic bread." She squealed as she hugged me.

"My mom owns a bakery, so she made some for tonight."

"That was nice of her. Tell her thanks for me."

"I will, after the Party."

"Speaking of the storm, look." She pointed up at the sky. It was enveloped in a shroud of grey and silver that flickered bubblegum pink every few seconds. The storm was not as menacing as it was made to seem, it felt relaxing as opposed to a thunderstorm. Instead of thunder, there was a light growl like a puppy in sleep. "I hear it gets better later so do you want to pass me that helmet, so we can go to the forest for the Storm Watch party."

"Okay then, hop aboard the Storm Watch express," I said as I handed her the other helmet. She got on the back of the bike and locked her hands around my stomach, pressing herself against my back. I could feel the steady beat of her heart on my back as we drove towards the forest.