This is the first draft, as I finish chapters I will post them here.

I would love it if you could just give me some feedback thanks. Meaning if you find grammar mistakes, you can point them out, and if you find plot holes, just point them out and I'll work on fixing them

Also if you know anyone that's good at making descriptions and/or names of books, that would be great.

By the way, I changed a little bit of this chapter, and added some stuff into the second chapter to those who have already read it

     August told me to write everything down to help with, like, trauma or some shit. I don't know. I didn't want to, but then Wyatt also started pressuring me, so... hi.

I guess it started when my dad visited. Or lunch with my friends. I don't know, 

     I was eating lunch with my best friends. We were complaining that school was starting again tomorrow. Well, If I'm being honest, it was more like they were arguing about which is the best, dogs or cats. I'm not kidding.

  "Dogs are better, Maya." Realynn said.

  "No, Rea, cats are better." Maya snapped.

  "North, please help us settle this!" Rea looked at me.

  "Okay, first of all, you know I hate that nickname-" I started, but Maya interrupted me. (Vulgar, I know.)

  "But your name is Carolina,"

  "Thank you, Maya, for reminding me what my name is. I forgot! And would you look at that. I still hate that nickname. Number two, you have been arguing about this for as long as I've known you. I'm not getting involved." I said.

     They just continued arguing and I rolled my eyes at them.

     Most people couldn't believe they were close friends just by looking at them. I don't know why. Opposites attract.

     Maya was Asian-American, and super girly. That day, she was wearing a long, flowing floral dress (It was very pretty, not gonna lie). Her pink and purple sandals sat next to her on the picnic bench. Her make-up looked amazing, but like always, she had way too much blush. Maya's eyes were almost black, her hair a similar color, and up in some kind of braid-bun thing.

Realynn was a mix of slight emo and a tomboy.

     Her complexion was a darker brown color, her hair was almost black colored with highlights of deep purple, and her eyes a dark green. She wore a black shirt and black jeans, and just plain black sneakers. She says the reason she wore so much black was to "match her glasses", which were black. She just really enjoys denying her emo-ness. Rea's hair was in a sloppy ponytail and Maya kept asking to fix it. Rea kept it, just to annoy her. 

     "Come on, Carolina, which one do you like more?" Maya asked.

     "I have no opinion on the subject. Birds are superior." I said.

They looked unsatisfied with my answer. So Rea said, "Well choose dogs or cats."

     "I told you I am not getting involved!"

     "Which one do you like better," Rea asked, "Dogs-?"

     "Or cats?" Maya added.

     "Neither, I guess." I answered.

     "Carolina Monteiro!" Maya said, laughing.

     "What?!"

     "Just pick one!" Rea said.

I sighed. "If I pick one, can you drop it forever?"

They nodded, "YES!"                                              

     "Okay, um...if I had to choose, it'd be-"

 My phone rang. "Just a second, guys." I answered the phone.

     "Hey." My mom said, "You need to come home... someone is...here to see you."

     "Who is it?"

     "You should see for yourself. Julie is coming to get you."

     "Okay, I'll see you soon, vos amo."

     "Também te amo, bye." She hung up, and I looked back at my friends.

     "Sorry I gotta go." I told them.

I got up and Rea asked if I needed a ride. "No, Julie is coming to pick me up."

"All right. Bye!" Maya said. They got up and hugged me, and I walked over to the Caminho Tree. 

     Every time my sister (Julie) picks me up from the picnic spot, she picks me up at a tree that we nicknamed the Caminho Tree, meaning the pathway tree in Portuguese. The reason we named it "the Pathway Tree" is because when I was younger, I may or may not have run into the tree on my bike. Multiple times.

     I sat there for about ten minutes, thinking about who could have come. After about ten more minutes, Julie drove up.

"Hey." She said softly, "Come on, let's go."

     I got in and we drove away. Normally me and my sister are very talkative in the car, but Julie was silent.

     "Are you going to college soon?" I asked. 

     "Yeah." She smiled sadly.

     "Aw. Vou sentir saudades." (I'll miss you)

     "Will you actually miss me, or miss stealing my clothes?" She asked with a smirk.

     "Excuse me!" 

     "You heard what I said." She said, smugly.

     "No. I'll actually miss you, eu prometo."

     "Yeah, yeah. Sure." She smiled at me, then looked back at the road.

     "So...who is it?" Her smile melted, and she stiffened. 

     "You'll see." 

I sighed. "Mom wouldn't tell me either." 

     "You should see for yourself."

     "Are you moving in with your boyfriend?" I said, trying to change the subject. She blushed and said, I don't know, under her breath.

     "Julie?"

     "Yes?"

     "That was a yes or no question." I said.

     "No, it wasn't!" She said with a smile. 

"Yeah, yeah, got it. So is that a yes or no?"

"Oh my god." She said, laughing

---------------------------------------

As we got closer to the house, I saw two weird things; one being a strange car in our driveway, two, someone must have been moving in next door. I guess the person moving in wasn't that weird, but anyway.

A woman walked out and saw us get out of the car. She walked over.

"Hi, I'm your new neighbor!" She said, somehow, her voice was exactly what I thought it would sound like based on how she looked. Her hair and eyes were the same color, a black that looked like it absorbed all color and light. But she looked kind. Then, out of nowhere, she grabbed my hand and shook it. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." I said.

"We have to go," Julie said. "We'll talk later, ok?" 

The woman turned her head to Julie. She dropped her smile, raised an eyebrow at her, looked her up and down, then looked back at me with a smile like she hadn't just looked at my sister weirdly. "Of course, darling."

I pulled my hand away, and we rushed inside. 

Arguing filled the house. It was my mom and someone else that sounded vaguely familiar.

"Mom?" I walked to the living room as the arguing stopped.

"Hello, Bezerro."

My mom stood by the couch, my brother and step dad stood near her. Julie crossed her arms and glared at the man standing on the other side of the room from my mom. 

He looked familiar, only now do I know why. His dark skin is a similar shade to Darius, my brother, his face shape looked like mine and Julie's, and he had Julie's eyes.

"Carolina? Is it really you?" He asked, smiling.

"Should I know you?" I asked.

He looked back at my mom, angry. "You didn't tell her about me? Does she think he's her father?" He pointed at my stepdad.

"No! Por que eu deveria? " (Why would I?) "And no, she knows he's her stepfather."

"What is going on?" I asked

"North," Darius said. "That's dad."

I was so shocked I didn't even care that Darius used my stupid nickname. My dad walked up to me and tried to give me a hug. I pushed him away and walked backward. 

He looked confused. "What's wrong?"

"You've never, ever, come to visit, or-or anything for the past twelve years!" When I get angry, I switch to Portuguese. He only knew a little, so I'm surprised he understood what I said. 

"That's not true! When I saw you last, you were seven." 

"No. Julie was seven. I was two."

Before anyone could say anything more, the worst pain I'd ever felt shot up my spine and I fell to the ground. My mom yelped (so did I) and walked over to me. Julie and Darius ran across the room to me. My stepdad, Liam, came over to check on me as well, but (unsurprisingly) my dad stepped away. Then another one ran up my spine more painful than the first, then I was out cold.