As long as I'm here, no one can hurt you.

we're going to be friends

Fall is here, hear the yell

Back to school, ring the bell

Brand new shoes, walking blues

Climb the fence, books and pens

I can tell that we are gonna be friends

I can tell that we are gonna be friends

***

The White Stripes

When the blond boy arrived home, the sun was already dipping below the horizon. He ascended the porch steps and inserted his keys into the lock. Upon reaching the front door, he turned the key and unlocked it. Initially, he struggled to push the door open, but with a burst of strength, he finally managed to budge the stubborn, creaking door. He tossed his bag into the corner and kicked off his shoes just as his mother came into view.

A smile broke out on the golden-haired woman's face. She held a spatula in her hand and wore a white, long dress she had once bought at a secondhand store. "Jay," she exhaled upon seeing her son. Walking up to him, she asked, "Where were you? I thought you were going to be home already." She embraced him warmly, and JJ returned the gesture, briefly wrapping his arms around her.

"I was at the beach. Sorry Ma, I should have told you," he said as they pulled away from each other.

The woman shook her head. "It's okay," she said. The mother and son duo made their way to the kitchen. "Did you surf?" she asked.

The blond boy shook his head. "I just hung out with friends," he said. He leaned against the kitchen counter while his mother stirred several pots on the stove.

"John B and Pope?" she asked, not taking her focus off the food she was preparing.

JJ scratched the back of his head. "Yeah," he muttered under his breath. It was a simple lie, but his mother believed it. He didn't feel like explaining that he'd actually skipped an afternoon of school to spend the day at the beach with Kiara Carrera.

He saw his mother nod out of the corner of his eye and then watched her walk to the fridge. His gaze shifted from his mother to the rest of the kitchen, scanning the room. "Where is Rin?" he asked when he didn't spot the blond-haired girl in the kitchen or the small stretch of living room he could see from there.

"In her room, but I'll call her. Dinner is ready anyway," his mother replied, taking a pot off the stove and bringing it to the round dining table in the middle of the kitchen. "Rin! Dinner is ready!" she shouted as she placed the pot on the table.

Some noise came from the girl's bedroom, and JJ saw her bedroom door open. His eleven-year-old sister came out, and when she saw her brother, a smile broke out on her face. "JJ!" she exclaimed, quickly striding up to him and wrapping her arms around his torso. He reciprocated immediately, wrapping the younger girl in his arms.

"Where were you last night? I thought we were going to watch a Rick and Morty episode together," she asked him after they pulled out of the hug.

"I'm sorry, Rin, but I was at the Chateau yesterday," he told her. Something in his sister's eyes changed, and a pout formed on her lips. The blond boy crouched down to her level, placing his hands on her shoulders. "But we can watch two episodes tonight!" he said, trying to cheer her up.