Stephanie's POV
When I was like 2 blocks away from the house and deep in the woods I sat down and began to cry my eyes out. My moms crazy, my dad hates me, and Michael probably thinks I'm a freak. I've screwed it up with everybody and they don't even know me. I hate my life. Cole can't be alone in Minnesota!
I probably forgot to mention that Cole has to live in Minnesota with our, well his, jerk of a dad. He divorced mom a year ago and I was stuck raising Cole for 6 months while my mom was busy surfing and being her usual self. This usual self was basically someone who shouldn't have even had one kid never the less three. She sucks. Well sucked. I don't know okay? I can't even surf anymore! I mean Sydney is only like a mile away maybe I could jog there? I don't even know anymore.
I jumped up and looked at my watch. I've been gone for 3 hours! JUST FREAKING GREAT! I sprinted back to the house to find Michael on the front porch with his head in his hands.
"Michael?" I asked him.
"OH THANK GOD!" He said jumping up and wrapping me in a bear hug. I hugged him back. He actually cares about me. "Where were you? Dad, sorry Mike, thinks you ran away!"
"No it's fine I call him Dad. Uh I just lost track of time."
"You'd better come in. He's really upset. He keeps saying he ran you off like he did mom."
"The poor guy just met me and I'm already screwing up."
"No you aren't screwing up. Dad just doesn't know how mom raised you so he doesn't want to pressure you."
"Oh."
We went in and Dad jumped up.
"Let me guess your mother didn't give you a curfew?" He asked raising an eyebrow.
"No sir. I'm really sorry. It won't happen again. I was just so upset y'know and I just kinda got caught up in my thoughts."
"Any time you need the beach, we'll go okay?"
"SWEET! I mean uh thank you sir." I said awkwardly back.
Michael started cracking up so I shoved him a little. Being a klutz he toppled over and we both started laughing so hard that I fell to the ground laughing. Who knows, maybe Mike and I aren't so different.
*2 hours later*
Mike, Dad and I were all sitting around the table eating pizza and laughing at stories from our childhoods.
"... So I don't know what was through Mike's mind but he just decided to go and try to eat the fish raw!" Dad said catching his breath.
"I THOUGHT I WAS A NATIVE AMERICAN!" Michael said in embarrassment.
I fell out of chair laughing and Michael than joined me.
"So any stories about Mom?" Michael asked me when we were done dying of laughter.
"Not really. She kind of ignored me a lot. Her husband raised me but he divorced her a year ago and now my little brother Cole lives with him." When I said that last sentence Michael and Dad both looked absolutely shocked.
"I've got a half brother?" Michael asked eyes suddenly flickering from a electric blue to a dull green. Huh so his eyes change with mood too.
"Yeah, Cole Michael Ikes. He's 13. Kind of a dork, you gotta love him though." I said thinking of Cole and his doctor who obsession. It's a cool show don't get me wrong, it's just that if I had David Tennant staring at me every night from my ceiling I wouldn't be able to sleep.
"Wait wait hold on Stephanie," Dad started pointing to my stomach. Crap. My belly button ring, "What's that?"
"A belly button ring. I also have my cartilage, my nose, my tongue, my lip, both of my ears double pierced and my eyebrow pierced." Dad looked shocked but Michael looked excited.
"You don't uh wear all those right?"
"Well normally yes but I figured that'd be a lot of piercings to handle in one day."
"Yeah you're correct that's a lot to handle!" Aw he's a protective daddy. Wait crap, he's a protective daddy.
"Okay I'm sorry."
He just sighed and looked down. "No sweetie, it's not my decision. I can't change it now. That was your mom and dads decision not mine."
"You're my dad though." I said. He looked at me shocked. Michael awkwardly shuffled. What did I do wrong? "What?"
"Thank you sweetheart I thought that was gonna take longer to get you to say that."
After more stories, Dad said to head to bed now. Ugh.
I was going to be sharing a room with Michael since they live in a really tiny house. I went in and it's like my dream room. I mean band posters, video games and GUITARS!!!!
"Dude sick guitars!" I said running over to the dark blue fender electric with white stripes diagonally painted across it.
"Do you play video games?" He asked turning on his Xbox.
"HECK YEAH I PLAY VIDEO GAMES!" I said running over to his bunk. Hahaha I get top bunk.
After 2 hours of FIFA we both decided to go to bed. I brushed my teeth and got my pjs on in the bathroom while Michael banged on the door INSISTING I had been in the bathroom for an hour.
"Michael I need ten freaking seconds!"
"You take forever!"
"Okay fine you want me to walk out there completely naked?"
"EW NO!"
"Than I suggest you shut your mouth and give me a second!"
I came out and he looked at me angrily.
"What?"
"That image was unwanted!"
I laughed and went into our room. What a weirdo.
