I'm Falling

Chapter One (Leila's POV)

After what felt like a whole 365 days, my junior year of high school has finally come to an end.
I slammed my locker door shut with a sigh of pure relief. At this point, everything that I learned throughout the year went in one ear and out the other.
The only thing I had my focus on was the freedom of summer and the acceptance of a college.

I sprinted down the hall, dogging the elbows of ignorant underclassmen in search of my brother's locker. "Max!" I called out once I spotted him. He immediately jumped, banging his head on top of his locker.
"Ouch..." He rubbed the back of his head, slowly crawling out of his locker.
"Sorry!" I laughed to myself.
"You idiot, you never interrupt someone with their head in a locker," Max rolled his eyes.
"What were you even doing in there anyways? It looked like you were trying to fit your entire body inside." I leaned against the locker next to his.
"Looking for my phone," He reached inside. "Which I found."

He stood up and closed his locker door.
"You ready to go?" Max asked, looking down at me. There was a dramatic height difference between us, considering we were merely months apart.
This only added difficulty to my attempt to convince people that Max was not much older than me.
I nodded impatiently. Max started towards the lobby, forcing me to speed walk. "Slow down!" I called after him.
"It's not my fault your legs are so short. I'm walking at a perfectly normal speed." Max shrugged.

Once we arrived at the lobby, I had almost stepped foot out the door when I heard someone yell, "Bye Max!" in the most flustered voice imaginable. I turned around to find my own brother, face red and all, waving to a tall, thin girl with faded black hair. Her oval-shaped glasses were drooping down on her nose, allowing a librarian vibe to settle upon her.

A soft smile slowly crept up his face. He turned to walk towards me, immediately stopping in his tracks the moment we made eye contact.
"Really?" I grinned.
"What? She's our friend." Max exclaimed, even more red now, making his way out the doors.
"Maxwell Jackson. Of all people, did it have to be our best friend? You couldn't have been interested in anyone else?"
"Oh, shut up," he laughed.

We walked out the front door, slowing down our pace drastically into a stroll. The summer breeze lightly blew against my face, causing my sun-soaked brunette hair to blow back from my shoulders.

Max's eyes were plastered on the ground.

I unlocked the front door, and quickly made my way inside. "Never seen you this excited to be home before," Max said, sarcastically. I rolled my eyes. "We both know that's a lie," I laughed, throwing my backpack to the side and sprinting upstairs.

"Wait!" Max yelled up to me, but I was already in my room, and shutting the door. Max groaned and walked into the kitchen.

"Netflix..." He mumbled to himself, "Or homework."

He shrugged it off and grabbed a bag of chips off the counter, then made his way to the couch.

After about five minutes I sprinted down the steps in a giant t-shirt and fluffy lavender pajama pants.
"We've been home for not even, like, ten minutes," he glanced at the clock, "and you already look like you just woke up fifteen minutes ago"
"Hilarious," I hopped onto the couch that was perpendicular to the one Max had been sitting on. He resumed his show and continued to eat the chips that were placed next to him.
I had too many questions that my curious-minded self needed answers to. However, instead of verbally interrupting his show, I decided to stare at him until he happened to notice.
Max's face of concentration weakened as he paused his show, once more, and let out an overdramatized sigh, thus letting me know he was aggravated with me. "Yes?"
I narrowed my eyes at him, "You're hiding something from me, aren't you?"
"Am not," He replied.
"Max my old pal, I've been you're sister for seventeen years," I slowly let out a laugh. "So I think I'd know your ways by now."
"But you're sixteen."
"In one month I won't be anymore!" I replied sternly. "And stop changing the subject!"
He chuckled under his breath. "Is this about Amelia?" I pondered.
"Why would you just assume I have something on my mind? I'm just sitting here watching Netflix; you just can't accuse me of hiding things all the time."
"But you do just hide things all the time—"
He let out a sigh and looked down at the remote. "She's just another girl: not important."
I did this dramatic, offended pose. "I didn't mean it like that! And, anyways, you're my sister: you don't count," He laughed.
"If it makes you feel any better there's a boy that I might have feelings for," I shrugged.
"I don't really care and that does not at all mean I will explain my feelings to you. But, alright. Pour your heart out, my friend." Max reclined backwards.
"It's not even worth it if I'm not getting anything out of it," I laughed and quickly took the chip from his grasp.
Max rolled his eyes, "I don't know what I feel about Amelia right now. However, I do feel like you should disperse from the area so I can continue my show in peace."
"Alright, I get it. Hint taken. I'll be in my room," I rolled my eyes, starting towards the stairs.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

No more work, no more worries and especially, no more boys. "Lelia, Lelia, Lelia!" Max came barging into my room. Except for that boy.

"What?" I groaned.
"Nothing, I just find joy in annoying you," Max laughed. I quickly grabbed a small throw pillow off my bed and chucked it at him.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. But anyways, mom's home and she said that dinners ready," Max threw the pillow back at me.
"Is Amelia joining us?" I grinned.
"No, but perhaps your little boyfriend will show up." He mocked me, plastering the same evil grin onto his face.
"Maxwell, you are so gonna get it!" I screamed, charging at him.