Break The Best Friends

Chapter 1

My first day of Year 11 in high school was nothing like I had imagined it would be. I wasn't sleeping on my bed. I wasn't at the place I grew up calling home. I wasn't with my family. It was everything I never thought it could be.

And this has been the same story for a few years. I rolled out of the bed, sighing. Kyra could be heard singing from the bathroom that we shared. Kade was outside the bathroom, shouting at her to hurry up and also to not use up all the hot water.

They were my alarm clock every morning. Kyra McCann and Kade McCann. My childhood friends and a part of the family where I was staying with. They were twins, Kade and Kyra, and have been my friends for as long as I can remember. Our fathers had been high school friends and our families were close. We practically grew up together, joint at each other's hips – that was until the McCann family moved. We were seven years old and Mr. McCann had got a big job in the city, on the other side of the state.

I thought I'd never see them in my life again. But I was proved wrong when they moved back here a year later. Andrew McCann, my father's friend had passed away in a car accident and this was the only home that Augusta, his wife knew.

She was now my short-term guardian and let me live at her house while my parents were in Austria? Atlanta? – wait, I didn't know where my parents were. Only God knows where they were. I didn't know. I didn't care. They chose their business over family, and I decided to never choose them over anything again. Nicole and Noah Harper might have an entire empire to run, but if they couldn't separate their personal life from their professional one, they have failed both as a parent and also as a good human being.

I quickly brushed my teeth and got dressed for school, thoughts churning in my head. I was deliberating calling my brother, Andrew - the eldest. He always knew how to calm me when I get all nervous and jittery.

The school wasn't my favorite place in the world – I doubt it will be that to anyone – but this year, I have a feeling I was only going to hate it more. There was this bad sensation in the bottom of my gut telling me a lot of things were going to change this year. Which was weird because my entire life has been a series of so many changes. I should be accustomed to it by now, but for reasons beyond my grasp, the thought of any change this year was scaring me shitless. I would have at least pretended to be fine if I had my brothers or at least one of my parents here, just to tell me that I will get through this year how much ever difficult it gets.

I sighed. I don't have anyone to give me that confidence today though.

When I was ready to leave, I picked up my bag and walked out of my room – the McCann house guest room that I have been using for a few years now.

"Excited for your first day?" Augusta, Kade, and Kyra's mom grinned at me. She was sitting on the couch, a bowl of baby food in her hand as she tried to feed her two-year-old adopted son, Zack.

"Not really," I shrugged with a smile. I bent down and kissed Zack's cheek, making him giggle uncontrollably, "Hello, Zackie."

I grabbed two granola bars and stuffed them inside my bag. One was for me and the other was for Luke, my best friend. That boofhead doesn't eat breakfast even if his mom begs him to, so I have to thrust this granola bar down his throat, maybe then, he would have eaten at least something for the most important meal of the day.

"Are you sure that would be enough for you?" Augusta sounded concerned as she watched me dump the granola bars inside my bag. Hearing the motherly concern in her voice, made me smile a little, "I made pancakes. They are chocolate chip! I know you love them."

I smiled more. Augusta has always been more than just my friends' mom. She has been a mother to me when my own mother didn't care enough for me. I know she does not have to do anything for me, I was just a paying guest at her house, but she does anyway and I cannot say that I don't secretly enjoy the care that she was showering over me even for the smallest of things.