"Livie!! Get up else I'll send West up there and you know what that means!" Mom hollered from downstairs.

" Ugh. Please don't do that to me". I murmured groggily and snuggled under the covers.

It must have been moments later because I woke up again but this time ... in pain.

"Argh!" My hands flew to my hair. Someone was on me pulling it hard and I mean hard. I looked into very familiar black eyes glinting with wicked humor. My six years old brother. "Christ. Weston let go of me this instant. Else I'll... aaaargh!!" He pulled harder cutting me off.

" Not a chance." Weston laughed "This is my favorite thing to do and you know that."

" I swear I'll kill you." I struggled furiously to pull his hands away but man this guy had the energy I didn't have this morning.

We rolled with me screaming in mad pain and Weston laughing in fun. He got no conscience, I swear. At a point, my leg got caught up in the covers and we fell to the floor in a loud thud. But hey, lucky me. It turned out that Weston was beneath me and had been on the receiving end. He cried out in pure pain and pushed me away from him finally freeing my hair from his tight grip. He stood up and ran out after baring his little teeth at me.

Evil child.

"You're damn right, dude, get the hell out of my fucking room!" I cursed as he slammed my door.

"Christ." I groaned in pain massaging my scalp. That episode completely rubbed the sleep out of my eyes so I stood up and started heading for the bathroom but I stumbled on the damn covers and fell face flat.

"god!" I yelled in frustration pounding my fists on the board. "I don't think I deserve this." Grudgingly I stumped to the bathroom. " I hate school. I hate mornings."

***

I nodded at my reflection in my vanity mirror. I wasn't ugly but not exactly pretty either. I didn't have the type of face capable of turning heads or making guys drool. Let's say I was just there with my black curly hair, blue eyes, sensuous red lips—my best quality of course—and for a girl of fifteen I could proudly say I got the height thing. I needed make-up to enhance my looks but since I was not a fan, I applied a little mascara and just a touch of lipstick.

Good to go, I picked up my bag, grabbed my phone, and went downstairs.

Everybody was already seated in the kitchen for breakfast and by everybody, I meant mum, dad, and Weston. Mum was a nurse turned housewife. According to her, she had quit to take better care of us and said to return when West was older. I didn't see why she was still hesitating. Dad on the other hand owned a pretty decent mechanic workshop. He had a few employees so he could afford to be home by this time. "Morning mom, morning dad". I kissed their cheeks and sat down to hot chocolate and sweet-smelling pancakes.

"And how was my Angel's night?" Came from dad who was reading the morning papers.

"Don't ask Dad, you know already." I sighed wistfully.

"It wasn't enough right?" Dad chuckled " No night is ever enough for you, Livie."

" Mom?" I turned serious.

" Yes, Darling."

" Do you want me bald?"

She looked startled. "Where is that coming from? Of course not."

"Then stop sending this brat..." I gave a pointed look at Weston who stuck out his tongue at me "...to me every morning".

"It's Weston to You". Dad looked up from his papers and peered at me through the rim of his reading glasses.

" But at this rate, all my hair will fall off and things at school will get even worse" I protested.

"Then you have to learn to stop ignoring your alarm clock," Mom turned to Weston "and West darling, stop whatever it is you do to your sister's hair. I don't tell you to do that I only say you should have her off her bed"

" But that's the only thing I do to her that works". Weston defended. "Water doesn't do the trick anymore. Can you believe that? Such a sleepy head"

I rolled my eyes at this "Seriously West? Don't exaggerate. I'm not a log of wood, tapping me gently would do the trick". It was a blatant lie and I knew it too.

They all gave me the "are you kidding me" look, including dad whom I thought was reading the papers.

" Alright, people, I get your point", I came out clean, "but seriously there must be something else other than pulling my hair don't you think?"

"Maybe". Weston shrugged innocently but he wasn't going to change with the look he gave me so I dropped it for now. Something else was on my mind. I sipped my beverage in silence while shooting glances at mum and dad who seemed oblivious but I knew they weren't. I couldn't hold it in anymore, better to get it over with. I placed down the mug and rubbed clammy palms on my jeans.

"Dad?" I hesitated as he raised his brows at me. "About the issue we discussed last week, have you thought about it?" I bit my lip as he took off his reading glasses, folded the newspapers, and kept them aside.

"Your mom and I talked about it and honestly, honey, we don't see enough reason to move you to a new school all of a sudden."

" The people in the school not being friendly isn't reason enough?"

" I'm afraid not". Mom refused to meet my eyes.

"You guys don't get it. In all of Hills High, I've got only one friend, David. It's like the whole school hates me suddenly and I sincerely don't know why or what I've done to deserve it. They murmur about me in groups. I used to have lots of friends but not anymore, it's almost like a whirlwind blew them away leaving just me behind. Now things are different, I don't just... fit in anymore and it's frustrating". I blinked back tears and tried to stop my lower lip from quivering.

"One good friend that cares for you is not a bad idea, David is one. He's a nice boy and a nice friend who drives you to and back from school, looks after you. What do you need more friends for? If you ask me, having too many friends isn't all that great." Dad blurted out.

"John." Mom eyed dad significantly telling him to shut up.

"Having girlfriends is not too much to ask for. Or is it?" I fired at dad.

"Livie," mom started in a calm and understanding voice "...do you think switching schools will make everything alright?"

"Why not? If I can start over in a new place where nobody knows me, it'll be better. I'll make lots of friends, things will be different. Please, please, please, do this for me". I pleaded earnestly.

"Honey that's not how things work. In Hills High, you're already familiar with people and their characters. In a new school, things will be a lot worse, an unfamiliar environment." Dad tried to reason with me but this was not what I wanted to hear so it was not going down well.

I looked at them as they continued explaining and I realized that things weren't going to change, I would continue suffering that is.

Weston who had been quiet gave me a small sympathetic smile.

"Besides you're still a sophomore, things can change and it will. I'm positive." came from mom.

She sounded hopeful and it was more than I could bear that I snapped, "Well I don't care about your optimism because I'm done with it! I'm tired of being positive!"

"I'll speak with your principal". Dad said with a touch of finality and I exploded.

"Like you always do huh?" My tears were falling freely now. " And what good has that done? It only makes things worse! Do you guys know what I'm going through? No, you don't because you're not in my fucking shoes!"

"Livia." Dad warned.

"You know what?" I pushed back my chair, making a scraping sound, and grabbed my bag as I stood up. "Forget it." I hissed through my teeth and stormed out.

"Livia," Mom called with a worry-laced tone but I was already out the door. I stood on the porch and dried my tears but the more I dried them, the more they kept flowing. I gave up and wrapped my arms around myself shaking with sobs. The fucking dam already broke.

David's blue convertible rolled to a stop in the driveway out of nowhere. He winded down the window. "Hurry up and..." He stopped when he noticed that I was crying and in a flash, he was out of the car and in front of me.

I looked up at his concerned face with teary eyes, he was a little taller than I was. Without a word, he took me into his arms.

"They said no, David." I choked out

"I know". He soothed. We just stood there. He rubbed my shoulders and eventually I calmed down.

"I'm glad they did." He said out of the blue.

"What?" I was confused.

"You are stuck with me, baby" he joked.

I punched his stomach lightly.

" Ouch." he feigned hurt and doubled over. "That hurts...but why does it hurt right here?" He tapped his heart.

"Get out". I smiled drying my tears.

He smiled too and my breath caught. Man was this guy handsome. He had thick tousled blond hair and angular features. I found his intense grey eyes most fascinating, they could pierce straight into your soul in an electrifying sort of way. It didn't help that he had thick lashes and speak not of his heart-shaped lips. He would drive any girl crazy. "We can skip school today if you want."

"No thanks. Unlike someone I know I'm very responsible." I teased.

"At the very least that irresponsible person is not a crybaby". He teased back and knowing I was going to try punching him again, he sidestepped me and I punched thin air, almost losing balance. He laughed at this. "Better luck next time, honey".

I walked past him to the car. "Fuck you, Davie."

"Aw, babe, that sounds like fun."