Unseen

2

I was a good kid. I stayed to myself and to my friends, didn't get involved in drama or with the wrong crowds, I didn't bother with materialistic, fake people and overall, stayed under the radar because I just wanted to get through high school peacefully so I could move on - more specifically, move away from home and make a name of my own, do something myself that my parents, especially my mom could be proud of. Just me, no strings attached to Avery. So far in my life, it seemed everything I did, Avery would do better.

I started volunteering in the ER at the hospital, a week later Avery rescued some stray dogs. Or so she said.

In fifth grade, I won the science fair award. Avery started a 'mad scientist' club for the whole school.

In freshman year I started dating a guy named Brock. Not soon later, Avery started dating his older brother and then Brock left me anyways because I 'wasn't good enough'.

Eventually I learnt that it was best to not involve myself with anything that has to do with Avery. If I lay low and stay out of her way, she'll stay out of my business and let me live with at least some peace.

"Hey, Mar."

I reached the bottom of the staircase to see Kaden standing by the front door, a bright smile on his face in the early morning, keys in one hand and a tray with two coffees in the other.

My eyebrows pulled together in confusion. I thought he had gone home late last night. "Kaden, hi. What are you doing here?"

"Your mom let me in when she was leaving for work," he told me, watching me walk over to him. "I came to drive Avery to school because she told me to pick her up. Turns out she already left."

"And... you're still here because?" The confusion didn't leave my face. If she was gone, why was he still here?

He gave me a flat look as if he were looking at an imbecile. "Thought I'd give you a ride since I'm already here. I got you coffee. You were up late last night."

He grinned as he held out the tray for me to take one of the coffee cups.

I narrowed my eyes at him, "You got me a coffee or you're giving me the coffee you got for Avery?"

"Come on, Addison," he gave me another flat look but remained grinning. This time, he used my name instead of saying 'Mar' which I still didn't understand. "I got both of you coffees. Actually, your sister prefers iced, sugar-free lattes with soy milk."

"You got me coffee?" I questioned, hesitant to believe him and still confused.

"Yes," he laughed at my disbelief. "I gave your sister's drink to your mom. I figured the least I could do was get you some coffee for scaring you and then keeping you up last night."

"You didn't keep me up," I mumbled quietly as I grabbed my bag that was laying on the recliner before slipping on my shoes and grabbing my keys. I didn't say anything as I headed out the house, waiting for Kaden to follow so I could lock the door.

"Thanks," I exhaled when we both got into his car. "for the coffee and the ride."

"It's nothing," he sent me a smile as he reversed out of the driveway.

"What's it like having a sibling you're not close to?" He asked after a few minutes of driving, the question making me choke on my coffee.

"What?" I sputtered.

"Sorry," he chuckled, glancing at me for a moment. "I just meant, you have a sibling and you're close enough in age to get along quite well. However, you two couldn't be more apart."

I sighed, looking at him for a moment before looking out the window. Nobody had really asked me anything like this before so it was a first for me. "As much as I want to say you get used to it, you don't. At least I haven't. She's still my sister, my family, my blood and flesh so of course I will be there for her but it's difficult because it's like I'm living with a stranger. I just want to... graduate and leave, really."

"What do you wan to do? After you graduate, I mean." I looked at him with my eyes slightly narrowed.

When Kaden spoke to me and asked me questions, he genuinely seemed interested and curious to know about me which was weird because it made no sense as to why someone like him, someone who surprised me by being real, was dating a human as cold as my sister.

I licked my lips, "I want to go to medical school, far from here and become a family physician or paediatrician."

He nodded, grinning a little as his eyes stayed trained on the road. "Why that category?"

I shrugged, looking out the window. "Sick kids are the most depressing situation you'd have to face and it sucks for them so I'd like to work with kids, make them feel better or at least brighten their day for a few minutes."

Kaden glanced at me and smiled, showing off his pearly white teeth. "That's kind of, really amazing."

I chuckled, my cheeks heating up. I never really talked to anyone about this kind of stuff - goals and future aims or anything super deep. "It's nothing," I mumbled.

"Well," he exhaled, pulling into a parking spot as we arrived at our school. "for what it's worth, Mar, I think you'd be a great doctor. Kids would love you."

I smiled at him, "Thank you."

He returned the smile and nodded at me before getting out the car.

It took me a minute before I could process that I was in the real world and then I followed him out of the car, not saying much else to him as I departed to my friends.