MY BEST FRIEND'S BROTHER

FIRST DAY OF HIGH SCHOOL

It was the morning of my first day of high school, and I hadn't set foot in Julia's house since that day with Liam and his girlfriend. She had been coming to mine instead, a quiet sign of her understanding. I much preferred her house, though; it was impossible to find a moment of peace at my place. My brothers were a constant, chaotic presence. Noah and Leo were already second-year students like Liam, and Oliver was a junior. Michael, the oldest one, had just graduated. They were all annoying in their own way, but at least Michael was usually too peaceful to bother me. Once in a while, though, he'd tease me. I guess that's just a brother thing.

"Kids! Hurry up, you're going to be late!" Mom's voice called from downstairs, a sound that cut through my thoughts.

I was already dressed, a cute floral top over a pair of leggings. Pulling on my white Converse, I grabbed my backpack and headed downstairs. The air was thick with the delicious smells of freshly baked blueberry muffins, sizzling bacon, and brewing coffee. My mom always made a huge breakfast on the first day of school, a ritual she knew calmed my nerves.

She turned from the stove, a spatula in her hand. "Good morning, honey. Are you excited for the first day?"

I shook my head, avoiding her gaze. "No, Mom. Not really."

She set down the spatula, gently lifting my chin to meet her eyes. "Well, you better be," she said, her voice soft but firm. "At least you have Julia. You two can take on anything together."

A small smile touched my lips. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Mom."

My mom was my biggest supporter. She always knew how to cheer me up, how to see through my worries. She never liked to see me sad. After my dad... well, after my dad, making each other smile was our way of taking care of each other.

After breakfast, we all piled into the car. Noah was driving today, and I was grateful I'd be meeting Julia at school instead of riding in with her and Liam. My stomach was a knot of nerves, and all I could think about was how the day would go. I still felt a sting in my heart at the thought of seeing him in the school hallways, and I heard he was even more popular among the girls. I couldn't blame them; he was so good looking.

"Lizzy, to earth!" I heard Oliver say, snapping me back to reality. "What's on your mind, girl?"

"She's probably worried no one will talk to her," Leo said, and they all burst out laughing.

"Not funny, guys," I said, a little too sharply. "Why don't you all just mind your business?" I turned my head and stared out the window.

"Okay, we're sorry," Oliver said, his voice softening. "Quit frowning. Everything will be okay, sis."

Just as he said that, we pulled up to the school gate. I spotted Julia's familiar face in the crowd. I got out of the car, feeling an instant wave of relief, and went straight to her. She hugged me tight, and in her arms, all the anxiety seemed to melt away. I was just happy we were doing this together.

The day was surprisingly not as bad as I thought it would be. Having most classes with Julia was a huge win, and the initial anxiety of being at a new school faded away. The teachers seemed nice, and there were so many new students—it felt like a fresh start. Everything was going so well.

That is, until we were walking to lunch with a group of friends. I saw Liam by the lockers, his back against the metal, a wide grin on his face as he flirted with a girl I didn't recognize. She was different from the one I had seen at his house, and a fresh wave of hurt washed over me. I felt his eyes on me as we walked past, but I didn't dare look back. My body moved, but my mind was a million miles away.

I was quiet throughout lunch. My friends were laughing and talking, but the sounds felt far away. "Lizzy?" Julia's voice finally cut through my daze. She had been talking to me this entire time, but I hadn't heard a word.

"Yeah, what's up?" I asked, forcing myself back into the moment.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her expression now serious. "I've been talking to you all this time, and you're barely listening."

"It's nothing," I lied, my mind scrambling for a believable excuse. "I was just spaced out, thinking about cake."

Julia's face broke into a knowing smile. "Well, how about we get some after school then?" she asked.

"Okay," I said, a genuine smile finally reaching my eyes. The thought of cake could always cheer me up. "What were you telling me?"

"I was asking if we should get our nails done this weekend, if you don't have any plans," she said.

"Oh, that's a great idea," I replied, nudging her playfully. "Especially since you're the one paying. Remember, you owe me."

"Yeah, right," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'll pay then."

The bell rang, and students scattered to their last classes of the day. For calculus, Julia and I were on our own, which was a little intimidating. I'll be okay, I told myself, finding a seat near a window in the back.

The teacher, Mr. Francis, got straight to work. Halfway through the class, I felt a wet, slimy thing hit my ear. I reached up and found a soggy ball of paper, reeking of spit. I looked back and saw a blue-eyed guy with blond hair, laughing silently. I shot him a death stare and went back to my notes. Moments later, I felt another one land on my neck. I looked back, my face a mask of annoyance, and silently mouthed, "What is wrong with you?" He just smiled and glared back. Oh my goodness, who does this guy think he is? I thought, rolling my eyes.

Finally, the bell rang. I was packing my bag, trying to get out of there as fast as I could, when a shadow fell over me. You wouldn't guess who.

"What do you want?" I asked, completely annoyed.

"Yoh, relax," he said, holding up his hands. "I just wanted to say hi and get to know your name. I'm Miguel, by the way. What's yours?"

"Yeah, no. I'm not telling you anything," I said, walking past him.

He jogged to catch up with me. "Don't be like that," he said.

I stopped and turned to face him. "What do you want from me? As you can see, I'm not in the mood for your nonsense."

"Ouch. Is that a way to speak to your classmate?" he asked, feigning hurt.

"Well, you started it by throwing those nasty balls at me," I said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got places to be." I walked away, and this time, he didn't follow. A wave of relief washed over me.

I spotted Julia waiting for me by my locker.

"How was your class?" she asked.

"It was great," I said, "apart from some random dude throwing nasty things at me."

"What?" she asked.

"Don't worry," I assured her. "I dealt with him."

"Well, let's go then," she said, locking arms with me. "How was yours?"

"It was meh," she said. "That teacher was so boring, I couldn't wait for it to be over."

"Oh, Julia," I said, laughing.