Message to Readers: Hey guys this is a story I just started on, I hope you enjoy it. I'd love to hear any reviews on this, good or bad. Let me know if you'd like me to continue, or if I should just trash this story, thanks. -courtniebri

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the character used throughout this story.

Chapter One:

It was August 1, 2011. I had just moved in with Rachel again. She's my mom, but calling her Rachel just seems right. I had all of my stuff unpacked and I was ready to start my last year of school. I was going to be attending Cordova High School, one of the most gang associated schools in Memphis, Tennessee. I didn't care. I always managed to stay out of trouble. Only hard thing is that I won't be able to see Sam until Christmas time.

I would miss him. We both went to be with our dad's in the summer, he had to go back to Kentucky, eight hours away, for school and to live with his mother. We had been together for only one month before I had to move back, but it just feels so right being with him. He and I would keep in contact over the phone for the next four and a half months. Me with my iPhone 4 that Cole, my dad, had insisted on getting for me so that we could face time, and Jacob with his mini flip phone. We would make it work; all I had to do was to escape to the world of reading for the next four and a half months. I could do it, right?

I headed out of my room and into the living room, where Rachel was watching my favorite show, Gilmore Girls.

"Mind if I join?" I asked her quietly, hoping not to disturb the show.

"No! Of course not! Remember when we would watch it almost every night together, Grace?" she responded, pausing the show.

"Yeah, I remember. Want to start back an old tradition?"

"Of course," she giggled.

We sat there and watched two hours of Gilmore Girls. We had seen the episodes so many times and still had no idea what would happen next. Bad memory ran in the family. Well, it ran in the family to everyone except for Olivia. Olivia is my little sister, only two years younger than me. She's the reason I moved out in the first place.

I ran away for the summer, hoping to escape from her for an entire school year. I had missed Rachel, Olivia too though I'd never admit it out loud, too much. A whole summer at Cole's house in Senatobia, Mississippi had given me some time to get over my arguments with Olivia. I'd made many friends at work at the yogurt place in town that had never gotten much business.

When Olivia got home from cheerleading practice, I was in my room. I had a pile of books on my bed and I was trying to decide which one to read first. I had just picked up North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley. I'd wanted to read it for some time, but had never gotten around to it. I heard Olivia tromping down the hall, past my bedroom door, to her room. I'm sure that not even an elephant could walk as "gracefully" as she can. I giggled to myself a bit when I heard that and went back to the books, looking away from the door. I heard the door crack open a bit, and saw her peek her dark blond head into the room.

"Oh!" she said.

"Hey. . ." I replied.

"Well, I thought you were getting back tomorrow." She always starts her sentences with "Well. . ."

I said, "nope, today."

"Oh. . . Well, okay then." She sounded a little sad.

"How was your summer? I don't think we've ever spent that much time apart."

"Well, I didn't do much."

"Did you Play Super Mario Brothers much?" I said, laughing.

She laughed a little, "Of course." She opened the door some more, I saw that she had already changed into some pajamas. She and Rachel always change out of there "uncomfortable clothes" as soon as possible. She stood there a moment, as if deciding what to say, and then walked away, leaving the door open. I went back to the books and decided I'd put them all on the new book shelf, the one I'd wanted for years, but had never gotten around to actually purchasing one.

I lay on my stomach on my bed, upside down, and began to read. About an hour later, Rachel came in.

"Still in your clothes?" She asked, a rhetorical question.

"I haven't showered yet." I wondered how many times we'd had this conversation.

"Well I made dinner."

"Whoa, what? Did I just hear what I think I heard?"

"I know that I don't cook often, but you know I'm good. Plus, it's just spaghetti."

We ate on the couch, just like we always had. There wasn't much conversation, given the awkwardness between Olivia and me, so we decided to turn the TV on. We watched a movie, Sixteen Candles, after Olivia's protesting. Olivia always wanted what she wanted and was never very lenient.

I went to lie in bed that night, after a long scalding hot shower, and called Sam. He asked me about my day and how it went with my thirteen year old sister, soon to be fourteen, and then wished me luck for her Birthday, the worst day in the year. It was in two days and I was not prepared. Maybe I'll use that day to run some "errands."