Chapter 1

"Wake up, wake up, wake up!" screamed my adorable but loud little sister, Olivia.

"I'm awake, I'm awake," I replied as I rolled to my side to fall back asleep. With my response she hopped off my bed. I was surprised that she was easily convinced by my groggy tone. It wasn't until the door reopened that I realized she had gone to retrieve reinforcements also known as my older brother Jamie.

"You're going to regret not waking up when it was just Olivia," he said teasingly as he ripped my duvet off of my body. I groaned as the cold air hit my legs, but slowly moved out of bed.

"If y'all want breakfast, you're going to have to let me get dressed and ready for school. Olivia, go put on the dress I picked out last night," I commanded and pushed them out of my room. I turned to my closet and grabbed a sweater dress and tights. I looked out the window of our upper east side apartment and saw snowflakes twirling to the ground, so I added a scarf and boots to my outfit. I went to the bathroom and pulled the ponytail holder out of my long brown hair to wash my crazy, and very tangled curls. I would trade my hair any day for my siblings pin-straight hair. I looked at myself in the mirror. I saw my curvy body and my slightly tanned skin. My deep blue eyes looked back at me, and my full lips pursed at my reflection. I jumped in the shower, and then I put on my clothes and some makeup. I always dressed to impress because of life's spontaneity - you never know who you would meet. With one last look in the mirror, I turned out of the bathroom and ran downstairs to start breakfast for Jamie and Olivia.

"Took you long enough," Jamie said as I stumbled into the kitchen.

I ignored his comment and said, "Is Martin here?"

"I don't know why you ask that question everyday when you already know the answer." He was right - Martin, or my father, was never home. I stopped calling him dad when the only thing he did for my family was pay the bills. Jamie was the man of the household these days - a huge responsibility for a nineteen year old. Jamie had given up college and his dreams of becoming a doctor to help me raise Olivia. He never complained although I know he was disappointed. I wish I could someday be able to take care of Olivia on my own and help Jamie accomplish his goals. But for now, we did everything we could to make Olivia have the best life. That is all we wanted for our little six year old. I could tell he was about to say something more about our nonexistent father when Olivia bounded into the room.

"What's for breakfast?" she asked. She was always hungry. I poured her a bowl of cereal and shoved a coffee mug towards my brother. I grabbed some coffee in a to-go cup for myself because I never ate breakfast.

"Let me fix your hair Livy and then we need to get going," I told my sister as I grabbed a hairbrush. I pulled part of her hair back into a bow, and then shooed her to go pick up her backpack and pull on her boots.I grabbed my purse and opened the door and waited for her so we could go to my car. I had just turned sixteen so I was able drive Olivia to school instead of walking through the frigid New York weather. She was about to follow me out to the car when she turned around and ran back to Jamie. They exchanged goodbyes and he kissed her on the head. We made our way to my car in the parking garage attached to our apartment complex. Olivia hopped in the backseat of my car and I drove out into the crazy New York traffic.

"Is Santa going to come for Christmas this year?" Olivia asked after we passed the many stores decorated for the holidays. It was a little too early for Christmas decorations in my opinion. I mean Thanksgiving was only last week.

"Well, if you're a very good girl and listen to Jamie and I then maybe Santa will give you all the presents on your list," I replied.

"I haven't made my list yet so Santa won't know what to get me and then I won't have any presents like all the other kids and then-" she cried. She was close to being hysterical, so I had to quickly calm her down before she threw a tantrum right as we were pulling up to her school.

"Sshh, Livy you have plenty of time to create your list for Santa. We can make it after school today ok?" I said as we pulled up to the school. "Make sure you grab your backpack and be good at school today or Santa won't come. Love you Olivia!"

"Love you the mostest," she replied and ran into the school. Once she was safely inside I drove off to my own personal hell - high school. The only reason I stayed in school was to set an example for Olivia. I really didn't try because I knew there was no college or successful career in my future because I had Olivia to take care of. I didn't resent my sister, however, because I love her and want to give her all of the opportunities the world had to offer.

As I pulled up to school, I saw my boyfriend, Mike. We had been dating for two weeks. No, I am not going to claim that we were in love, and I can promise that we never would be. We could be labeled as friends with benefits. The only people I loved were Olivia and Jamie.

"Hey baby," Mike said as he kissed me and not a G-rated school kiss. I was glad my brother didn't know about Mike. Jamie was majorly overprotective, and he still thought I was the innocent little girl that I was three years ago. I just left him in the dark about my many boyfriends. All of them had been more friends with benefits and didn't last long. It was a way to escape the many pressures of raising a six year old and act like a normal teenager.

The bell rang, so I left Mike and hurried to class. School went by quickly because I slept through almost every lesson and spent lunch with my all my girlfriends gossiping and pushing yogurt around in a cup. Before I knew it I was in my car driving home. Olivia was going to a friends house and Jamie was working late, so I invited Mike over.

I was on my third beer and things between Mike and I were getting heated. We were lying on the couch oblivious to the outside world. I was so involved I didn't notice the knock on the door or someone who I hadn't seen in years enter my house.

"Kelsey," I heard a surprised voice gasp.