Ugh, I didn't know my mom's house was this tiny. Whatever. I'm here, and I'm not leaving anytime soon.

I walk up to my mom's house, my luggage in hand, and I ring the doorbell. At first, nobody answers. Since I'm a very impatient person, I ring the doorbell a couple more times before a boy, or as I prefer to call him—my brother—opens the door in one swift motion.

"Can I help y—" My brother looks at me, wide-eyed. Glad to know he still remembers his one and only sister.

"Well hello, Scotty," I say with a teasing smile. I can tell he is caught off guard at the sight of me. Well, I don't blame him. I have shown up unannounced. We haven't seen each other since our parents split up seven years ago, with dad taking me with him and Scott staying with mom, and now I show up out of nowhere, without warning.

"S-Sammy?" Scott stutters, his eyebrows scrunched together. "What are you doing here?"

I grab hold of my luggage from behind me and slam it in between us. "Coming home. Isn't this my house too? After all, I am a McCall."

"What about dad?" Scott asks.

"Don't worry about him," I say. "He's fine. Now, aren't you going to let me in? Don't you and mom miss me?"

"Uh, of course we do," Scott says, unsure. "It's just that… You never told us you were coming to" —he pauses and looks at my luggage—"live with us again."

I sigh. "I'm sorry I didn't give you a few weeks' notice. This was actually an impulsive decision." Before Scott could press for more answers, I ask, "Can I come in now?"

Scott slowly opens the door wider and steps aside. "Mom's in the kitchen. I'll take your luggage now, I guess."

Sensing Scott's apprehension, I say, "Scotty, it's me. Your favorite sister. You don't have to be scared of me."

"Okay, first of all," Scott starts, "you're my only sister. Second, I am not scared of you."

"Whatever you say, Scotty." I go to the kitchen and find mom standing behind the stove. "Hey, mom."

Mom turns around and says, "Sam, what are you doing here?"

I frown jokingly. "Wow, you guys sure know how to make me feel wanted."

"Of course we want you here, sweetie," Mom says. "You just never told us you were coming, that's all."

"Well, here I am," I say, "and I'm staying."

I hear the front door opening. Someone yells, "Scott, where are you?"

I recognize that voice.

In comes my brother's dorky best friend, Stiles. I'm not going to lie, he has grown up fine.

"Scott! I—" Stiles stops in his tracks and stares at me. "Sam?"

I raise my hand. "That would be me."

"What are you doing here?"

"You are literally the third person who asked me that today," I say. "But if you must know, I'm back. For good."

"Does this mean you're going to school with us this year?" He asks.

"Yup," I answer. "Samantha McCall is back, and better than ever!"

"Uh okay, Sam," Scott interrupts as Stiles gives him a look that I recognize as the 'get-Sam-out-of-here-because-I-need-to-tell-you-something-that-she-shouldn't-hear' signal that they used to do back when I'd always want to hang out with them. "Can you—"

"Yeah, yeah," I say. "Sam should go. I get it. I'll be up in my room, if it still exists."

"Yeah, we've turned it into a guest bedroom but it's all yours, Sam," Mom says.

I head up with my luggage behind me as Scott, Stiles, and Mom seem to be having a tense conversation. Usually, I would try to eavesdrop, but I'm too tired right now so I just let it go.