Outsiders

New Beginnings

I couldn't sleep last night. That was probably the reason behind the black circles under my eyes. So what was the reason why I couldn't sleep then?

I mean, besides the obvious. Sure, it was my first day in the "new" high school. But I was never the type to be anxious about school. On the contrary, I used to look forward to it.

Used to. No offense, school, but I grew up. And you are not kindegarden anymore.

I took one last look in the mirror, perfecting my make up and I made my way back to the kitchen for breakfast.

"Good morning, daddy." My dad was sitting alone on the counter, picking on his eggs and drinking his coffee. He looked distracted, he did that a lot lately.

"Morning, Ari." he said and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

I always told him it was pointless to cut out one single letter out of my name just to make a nickname and then he said he found it cute and I always ended up complaining about not having a bigger name so that they could nickname me.

Okay, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. I actually liked my name. I don't know if it was just me but it sounded kind of exotic. It wasn't common, and I wasn't the person the liked "common" in any sense.

"So Grace already left? She said she would give me a ride to school."

"I'm here, I heard my name, morning sis, morning daddy, grandma called and she said Toby is doing fine his first day and the office called last night and they said you need to be early in today so hurry and go please, and oh Aria, you're ready thank God."

All in one breath, only my sister could pull that off. As obvious as it was, she was the responsible one in the family. And she was behind on her schedule, I could tell by the flustered look on her face and her mopping around in the kitchen like a mad woman trying to clean up some of the mess left of dad's breakfast preparations.

When dad headed to the living room to get his stuff, I took it as my cue to grab mine.

"What's the rush, Grace?", I asked my sister while shoving my english textbook in my bag.

"Tonight, over pizza, I'll tell you all about it, deal?"

"Deal", I smile at her knowingly, my sister is always organised about everything and it all goes her way. No backing down. Headstrong and all.

Dad said we were much alike but he was the only who could see that as to the world we put on different faces. After we lost mom, we grew even closer together, we only had each other to count on. My grandparents (from dad's side since mom's parents lived in France) helped us a lot. We stayed with them for a almost a year, until Toby was old enough and then we went to New York.

I remember those late night conversations we had while Toby was asleep. My sister used to make tea for all of us, english breakfast tea, no sugar and we would sit on the floor of the apartment's living room and talk, laugh, cry, play games, dad would tell us stories about him and mom, we'do family kinda stuff.

Now that we are here, all together, I know we can try again.

'Aria? You still here?"

"Yeah, I'm coming."

I groaned internly as my sister shoved me out of the door. I had a long day ahead of me.

Little did I know.