Make It or Break It

Copyright.

Attrib. Non-comm. No-derives (CC)

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Chapter 1: Moving In

"Oh my goodness! I can't believe its already been eighteen years and my baby girl is off to college! My Lilliana Mae Phillips is growing up!" Kate, my dear mother, shook her head. "Its too soon. Lily can't move out yet, she's still my baby! You know what I mean, right?" She continued to babble on to the next stranger that crossed her path.

There goes my mom as she's running her mouth to everyone within hearing distance, more specifically an elderly woman as of right now. Poor soul doesn't know what hit her. She should've just kept on walking instead of hearing one of my mom's dramatic life stories. Ah well, life hits you during the most unexpected moments. "Mom! Please for the love of pie, can you stop? By now, I'm sure the whole world knows I'm going to college. It's not like this is the last time we'll ever see each other." I rolled my eyes, hoping she'll at least settle down a bit with her whacked out emotions. Yet she's probably still yapping away to more people, ignoring my last comment. People were starting to shoot quick glances our way.

"Sheesh. She acts like its the end of the world." I muttered under my breath to Isabella.

She just shook her head at me with a small chuckle. "Hey, you knew it was bound to happen big sis. After all, you are her first child that is almost officially done moving out." She pulled me in for a big hug and whispered in my ear, "Just be sure to give me the deets about the hot guys around here. I hear there are lots of them in the city of Santa Barbara." She leaned back, wriggling her eyebrows at me.

I snorted, "Yuck Issy, you're like what eight? Shouldn't you be into those brats dolls and playing dress up in mom's closet. Those were the glory days weren't they Candy?" I shot her a wink as I yanked out of her grasp to skip over to the back of mom's truck to grab the remaining small items left to put in the new apartment. Looks like everything is just about done. The things were successfully brought down to Santa Barbara in one peace; now all thats left is getting everything settled and organized inside.

"Seriously Lily!? You'll never let that go will you?" She grumbled. I chuckled, thinking back to the time I caught Issy stumbling out of mom's closet, dressed in nothing but lingerie and stilettos. Since then I always called her Candy- her stripper name- just to get a good tease out of her. These were moments I would definitely miss having with her. "And speaking of age, you better not miss my sweet sixteen coming up!"

I sighed, "You know I wouldn't cop out on my sisters special day... And uhh Issy?" She sent me a curious look as I lowered my head and admitted in a hush tone, "I am really going to miss seeing your ugly face every morning."

I never was the one to express my feelings so openly in front of people. It just wasn't in my nature. I mean, yeah of course I had feelings and emotions towards things that impacted me, but I always felt weird when it came to acknowledging them in person. The only people I were most open to, were my mom and Issy. Oh and my best friend, Rebecca of course. Speaking of her, I have no clue where she went. Just a while ago I saw her chatting with some guy. I inwardly rolled my eyes. Lord please help that girl; after all, she does have a boyfriend, isn't that enough to settle her teenage hormones?

I looked back up to see Issy with tears daring to break out any minute. She looked away, shrugging her shoulders. "Yeah, I know. I can't lie, I am pretty awesome. Who wouldn't miss this?" She sniffed while motioning to herself, and I couldn't help but softly laugh at her. Typical Issy always trying to boast about how great she is. As her sister, I also knew she was just trying to calm her nerves and not cry but was slowly failing to do so. I spread out my arms toward her, watching as she ran into them so that I could give her one last good bye hug. "Oh Lily, it's going to feel so empty at home now." She raised her head back up with the her traitor tears streaming down her now blotchy cheeks. "It'll no longer be the three musketeers against the world with you gone."