Always

Chapter 1

He raised a furry brow in amusement. "Oh, you don't like it?  I think it suites me nicely."

I shook my head.  "Don't even get me started on that beard of yours... Are you sure there isn't any pieces of food stuck in that nest?"

He barked out a laugh of pure poetry. "God, I missed you kid. What about you, huh? What is this hair thing you've got going on?"

"What about it?"

"Well for starters, it's two colors."

It was my turn to laugh.  "It's called highlights, dad.  It's supposed to look like that."

It was definitely a stark change from my usual hairdo. I had never been someone who cared much about styling my hair, it had always remained up to my shoulder and one dimensional. It was easier to manage it that way. After the move however, I had decided I needed a change, it had already grown out a decent amount so I added some layers and very subtle, natural highlights to my dark brown hair.

"Well, it's weird as hell."  He joked with a smile as he ruffled the hair at the top of my head. 

I shook my head in amusement and the people on the sidewalk rushing past us suddenly reminded me that we were still at the airport. "Think we can get going? I'm dying to get home."

He blinked, realizing how lost we'd gotten in the moment. "Yeah, come on. Your brother's excited to see you," He took the luggages out of my hands and led us down through the array of people, towards the parked cars.  "Although, once he see's how much you've grown, I think he might have a slight heart attack."

I scoffed, remembering when we'd last seen each other during Christmas when him and dad had came to visit. He'd almost refused to go back home, threatening to move there and scare all the boys from ever looking at me again. Naturally, we fought like cats and dogs, which was bound to happen considering we couldn't go more than a few days without trying to kill each other. It wasn't possible for us to get along for too long. It was just the way of the world, the closer you are with your sibling, the more you want to literally strangle each other. 

Obviously he went back home because there was no way in hell he'd actually stay in New York.

Who in their right mind would leave the O.C.?

Don't get me wrong, New York had it's upsides. It was challenging and chaotic in a good way, everyone there was moving in a fast pace forward and the culture was inspiring. But it never felt like home, at least not to me.

Home was here, under the California sun, kicking a soccer ball with all my friends and brother.  Home was our house, with the creaky front porch that my dad never bothered to fix and the pool in our back yard that we spent every summer practicing cannonballs and racing each other to see who could swim to the edge faster while the air smelt like hot summer and char burgers on the grill.

"I haven't changed that much." I knew that was a total lie though.

I had definitely grown in the past year. I had been a late bloomer and had spent my whole life pretty much flat chested and looking like a slightly more feminine version of my brother. Which hadn't been a big deal until middle school, when all the girls in my class started growing breasts and curves. It also hadn't help that I cared more about kicking a soccer ball in baggy clothes with my brother and his best friend rather than wearing makeup and slightly too short skirts.

Once I had left Orange County though and started sophomore year of high school, mother nature came ringing on my door. Well, what did you know?  Turns out I had breasts, curves and a nice little ass that didn't need to be hidden under giant articles of clothing. And of course with my luck I ended up going to the only school in the New York area that didn't have a female soccer team. Which I still suspected was my moms doing.