"Jacob, get up with me." I hear a whisper, causing me to groan.
"Logan?" I call quietly. "What are you doing Squirt?"
"I want you two to watch the sunrise with me, but I can't get Jac up." Logan admits. I smile softly at my brother as I lean over Melody to check my phone.
"Squirt, it's five-thirty." I whine.
"Please Jordan, please." He begs and I release a puff as I carefully get up and move over to Jacob. "You're lucky I love you."
"I love you too." Logan smiles.
"Jacob, get up." I shake my twin, making sure not to wake Baylin, who he is sharing a bed with.
"Come on Jac, wake up." Logan pushes his stomach and a soft groan leaves Jacob's lips.
"Ugh, what's wrong?" Jacob asks as he rubs his eyes.
"We're watching the sunrise together. So get up now." Logan demands.
"Mr. Bossy over here woke me up too." I inform my twin as I let out a yawn.
"You're serious?" Jacob quizzes.
"I wish he wasn't." I mutter groggily.
"Come on, come on!" Logan chants causing us to shush him.
"Alright let's go." I puff as Logan grabs my hand and leads me to our balcony. "You coming Jacob?"
"If I am going to sit outside on a balcony at five-thirty in the morning, I am bringing a blanket." He responds whilst lifting the blanket off his makeshift bed and dragging it behind him.
"How much longer are you guys going to be away for?" Logan asks as the three of us sit facing the early morning sky with a large blanket covering and keeping us warm.
"A while bud." Jacob sighs.
"But I miss you at home, and it hasn't even been that long." Logan whispers.
"Hey hey." Jacob comforts our younger brother. "We'll be home soon, before you know it."
"For now, let's just watch the sunrise." I smile and look out at the gorgeous colours filling the morning sky.
~~~
"I don't want to leave." Logan cries as we begin to say our goodbyes at the airport.
"Oh Logan, please don't do that." I beg. "You'll make me cry."
"I miss you guys at home." He continues.
"I miss you too." I reassure my little brother. "You know, I still have Rodney on my bed and I hug him every night."
"You need to give him hugs in the morning as well because then it's like you're hugging me." Logan instructs.
"Can do." I salute before ushering Logan along to say goodbye to my twin.
"You okay?" Abbi asks, appearing beside me.
"No." I sob, pulling her into an embrace. "I want you to stay so badly."
"Oh, sweetie." She exclaims. "So do I, but you'll be home before you know it." Abigail squeezes my shoulders before moving along.
"Melody." I call, pulling her close for a hug.
"Girly, I've missed you so much. It sucks not having my honorary sister around." She squeezes me tightly.
"I agree, but it's just for a little while longer." I smile.
Mel begins to move away before doing a double take and returning to my side. She leans in to whisper, "By the way, Bay told us about Taylor."
"What?!" I shriek.
"Please, it's so obvious that you guys are into each other." Mel informs.
"Yo-you. Bu-but I." I stumble over myself as my best friend smirks back at me. "Just go and say goodbye to Jacob before I kill you."
"Jordan Whitesides!" Baylin shouts.
"Bay." I rush to silence him as I look around panicked. "Someone might hear you."
"Who cares." He shrugs as he raises his voice louder. "Jordan and Jacob Whitesides are my best friends and I'm the luckiest gu-" I quickly clamp my hands over his mouth as he laughs and picks me off the ground.
"Okay, I love you, now shut up please." I plead as he licks my hands. "Ew, Baylin!"
"That's what you get for loving me." Baylin laughs as he swings me around once more before putting me back on the floor.
"You're such a goof." I laugh. "I miss that."
"I miss you too gorgeous, but you guys deserve to be here, and we don't want you to miss out by missing us." Baylin smiles sadly.
"I know." I smile as we hug again and I move towards my mum.
"Mum." I cry, pulling her towards me in a hug.
"I'm going to miss you sweetie, we all are." She smiles sadly.
"I'm sure you'll be visiting again." I smirk knowingly.
"And why is that?" Mum quizzes.
"Just some tall, dark, and handsome man named Bart." I joke as she playfully hits my shoulder.
"Listen here missy, you are so cheeky, so don't you dare try anything." Mum warns.
"I wouldn't think of it." I smirk as everyone comes together.
"We are so proud of you guys, especially you Jordan." Melody smiles as we rejoin the group.
"Being able to get back up there and sing in front of all those people, was such a big step for you." Mum smiles proudly.
"I couldn't be happier to have a sister as amazing as you." Logan hugs me.
"Aww guys, I love you." I gush as we all huddle for a group hug.
"Passengers on flight 307, please make your way to Gate 10, boarding has commenced." An announcement fills our ears.
"Come on kids, it's time to go." Mum instructs and we say one final goodbye.
"This sucks." I pout.
"It's okay, we're seeing them again soon." Jacob reassures.
"I know, it's just hard when people leave." I sigh sadly.
"Come on, let's head back to the hotel."
~~~
"Hey guys." Mahogany smiles brightly as we walk into our shared room. "What's...up." I hear her pause as I make my way outside to the balcony.
"Is it okay if you give us some time alone?" I faintly hear Jacob ask his girlfriend, followed by the sound of the door shutting.
"So." Jacob begins as he stands behind me. "Jordan, I know that you miss them but we're going home soon."
"It's not that Jacob." I inform, staring out at the afternoon sky.
"Then what is it?" He asks carefully.
"Dad." I whisper. "It's always dad." I look beside me to see no change in my twin's expression, and that just irritates me more.
"Why doesn't it get to you like it gets to me?" I ask in frustration.
"Because I don't let it." He answers calmly.
"How? How do you deal with it!? It annoys me that it doesn't seem to affect anyone in this family but me!" I shout.
"You don't think I care? You don't think it affects me?" Jacob starts to raise his voice. "Of course it does."
"Well it doesn't look like it. I'm the one who breaks down all the time, I'm always the one crying, and I'm always the one with nightmares. And you, you never get any of that! Not once." I yell, fully fed up with being the weak one.
"What are you saying? Of course I cry and of course I have nightmares. " Jacob shouts back. "Listen to what you're saying Jordie!"
"Don't. Don't call me that." I speak through gritted teeth.
"What?" He pauses, but he knows exactly what I'm talking about. "Jordie."
"Jacob!" I scream and fall to my knees. "Go! Just leave me alone! Leave me alone like dad did." My voice drops as I whisper the last part.
"Fine! When you finally realise that it's not all about you, you can come and find me!" My twin yells before walking out of the room and slamming the door shut behind him.
JACOB'S POV
"I can't believe that girl sometimes!" I shout as I storm into Carter's room where everyone else is lounging around.
"Woah, calm down hot head." Aaron instructs and I death glare him.
"Jacob, what happened?" Mahogany asks and I swear she could be an angel with her soft angelic voice.
"What didn't?" I sigh, rubbing a hand over my face. "We started yelling at each other."
"About what?" Gilinsky asks protectively of Jordan.
"About dad." I admit. "How I apparently don't care or think about what happened. But that's not true, of course I do. All the time." I look down at my bracelet.
"Then what happened?" Taylor asks sternly.
"I just get irritated with her sometimes when she gets like this. It's all about her! She thinks that she's the only one affected by losing dad. Jordan thinks that she is the only one who is hurt by what happened. She thinks she's alone in this." I recap, fiddling with the chain.
"Well go and show her that she isn't." Nash instructs.
"I can't." I admit, staring at the ground.
"Why not?" Shawn asks.
"Because." I pause remembering what she said. "She kicked me out."
"Why?" Johnson pushes. God, I feel like such a kid getting questioned.
"I called her 'Jordie' a few times. It's the name only our dad called her. And then she broke down. She said to leave her alone like dad did." I pause for a moment, letting the words sink in. But you're not alone Jordan.
"And then..." Cameron pushes.
"I shouted at her, telling her to find me when she realises it's not all about her. Then I walked out." I inform, completing the picture.
"Wait, so Jordan's out there on her balcony all by herself, feeling insecure and alone?" Matt asks. "Shit." I rush. "I need to go and talk to her."
"No." Taylor speaks firmly. "I will go. I think you've done enough damage for one day."
I collapse onto the edge of my bed once Taylor has stormed out of the room. "I screwed up." I sigh, burying my head in my hands.
TAYLOR'S POV
Walking into the girl's room, I look around. It's so quiet, and nothing seems to be out of order. I release a steady sigh of relief and make my way to the balcony.
"Jor-" I cut myself off as I spot her from the doorway. Jordan is sitting on the ground with her glasses on, and her sheet music spread out in front of her, barely focusing on the pages. She's on edge, distracted. I notice the whiteness of her knuckles as she grips her pencil too hard. Jordan is tense at the moment, and I want to be the one to help her.
I enter the balcony and sit down beside her. "Hi."
It takes her a moment, but Jordan finally responds in a whisper. "I want to be alone."
"Jordan, I'm not leaving. Jacob told us what happened." I inform. I watch as she shifts uncomfortably.
"He told you what happened?" Jordan asks as she makes brief eye contact, before becoming insecure and looking away. "I didn't mean to say all those horrible things to him. I was just angry."
"Jords." I speak gently. "I know that siblings get frustrated at each other, trust me, I know, but you can talk to me. You can always talk to me."
"I, I." She stops, obviously still distracted by the argument with her twin.
I pause for a moment and then stand up, pulling my phone out of my pocket.
"What are you doing?" She wonders.
"Just wait a second." I smile as I flick through the songs on my phone, looking for the right one. Once I find it, I press play and let an acoustic version of 'Just The Way You Are' fill the space.
"Stand up." I encourage as she reaches for my outstretched hand.
"Taylor, I don't feel like dancing." Jordan informs in a soft voice.
"We don't have to dance, we'll sway." I joke as she looks at me sceptically.
"Come on." I push, earning a sigh as she wraps her arms around my torso and I wrap mine around her. Jordan leans her head on my shoulder and I feel the side of her glasses press softly into my skin. Slowly, I felt Jordan relax as we continue to sway to her song; I hope it's our song one day. The song finishes and Jordan doesn't pull away. I smile to myself as the next song begins playing and we continue to swaying to the music.
"Thank you Taylor." Jordan mumbles into my shoulder.
I place a kiss on her temple. "Jordan, I hope you know that I'd do anything for you."