"Our goal for the next year is to expand our work range, building in different areas across the state."

Myself and almost a dozen men sat in the completely white office, with open windows that look out onto the city.

I've never seen Dad as dressed up before, he never made this much of an effort for a date with Mom or Becca's graduation.

He sat proud and straight in his seat, proposing different ideas and statistics with other middle-aged men, and it was apparent that I was the odd one out.

I tried not to fall asleep, for his sake, copying his stance and appearing like I understand what's going on.

"And you... Master DeMarco?" Master DeMarco. That's a new one, I'm surprised Jake hasn't called me that yet. "What's your opinion on this matter?"

All eyes turned to me, and mine turned to Dad. He never told me I'd have to make an input. He gave me a slight nod with a clenched jaw. I should just agree with him but nothing he said made any sense whatsoever.

"Personally-" I sat up, looking at all the men focusing on me. "I think we should focus more in local areas, and on bigger projects."

I could faintly hear Dad's gulp, but shut it out so I could finish explaining my point.

"Our most recent project is the Rearvalley estate in our home town. We completed 5 houses in fourteen weeks, three of which are now homes for local families - one I know personally. It's provided many jobs for unemployed people, even people at my high school who have been struggling to find jobs now work there after school and on weekends, like myself. This is a local, family business, not a big company from a big city."

I took a breath, noticing how they were actually interested in what I was saying. "By working locally, we're giving back to our area. And to add to what my father was saying, we would like to expand, but not to large cities, to other towns like our own. To provide local jobs and create homes, shops, shelters, and whatever else the town's lack."

I exhaled, watching the men nod and take notes. I felt Dad's hand pat me on the thigh, lifting a weight off my shoulder. "What's your name, son?"

"Theo- Theodore."

"And you're going to be taking over this company after your father?"

"That's the plan." I nodded, pleasing my father but not myself.

I think one of the men noticed my lack of enthusiasm. "I've got a daughter your age-" the slim, clean shaved man pointed the end of his pen at me. "She's studying arts and literature, and always hated my company, refusing to inherit it after me, like it was the worst thing in the world. Until she started working with me, and saw what I did. She still doesn't want to inherit it all, but she's found a way to balance her time. She studies during the week for her dream college, and on the weekends she helps out here. So when my time comes to retire, she'll have the option."

"I always push Theo to follow his dreams, but he's amazing help in this company already, as you can tell, and is going to step up as co-owner when he graduates at the end of the year."

What? My neck snapped towards him, but he didn't even spare me a glance. Why hasn't he told me that? He never even asked me... is he just saying this to please the other men or is he being serious?

I loosed my tie, breathing slightly faster than usual. That's it. That's my future. No college, no getting out of this town. I'll turn into my worst nightmare - him.

The men nodded in agreement, checking whatever notes they took down and occasionally glancing at me. "Would you like to get coffee and discuss investments?"

"Sure." Dad smiled.

"Theodore, I'll see if Rochelle is around, I'm sure you'd get along well."

"Yeah." I nodded, needing to get out of this room.

He pressed a button on his phone before speaking into small telephone. "Have Cassandra bring some coffee to the conference room please. And can you send Elle up too?"

Dad finally faced me, nodded with a smile on his face. I'm so used to him frowning or being angry at me I sometimes forget what it's like for him to be proud of me.

Minutes of small talk ended when a short, grey-haired woman with a cart of mugs and coffee pots came through the door. Behind her was a small, slim girl, who I presume is Rochelle.

Her long brown hair was in two loose plaits, with a long fringe framing her face. You could tell she was an art student by her outfit, a large red and yellow jumper and blue jeans with splashes of paint.

"Rochelle, this is Theodore, would you show him around the building?"

"Sure." She smiled, gesturing her head to the door. I nodded goodbye and thanks to all the men at the table before following her.

She showed me down the completely white and black stairwell, and to the centre of the futuristic building. "You can call me Elle by the way, no one calls me Rochelle."

"I'm Theo."

"Nice to meet you Theo. Are you with Mr DeMarco?"

"I'm his son." I sighed, like it was a bad thing.

"You don't like the business, do you?"

"Not necessarily." We sat on opposite white sofas that were way too comfortable. I glanced around the large room - cafés and vending machines surrounded the room, with lots of staircases and elevators. The room was as bright as can be from all the windows and was full of important-looking people carrying papers and laptops.

"I didn't either, that's why I only do it part time."

"He mentioned. You study art and literature?"

"Yeah, I just got into my dream college for it."

"That's great." I tried to sound supportive instead of envious.

"What do you want to do then?"

"I've never really thought about it, my future was set in stone since I was 5 so..."

"What do you like doing?"

"I've only really focused on sports in school. I like cooking though, I wanted to be a chef when I was younger."

"What's stopping you?"

"Well I just found out I'm co-owner of the DeMarco company when I graduate so."

"Only 'co' owner, not full part, or full time."

"Yeah, I don't know. Dad thinks college is a waste of time."

I realised how much I was spilling to a girl I don't even know, but she relates to the situation and kind of reminds me of Camila.

"Have you applied for any?"

"No. My friend keeps trying to get me to because she is, but she knows where she wants to go, and I don't even know what I'd study."

"What does she want to study?"

"Same as you, and history. She's good at sciences too so I think she's looking into something medical, but mainly art and literature, she's really good at those."

"She seems to be 'really good' at a lot of things."

"She is."

"You sure she's just a friend?"

"I'm not even sure what I'd call her."

"What would she call you?"

I never thought of it that way. What would she call me? Im her best friend, but I'm 'like a brother to her', but I'm also her sneaky link...

"Theodore." I sighed.

"Damn."

"What about you? You got a boyfriend?"

She chuckled slightly, pulling her phone out of her pocket and clicking the power button to light up her Lock Screen. She turned it to me, showing me a selfie of her and another tanned girl with dark hair and a gold nose ring.

"Oh- sorry, I didn't realise. What's her name?"

"Daisy."

"She's pretty."

"I know." She smiled proudly, "What about your girl?"

"Not mine." I reminded her as I showed her my wallpaper of me and Camila.

"Camila."

"She's pretty."

"I know."

"What's going on with her then?" She lifted her feet onto the sofa and rested her hand on her head, listening to whatever I have to say.

"Well we've been friends for about five years, she lives next door to me. We were just friends, and then she went on holidays all summer. We kinda, missed each other? And then we had a thing a couple times last week. But now there's this other guy in the picture, and he kissed her last night and now she doesn't know what to do so she's thinking."

"How long has he been in the picture?"

"Since we started having benefits, it was around the same time that he came in."

"Mhm. Does she know how you feel?"

"She thinks I just want friends with benefits, and he wants a relationship. So now she's picking which one she wants."

"But you want a relationship too?"

"Not if it means we lose the friendship part."

"You won't though. Daisy and I were friends since we were 10. It wasn't until she came out last year that we started dating. We're still best friends."

"Did it not make things different though? Like we always had sleepovers, but now we can't have sleepovers without, you know." I smirked slightly, making her laugh.

"We're the same, but we still do the same things before and after, with sex as a bonus."

"We haven't gone the full way yet." I said quietly.

"Oh, okay."

"We actually kissed because it was her first and she was practicing for him.."

"Oh..."

"And then we got carried away so it's just a common occurrence now."

"Oh..."

"Yep."

"You should tell her you fancy her." She stated like it was that easy.

"Not a chance. It wouldn't change anything for the better."

"Would you not like to be able to say she's your girlfriend, instead of just a friend?"

"We do everything couples do. We go out and and stay in. It's just like one of those private relationship things that celebrities have."

"But if you do, he won't be in the picture anymore, she'd be yours, not half yours, not maybe yours, just yours."

"She can't even decide what movie to watch on Netflix, there's no way she's going to be able to pick one of us."

"That's because she's just randomly scrolling through her options. You have to show her that you're her favourite genre, with her favourite actors and worth watching."

"That was a terrible metaphor."

"I know," she giggled, "it worked though."