"Big brother."

"What?" Diego snapped, irritated before I could even start.

"You are going to Eve's piano performance tomorrow. Can you come to mine, too?" I asked, hopefully.

"Don't annoy me, Lili." He glared at me. "Ask your dear brother Kai, why don't you?" He mocked.

I would have asked Kai but I knew how much he hated loud gatherings. I know he wouldn't be able to refuse if I ask him to come but I don't want Kai to put himself through stress.

"He gets sick if he's around too many people." I mumbled.

"And that's my problem, how?" Diego growled.

"The teacher said we have to bring someone."

"Are you intentionally trying to piss me off, Lili?"

I sighed and left from there. Convincing Diego was an impossible task.

"Ezra, will you come to my piano performance tomorrow?" I went to Ezra's room.

"Lili, I have to study. I can't."

"You can study later. Its only for an hour." I tried to coax him. He studies all the time. Can't he just take a small break for me?

"You don't understand. I have an exam and I have to score well."

"It's only for an hour!" I repeated.

"Lili, I have to submit this papers by this week. Go disturb someone else." He said dismissively.

"Maybe next time, Lili." He added when he saw my downcast expression.

He says that everytime. I know his supposed next time will never come.

All my classmates always bullies me because no one from my family attends my PT meetings or school functions. I don't want them to bully me.

"Sweetheart, why are you crying?" Stephen asked when he found me in his room with tears streaming down my eyes.

"No one wants to go to my piano performance." I told him, sniffling. I had asked Stephen before but he said he's too busy and can't come.

"Is it very important to you?" He asked crouching down to my level.

"I don't want my classmates to bully me." I vigorously nodded my head.

A frown marred his features, "Do they bully you because we don't come?"

"Will you please go with me tomorrow?" I asked, feeling hopeful again.

"Only if you stop crying."

I immediately wiped all my tears and jumped on him, "Thank you!"

Stephen laughed before freeing himself from me, "Sleep early or you will get tired tomorrow."

The next day I was for the first time looking forward to the piano contest.

Eve was performing before me so Stephen decided to attend her one first.

We were both given piano lessons together. Eve didn't like playing the piano but she never complained because Dad wouldn't let me take the lessons if Eve stopped taking them. And Eve knew I loved playing piano. My piano teacher says I'm good at it, too.

Besides Stephen, Dad, Diego and Noah had also come. They always came. But never stayed for my performance.

But I had Stephen this time!

"I have to go get ready." I told Stephen. "Don't go, okay?"

"Okay, sweetheart."

I kept looking back, afraid he would leave if I don't look. But the teacher prompted me to get in the backstage.

I was up after two more participants. The teacher said I was very good at playing piano, so she wanted mine to be the closing act.

Stephen will wait, right?

I took a deep breath and walked in the stage when my turn finally came.

Taking my seat before the piano placed in the center, I turned to look at the audience and I searched for Stephen. But he wasn't there. Neither was Diego or Dad.

I felt tears forming in my eyes as my hands started to shake profusely.

Was it really that hard to just wait for half an hour?

I didn't play the piano that day. Rather I ran away from the stage as fast as I could.

"Why didn't you perform?" Diego asked when I came back home. Stephen came back three hours later to pick me up. He had apologized for leaving on the last minute. He said he had an urgent matter to deal with that he couldn't delay.

"I got stage fright," I lied, he would just mock me if I said I didn't perform because of Stephen.

"Good for you." He snickered. "You wouldn't be able to beat Eve anyway. And then you would just come home crying."

Eve had won second prize and Diego had made it his goal of the day to remind it to me every ten minutes.

"You're right." I nodded my head in agreement. "Tell Dad I don't want to take piano lessons anymore."

Diego looked taken aback at my words.

"You're just throwing a tantrum because Stephen didn't stay for your performance." He scoffed in disbelief because he too knew I loved playing piano.

But I stayed true to my words.

I never touched a piano after that day.

... ... ...

"Ethan, can you do me a favour?" I asked, turning around from my seat.

He stopped playing with my hair and looked at me stunned. It was the first time I was initiating a conversion on my own accord so I get that he was a little surprised.

"Yes, shortcake?"

"Can you get me an invitation card for the upcoming function?" He was the student council president so I knew he was my best option.

"What happened to the one you got?" He went back to braiding my hair when he realized it was nothing serious. I wondered how he was so good at braiding.

"I lost it," I lied.

"I saw you throw it with my own eyes, shortcake."

"Why are you asking if you know?"

"Why did you throw it if you are just gonna end up asking for a new one?"

"I was in a bad mood." I sighed, getting annoyed. "Now, can you get a new one or not?"

"Mhmm, I can."

I sighed in relief. I thought I would have to go the principal's office for a new one.

"But I have a condition." He added.

"What?"

"You have to bake me cupcakes." he demanded, "Yourself. I will know if you didn't."

"Is it because you're jealous I made Aiden cupcakes?"

"This has nothing to do with that." Blood rushed to his cheeks as he spoke. Did he blush while lying? That's sorta cute though.

"You're cute." I teased.

"I'm not cute!" If possible he turned even redder.

... ... ...

"Emma, should I dress cute or sexy for the date?" I asked leaning against the counter.

"Definitely cute but with a touch of boldness. But not too bold but also not too subtle." Emma replied.

'That helped a lot, thanks.'

I had gotten quite close to Emma. She worked in the same cafe as me.

She was an orphan and lived with her aunt who considered her nothing but a burden. She got in our school in a scholarship. Apparantly students used to bully her at the start for it. Thats when Eve, Ethan and Bryce came into the picture and they became best friends. Her aunt refused to pay her for her basic needs which is why she was working part-time.

"Ethan's been sulking ever since he heard about your date," she shared.

"He's sort of a bully, otherwise I would really consider dating him, you know." I told her honestly. I found it much easier to talk to Emma than Eve.

"So you just want a boyfriend?" She asked while wiping the tables.

"Pretty much, yeah." I responded. Emma's shift was almost over. She would be leaving anytime now.

"Why's that?" She asked, curious. I don't know why everyone said she was a quiet person. I found her really talkative.

"To spite my brothers, I guess." I knew my brothers even my father didn't want me dating. Which is why he had me admitted in a girls only institute.

It was my way of resisting against the chains my father binded me with.

"There are other ways to do that, Lili." Emma commented disapprovingly.

"I'm still working on that."

The bell chimed announcing the arrival of a customer.

My eyes widened at who it was until annoyance seeped in.

"What are you doing here?" I hissed.

"Sorry, do I know you?"

Is he fucking kidding me?

"An iced caramel latte, please." Diego ordered.

"Diego, what do you want?" I asked, trying my best to be patient.

"An iced caramel latte," Diego repeated looking at me as if I was dumb.

"That will be 4.99$." I told him, playing along with his ridiculous attempt at playing strangers.

"Keep the change."He gave me just a 5$ bill and is asking me to keep the change?

I thought he would leave now but instead he picked up a magazine from the rack and pulled a chair to seat.

"Why are you sitting here? Go back home." I told him, wanting to send him away.

He ignored me. He continued reading his magazine as he slowly, very slowly, sipped on his latte.

I couldn't throw him out if he persisted on drinking in that pace. It was cafe policy to let customers sit and enjoy their meal.

He wouldn't leave me alone in home and now he's going to infiltrate my workplace? Is he going to get a job as a teacher next?

More customers came and I diverted my attention from him to them. The offices nearby ended at this time so it was a busy hour.

I sighed, exhausted. My shift was finally over. Marrisa would be here anytime now to take over.

I looked at the corner and was shocked to find Diego sleeping with his head in the table. He has been waiting here for 3 hours?

I considered leaving him here. Because I knew for sure if I were to wake him up, he would misinterpret my kindness and tag along to my work everyday.

Which is why, I left leaving him to sleep there.

... ... ...

"That was cruel!" Diego shouted once he came back home.

"That was cruel, Lili." He repeated, coming inside the kitchen. I was baking cupcakes for Ethan and Ezra and Eve were helping me.

"That was very cruel." He repeated for the third time.

"Yeah, we got the memo the first two times you shouted it." Ezra rolled his eyes.

"You wouldn't be saying the same if Lili had left you all alone and deserted in an unknown place." Diego said, pitifully.

"Unknown? Didn't you spend your entire college year there flirting with Lucy?" Ezra asked, putting the new batch I had just made in the oven.

"It's Lacy. And that's not even the point here!" Diego corrected.

Lacy was the daughter of the old couple who owned the cafe. She was very rude and beautiful. Half of the guys swarming the cafe would be there for trying their luck. She rejected them all, though.

"Lili, why did you leave me there?" He asked, pouting in an attempt to appear cute.

Well, he did look cute.

"I thought we were pretending to be strangers." I reminded him the little act he was putting on.

"That was just a joke."

But then again, everything is a joke to him.

"What are you making?" He asked, trying to take a cupcake but Eve stopped him by hitting his hand.

"Aylin is making them for school." She scolded.

"Let me taste it." he demanded.

"We already did and it's delicious."

"You are even more cruel than her." Diego told Eve to which she just shrugged.

... ... ...

I was finally done with making the cupcakes. Diego had managed to steal three when we weren't looking. Along with Noah.

I knocked on Stephen's study but didn't get any response. I opened the door to find the room empty. I went to his room to find him. But even his room was empty. I was sure I heard him come back from office.

Just then the bathroom door opened and Stephen came out with a towel covering his lower body. He had just gotten out of shower.

"Aylin?" He asked, confused. "Wait, let me put on a shirt."

I looked around his room to find it still the same as I remembered. I felt a sense of nostalgia hitting me.

I would come here to hide from Kai when I didn't want him to see me crying because of Diego. Kai would always go and fight Diego for me and he would always end up getting beaten instead.

Most days, I would come here and wait for Stephen to return from college so I could complain to him about all the mean things Diego did to me. Sometimes I would fall asleep waiting and when I woke up, Stephen would be right beside me, caressing my hair.

And then Eve would come and join us somewhere during midnight. For some reason, Eve hated sleeping alone. Or maybe she just wanted to sleep with me. I never asked.

I knew she would come to my room almost every night. But I would always be either with Kai or Stephen. Eve was scared of Kai so she didn't dare to follow me there. But when I slept in Stephen's room, she would come running with her pillow.

I didn't know then that Stephen's warmth would one day become a luxury I wouldn't be able to afford anymore. If I did, maybe I would have treasured our time better.

"Don't cry, sweetheart." Stephen softly said. I touched my eyes to find a trail of wetness. I didn't realize I had tears running down my eyes.

Ever since I started taking those pills and the voices stopped, the warm memories with my siblings had become more vivid. Previously, my mind would only focus on the bad ones.

I was also crying more often. Its like I became an emotional wreck without those voices constantly sharing their opinions.

I wasn't yet sure whether it was a good thing or bad thing.

"I made some cupcakes for you." I showed him the cupcake platter I brought with me. "And also this." I gave him the invitation card Ethan gave me.

"They're tasty." Stephen smiled, biting into one. He opened the envelope I gave him and for a moment he froze. "This is..."

"I would like it if you could come," I told him. I had no idea why I was feeling embarrassed about it.

"Thank you," He stared at the card for a while until I saw his eyes well up. Why was he tearing up over a simple invitation?

It was still unknown to me that he had been beating himself up for that day for years. And that getting an invite from me was equivalent to a second chance to him.

But he was naive. Because some mistakes can never be forgiven.