"I got to go Keaton. I'll talk to you later, or something." I muttered under my breath, trying to avoid any possible contact with him. I wasn't about to cry, I just couldn't right now. My mind was still in the state of shock from the news that I've just receive.

"Can we hang out tomorrow?" He questioned with the sound of concern in his deep voice.

"I actually don't know, I think have something that day. Maybe another time, or something like that."

My legs quickly made its way off the premises, making its way towards my car waiting in the driveway. My hands were trembling as I started the engine.

Chasity was my sister. For the past few weeks, I felt like she was changing. Our relationship started to slowly disappear into thin air. But no, all Chasity was doing was trying to protect me. How could have I not seen the clues? All of the simplest signs were in front of me. One does not just change overnight that quickly.

My whole existence has been one big fat lie.

I've been sitting in my driveway for the past ten minutes, just thinking of the worst possibilities possible. I had to talk to my mom right here right now. She was still on her date with Gavin, and it would be impossible to get a hold of her.

Chasity already boarded the airplane, off to a destination thousands of miles away from here. Was I a bad sister for not running after her? But what was I going to do when I arrive at the airport? Run after a plane that had already took off?

I was downright confused, I needed answers.

I headed upstairs, heading towards my room as a warm burning sensation ran down my face. I could hear the sound of a T.V coming from Drake's room. He was the oldest, he had to know something, anything.

My feet made its way closer towards his door. I felt like I was trapped in a box, not able to move another inch. I didn't have the urge to open my mouth, I couldn't even part my lips the slightest bit. It was like that time had frozen, everything and everyone had stopped.

I had stopped.

Tessa! Tessa! Tessa!

My name was being chanted over and over by the same voice. The sound getting louder and louder each and every time.

My whole entire body flinched, causing my mind to take me back to reality where time continued on. The speed of my heart beat faster and faster, I was panting all right.

"Tessa! What is wrong with you? Did you get yourself high?" The sternness in his voice caught my attention.

"Did you know Drake?" I stared deep into his eyes, not bothering to notice how tight my fists were clenched together.

"Are you smoking weed Tessa? What have I've told you about-"

"I didn't smoke any weed Drake! I've heard this stupid no drugs speech from you a hundred times already. Now answer my question honestly, did you know that Derek is not my father?"

He froze, a look of shock appeared onto his face as his eyes started to wander towards the ground. "How did you find out Tessa?" His voice was filled with frustration, as he rubbed his temples.

"It doesn't matter who I found out from. If that bastard isn't my father, then who the hell is Drake. Everything in my life seems like a lie right now, I don't even know who the hell I really am." My eyes shattered like a glass window, I pressed my back against the white wall. I sank towards the cold hard ground, tears rained as I started to weep my whole heart out, finally letting anger and frustration take over my emotions.

"Tessa. I made a promise to mom that I wouldn't until she was ready." His words echoed in my head as he tried to comfort me by hugging my shoulders. I shook him off, grabbing onto my hair and groaning out in anger.

"Eighteen fucking years I've been living in lies, and yet it isn't time to tell me the truth? Are you waiting for me to die to tell me? Is that it?" I spat out in a venomous tone, sending him a deadly death glare.

"Fine, I'll tell you." A sigh of defeat came out of his mouth.

"Me and you share the same father. While Chasity, as you already know, has a different dad. Our biological dad is Sergeant Jackson Queens. He was a great man that everyone respected. After you were born, he was shipped off right away. Thirteen days after you were born to be exact. Each and every day he would send us a letter.

While he was on his post, he and six other men were captured by the enemies. In order for them to escape, three of them had to keep the guards watching them distracted. So our father and two other comrades were able to knock out the guards. It was time for all of them to escape.

While making their way out of the building, dad heard a sound of crying coming from an abandon room nearby. Instead of keep on running, he went back and found two children in the room. He went in and rescued him, while running out of the building the terrorists ran after him. He had just enough time to let the kids get onto the rescue truck, while helping them on, he was shot in the back seven times.

He died before he made it to the hospital. If he hadn't been kidnapped, he would have come home a week later."

More and more streams of tears ran down my face, while my lungs were gasping for air. I couldn't, I just can't anymore. Drake disappeared into his room, returning back giving me a letter.

"This letter arrived three days after we received the news about dad. It was addressed to you, mom would usually read all of our letters he would send to us. But she locked herself in her room for weeks, leaving this letter untouched." He handed me a perfectly sealed letter. My palms were sweating as I carefully, but also quickly open the envelope.

Dear Tessa,

How's my sweet baby girl? I miss you a lot, it aches my heart into a million pieces that I missed your first birthday. I feel that you are growing so quickly, it seems that just yesterday you were born. Don't worry though, daddy will be coming home soon. Daddy promise to give you the best first birthday that anyone baby could ever have.

I've waited so long just to hug you, and just to be able to tell you that daddy is here for you. I can't wait to see you take your first steps, and hear your first words coming out of your mouth. You, your brother, and mother mean the whole entire world to me.

How's your momma? Remember to take care of her, always give her all of your love to ease her loneliness while I am gone. As for your brother, love him as much too! I can see that Drake will be a good brother to you, I remember when we first brought you home, and all he wanted to do was watch you sleep. I bet he will become the best over protected brother there is, to save you from all of the bad guys when I'm not there.

I can't wait to watch you grow up from my sweet little princess into a beautiful and smart young lady. Daddy may seem to be gone most of the time, but I love you so much you don't know. I will try my best to be a part of your life as often as possible. I want to take you to your first day of school, see you graduate and much more! I love you so much that I am willing to die for you, and you always remember that!

-Your one and only loving father.

P.S: XOXO times a million times. Love you!

"Where is he?" A whispered that escaped my lips, which was barely audible.

"His body is buried at Fairmount cemetery." Drake handed me a piece of paper with the address on it.

"Have you visited him yet?" I questioned, as I took deep breathes trying to collect my cool.

"I visit him every single Sunday."He softly mumbled under his breath.

I had to see him, I had to see my father, my own flesh and blood. But I couldn't do it alone, I already gotten Drake all emotional already. I needed someone, I don't think I be able to face my father alone after all of these years.

I was sitting in my driveway, waiting impatiently as the phone rang. After waiting what felt like an eternity, I heard a hello from the other line.

"Keaton, can we hang out right now? I mean if you're not busy or anything. It's just that I really need someone right now."

"Say no more, I'll be over at your house in five minutes." He was a life saver. I wouldn't know what to do if he had said no. Who would have I turned to then? I didn't know Kaylenne or Jay to well to call them. I didn't know Keaton that well either, but he was just trustable in way that was confusing to understand.

I saw a light coming from the end of the driveway, as Keaton's head popped out of the window calling me name from a distance.

"So where do you want to go?" He ask me politely as I climbed into the car, buckling the seat belt.

"Can you take me here please?" I handed him the exact same paper that Drake had given me minutes ago.

"Why do you want to go to the cemetery?" He question with a bit of doubtfulness in his tone.

"I want to visit my dad." I bravely said. The way I said dad came with love and sweetness. No more bitterness and anger. For once, I was proud of who I was. My father wasn't a man that who was one step sending himself into a mental home, my father was a brave soldier who risks his life for others. My father was a man who loved me, my father is a part of me.

"Didn't you just tell me an hour ago that your dad got out of jail? That you never ever want to see him again? Something along those lines?"

"I want to visit my real father, not the man who I've been raised to believe as father."

"Oh, Okay."

"Don't worry, the news is still fresh to me too. I'll explain whenever I actually understand the situation." The car ride was silent. I didn't know exactly what to say, and I guess he didn't know what to say either.

"You know, me and my brother actually use to get along? I didn't hate him as much as I do now." He spoke up, easing the tension in the car. I let out a sigh of relief, at least things weren't awkward between use after I ran out of his house without any explanation.

"Things all started to change when Wes began high school. He stared dating this girl, and when they broke up he became really different. He really changed, he was like another person. I tried talking to him, but he just shook me off. He started becoming the biggest asshole on earth.

But what really make me hate him was all because of one night. It was already late that night, and dad said he would lock Wes out of the house if he didn't return in an hour. So I decided to go look for him myself, I had a feeling he was at the basketball court around the corner like he always was. When I got there, I realized that Tatiana was following me. We saw Wes shooting hoops, so we decided to go get him and go home.

Easy as it sounds? Well not exactly. Well me and him were arguing, and this shady guy came up to us. He had a knife in one hand, and it was obvious that he was not in the right state of mind. He stuck the knife in Tatiana's face, telling her to take off her clothes. I tried to get the man away from her, but it was useless.

You know what Wes did? He took off. At that moment, I thought that I was going to die as the man waved the knife in front of my face. I felt that Wes had left me to die. Thank God there was a police officer patrolling the area that night and saw, or I would have been a goner. I would have forgiven Wes, because I knew that he was scared. We all were.

But you know what he said to me after that? These were his exact words, 'It's your fault for not running. Tatiana could have handled herself, she's not a little kid anymore.' Ever since then, I vowed to never forgive my brother ever again. And after that moment, he became worse. Always using people and treating woman like dirt. Doing anything and everything to get what he wants."

"Wow." Wow was all I could really say at this point, I mean what else was I going to say.

"I'm sorry that I made you listen to all of that, I just had to get it out of my system you know?"

"I do know. And since we seem to be on the whole honest thing going on, I guess it's my turn to ramble. I lived all of my life hating myself, thinking that I shared blood with man who almost killed his whole entire family. I went to school getting called so many names by the kids, the teachers wouldn't even look at me the same anymore.

They all thought I was a charity case who needed to be fixed. They thought I was mentally unstable and if someone ticked me off, I would go on a rampage. I felt different, I felt that half of my child hood was taken away. But today, I felt something different.

I felt that everything that I thought I knew was nothing but a lie. As much as I pretend that I was okay, I was nowhere near ok. Knowing that man isn't my father lifted a whole lot of weight off of my shoulders. I feel like for once I have something to live for. I want to carry on my father's name, and never regret it."

"The universe has a pretty mess up way of bringing people together don't they? They bring the two most unstable kids together." Things happen for a reason, but I wasn't going to tell him that. Let him figure that much out for himself.

8:13 the clock on the dashboard read. We finally arrived at the cemetery. I took a deep breath of the moist air, before making my way towards the gates. One particular gravestone caught my eye.

Jackson Queens, 1968-1995

He was 27 when he had passed away. He was so young, he had so many things to do in life. Instead it all ended here.

"Hi Mr. Queens. You're daughter means the world to me, and I promise I won't make her sad ever." He begun, what was he doing? "I am sorry that I forced your daughter to kiss me both the first and second time we met. I hope both you and her can forgive me, but I feel that she really is my lucky charm sometimes."

"Thanks Keaton, for everything." I gave him a hug before sitting down onto the ground next to the grave stone. "Hey dad, it's me, your baby girl. I guess you can see that I'm all grown up now. I'm sorry that it took me a while to visit you. I promise from this day forward, I will visit you every week." I gave the grave stone a kiss before taking a step back. I should get him flowers the next time I visit him.

"Excuse me, but are you Jackson's daughter?" I turned around to see a man, in his late forty's holding a bouquet of flowers in his arm.

"Yes, I'm sorry but who are you?"

"It is my pleasure to meet you! My name is Andrew, I knew Jackson all of my life. We went to the same school, we even joined the army together."

"Do you know anything about my father?" I eagerly asked, hoping that I could learn more about my father.

"You're father loved your mother so much that if anything were to happened to him, he wanted another man to love your mom as much as he did. That's why he asked Derek to take care of your family as his last dying words."

"D-Derek?" I questioned in shock, chocking on my own words. Keaton came behind me and caressed my back to calm me down a bit.

"Of course Derek. Jackson, Derek and me were best friends since forever. We were practically known as the three musketeers. When high school came along, your dad and Derek were madly in love with your mom. But in the end she chose your dad, but Derek still loved your mom even though she was married to your father. We all joined the army together, and when your dad was shot, he told Derek to take care of your mother for him, as well as you and you're brother."

Derek, my dad, and my mom were all connected?

"Derek must have gone crazy when he realized that no matter how hard he tried, your mother would never love him as much as she loves your dad. They were soul mates, it was like losing half of her life without your dad." Andrew went on.

I asked for answers and here they were. But I don't think I expected this kind of outcome.

"This must be the boyfriend, already introducing him to your dad, yea? I've seen you play football before against my son's team, you got a good throw. Well I better get going now, it's football night at my house. Say hello to your brother and mom for me!" Before I knew it, he had already left.

"Tessa, are you ok?" He softly whispered into my ear. The sun had already set, and the temperatures had dropped. I felt shivers run down my spine.

"Actually no, I'm not all right. I don't think I can go home tonight, can I please sleep over. If that isn't too much trouble."

How can I ever look at anything the same anymore. I am right now utterly downright confuse, and no longer have any idea in what to believe anymore.

Note: Okay so I felt like writting today, and well here it is! Hopefully the lenght on this one is much better! Picture of Tessa is on the side, she is played by Willa Holland!

Cover contest is still open, please apply! I'm having a mini contest. I want to see who can come up with the best couple name for them. It doesn't have to be with there names, it can be anything. Give a mini explanation why too! Winner gets a shoutout!

Example: 'The blue couple' because they wear blue a lot

Ps: Derek is the man that Tessa originally thought was her dad