I was beginning to pack my bags in preparation for going back to university when my phone rang beside me.

"Hey Kate," Victoria spoke, I almost forgot she had come back from her vacation today, my mind was more focused on the whole Valerie situation... I didn't want anything to become messed up between Victoria and I. I had been there, done that.

"Hey Vic-"

"We may have a problem,"

"What?"

"Valerie," she stated simply.

Oh, Valerie, the girl who was using a picture of Victoria and I together as some weird kind of blackmail...

I wondered for a moment about what she had done now. I didn't understand why it was necessary for her to be putting Victoria and I through this either but...people could do weird things sometimes, and Valerie's motives weren't too clear.

"Ugh, she just wants me to do her homework for a month...she doesn't need to use this whole threat of me literally being kicked out to get me to do so..." Victoria said.

"That's awful," I replied.

"The homework or the kicked out part?" Victoria joked.

I sighed.

"I have a plan," I replied.

"You do?"

"Yup. I'm going to be at your place soon, just give me a few."

"Okay Greene..." Victoria seemed to say something to , and then ended the call.

I got myself ready and then began to head in the general direction to Victoria's house. Once I got there, Victoria quickly grabbed my arm and dragged me into the house.

Valerie started to snicker.

"What?" Victoria rose an eyebrow at her.

"You're not doing a very good job at keeping this a secret," Valerie stated.

Victoria turned to her, her eyes narrowed.

"Look, we're just friends,"

It didn't pain me to hear that at all...

"That's all there is, right, Kate?"

I just nodded.

Valerie still looked unconvinced, and then smirked.

"Just wait until mum and dad find out,"

"If you're really going to get so hung up on this...I'll do your damn homework,"

"Mum and dad have a right to know that you're a..."

Victoria appeared worried, and moved closer to Valerie for a moment.

"Shush,"

Valerie rolled her eyes, before lowering her voice. "Well, whatever you are,"

"She's Victoria," I said, Victoria turned to me and smiled, but then the key problem seemed to register in her mind as the concern returned to her eyes.

"And..." I continued, in an attempt to stall Valerie from running off and being a sister from hell, telling her parents everything Victoria and I were trying to keep from them.

Even though I still wasn't too sure what was going on between the two of us...I didn't want it sabotaged by a certain little nightmare.

"...she's an amazing person, who doesn't deserve to be outed by someone else. It's not okay, Valerie. You're her sister and this isn't respecting that matter. What's between Victoria and I isn't your concern. Whether or not a day comes when Victoria wants to tell other people...it should be down to her. Not you. You don't know what's going on here,"

"Thank you," Victoria mouthed to me, but Valerie just looked unimpressed.

"Ha...no way, I'm telling them."

"You little sh-"

"Dad!" Valerie forced on her good-girl smile, and turned to her father who was walking by.

"Val?" he smiled a small smile, a curious glint in his eye.

"I have something to show you,"

"Her...Minecraft farm," Victoria input. Valerie just shook her head in disbelief, and glared at her sister.

"I'm sure she can show me another time er...see you girls, oh- I don't think we've been introduced," he said, turning to me.

"Kate," Victoria and I said in unison.

"Um...this is Kate, she's a ..."

Friend?

It wasn't as if she could really say anything more than that to someone who wouldn't accept it.

"Kate's in my art class, and my dorm bud," she smiled.

"Oh, well I'm glad you're branching out...making friends with all sorts of people,"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Victoria asked.

"Nothing, Victoria...you just usually go for-"

"What?"

"Never mind," he shrugged, and headed up the stairs.

Valerie and Victoria turned on eachother, both girls glaring.

Ah, siblings...if only things could be simple between them. Then our anxieties surrounding her dad finding out wouldn't be so bad.

"Kate,"

"Yes?"

Victoria headed closer to her sister, who took a step aside.

"Wouldn't you say that painting over there..." she nodded to the wall.

"Is rather...impressionist?" she asked.

Oh.

She was setting up a distraction or, well, trying to.

I smiled and headed over to it.

"Valerie, what do you think?"

Valerie shrugged, heading closer to me, Victoria took the opportunity to slide her hand into Valerie's bag and take out the phone.

Bingo.

"Aaaand, we'll be wrapping up our small gallery showing there. Kate, wanna help me with an extended project I'm doing for art?"

"Sure," I replied.

The two of us then headed up the stairs and were about to head into her room, but Victoria stopped us for a moment.

"Better delete this...you're an incredible kisser," she added, quietly.

"I mean uh..." her cheeks went pink.

It was pretty adorable, all things being said, but the slight tug in my heart was replaced by rapid anxiety once again when Victoria's father walked up to us.

"Whatcha girls up to?"

"I was just showing Kate the house...and clearly, this is my room..." she trailed off, her dad looked slightly confused, but nodded, and headed on his way.

The two of us simultaneously let out sighs of relief, and Victoria deleted the picture.

"Done and dusted," she smiled, and then walked over to me.

"Hey...you okay?"

"Fine...that was quite dramatic," I let out a light laugh.

Victoria agreed.

The two of us then headed outside, as I was supposed to head home to continue packing and Victoria was supposed to reorganise her room.

"Hey Kate...um, sorry about this whole thing," she said, once the two of us were a ways into her front garden.

"But thank you, for what you said," she said, and leaned in to kiss my cheek.

"Where would you be without me?" I joked which led Victoria to nudge me gently.

"I'd be much less distracted, Greene. Anyway, I'll see you back at the University soon...unless something weird goes down with my family or anything and I need you to SMS,"

"SMS?"

"Yes, save my soul," Victoria smirked.

I nodded. "Anytime," I said.

Victoria gave me a quick hug, and then I headed back to my house.