"Oh my heaven!" I hear some girls scream beside me as we sit on the benches right across the football court.

I directly my line of view and look at Jake who is in the middle of tryouts, with those butt hugging boy shorts and the T-shirt.

Jake has always been the pretty boy in school and well now, his fan following just grew with him in college. It's been a week since Jake joined Arden college and that's means, yes, its been two months that I have relaxed myself from the god awful job.

I'm close to clearing the major debt with karen, all thats left is the few with the bank and another company that my parents dealt with. After that I'm debt free for life, and finally I can start getting my life under wraps.

"These girls are so annoying" I hear a groan and look toward my right at Vivian and smile.

"Do you smell something burning?" I question twitching my nose in the air.

She scoffs "I'm not jealous. They are annoying me with the squeals."

"Yeah. Okay. If that's what you want to say."

She sighs hopelessly and gets back to her sandwich.

I look back at Jake and see him come over to us, I grab a bottle from my bag and toss it to him.

"Tired already?" I question.

"Its a tough team to be in."

"Yes, that's why we are the best. Don't go losing a game on us newbie" I say pretending to sound bossy.

He laughs "Don't forget, I'm still your senior."

"You think your gonna make it in?" Vivian questions and we both face her.

"Its a tough crowd to please!" He says looking towards the coach, "But I'll make it in."

"That's good" I say smiling and so does Vivian.

"Where is Eugene?" Jake questions.

"Business meeting" I sigh.

He laughs, taking a seat inbetween us "At the start of the year and already missing school? Being rich sounds hectic."

"It has it's flaws" I shrug, taking the sandwich from Vivian hands but Jake grabs it mid-way and takes a huge bite out of it.

"That's mine!" I yell

He chews for a second and then furrows his brow, handing the sandwich back to me.
"Is this peanut butter?"

"Why yes it is" I say biting into the smootch texture of the spread.

"Damn it Jade, the coach put me on a really strict diet."

Me and Vivian burst out laughing "Serves you right" we say in unison.

We hear the whistle blow and Jake runs towards his coach, leaving us still laughing.

After a while, we stop and look at our stomachs that seems to be growing big.

"We should cut down." Vivians says

"Yeah." I agree and watch the try outs unfold infront of us.

Jake is pretty serious with football, like career serious and it was time for us as well. This being our last year in high school, its gonna be more hectic than it is for the college kids.

This whole year is going to be setting our focus on one particular field we want to work in or as. By the mid-term, one on one interviews will take place between teachers and students and finally towards the end, we will have an excursion into the colleges that we want or the one which the teachers have suggested incase any student is labelled undecided.

I still have no idea what it is that I want to do, although I didn't have to guess in Eugene's case, Jake is doing splendid right now and as for Vivian, we haven't really spoken about such things.

Because it would mean accepting the fact that we may or mostly may not be in the same college together and have plans like how we always do. None of us had the guts to face such facts, such truths so we surpressed the matter but it was high time that we got serious and knew.

Its like everyone is growing around me including Matty and Rose. They went up a level and are now in the 1st grade and before I know it, by the time I graduate from college, Matty could be entering high school and thats scares me even more at how fast I'm getting old.

Our only time to enjoy together is now and that's exactly what we plan on doing. Vivian decided to have a celebration for Jake, Matty and Rose and like always, I didn't want to pass on a great chance for a party.

We all got together on the weekend since there wasn't school for the kids the next day, and made a toast to new beginnings and journeys and experiences.

We celebrated in the backyard with me on the barbeque and Jake at the Dj console which is actually just his cellphone and aux cable attached to my speakers.

He did have really good music so no one protested against him being tonights entertainer. I see Eugene walk back into the yard from the kitchen which a bowl of raw sausages and phone in his other hand.

"Work?" I ask

"Yeah, another important meeting tomorrow. I won't be coming to school" He says

"I don't think you should be spoiling final year in high school for some meetings Eugene" I say taking the bowl from his hand and placing some sausages on the grill.

He slumps on the bean bag close to the grill and sighs "It's worst at the office because its my final year. My father is putting alot of pressure on me, by the time I enter college, he wants me to fully handle all the restaurants and maintain the same rapport and relationships the way he has and trust me it's not easy. I usually don't work alot during school but I may have to this time"

"I get it but this is a party and for once just don't be on your phone" I say and grab the phone from his hand, slipping it into my back pocket of my hot pants.

He smiles and gets up, coming over at me and wrapping his arms around my body, pecking me on the cheek. I grab a piece of sausage from the plate and feed it to him.

I notice Vivian look our way and I smile at her, she returns one back. After a long delay by the Dj, he finally choses the perfect song and brings Matty and Rose on the so called dance floor and jam out some childish moves.

Vivian laughs at them and Eugene makes his way back to his bean bag which is now closer to the centre of the yard. I fry the last of the sausages and head towards the centre table with a bowl of steamy weiner and buns.

Vivian helps by popping more beers and Eugene takes the tray with the sauces and meat pattys. Jake is still dancing his ass off with the kids but that stops when I call him over.

We sit around the table and replay the grace before meals scene from the infamous Fast and Furious movies. Ofcourse it was Vivian's idea since she obsesses over them and like always we had no choice but to go along with it.

"What's that?" I see Matty whispering in Eugene's ear as he decided to sit next to him.

After a few exchanges and glances towards me, I see Matty sip on Eugene's beer and make a horrid face to which I laugh.

"That's horrible. Why do you guys drink things that taste like pee"

Eugene laughs aloud "Not pee, its beer. The bitter, The better"

We all laugh to this and Matty wipes his tongue with his sleeve and gets back to his orange juice. Eugene looks at me and clearly is apologetic for making fun of my brother, I was ofcourse annoyed for having him make Matty drink beer but as long as he didn't like it then its fine.

This is what Matty needed, someone to father him. I realised I couldn't do it. I looked at everyone at the table and realise how everyone has been of help to me in some way or the other.

Jake, always been an elder brother to Matty and me. Helping us take each and every step carefully.

Vivian always the soul sister, I could never ask for. Didn't judge me for the mistakes my parents did and treaty Matty as her own.

Rose, although being younger to me, she was always taking care of Matty like the elder sister I failed to be. And comforting me in her own cute little way.

Eugene, Who although did cause me trouble and annoyance in the past, has been the most person I could rely on so far.

And ofcourse Mathew Junior Jones, Matty. I don't know how I would survive this cruel world without having him by my side throughout the way. Holding my hand and telling me that he trusted me with his life.

I feel blessed having such a group around me, such a family that I didn't fully get to experience and I'm glad for that.