Storm's POV

"Why is Emma here? Why is she talking to my sister?" I whisper so quietly that I'm surprised the words are able to escape my mouth.

Is that girl at the table Emma? Or is she just another brunette in a Minehead Academy uniform? Is that lady my older sister, River? Or is she just another woman in her early twenties? What if it is Emma and River but one of the two just dropped something on the floor without realising so the other is telling her? Then, my BFF and my sister wouldn't be having a proper conversation, right? Stop it, Storm! Of course it's not them! The girl in the uniform probably looks similar to the Emma and the same for that lady for River! Yes, I've always had a wild imagination that gets the better of me sometimes and right now is one of those times. I'm sure of it.

But, look at your friends' facial expressions

Despite trying to ignore that doubtful voice, I study the looks on Stella and Sophie's faces carefully as if I'm sat in an English lesson, analysing a poem. There is more than one emotion written across the girls' faces.

Confusion, uncertainty, scepticism, doubt, dubiety, shock, stupefaction, bewilderment, perplexity, puzzlement and many more. None of them have said anything but I don't need words to answer all my questions: their facial expressions have already done that. Their reply isn't the one I was hoping for.

What do I do?

Emma, the same girl who's supposed to be your best friend forever, has lied to you while River has been hiding something from you(something she shouldn't do as a sister).

You can't just ignore this, Storm, but you must deal with this maturely.

I can't say that while I approach Emma's table, I don't have second thoughts because I do.

Do I want to know their hidden lie?

Grow up, Storm! Of course you do! These people don't have any respect for you if they've lied to you!

Grow up...

I wish I could still be that child letting my parents sort out my issues for me instead of that teenager having to deal with her own problems: it's the sadness of growing up.

I gulp as I take the only empty seat at Emma's table but even though I'm shaking inside, I try to look casual.

"Hi, Emma! Hi, River! What a coincidence that we bump into each other, huh?" I say.

The two look like a pair of deer caught in the headlights; the sight makes me silently cackle.

Caught red-handed!

"Storm, this isn't what it looks like!" Emma and River both say at the same time.

They said it so hurriedly that I barely understood their two different voices talking over each other; they're obviously hiding something!

If your best friend and your sister sound so anxious, whatever they're hiding must be important!

My heart starts drumming even louder and I wonder how Emma and River can't hear it.

Or maybe they can but they're too worried about being caught.

I shiver and not because of the draught that follows the person who has just entered. However, I can't make them feel that they're not the only ones feeling uncomfortable; I raise one of my eyebrows in amusement.

"You better start explaining," I somehow manage to say confidently.

"After I had just told you, Sophie and Stella about not being able to come to Starbucks, I had found out that what had actually stopped me from coming had been cancelled-," Emma starts to explain but I interrupt.

"What was it?" I asked.

"What was what?"

"What was that thing that had come up?"

Emma opens her mouth but River gets to it before her.

"Stop being nosy, Storm!" my older sister jumps into our conversation.

Who does she think she is? The audacity! In spite of being in public, I'm tempted to shout at River to mind her own business.

You must deal with this maturely!

I take a deep breath to calm myself down.

"Don't worry, dear sister! You'll get your chance to explain once Emma has told me all she has to say. So just amuse yourself for a few minutes," I taunt.

Even though River mutters under her breath rudely to not talk to her like a child and that she's older than me, I pretend that she's not there and signal for Emma to continue.

"I didn't know if you three would still be at Starbucks so-," she starts again but I once again put Emma's explanation to a halt.

"For goodness' sake, Storm! We're not going to get anywhere if you keep on interrupting!" River hisses.

"You're making this process longer than it has to be by always jumping in when you not involved," I hush my sister before turning to my BFF," You didn't answer my question from before? What had come up that had stopped you from coming to Starbucks with us?"

River murmurs how is this any important and I throw her a death glare.

"I-I-It's something at h-h-home I needed to do. I don't really want to go into details," is Emma's abrupt answer before continuing to where she left off where I had stopped her," I didn't know if you three would be at Starbucks so I thought I'll come here and wait. If after some time you still hadn't arrived, I would have gone home."

"There's something called a mobile phone that you happen to have and could have used to call Sophie or I to find out where we were," I state.

"I didn't want to disturb your plans if you had any after you had been to Starbucks, which also explains why I didn't join you guys once I saw you enter. I was planning to leave until River approached me."

At the same time, Emma's argument sounds convincing and unconvincing: her point is reasonable but it doesn't sound like her. For as long as I've known her, reasonable has never fallen into Emma's dictionary and I believe it never will so I can't say that I fully believe her after her statement.

"Is it my turn now?" River's bored voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah," I answer, shifting in the uncomfortable chair to try to make myself feel more at ease.

"Finally! So I came here to Starbucks to get a coffee and I saw a familiar student from your school looking really down. I then realised it was Emma and so I was wondering why she looked really sad and why she was on her own, especially because I saw you, Sophie and Stella together, seeming happy. So I asked if she's okay and she said yes. I was just about to go get my coffee and go home when you came to this table. Right, Emma?"

When River says this last sentence, I notice there's a slight edge to her voice and when Emma nods, there's a glint of fear shining in her eyes.

Have they told you everything?

"Are you sure there's nothing else you need to tell me?" I interrogate.

"Yes, Storm!" River sounds annoyed," Now, let me get my coffee and we can go home!"

I turn around and discover that Stella and Sophie are sitting at a table, sipping their frappucinos.

"I'm going to stay a bit longer with Stella and Sophie. See you at home, River! Have a good half-term, Emma!" I say as I stand up and walk over to the table where the girls are sat.

"What did you find out?" Stella asks.

I tell them everything my sister and Emma had told me but it doesn't mean I believe all of it. Sophie and Stella are quiet for my whole report and the only sound apart from my voice is the irritating slurping.

"This is all my fault," Sophie whispers," I was the one who suggested to go to Starbucks. I didn't want to start the half-term with a bunch of misunderstandings. I'm sorry, guys."

"None of this is your fault," Stella's voice is soft as usual but the difference of opinion is evident in her tone.

"She's right," I agree," It was a simple misunderstanding but it's all sorted out now."

Sophie smiles weakly, a sign that she no longer blames herself. I'm relieved I've managed to convince her because I don't think I've managed to convince myself.

Is it all sorted out?

-----------------------------------------------------------

Ugh! I've been tossing and turning a million times; I can't sleep! What makes it even worse is that sense of loneliness when everyone in your household is asleep except from you. As usual, Dad's snoring his head off, which makes it even harder to sleep.

I've tried counting sheep but I lost count and gave up so I crept out of bed and warmed myself a glass of milk. That attempt to fall asleep also failed.

Closing my eyes, I tried to brainstorm some other ideas that I could try...

Flashback

"Mummy! Daddy! I can't sleep," I lisp.

"I warmed you a glass of milk before you went to bed," Mum groans, exhausted," Have you tried counting sheep."

"I lost count."

At this, Dad chuckles and even Mum can't hide her smirk. She beckons to me while shuffling closer to her side of the bed and Dad moves closer to his side so that there's just enough space for me to squeeze into the middle.

"Relax your mind," Mum whispers," If you're anxious about something, push the thought away."

My eyelids droop and the world turns black.

Flashback Ends

That moment was one of those rare times that my parents, especially Mum, would be all warm and fuzzy like Mr Cuddles, my teddy bear. Unfortunately, these special acts of affection would never last long and would soon be over faster than a blink.

It feels like yesterday that I had been young enough to slip into my parents' bed whenever I couldn't sleep. Dad never seemed to mind and would just continue sleeping and Mum would be as sweet as honey. There was only one time that she had been sour to me and that was the last time I ever crept into my parents' bed.

"Relax your mind. If you're anxious about something, push the thought away."

I'm doing a great job of that, aren't I? What is making me anxious? A series of the day's events play in my mind like a movie and an uneasy feeling when I recall Emma and River's lies.

Honestly, I'm not surprised that my older sister has kept yet something new from me again: she could write a whole list of all the secrets she's kept from me these past thirteen years. However, I can't say the same for Emma. Apart from the silly pranks she would play on me(like that Christmas she told me she hadn't bought me a present because she thought I didn't deserve one), my BFF had never lied to me about something serious...

Flashback

"I've got something for you, Storm," Emma tells me.

"What is it?" I ask.

From her pocket, she pulls out a blue friendship bracelet.

"Oh my gosh, Em! I love it!" I gasp as I arrange it on my wrist.

Because I had first seen it from a distance, I hadn't noticed the blue writing inscribed on the article of jewellery:

Best Friends Forever

I hug my new BFF and we promise each other that we'll never lie to each other as even though we were younger then, we already knew that the best of friendships are never based on lies.

Flashback Ends

It's only now that I realise that Emma has broken a promise. One lie has caused me to not trust my best friend as much as I did before. It's true: tell a lie once and all your truths become questionable.