The end of summer rolled around and it was time to begin school again. Jake never told me that he got into Berkeley until the week before he left, we're still together but I don't trust him as much anymore so we're basically on thin ice, he lied to me several times about his education which I wouldn't have a say in but it's right that I know. We got into a fight because of it and we were on the verge of breaking up but we salvaged it and even though he's in the other side of California we still see each other at least once every two weeks.

The kids still couldn't tell Veronica and I apart which got annoying at some points and Karen was good enough but got us mixed up a lot cause I forced Veronica to go for blonde highlights as well. Turns out she did need glasses so Charlie had given up on the differences.

Karen and the kids went to the Philippines during the summer but we weren't invited so we stayed at home but Karen forced us to stay with John who had met Veronica twice so John being John didn't even bother learning how to tell us apart!

"You excited for senior year?" I asked Veronica who was sitting in the other side of my bed while I was sprawled out underneath it, "it's school and to make it a little bit worse in the new weird girl who looks like the popular one"

"You'll be fine" I smiled, all my friends other than Chloe went to college, Aubrey went to Harvard, Dana went to Penn and Jake went to Berkeley, there were more but I wasn't bothered to list them. Veronica was allowed decorate her room as a welcome gift so I helped her pick out a cute basic bedroom look, a cute desk in front of the dormer window, a large full length mirror on her slidey door wardrobe, a makeup beuro and a double bed of her choice. She still spent a lot of time with me in my room even some nights at like 2-3 I would hear her come in with her blanket and pillow and just sleep on the floor, I was fine with that, I told her that she could put her bed up here if she wanted but she didn't want any hassle.

We went on a shopping spree to make ourselves in the mood for school which began the next day, "any bets you're like this secret cheerleader and you run some weird cult" she laughed, looking through a clothes rack, "Jeez, how weird was Florida?" I laughed.

Veronica's mom cut off her cards and came looking for her during the summer, she found us but Karen stood her ground and wouldn't let her into the house but as soon as she spotted Veronica and I the police were called in seconds.

We stood on the foot of the door as we watched Karan and her mom shout at each other while a police officer was trying to calm them down, I made popcorn as a joke which didn't 'settle' well with Karen so there was more shouting when she got back into the house. Veronica's mom was told finally that she had no more Control over her and she did not take that well, she pushed passed Karen and waddled her way to the doorway and grabbed my arm and basically dragged me outside to the point where my feet had lost grip and she was pulling me fast along the ground but within seconds the officer freed me, Her mom eventually had to be taken away in the cop car cause she was having some sort of mental episode.

Veronica didn't come out of her room for about three days until she needed food, there was a small court case where Veronica just had to say that she didn't want to stay with her mom, she stayed silent for about 2 weeks and finally opened up about her 'mom'.

She always knew that she had a mental problem, she said that before I got her out that she wouldn't let Veronica out of the house for a week and must have missed over a month in total of school so if she stayed she would have been held back. She explained how she struggled with terrible anxiety from the age of 10 till now but it's gotten more controllable since she turned 16, she said it got to a point after her brother left that she couldn't speak without crying and wanting to leave every situation she was put into, she called home sick 7/10 of the days at school and got called horrible names and rumors were spread that she was desezed and contagious.

I tried talking to her but I'd never had anxiety until last year so I didn't have much experience and I wasn't gonna tell her that it almost made me lose my life.

"School tomorrow, go to sleep!" Karen shouted to the kids upstairs while Veronica and I sat down in front of the tv to watch 4 weddings and a funeral, Karen grabbed the remote out of my hand and switched off the tv as the movie just began, "you heard me, bed!" She ordered.

Karen had a 'talk' with me and threatened that if I stood up to her again in front of Veronica that there would be consequences, she wasn't fooling anyone, I know she still hates me and wants me out of here seeming as I'm 18 now but I'm not leaving.

"In your dreams" I answered, grabbing the remote back but Veronica had gotten up and gathered her stuff, she still wanted to do everything she was told which sometimes got really annoying.

Karen glared at me but I smiled back, "Karen it's 9 pm you know that right?" I said,

"you're repeating senior year Vanessa, so yes it's 9pm, I will not tolerate this" she shouted as soon as Veronica left the room,

"Come on Karen, stop being a bitch for once in your life, I heard you that night with John, before I left, you said you wanted me out of here and don't worry I'm just waiting for Veronica to actually feel comfortable around other people who are nice to her so give me time and I'll be out of here" I stood up and pushed as hard as I could passed her shoulder.

"Vanessa Bella Anderson come back here this instant" she shouted which made me stop in my tracks and laugh,

"I am not a five year old, when you call me by my full name it sounds like you're reciting a fucking Disney Princess so if you want my attention just go ahead and look me in the eyes or be like a normal person and call me Nessa" I replied,

"Why can't you for once just respect me? Your father and I prevented you from having a pretty awful life and never once have I heard you say thanks" she sighed.

"You expect me to say thanks? Thanks for what? Adopting me and making me feel like a fucking outsider for the last few years? If you want me to say it than fine, Thank you Karen for giving me a life that apparently I wouldn't have had if you and John hadn't illegally adopted me from some airport, thank you for checking that I had any siblings and thank you for allowing Veronica to be dragged around the country in search for a family, are you happy?" I smiled sarcastically.

"You need to find somewhere else to live because I'm getting sick of your attitude towards me and life in general, you're selfish and you'll never understand what it's like to have an actual family because you don't appreciate the values that they inherit" she yelled as I stormed out of the living room and upstairs.

I slammed my bedroom door shut and got changed for a night out, did my makeup and slid out my open window and down the slanted roof,

"Chloe pick me up at Davidson's Street, I need a drink in my now" I ordered onto the phone and luckily she was already out with her boyfriend Dylan.

-

I can remember stumbling home in the dark with my heels in one hand and my phone in the other, watching the footpath swivel around beneath my feet causing me to laugh and then someone pulling me inside and directed upstairs to Veronica's bedroom where I was layer down and after that all went black.

-

My annoying alarm clock rang from my phone, "turn it off" I whined, tossing and turning while covering her ears with a pillow. I sat up on the edge of the bed as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, 6:00 a.m on the dot, "fuck me" I whispered as I rubbed my throbbing head, waiting for the dizziness to wear off.

"I'll come and wake you up in 30 minutes" I yawned, putting on my glasses and made my way to my room so I could begin my makeup or at least taking last nights off, Veronica was able to do hers really fast and pretty good but I needed time, I'm a perfectionist.

I looked outside to see the sun shining through the garden  and instantly put some sunglasses on and decided to wear light clothes until it gets less warm outside.

I slipped on a black top which when the sleeve hit the elbow the fabric turned to lace, a light denim skirt and a black belt, I brushed and straightened my hair seeming as it was still curly from when I did it last night. I put my contacts in and made Veronica get out of bed, she put on ripped denim high waisted jeans that were almost three quarter length, a plain white top with a rose on her left chest and some white shoes. She wore contacts and put her hair up in a bun with loose strands and a denim colored bandana ribbon thing around her hair.

"You need to start growing up" she sighed, fixing the last touches of her makeup,

"What do you mean?" I moaned as my head began spinning from how hungover I was, starting to understand what she meant.

"I found you wondering around at 3 o'clock this morning outside drunk off your tits, if I hadn't pulled you in who knows where you would have ended up" she said in disappointment, picking up her bag and directed down the stairs,

"You sound like Karen" I chuckled but she didn't find it funny whatsoever, "it's a joke, laugh you uncultured swine" I rolled my eyes but as they reached the back of my head I felt myself falling over in confusion, "should not have done that" I winced as I picked myself off the ground and grabbed the car keys.

"Nope, we're walking, I'm not having you kill me on the first day of school" she ordered, grabbing the keys and returning them to the hook, "great, I'll have time to remove everything I posted last night and die" I moaned as she pushed me out the front door and into the hot sun making me cover my already covered eyes.

"I need a double espresso shot" I moaned as I flopped down in the canteen chairs with Veronica at an empty table, rubbing my temples so I wouldn't start crying.

"Last night was the shit!" Chloe laughed, sitting down on Dylan's lap in front of us an immediately began sucking his face off, "go somewhere else!" I cried, throwing an empty milk carton at her that was left over from the breakfast morning.

"Fuck off" she laughed as a teacher pulled her and Dylan apart and forced them to sit at separate sides of the table which was fair enough because more and more people began arriving and chose to sit at our table.

"Five years a charm I see Vanessa" Gary winked as I smiled and gave him a lazy thumbs up, pushing my sunglasses further into my head so I wouldn't shrivel up and die there and then.

"I don't think your in my class" I whispered in shock as I read over the list of random names, "We have P.E and Spanish together" she responded, "Nope, come with me to Mr Jenson, he'll help sort this out"

-

"You promised!" I argued,

"No I didn't" he defended,

"You know that she's new and you put her by herself!" I shouted as Veronica sat embarrassed on the couch in the counselling room, "Ms Anderson please calm down, the board has made their final decision and putting you two in a class together would be to confusing so it's better off like this" he explained, "No!"

"Vanessa sit down and be grateful for once in your life!" He shouted but I grabbed Veronica's arm and pulled her out, "Karen will agree with me on this!" I yelled, "it was her idea" he replied as I dropped Veronica's arm, "What?" I whispered, giving up.

"Look this is how it's gonna be" He exhaled as he got up to show us the door. I grabbed my purse and stormed out, leaving Veronica decide what she wanted. I found Chloe shouting at some freshman weirdo who stood on her toe, I grabbed her hand and dragged her to the bathrooms and that's where we stayed for the first period. She brought a few cans to keep us going cause she knew this would happen. "To the one and only senior year" she laughed as she held up her can, "to the second senior year!" I laughed as we tapped cans and chugged.

"So Where's Veronica?" She asked, "don't know" I laughed as the break bell rang, Chloe and I stumbled out if the small stall and luckily we were only tipsy cause teachers made sure we were walking in straight lines.

I walked over to my locker but Veronica stood in front of me, "Have you been drinking again?" She asked in shock, "calm down Veronica, only a can or two" I giggled as I tapped her shoulder.

"I've had to to tell your teachers that I was you so they wouldn't get suspicious!" She shouted, "I never asked you to do that" I defended myself,

"yeah but that's what a sister does" she stormed off to the canteen, I wanted to go after her but I was too lazy to.

I finally made my way to the canteen and dropped my tray on my the table with a bunch of girls and guys, Veronica sat across from me and began eating. The girls were talking about cheerleading and the boys about football and lacrosse, Chloe left cause she was not bothered to go to Spanish. The bell finally rang which meant the people would stop talking to me and Veronica might.

Classes started again and it had to be Spanish first! I trudged into the class and pulled my phone out and began texting Chloe, Veronica sat next to me cause she didn't know anybody else. "Forgive me yet?" I yawned,

"you broke the law" she answered sarcastically, "but yes, I said you were my sister and sisters forgive each other" she smiled.

Miss Kline strolled in, her scrawny face flared at all of us, "seniors, this year is gonna be tough-"

"She gives the same speech to every senior year, word by word it's hilarious" I whispered to Veronica as she started laughing when I lip synced the teachers exact phrases.

"Ah, Vanessa, welcome back" she said blankly as the class turned to us, "thank you Ellenor" I smiled, "Vanessa!" She shouted, "miss Kline, sorry" I corrected myself as the class laughed,

"funny hey?" She asked? "Stand up and tell us a joke" she crossed her arms, so I stood up and prepared myself,

"My life" I smiled as the class laughed again, "principal's office now Vanessa"

"Please, no I need to be here with my sister, it's her first day here" I smiled as I forced Veronica to stand up.

"Are you like your sister?" She asked,

"us?" I laughed, "polar opposites, by the way I think Laura Terry is having a party on Thursday so be there or be... circle!" I laughed as Veronica yanked me down. "You're embarrassing yourself" she said as I yawned once more.

I've drank before but not this early in the day, I was exhausted. Next was maths and I'm pretty sure I fell asleep cause next thing I knew Mr McDonald was shouting at me for doing something.

My reputation was still on high grounds and people were walking with me through the hallways as the seniors did last year.

I asked to go to the bathroom during English and didn't return, I walked outside and hopped the wall. I didn't know where I was going but I couldn't get the fact that I was in that shit hole again out of my head. I loved school, it was my one way out of family life, a break, but now my family life sits across from me at lunch and gets angry really easily.

Everyone that I used to sit with I thought meant nothing to me but the cheerleaders, the jocks and the people that don't know why they were popular let me relax and let me be my true self. Jake and Chloe were some of the only people I actually considered Friends and everyone else was just there to complete the feeling.

(So originally I wrote this chapter like last year and I just read over it before posting and it was probably the worst and most cringe thing ever so I had to make some major changes😂 hopefully it won't be the same with the rest of the chapters🤞😂 Thanks for reading💜)