Friday 17th

It was time.

It was finally time.

Josiah, Savannah, Khalifa, his sister Reminisce and Kaiden had gotten accepted into Santorini State of the Arts, aka the best creative arts school in all of Greece.

Their coach was taking off in five minutes to drop them, and right now the five of them were walking in the middle of the street for the last time.

They had all lived around the same neighbourhood, which was how they had become friends. Some people went off to university after school, others didn't.

Others went to creative arts school instead.

Josiah was the first person to arrive with his suitcase, meeting Savannah along the way as she was carrying hers.

"You ready?"

"I'm gonna miss this place," he sighed. "We may have only known each other for a few days here, but I'm excited to be starting a new journey with you guys."

"We feel the exact same way."

Khalifa and Reminisce had appeared from right behind them, smiling at them. Now all they were waiting for was Kaiden, who had appeared last after two minutes.

When all of them were in the middle of the street, they had put their hands in, screaming the start of a new adventure.

This had seemed like an example of a good friendship, and it was.

But things weren't always so rosy, and they had all started a little bit like this...

A few weeks before

"Is this a joke?" He screamed. "Is this actually a joke?"

Kaiden was sitting down in his living room, upset over the news that his father Kingsley had just given him.

His mum was at work right now, and because the bus she was taking had broken down and the next one wasn't for another half an hour, Kingsley was therefore picking her up instead.

He hadn't exactly told him this though, as in the fact that he was leaving. All he had told Kaiden was the fact that he wanted him to babysit his seven year old cousin Sydney Sierra.

"For the last time. I know you don't like Sydney Sierra but you don't have a choice."

"Why can't Aunt Marjorie look after her?"

"Because Aunt Marjorie is sick and she wants you to look after her!"

Sydney Sierra was Kaiden's very obnoxious and stuck up seven year old cousin.

She had originally lived in Louisiana with her mother Marjorie, who was sick so she had sent her to go to Greece to stay with her father.

Marjorie and her husband were separated, although they had separated on good terms.

If they ever needed anything though, the other person would have still provided for them - but it had to be platonically.

As soon as Marjorie's husband had heard she was sick, he had come to visit her, taking Sydney Sierra to Greece with him when he was just about to leave Louisiana.

He was busy now though, extremely busy and there was no one to look after her except from Kaiden.

Maybe he wouldn't have hated her so much if she didn't have a huge crush on him.

Then again- she didn't yet know that they were related and it was wrong, if not illegal for someone to have feelings for another person that was related to them.

"Why does Aunty Marjorie have to be sick?!"

"Why are you asking me questions that I don't know the answers to?"

Gosh. Kaiden had really wished he had siblings but he didn't.

He didn't always get along with his father, let alone his mother. Like right now for example.

I hate Sydney Sierra so much! Why did they even call her that? They could have just stuck to one name!

Whether you like her or not, she's your cousin and that's never going to change. And Sierra is her middle name. Some people join them together. You should already know that by now.

Right - like it's easy liking someone who has feelings for you!

She's seven. How's she supposed to know what she's doing is wrong?

Followed by:

You know what the problem is, Kaiden?

What?

You're so high maintenance. That's what it is.

He didn't say anything, he had just scoffed.

That was all said after Kaiden had started to make up fake excuses as to why he couldn't babysit his cousin.

"Do- do you even know what high maintenance means?" He had asked him cleverly. "It means that you need a lot of attention to be happy. I'm not like that. Sydney Sierra is like that."

He didn't even bother telling him that she was like that because she was seven.

In a way, it was kind of expected of her.

Just as Kaiden was about to say something, it was already too late.

The door bell had gone off and Sydney Sierra had walked right into the door.

Her father had dropped her off with Kaiden groaning when she had walked into the room. She had hugged him instantly, telling him that she loved him and she missed him.

She had curly hair that was tied into two, with bows as her hair bands. She had taken her teddy bear with her, almost as if she was having a sleepover here.

Kaiden had hoped not though. That would have been the worst thing.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever." He had grumbled after she had hugged him, being ticked off when Kingsley had told him that he was leaving to pick up his mum from work.

"You never told me you were leaving!"

"Telling you now." He had put on his coat, informing him to not to leave the house, with or without Sydney Sierra.

He didn't want anyone suspecting anything.

So he was stuck here with her?

He groaned.

As soon as Kingsley had left, Sydney Sierra had really started to get on Kaiden's nerves.

She had probably thought that it was unintentional, but Kaiden knew it wasn't.

"What are you watching?"

"None of your business."

"Can I watch my show?" She had asked, completely ignoring what he had said - then again it was through gritted teeth.

Without Kaiden even saying anything, she had taken the remote away from him, changing it.

He had had a go at her but she had laughed, with Kaiden mentally facepalming himself.

Out of every cousin in the world, I was stuck with her.

He needed something to make his day better. And it came, to an extent.

Major sitch, Josiah had texted him. Come to my house ASAP

Kaiden and Josiah had been best friends since the beginning of time. They had also gone to the same school, which they had just finished.

All of them had gone to the same school to be honest, as in him, Josiah, Savannah, Khalifa and Reminisce. At this point though, they didn't exactly know each other.

And they weren't exactly friends either.

They all knew Josiah really, but that was it.

Minus Khalifa and Reminisce being siblings though as that didn't count.

Can't. I'm babysitting Sydney Sierra

Josiah replied within seconds.

He wanted all of them to come to his house for a major sitch, which was how they had all met each other in the first place. Everything was going to happen one at a time though.

Thought she was in Louisiana?

Long story, Kaiden had texted back. But yeah. Plus my dad doesn't want me to leave the house.

Josiah didn't reply, and when he did, he had suggested that Sydney Sierra could have just come with him.

Can't. He doesn't want me to leave the house. With or without her. That's the "height of irresponsibility", as he calls it.

Dude. You literally live like five seconds away from my house.

Yes, but he didn't want to risk anything.

Until he had an idea.

Can we have the meeting here? As in, in my house?

I've already prepared for it, Josiah had texted him back on Whatsapp. Besides, you're not the only person I'm having it with.

Who else is it with? Do I know them?

Maybe. Maybe not.

What was that supposed to mean?

Josiah?!

They go to our school. The one we just left. Let's just say that.

He had guessed he would have had to take Sydney Sierra with him.

It won't take long, don't worry. Your dad won't even know you left. Just make sure you take your keys with you so that you're not locked out of your own house.

He had taken his advice, reluctantly telling Sydney Sierra that they had to leave the house.

Inevitably, knowing her, she didn't want to leave, besides she had thought that they weren't allowed to do so anyway.

"If we go to Josiah's house, I'll tell your dad you disobeyed him!"

"And I'll use all the dirt I have on you against you," he had told her. "Remember the time you killed your mum's goldfish because you were jealous she was giving it more attention than you?"

She didn't even do that.

Sydney Sierra had just thought she did but she didn't.

"You know, she never found out it was you. It may have been two months ago, just before Easter. But you know she's still in mourning."

She couldn't have argued with that.

Sighing, she had stormed out of the room, with Kaiden smiling as he had locked the door.

Then he had headed to Josiah's house.

Next was Khalifa, Reminisce and then Savannah.