I laid on my bed listening to "I'd Lie" by Taylor Swift and how much it used to relate to me. I, Haley Caewood, used to be in love with my best friend. I could, in fact, count the colors in his eyes, I was the only one to know he played guitar because I introduced him to it, and if you asked me if I loved him, I would've lied. But things changed when his mom lost her job and his dad started abusing them. I was the only person who knew besides his mother. I knew it might end badly if I told someone, but I couldn't take watching him in so much pain. So I told a teacher, who told, another, who told the principal, who then called a meeting with the parents. A week later, my best friend was gone. No, he didn't die, and I thank God for that, but his dad took him out of the school and sent him to public school. We still talked, but our friendship was gradually fading away. He knew it was me that told and he was a bit angry, but he said his new friends were cool and he didn't mind. After a few months, he started getting into trouble, lots. He was sent to juve a time or two and my parents said they didn't want me talking to a delinquent, even if he had been like a son to them in the past. So I did and I tried to forget about my best friend since kindergarten. My parents shipped me off to boarding school the next year and I had a whole new set of of friends and Maurice Carter didn't matter any more.

Now, four years later, I'm back home and thinking about him. I wonder if he's in juve now or maybe he moved. Someone knocked on my door.

" Come in," I said. My mother walked in. " Hey, Mom."

She sat in my desk chair. " Haley, I need to tell you something."

" Okay?"

" We can't afford to . . . miss these last years with you and Ajay and I decided that you are going to go to high school here this year and maybe next year you can go back to boarding school."

" Okay." She looked at me weird.

" Just okay? Your not gonna get mad at me and say you're ruining my life or anything?"

" No? You must have forgotten who you were talking to. I'm not like Malyda and neither is Gavin. We're the good kids."

She chuckled. " Ah yes. I forgot about Gavin. Can you tell him for me?"

" Why? He's going to just say okay like I did."

" I have to run, but please tell him. We haven't decided exactly what to do with Malyda, so don't tell her anything yet."

" Alright. Oh and should I tell Gavin the lie you told me, ' can't afford to miss these last years', or the truth that you just can't afford it?" I smirked.

" Either. I'm sure he'll figure it out," she smiled and left the room. I got up and headed to my brother's room. Gavin Carmello Caewood was my twin. He was seventeen, as was I, and we were both into music. Like every brother and sister, we have our differences, but ,for the most part, we get along. We are of Latin, English, and African descent. Our father left when we were young and my mother got remarried to Ajay. They had our little sister, Malyda who is thirteen.

I knocked on Gavin's door. He has a lot of nicknames because he hate's his name. Our dad's name is or was Gavin. We haven't talked to him in years and we don't know if he's even alive. Gavin never forgave dad for leaving so he wanted to change his 'evil' name. Mom wouldn't let him legally do it so we came up with nicknames. Carmen, Mello, Marshmellow, Car, and Caewood are his favorite. Well actually . . .

" Hey, Marshmellow," I smiled as he opened the door.

" Hey, Haleybear," he retorted, getting annoyed.

" Gavin-"

" I'd rather you call me Marshmellow," he spat.

" Sorry, forgot," I lied. " Mom wanted me to tell you that we have to go to high school here because they can't afford to miss these last years, before we go to college."

" Oh so they can't afford it?"

" Nope."

" Alright, that's it?"

I looked at him suspiciously as I noticed he was sticking his head out, keeping the door mostly closed.

" What's in your room bro?"

He gave me a surprised look, but there was fear in his green eyes and his light-brown skin was turning red. " Nothing."

I pushed away the door and walked in. " I find that hard to believe. I see your t.v., computer, bed, oh, and of course there's a half naked girl on your bed," I said sarcastically. I was not at all surprised by the girl, he did this all the time.

" Ummm . . . "

" I love your reply," I smiled. The girl was just watching us.

" Uhh . . ."

" Bye, bro," I said leaving the room. He grabbed my arm.

" Please don't tell," he begged.

" Are you?"

" Am I what?"

" We go through this every time, bro," I whispered," Are you still a virg-"

" Yes, and don't plan on changing that any time soon."

" Doesn't look that way to me."

" We were just kissing. Now please don't tell."

" Alright, I'll tell you what you have to do later," I smiled again. I loved catching him doing thing that weren't allowed, I always got something out of it. I walked out of the room and toward the kitchen. I wonder if Maurice is still here. Will he be at this new high school? Will we become friends again? AM I still in love with him? I picked up the paper to read the comics, but something caught my eye.

Juvenile, Maurice Carter, Strikes Again

Seventeen year old, Maurice Carter, is set to a juvenile detention center, for the eighth time since he was twelve. This time, it is for Grand Theft Auto . . .

The words killed a part of me. I sighed. I guess we won't become friends again.