I’m flopped down on Colbie’s bed, but my mind’s elsewhere. It’s been a week and I haven’t done much other than rack my brain for the poems, notes and other stuff I wrote on the wall.

Yup, I’m still not over it. But it’s only because I think some of my best work have been on that wall. And, yes, I acknowledge that I’m an idiot for not saving my notes. I wince, thinking of how I could have taken pictures before posting them. Well, sue me for thinking the notes will be there forever. Like I said, I’m an idiot.

“How about this? Not too slutty?”

I look over at my sister who’s at the bathroom door, looking great in every outfit she’s tried on so far. This is her first date with Sean so she wants to make sure she looks phenomenal—her words, not mine. I actually don’t see the difference between the first three tops she’s shown me, but I guess this is important to her so I bear with it.

I pause a moment, acting pensive, and then I smile at her. “That’s the one.”

She looks down at her shirt. “Are you sure? I think I like the red one better.”

I shake my head at her. “I veto the red top for all first dates. Seriously, sis, it is a bit scandalous.”

She wrinkles her nose. “I wouldn’t want that now, would I? Sean seems like a cool guy.”

I nod. “Yup.”

She disappears inside the bathroom while I go back to jotting down a poem I’ve written about trees of some sort. Just when I think I have it, my memory falters. Damn it.

I slam the notebook shut and give up for the night. Lying down on Colbie’s bed, I face the ceiling and put my hands over my heart. I feel it beating. Though it’s never been broken, it seems like the beats are hollow. It is times like this that I feel kind of sad, pitiful even. My sister goes out and does the fun things teenagers like us should do whereas here I am about to spend another lonely night watching reruns of Friends with my Aunt Kelly.

And like I’ve summoned her, Aunt Kelly opens the door slightly and sticks her head in. “Anyone up for some popcorn and soda?”

I sigh. “Colb’s going out.”

My aunt pushes the door all the way open. “Hey, why wasn’t I informed of this beforehand? If you guys are going out I could have made plans with some dude of my own.”

I roll my eyes at her. “Some dude of my own? Seriously?”

She shrugs. “Fine. Not some dude, but my girlfriends did ask me out for some drinks tonight.”

Shit. Now I feel like a freaking loser. My sister has a date and my forty-year-old aunt has girls’ night.

Of course, I pretend this doesn’t bother me. “It’s okay. You can go out. I don’t need a babysitter.”

She smiles her evil smile and I know what’s coming next. She jumps on the bed, cradles my head and pulls my legs up on her lap then she swings me from side to side like a baby. Gosh, she’s freakishly strong.

“Aunt Kells! Let me go, you weirdo!”

The bathroom door bursts open and my sister laughs as she kneels on the bed and pats my head. “You’re not a baby, huh? You’ll always be our baby.”

For the second time tonight, I roll my eyes then point out, “You’re two years older than me. When I was a baby you were too.”

She grins at me. “You know what I mean. Aunt Kells and I will be here for your most important moments, even the ones you don’t want us to know about.”

I breathe a sigh of… I don’t know, relief? Isn’t it a relief knowing that you’ve got people you can really count on when it counts?

But it’s not the time for drama so I playfully swat my sister’s hand away. “You guys leave. I’m seventeen. I can take care of myself. I promise to put all the drug paraphernalia away when I’m done with them.”

My aunt stands up and walks toward the door. Then she abruptly turns around and points a finger at me. “Clean my bong.”

Three episodes of Friends and one pint of pistachio almond ice cream later and I’m bored—really bored. So bored that I decide to leave the house even if it’s a chilly night and I’m alone. I used to love going out at night to go to my favorite coffee shop to unwind. It’s quiet there, but the whole ambience made it comfortable for me. I’d browse Facebook or Instagram for hours or curl up in the corner booth and read a book. Sometimes, when I finish a book, I’d be inspired to write something and post it on the wall. The thought that I couldn’t do that anymore annoys me, but beggars can’t be choosers so I suck it up.

The coffee shop is only five blocks away so I arrive in a matter of minutes. But then I stop for a moment and double check if I’m at the right place. The sign says Mugs and Hugs, but what the hell?

The place is packed. There are a lot of people standing outside the coffee shop, smoking, and the view from twenty feet away tells me the inside is just as crowded. I walk slowly and approach the entrance, curious as to what has brought this crowd in a very small and unassuming coffee shop.

The green door opens and I step inside—or I’m pushed inside is more like it. The smokers outside have decided suffocation inside is a better cause of death than lung cancer.

I grit my teeth when a girl pushes past me to get to her friends—she smells like a chimney. I look around and see my sister sitting near the front of what seemed to be a small stage with acoustic guitars, chairs and microphones.

Ah. Now I get it.

The small coffee shop transforms into an acoustic concert venue at night. No wonder the whole town is here.

I’m contemplating what to do when my sister spots me. She mouths, Come here!

I give her a small smile and push my way through the crowd. I can’t decide what I hate more, spending the night alone like a loser or getting squished in a tiny space. Finally I get to my sister’s table where she’s getting to know her date.

Add third-wheeling to the list of things I hate.

“Sean, this is my sister, Riley.”

He looks up at me and gives me a quick nod.

I’m taking off my jacket when I realize there’s another guy sitting beside Sean and my eyes almost bug out of my head. Sloppy Kisser Ben is here.