Warren's POV
8:00 AM, California (Friday)
The alarm blared loudly, and I stopped it immediately—not that I had slept anyway.
I picked up the picture beside my bed and stared at it. It was of me, my late mother, my sister, and my ex-girlfriend.
"I know you can both hear me wherever you are… I miss you so much. Without you, my life's been a mess."
I placed the picture back on the table and went to the bathroom to prepare. Chris and Derek had called yesterday to say they wouldn't be around, so I had to pick Rocky up from the airport alone.
After getting dressed, I drove off. When I arrived at the airport, I stepped out of the car and waited for Snow.
From a distance, I saw her walking toward me, and I smiled. Suddenly, I noticed a pretty girl stumble and fall. Instinctively, I caught her by the waist before she hit the ground.
She opened her eyes — ocean blue and innocent — and I froze. Her long wavy hair framed her face perfectly, and her soft pink lips parted slightly as she muttered an apology. She looked so much like my ex.
She blinked a few times, whispered a quick "sorry," and ran off. I couldn't take my eyes off her until I heard Snow's voice behind me.
"Hey, big bro. Why are you staring at that lady like a lost husband? Or is it love at first sight?"
"Wassup, Snow," I said, smiling as I turned to her. "You've grown so much. Come give your big bro a hug."
She giggled as I pulled her into a bear hug. When I finally pulled back, I couldn't help admiring how much she had changed. She was thirteen now — her golden-blonde hair glowed under the sunlight, and her cute baby face made her look like an angel.
"Don't you think that girl looked familiar?" I asked. "It's like I've seen her before, but I can't remember where."
"Well, I think it's not acceptable to ignore your younger sister after a long trip," she said, pouting.
I chuckled. "I'm sorry, kiddo. How was Mexico? Did anyone bully you?"
As we walked to the car, I helped her with her bags and opened the door for her.
"Where are Chris and Derek?" she asked once she was seated.
"They had something to take care of. They'll make it up to you later."
When we got home, we were greeted by Chris, Derek, and Mary — our housekeeper — standing at the door with a big pink cake and a 'WELCOME BACK' ribbon across the house. Snow's face lit up, and seeing her happy made me even happier. We partied all day, laughing and drinking until nightfall.
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MONDAY MORNING
I woke up early, kissed the picture by my bedside, and followed my usual routine. Snow was resuming at Crystal Bird High today, and I was going to make sure her first day went well.
After dressing up, I went downstairs and found her eating ramen and chatting with Mary. She waved for me to join, and I pulled a chair beside her.
After breakfast, I called my friends, and we agreed to meet at school.
We all arrived at the same time — Chris, Derek, and I stepped out of our cars, and immediately the girls started whispering:
👱♀️ "Look how handsome Warren is!"
👧 "Chris looks so good with his blue hair."
👩 "Derek is mine!"
🙎♀️ "Who's that girl with Warren?"
💁♀️ "Probably his sister, they look alike."
We ignored the comments and walked into class. Snow went to the principal's office to collect her schedule.
As I scrolled through my phone, Olivia walked up and sat on my desk.
"Hey, babe. What's up?" she asked, popping her gum loudly.
"The sky, of course," Chris said before I could answer. "Now could you please move your maggot-infested body before you infect us?"
The whole class burst into laughter, and Olivia turned red with anger.
"How dare you! Are you insane?" she yelled.
"Oh no, the queen bee's angry—she's gonna sting!" Derek said, making a silly face, and everyone laughed harder.
"You'll all pay for this!" Olivia screamed and stormed out of the class with her minions.
"In dollars or coins?" Chris shouted after her, and the class roared with laughter again. Derek high-fived him, and I couldn't help but smile.
To 🌹 Be 🌹 Continued 🌹