His Heartwarming Secret

"Bella Winters, do not make me come in there!" My older brother Jedd bangs on my bedroom door which has become a daily routine of his. I cover my exposed face with the warm sheets, sinking back into dreamland.

"Bella!" He warns me through the cracks in the door and I sigh, feeling myself pull deeper away from sleep and merging further into the grim reality of my life. I'm not a morning person . . . At all.

"Leave me alone Jedd!" I murmur sleepily, my voice groggy. I hear him sigh behind the door, his footsteps retreating.

"If you're not up in twenty minutes Bella, I'm breaking down your door!"

"Keep your hair on Grandad, I'm getting up!" I yell in response, throwing my duvet to the side and groaning from the sudden cold that hits my warm sleepy body. I hear Jedd mumble something about difficult teenagers outside my bedroom and I roll my eyes at him. He's twenty, making him three years older than me but acts like the age difference between us is years apart.

I pull down my hair from its ponytail and head to the bathroom, pushing open the door. The strands of my hair cascade down my back, tickling the exposed skin. I rotate my head left and right, relieving the tension from sleeping in one position all night. I reach for my toothbrush, applying some toothpaste before getting to work on my teeth.

My eyes wonder over to the small photo pinned on my bathroom mirror. It's a picture of Jedd, Dad and I taken a few years ago at a summer BBQ. I'm holding a burger in my right hand, Dads arm swung over my shoulders. The smile on my face is the definition of uncomfortable from having my picture taken.

My parents divorced when I was five but truthfully it didn't affect me. My mother and I never seem to get along. She's into dresses, I prefer hoodies. She's into perfect makeup, I like the natural look. She's into long hair extensions and I religiously wear my hair in a ponytail every single day. My mother also loves her heels whereas I love and treasure my converse.

lazily walk over to my dresser, tugging my hair out of the towel. I begin to blow dry it, glancing in the mirror every so often to make

I feel uncomfortable. . . out of place when my hair isn't tied in a ponytail. I chew on my bottom lip before grabbing a hair tie and scraping back my hair before securing it in place. Much better. My choice of outfit is pretty much the same

and good

and most importantly it's the definition of comfort.

What more can a

down the stairs two at a time and hear Jedd's old car rumble to

breath, bursting through the kitchen door. I dive for the last

balancing it in my mouth as I sprint down the hallway and outside. I open the passenger door with my free hand, wobbling unsteadily from everything I'm juggling. I slide

"Morning sunshine," I say, biting into the toast and grimacing from its texture. I chew slowly, avoiding Jedd's

we have this conversation like every day. You need to start waking up earlier, I can't be late for college anymore." Jedd lectures me, keeping his eyes trained on the road ahead

my maths exam today." I tell him truthfully. I crammed hours of revision inside my brain

confidence. He's partially right, I'm a straight A student and proud of it. I work my bottom off studying every night after

a . . . social butterfly.

awkward. I don't have a single friend. The idea of even keeping up friendships causes me to sweat and worry.

if I say the wrong thing?

me after all and