My Best Friends Brother and Me

Chapter 3 – Eighteen

Leah’s POV

Things in school haven’t been as stressful as I had imagined. I had navigated my through course work and revision quite well, and I had even managed to curb my wet dreams a little. This was progress in my eyes.

Today was April 21st and it was my 18th birthday. It was a school day, so I got up as usual and made my way downstairs expecting it all to be quiet as it usually was. But the kitchen was full of helium balloons.

"Happy Birthday Beautiful" dad gushed as he wrapped me in his arms.

"Thanks Dad"

"Happy birthday sweetie" mum chimed, patting me on the back, never one for physical contact.

How are they married? I asked myself again, somewhat inappropriate with my timing.

"Thanks Mum"

"Here, it’s not much, but we hope you like it" Mum handed me an envelope.

"No Way!" it was a driving crash course with a test! "This is awesome!"

They both grinned at my reaction and then dad handed me a card.

‘To Our Dearest Daughter Leah,

You are brave, funny, smart and have started showing a little sass that I knew was always in there somewhere.

I am so proud of the young woman you are becoming. You have your whole life ahead of you.

Life may not always be the way you expect it to be, but you take it all in your stride.

Don’t ever be afraid of being you, stand strong and fight for what you believe in.

Don’t be afraid to make decisions and choices. You will never get it 100% right, but that’s what makes us who we are. Mistakes are part of life, and you learn from them. When you get it right, it’s magical.

Learn who you are but always remember where you come from.

We will always be on your side and be here to support you, in whatever life throws at you.

Don’t ever forget that.

Happy Birthday Sweetie,

We love you so very much,

Mum and Dad’

Mum had signed it, but I knew dad had written it. I appreciated the sentiment. My mum smiled awkwardly, I ignored it and gave them both a hug.

"There’s something else" dad said sheepishly.

"What else could you possibly give me that could top this!"

Mum handed me a box.

I opened it and inside was a key.

"Shut Up!"

I ran outside and parked in the front of our detached home, on the drive, was my very own ford fiesta!

"It’s not new" mum had to point out.

"But it’s only a few years old", Dad added.

"I don’t care! I LOVE it, and I love you, both! Thank you!" I squealed.

Now I have to pass my test! I had wheels!

I rushed to school and couldn’t wait to tell Kaya.

"I got a car! A f*****g car!" I pulled out my phone and showed her the picture.

"s**t, that is lush!"

"I know!"

"But you can’t drive."

"Not yet!" I shoved the paper in her face with the driving course details on it.

"You lucky b***h"

"Ha! Game changer baby!"

"That is sick. I am so jealous!"

"Think of what we can do now!"

We were so excited.

"My gift seems s**t now" she huffed.

"Shut up, what is it?"

She handed me a box, and I opened it.

"K, I love it! It’s perfect"

She grinned, and I took the necklace out of the box and put it on. It was a silver chain with a small silver rectangle block on it. On the front, etched in it was a small heart. On the back it said 'best friends'.

"Look under the foam in the box’ she smiled.

It was an identical necklace, but the words on the back said 'forever’.

"I’m switching out" I said.

"What do you mean?"

I took off my necklace and gave her the one that said best friends "I want the one forever".

She laughed "Yeah, okay, I kind of guessed as much"

It has been our saying since we were four.

She’d say,'best friends?' I’d say ‘Forever’.

"It’s perfect, K, I really love it."

Mum and Dad took me and Kaya out for dinner that night. I bargained with dad that the only way I would go, would be if she came. I would never be able to get through it without her. Mum was always a little embarrassing when we went out.

She was never awful, but she always had one too many wines, and well, while it was fun to watch, it was also a little uncomfortable at times. I needed Kaya as my wingman, a reason to leave when she became too loud or, her favourite past time, having a dig at me.

Well, my future more specifically. But with Kaya there, she wouldn’t dare start.

I was wrong.

"Kaya dear, tell me, what have you decided to do after school?"

"I’m going to university to become a veterinarian"

"Wow, that’s a fantastic career choice. Well done you. Brains and beauty. Shame you haven’t rubbed off more of sweet Leah here"

Kaya looked mortified as she gave me an apologetic look.

I rolled my eyes, come on dad, save us here. Nothing. Thanks Dad.

"Mum, come on, please, not today."

"Why not today? Today is the perfect day. Its not too late, you know, to reapply!"

I shot a look at dad.

"Well, this has been lovely, but I think it is time to get young Kaya home. It’s a school night after all."

"Yes’ mum agreed, thank the lord ‘She must get her beauty sleep so she can ace those exams ready for her bright future’"And there it is. Thanks Mum.

I grabbed my bag and coat and while dad paid, me, kaya and mum waited silently by the door for dad to join us. Eventually, Kaya was home, and I was scuttling upstairs to my room, avoiding any more conversations with mum.

In school the following day, I apologised profusely, on behalf of my mother.

Kaya laughed "Bloody hell Leah, she’s got worse!"

"I told you. She wasn’t that bad when she thought I was still undecided. I mean, jeez, I thought she was bad then, but clearly, I had no idea".

"Hey Girls" Jayden approached us.

His cropped hair neatly in place, his boyish grin spread across his lips highlighting the dimples in his cheeks. He had dark brown hair, olive green eyes and tanned skin. He was well defined and toned, but not muscular.

He played football, but for fun, not in a team. He wasn’t a jock. He was popular, but not arrogant about it. He was quite chilled and easy going. I like that about him, he was easy to be around, and conversation always flowed.

We had always got on well, but I was never interested in him that way. I saw him as a friend, and when I found out Kaya liked him, it made the friend zone easier. She asked if I liked him once, because we were quite touchy-feely with one another, but I made it perfectly clear I wasn’t interested.

In spite of my mother’s complete lack of affection and dislike of any kind of physical contact, I was surprisingly very tactile as a person. I have no doubt I get this from my father, who gives a great hug and was always my go to as a child if I needed comfort.

I could hardly tell her the reason I wasn’t interested in Jayden was because I was madly crushing on her brother, but luckily, I didn’t need an explanation, she just accepted it.

"Hey Jayden, what’s up?"

"All set for the exams?"

"Yeah, I guess. I only really have to study for Business, my others are all course work based"

"Lucky cow! How about you, Kaya?"

"Yeah, I’m pretty set. Separate science will be a b***h. Dad is helping me with revision, so it’s pretty hard core, but I guess it’s gonna be!’

"Ewww, couldn’t think of anything worse" he laughed.

We chatted for a while until registering took place and we all headed to our first class.

"Hey Leah" Jayden caught up with me on the way to business studies.

"Hey Jay, you OK?"

"Yeah, I just wondered if we could do a couple of study sessions together. I’m struggling a bit. I really need to pass this exam!"

"Sure, when were you thinking?"

"After school, maybe once or twice this week and next?"

"Yeah, sounds good. Why don’t we do tomorrow and Thursday this week and Tuesday and Thursday next? Then we are in deep with exams, so if we don’t know it by ten, we won’t!"

"Thanks Leah, I owe you big time"

The study sessions seemed to go well, although I did wonder why he felt he needed them, he clearly knew what he was doing and certainly didn’t need my help! I assumed he just lacked a little confidence and needed some reassurance about what he was doing.

Kaya’s POV

This coming weekend was mine and Leah’s last before the last week of exams and the Millers party.

We were going to head out for the day on the horses tomorrow. We had to be home to sort them out and tidy up the stables before teatime, but Leah was staying Saturday night as well now, which meant we didn’t have to rush too much.

We had a relatively PG Friday night watching films, eating crap, and chatting s**t. When we woke up on Saturday morning, we got ready quickly and headed straight downstairs.

We could smell the bacon and sausages cooking before we walked into the kitchen. It smelled amazing! My mouth watered as we filled our plates with everything mum had cooked. We ate in silence. Dad and Kai had already eaten, so it was quiet.

When we were done, we packed snacks and drinks in a backpack with the sandwiches mum had prepared and put in a blanket so we could stop a chill for a bit by the river. I was taking Leah to Horseshoe Pass.

I loved it there, but mum didn’t often let me go on my own, even though I was almost 18, as it was miles away and deep in the forest trail along the valley and the signal was dodgy.

If anything happened while I was out alone, it would be hours before anyone found me! At least having Leah with me, we had back up – each other.

We were just leaving when I saw Kai heading off with the dogs. He always went on his own on Saturdays because Leah was there, but on Sundays we would usually go together, not that either one of us would admit that to anyone else.

We pretended to be indifferent to each other most of the time, but in truth, we got on really well. But over the last year, he has become less open with me. I had a feeling he was hiding something. Maybe a girlfriend? He was very cagey when I probed him.

Today, I couldn’t wait for my adventure with Leah. I had something I needed to talk to her about.

"You ready Leah?" I called over to her.

I could see her mentally preparing herself for the ride. Leah had ridden with me a lot, but only around the fields and the local area by my house. We had never been out for more than 3 hours max, and that was rare, but even then, it was a gentle trail.

She wasn’t used to the strain of a longer ride and I did warn her that her butt and legs would feel like she had done a 24 hour exercise class when we got back.

"As I’ll ever be!" she laughed as she got onto Tiffin, the smaller of my two horses.

She was a grade horse, a fancy term for mixed breed. She was calm and dependable but had a slightly excitable side to her and her colouring was just like that of Tiffin. She had light chocolate brown with splodges of cream and darker spots, hence the name. Plus, I love the stuff, so it was a no-brainer. She was my first horse.

I jumped onto Red and I could tell he was excited. He was an Arabian and quite a bit bigger than Tiffin. He was auburn in colour and could have a fiery temperament, as his name suggests. But I could always keep him in check, and he rode beautifully.

I was more nervous than I should have been, but only because I needed to talk to Leah about something. I could talk to her about anything, but this was a little different. I didn’t know how she would react, and I didn’t want her to judge me.