10 John

"Do you know what Thomas will do to you when he finds out about your feelings?...she is supposed to be your sister for God's sake!. He won't say anything to you but Michelle will be the person to suffer it....."

"I know...I know..." John said running his fingers through his head frustrated.

Silver looked at him and couldn't help but sympathize with him. She put her hand on his shoulder "It won't be easy, but you have to stay away from Michelle...she sees you as her brother and you have to keep it that way. So that we can avoid Thomas's trouble and of course to keep the peace in this family.

You have to stay away from Michelle, we can't have her finding out....."

John nodded, he knew what he had to do. "I understand" he said before walking away.

Silver watched the boy leave and sighed. "Children and their confused hearts.....he's going to get himself in trouble"

After what seemed like forever, John finally returned home.

He spent his day with Roland, they drove around town till it was late at night.

"Why exactly did you two break up? I thought you were head over heels in love?" John said with a teasing smile while Roland rolled his eyes

"Definitely not! I don't even know what I saw in her any more. She is just so....so..." Roland couldn't seem to find the right words to describe his ex, John found it funny and began to laugh.

"She's a diva? A Barbie wannabe?"

Roland chuckled "Worse"

John shook his head, thinking about Michelle. She was nothing like that, she was unpretentious, she was perfect.....

"Argh!'' John said in annoyance making his friend turn to him

"Girl trouble?" Roland asked with a teasing smile. John quickly shook his head, there was no way he would tell anyone about his feeling for the girl that is supposed to be his sister.

"Lets go in" John said determined to avoid this topic. Fortunately, Roland didn't probe any further.

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Same thing happened the next day, both friends weren't ready to ask whom they were both avoiding. If they did, they would realize it was thesame person.

Roland didn't want to see Michelle because he felt guilty, he wanted to apologize but at the same time he couldn't face her. Although he would never admit it, he knew he was beginning to have feelings for her. Which was one of the reasons why Goldie began to hate Michelle. She tildes Roland that she saw it in his eyes but Roland refused to admit it in front of her.

John, was following Silver's orders. He knew that if he even spent more than an hour with her, he wouldn't be able to help himself anymore....he would tell her everything.

After reaching home late at night, Roland retired to bed first while John said he would join him later.

"Don't do it John.....don't do it...." he whispered to himself as he made his way to Michelle's room.

Her door was slightly open, he could see the light from her reading table on, 'Was she still reading books at this hour?'

John sighed as his big brother instincts kicked in and he quietly opened the door and walked in.

He saw her writing something, it was her diary. She always warned him never to read it, he was quite curious to see what she wrote there everyday.

She put her pen down and read through the page again.

Just when John was about to take a look, she closed the book shut and locked it.

"How long are you planning on standing there?" She asked surprising the person behind her.

"Ahem!....I....I came to check if you were asleep" John said before taking a seat on the couch.

Michelle sighed and kept her diary in a drawer.

"Aren't you supposed to stay away from me?.....why are you here?"

John was taken aback, he knew she had heard the conversation between Silver and him but...."How much of it did you hear?"

Michelle turned to look at him, her brown eyes looked quite red "Have you been crying?"

Michelle suddenly laughed "Not like anyone cares, even my own brother is being told to stay away from me. Am I really that bad?" John secretly sighed, she didn't say anything about him being in love with her which means she didn't hear everything.

"I'm sorry" John apologized, if course he couldn't tell her the real reason why he was told to stay away from her.

Just looking at her from here made his heart beat really fast.

He couldn't stop himself from feeling this way because deep down he knew.....he knew she wasn't his sister....

he knew that they were not even blood related but he couldn't tell her that. He wasn't allowed to tell her.

"I'm sorry Mimi, there has just been so much going on.....so much I want to tell you but I can't, not right now....I am really sorry "

Michelle sighed and hugged him. His entire body went stiff. Feeling her so close to him, he felt like the most luckiest guy in the world, to be able to get a hug from her but then again.....

He tried to push her away but her hold only got tighter "John.....I want to die, I'm tired....I'm just tired of everything...."

Hearing the girl sob on his shoulders, he couldn't help but hug her back

"Why would you think something like that Michelle?.....don't say that" He patted her back in a flustered way, this way the second time he had seen her cry, he felt like a needle was piercing his heart seeing her like this.

She was one of the strongest girls he knew, seeing her like this....he kept blaming himself.

"Why?. is it wrong to want my father to show me at least a bit of affection?....why does he hate me so much? I did nothing.....I did nothing wrong"

"He doesn't hate you Michelle...he doesn't hate you"

Hearing his words made her cry harder....he was the only person who was here to console and cheer her up everytime she felt down but now even him....

"I hate you!" She said shocking him.

She raised her head to glare at him "I hate you very much! I hope I never see you again....please just continue avoiding me, and please just leave me alone"

John clenched his fists hearing her words...it was better this way.....it was definitely better.

"Ok" he said before getting up, he didn't dare to look at her once, knowing his weak , he would definitely tell her everything at once just to make sure that she stops hurting.

He took large strides out of her room and closed the door behind him.

Michelle watched as the door closed and sighed. She looked at the books on her table and began reading them, they were her only companions now....all she had to do was pass her exams and leave this country....leave this family.