(Emily's Point of view)

Yes. One simple word, did you know how quickly one little word could change your life. I hadn't, and even at this very moment I wasn't aware of what I had unleashed. He began to explain to me all the details of my new job and what it would entail. He still infuriated me but that was besides the point now, professionalism I just had to stay professional.

I had to start on Monday, four days from now leaving me just a bit of time to pack. He had a penthouse at the Cher Eclater, an apartment building known for their Exclusivity. My father would be able to get into the Apartment complex with no ease, but until I took over the business I wouldn't be able to. I told him I would have to bring my little Corgi Auburn, to which he replied his maid would keep her company when we were gone to work.

"Fenice?" I jerked my head up mentally wincing realizing I hadn't been listening to a word he had said. We were standing outside the building now, it towering over the world almost as if it was a giant and we were ants.

"Yes Sir?" I replied trying to pull yet again a single ounce of professionalism into the conversation, alas with no such luck. He was hell-bent on calling me that silly little nickname that I had yet to learn the meaning of.

"I am sure you will do great Emily, your strong." He put his hand on my shoulders, tingles erupted from that spot almost making me shiver. I looked over at him, no one had called me strong before I had always felt weak compared to my brother, he had the courage to stand up to our parents. I always carried out their will like a little puppet, no dreams of my own, just a simpleton puppet.

"Thank you, Si-" I went to say Sir again when he held up his hand to silence me, I partly missed the tingles that hand had left on my shoulder but there was nothing I could do about that situation.

"When were not working, call me Nathaniel then we wouldn't have to worry about professionalism." He asked me, I suppose he caught me in my own trap. There was no reason I could think of to not call him Nathaniel when we werent working. While I didn't want to I complied.

"Thank you for the opportunity, Nathaniel." I responded before getting into my car, leaving him standing on the side walk as I rolled through the town. The rain clouds were slowly breaking apart, the grey mixing with the periwinkle skies. I could hear birds chirping but no longer from fear but with rejoicing songs. They had survived another storm, and I was caught wishing that I could be like those birds.

'This is a part of me that your never gonna ever take away from me' I jumped as the song blasted from my phone, taking a couple moments to realize that it was Sierra Mist's ring tone floating through my ears. I clicked on the speaker button, trying not to hit anything at the same time.

"Sierra Mist?" I asked only to be met with the sound of moaning. I swear the universe was trying to get me to crash this car. Sierra was no doubt underneath someone again, or someone was underneath her, and she managed to butt dial me.

"Oh please harder Mi-" I pressed the end button immediately, I did not need to listen in on my best friends pleasure hour. No freaking thank you, besides she tells me about it enough as it is. I don't need to hear it either, she'd probably tell me about it later tonight.

I still had a couple hours to burn, not quite knowing what to do with the time. I could go home and begin to pack, however, I was unsure if that's what I wanted to do with my day of freedom. Though there wasn't much that I wanted to do, I would have asked Sierra to walk through the park with me but she's a bit busy at the moment.

I decided the quicker I packed the more time I would have to prepare to get out of this arrangement. I refused to marry someone I didn't love, I know many religions and countries still did this but I couldn't. I had to find a way to make this man seem less desirable to my parents, that way I could buy myself enough time to find the love of my life.

Auburn watched as I ran around my room taking my clothes out of the closest and gathering all my other necessities. Its not like I would never come back here again, they were my parents. Even if sometimes I despised them they were still the people who had raised me.

I heard the door open and a large voice bellowed through the halls, "Sista? Where are youuuu!" I would know that voice anywhere, it was a very drunk Michael, and by the sound of it he had just gotten laid. I knew I would be found eventually, after all my own room wasnt the best hiding space.

I heard the door open to be greeted with a very exhausted looking brother, "Em, wheres all your stuff." I placed my index finger to my lips and shushed him softly, he spun around a bit before landing on my bed. Auburn yelped and snipped at him, not particularly liking being squashed by a 200 pound man.

"Careful Mich." I scolded him as my little baby curled up to his side, with a sigh, I muttered, "What am I gonna do with the two of you." Auburn had already fallen asleep with Mich following right behind him. I was partly surprised that he had even came home, normally he would just stay in the bar until he sobered up.

"I Lowve yow, Emvie." He slurred out his words not completely nailing them each time, but he didn't seem to care as he finally fell asleep. I looked over at the clock the fluorescent red lights blinking 9:13, they were due back at eleven. Hopefully Mich would be a little more sober by then, our parents despised him when he drank and that made him do it more just to spite them.

I laid on the side with Auburn, her nose sniffed the air as if she sensed my presence and her back-left leg twitched every now and then. I kept watch on my dearest brother, he was such a idiotic drunk and I didn't want to end at the police station again.

"I guess you don't know what our lovely parents are planning yet, do you Mich?" He stayed silent, not a single noise echoed from his throat, he was asleep after all but I needed to talk to him. Even without advice, especially then.

"They want me to marry a man I've never seen or heard. They want to chose my life Mich." I thought I felt his hand twitch but it turned out to be Auburn kicking her leg out again. His eyes floated back and forth under his eye lids, he was dreaming about something, probably chicks knowing him.

"I'm going to get out of it, you won't have to worry about me." Still no response, perhaps I had wished that he was awake for this. He always knew what to do in situations like this, but it was too late to wake him up now.

"I applied for a position at K & L, I'm moving out to be the CEO's personal assistant." I still was unsure how I felt about that, but I needed to escape somehow perhaps I could get Nathaniel to help me. He was wealthy, I'm sure he could go toe to toe with my father but I couldn't ask that of him.

"I just want to be free Mich, like I when Momma was still here." I felt a small drop come from my eye, a whimper echoed through my throat and a short sniffle. I felt two arms wrap around me, Auburn growled again wiggling her way out of my brothers grasp.

"I'm so *Hic* sorry Sista, Salad and Sunburn are complete idiots." I laughed at his drunken nickname for our parents Sala and Sebastian, he had always rebelled even more so when we lost momma. He despised our new mother Sala, she could never be like our birth mother but our father wanted us to call her mom. When we asked why when we were little he would respond with because it will make her feel better.

"I love you to Bro Biscuit." I replied as more tears swept down my face, he just held me as I sobbed into his sweatshirt. His body reeked of alcohol and sex, but his warmth and comfort could be felt through the stench.

We fell asleep like that, that was until our mother came barreling in like a hurricane. She didn't think twice to knock she just barreled down the door. Her posture was still as straight as ever, her vicious red locks whipped around with her and those cold grey eyes pierced mine.

"What is going on here?" She shrieked, I guess she thought we had done something since my brother reeked of sex and since I had been laying with him, I did to. I raised my head to look at her fully, if she wanted to play that game then I'll take her on. Anything to make her blood boil, even if it wasn't true.

"Oh! Mother I-I didn't k-know youd be ho-home so soon-n." I purposefully made myself stutter as if I had been caught doing the forbidden act with my brother. We would never of course but for some reason she never believed in us.

"When I gave you a day free I never though-" She continued to shriek making me wonder how our father hadn't entered our room yet. She squawked like a seagull looking for its breakfast, it was shrill and bothersome.

"Oh shut up salad, we didn't do anything." My brother turned to look at her with lidded eyes, his blond hair covering the majority of his face. He always scared me when he was first waking up, I firmly believed his hatred for waking up was because of his type AB negative blood.

"Are you drunk?" She questioned him making me want to facepalm, how could she not smell the alcohol I mean she was able to smell the sex.

"No Salad, I'm just happy." He responded sarcastically, she moved forward but I got over him and out of bed. I wedged myself between the two protecting my brother at all costs, just like he had done for me so many times before.

She glanced at Auburn with a distasteful glare, "What is that dog doing in your bed, get it out." Making an attempt to grab my dog I jumped and grabbed her wrist. She let out a hissing noise, like I had burned her, and looked back at my with disgust evident in her eyes.

"She's mine." I replied shortly hoping that my mother would simply give up, of course she wouldn't continuing to pester me to no end about what I had done with my free day. She squawked about my ears for awhile, saying I had done the worst possible thing. That was until I accidently let out that I had gotten a job and was moving. It was as if she had only then noticed the boxes around us and how empty my room had become.

"Sebastian!" She shrieked walking out the door to find my father, I closed the door locking it behind her. Hopefully she would wait until the morning to harp on me some more, she may be crazy but she needed to sleep just like everyone else.

"Sista, twank yow." He slurred again and I raised by eyebrows at him, he had seemed better when insulting our mother. I was too tired to give it much thought so I jumped over him to get back in bed, little auburn snuggled back in between us.

Before going to bed I looked out my window, I wondered what Sierra was doing but more importantly I was wondering what Nathaniel was doing and I was to tired to scold myself for caring about him.

With one final breath before sleep I whispered, "Goodnight Boys."

-                                                                                -                                                                             -

"They say that no matter how old you become, when you are with your siblings, you revert back to childhood."

                                                                                     -Karen White

I sincerely wish that I had siblings, sadly I'm an only child. Where's my lonely brother's and sister's at?

Love all of you my beloved readers.