The day my life changed started out much like any other day. Maybe it was a bit more than a normal, run-of-the-mill day, or maybe it wasn’t. It was a great time for a soccer game, at least. The sun was bright, the air was crisp and cool, and the grass was nice and springy. The day was perfect, really. Except we could have been out in a hurricane and it wouldn’t have made a difference to me.

“Mike, what’s the matter with you?”

I looked up at my twin brother and into dark blue eyes mirroring my own. “What’s taking so long?” I complained, aware that I was sounding like an eight-year-old. “Let’s get this stupid game over with already.”

Brian blinked at me. “You didn’t have to come. Taylor Pratt would have gladly taken your place.”

“I hate Pratt. Besides, you’d lose without me.”

“If you weren’t my brother, I’d hate you like everyone else does,” he said sourly. “Look, no one’s forcing you to play.”

“But I want to play,” I said with deceptive mildness. “I feel this strong urge to kick things.”

Brian moved out of range. “Just as long as it isn’t me. Oh, and your friend’s been trying to get your attention over there,” he added, nodding over my shoulder and walking away, toward our gym bags scattered by the team’s bench.

I turned around and sure enough there was Reggie Nielsen, waving like an idiot. I sighed and walked to where he sat in the bleachers, his dark brown face breaking into a huge grin. He was always cheerful. He was like those big, fuzzy brown teddy bears you saw in drugstores. It annoyed the hell out of me. Sometimes I think he was happy just to spite me. “What do you want, Nielsen? And stop waving like you’re my number one fan.”

He snorted. “I just thought I’d remind you that you’re going out there to play a game, not to kill somebody. You should wipe that look off your face.”

“What look?”

He sighed with exaggerated patience. “Harding, I don’t know what’s up with you now, but you’re scaring people.”

I kicked at the ground. “Who cares what people think? After this game, I don’t have to see anyone here again.”

Reggie looked hurt. “Just because you’ve finished all your credits a semester early doesn’t mean you can avoid your friends. And it’s practically your last day in high school. You should at least be glad that it’s over, not moping about.”

“I’m not moping. I’d have to be sad to mope and I’m not sad. I’m angry. I have plenty of reasons to be angry.”

“Would you like to share them?”

I couldn’t help myself. I laughed in his face and stalked off.

“Mike!” he shouted after me but I ignored him and threw myself onto the bench.

I actually had only one reason to be angry, but it was enough to ruin my day – and most days in the foreseeable future. I was going to have to leave my family’s house soon, and though I wasn’t really going to miss the oppressive mausoleum, there was a principle involved.

After all, it’s a major thing when your father decides to kick you out.

I guess I’d pushed things too far in our last argument two days before. I couldn’t even remember all the things I’d said, probably because I didn’t want to. All I could remember was his yelling for me to get out of his damn house and to take all my things with me.

I’d assumed he had merely overreacted.

He hadn’t, and he very recently suggested that since his younger sister was moving out, I could move out with her. To add insult to injury, he made all the arrangements for movers and had all my stuff packed. When I got home yesterday, it was to find my room almost completely empty. Except for the bed, some clothes, and a couple of pillows – which was thoughtful of him.

“You know, moving out could be good for you,” Brian said, reappearing beside me. He was going to try to make me feel better, of course, but we both knew from previous attempts that he was really bad at that sort of thing. “You know Jennifer. She isn’t likely to be strict with you.”

“Yeah, so?”

“So you could throw parties everyday.”

“Get real.”

“Well, at least you wouldn’t have to sneak your latest date in to– Hi, Rita.”

I looked up. A girl in a Coleridge cheerleading uniform had approached us and was smiling at me.

“Hey, Mike,” she said, sitting down next to me and completely ignoring Brian.

“Yes?”

“Are we still on for tonight?”

What? “What?”

She pouted. “Have you forgotten already? You said that we’d go see a movie after the game.”

“I did? When did I say that?”

Brian’s heel suddenly came down on my foot and his elbow dug into my side.

Rita’s lower lip trembled dangerously. “Yesterday, outside the gym? I can’t believe you’d forget. After what happened, too...”

Brian was destroying my toes.

“Excuse me,” I muttered absently and turned to my brother. “What the hell are you doing?”

He looked at me with wide eyes and understanding barreled into me.

Damn it.

I turned back to the sulky cheerleader beside me. “Right. I remember. I was just teasing you,” I lied. “I’ll pick you up at your house later.”

She squealed happily and planted a kiss on my mouth before bounding off to join her friends.

“You’re going to die,” I told Brian very quietly.

He grinned at me. “I asked her out twice as me and she turned me down flat. She caught me outside the gym wearing your jersey and— well, you get the picture.”

I sighed, rubbing my forehead. I didn’t need this. “Brian, do you ever actually use your brain to think? Even just a little bit? This could end up messy.”

“I’ll tell her the truth on our date, I promise. I just want her to give me a chance and get to know me.”

“I’m your brother, and some days I wish I didn’t know you,” I muttered, raking my hands through my hair and getting to my feet.

“Where are you going? The game’s going to start soon.”

“Away from you. Dad will yell at me some more if he finds out I ripped your head off.”

“Just— Mike?”

“What?”

He sighed. “Don’t beat anyone up.”

“We’re going to play a game. Soccer. I can wait for it to start before I hurt people,” I said sarcastically.

With that retort, I wandered off, my eyes scanning the crowd. I found a familiar face up in the bleachers and brightened. Finally. Someone I could safely annoy.