Caleb's and I lesson went on for a while, and during it, I taught him the basics like scales and some cords, and he was actually a pretty fast learner. Our lesson was cut short when I heard a knock. So we turned, looking at my mom standing in the doorway with a shocked look.

 

"Uh, mom, you are home early," I said, stepping away from Caleb. My mom looked at her watch and looked at us before looking at us again.

 

"Sweetie, it is 8," Mom said.

 

"Holy crap, really. I- I gotta go," Caleb said, rushing out of the chair to my guitar stand and placing it on the stand before looking at me.

 

"O- oh okay," I said, and Caleb walked over to my giving me a hug shocking me to my core.

 

"Thanks," He pulled away from me. "I'll see you at school tomorrow?" Caleb said.

 

"Y- yeah," I said.

 

"I am sorry that I and leaving in a rush. Have a nice night Mrs. Copenhagen," Caleb said.

 

"Yes, you too." My mom said, and Caleb rushed out the door, leaving me and my mom, alone in shock.

 

"Woah, where was he off to," Nina said, walking up to the doorway.

 

"Steven, who was that?" My mom asked, looking down the hall.

 

"Uh, well, that is Caleb Post. He goes to my school," I said, straightening my clothes.

 

"Okay, well, why was he here?" My mother asked, arching her eyebrow.

 

"He was here for a music lesson," Nina said, wiggling her eyebrow.

 

"Oh shut up, it was not like that," I said.

 

"Okay, so what was it?" My mom asked.

 

"Nothing. I was teaching him how to play the guitar, nothing more, nothing less," I said.

 

"Good, because you don't need any distraction," My mom said.

 

"Mom, he is not a distraction. He is just a friend," I said.

 

"Ha, the last time I heard that one. Listen, you need to focus on what is important: college. Did you find out where you will go from the list I gave you?" My mom said.

 

"Mom, don't you think Steven should go to a place he wants to go to?" Nina said.

 

"Absolutely not. He needs to go to a school when slacking is not an option, and he needs to go to a college to get a real job," My mom stated.

 

"But what if I want to music?" I asked, and my mother scoffed.

 

"That is not a real job, Steven either you pick out a college by the end of the week, or I will," My mom said, leaving Nina and me alone.

 

"Hey, Steven," Nina said.

 

"Nina, I just want to be left alone," I said.

 

"But Steven," Nina said.

 

"I said leave me alone!" I shouted, making Nina flinch. She nodded and walked out of my room, closing the door behind her.

 

I huffed, staring at the ground feeling the tear well up in my eyes, and blinked them away. I looked at my guitar and sighed, deciding that I was going to head to bed. As I lay in bed, I started to feel bad because I yelled at Nina. She didn't deserve it. She always had my back when my mom was acting like that. So I closed my eye and hoped for sleep to come over me.

 

I woke up on Monday feeling like crap. I rolled to my side, grabbed my phone, and saw that it was 5 am. My mother was getting up in an hour, so it gave me some time to leave before she could get to me. Throwing my cover off, I rushed to my closet, grabbed a shirt and pants, and slipped them on before grabbing some sneakers and walking out the door. I sneaked down the hall, trying not to wake anyone. I walked pasted my sister's room, and suddenly the door flung open, causing my heart to leap into my throat. Nina looked me up and down before sighing and going back into her room to grab her keys. She walked out her room and down the hall before stopping at the stairs to look back at me.

 

"Well, come on, are you going to stay there and wait until mom wakes up?" Nina said, and I looked back into my mom's closed door and rushed out after Nina as we left the house quickly.

 

The car ride was pretty awkward. I wanted to say something to her, but I was afraid I would make things worse.

 

"If you have something to say, then spit it out," Nina said coldly.

 

"I- I'm sorry," I said.

 

"About?" Nina said with her eye glued to the road.

 

"I am sorry that I yelled at you. I let mom get to me. I shouldn't have taken it out on you," I said.

 

"Steven, no matter what, I have your back. I know that mom is like that because she wants the best for you. Still, you need to stand up for yourself and tell her what you want, or she will walk all over you telling you what you should and should be doing," Nina said, and I sunk into my seat. I knew she was right. I hated it when she was right, but my mom always tried to take over my life because she always thought that I had no idea what I was doing. It honestly sucks.

 

"Do you think I am making a mistake pursuing music?" I asked.

 

"No, Steven, you are doing something that you love. Not everyone gets to do the job that they love or even good at," Nina said.

 

"Did you know my music teacher insisted I sign up for this competition to represent the whole school?" I said, and Nina looked at me briefly.

 

"Mr. Evans?" She asked.

 

"Yea, he told me to write a song, and he will look it over if it is competition worthy," I said.

 

"That sly old man. It would be best if you did it, Steven," Nina said.

 

"What if it is not good enough?" I asked and pulled into the parking lot of my school, putting it in park before turning to me.

 

"Steven, you gotta stop doing that," Nina said.

 

"Stop what?" I asked.

 

"Living in fear. You will not get far thinking that you are not good enough. You will never know what people think of you until you go out a do it. How do you think me and Gwen made a name for ourselves? We went out there and did it. Yea, we were scared, but we knew whatever we did, we wouldn't regret it because we faced our fear and did something we loved," Nina said.

 

"You know you deserver to be on a Disney show with how cheesy that line was," I said, and Nina punched me in the arm, and I laughed.

 

"Are you going to do it and sign up?" Nina asked.

 

"I will think about it," I said, and Nina scoffed.

 

"Okay, well, when you win and become famous, don't forget to say that your dear older sister was the turning point in your starting career," Nina said.

 

"Yea, yea, yeah, I gotta go. I'll text you later," I said, getting out of the car and closing it behind me. I started to walk toward the building, and I heard a honk. I turned back and saw my sister standing out of the sunroof.

 

"I love you, Stevie. Have a nice day!" Nina shouted, waving like a crazy person. I laughed, and she slipped back into the car.

 

"That girl is such a dork," I said, walking into the school with a new goal in mind. That goal was to do the competition, and now I have the confidence to do it no matter what anyone says to me.