Family First

I, Alana Ryan, believe in one thing my family motto, "Malo More Quam Foedari" which means ''I would Rather Die than be Disgraced' and I live by that code. I would never question the code I never wondered why I went by the code, but every since I was a little girl I remembered my father always saying "Malo More Quam Foedari" and now it was etched onto his granite gravestone, right under his name Conner Ryan.

Now I sit in front his grave, holding back tears and repeating this code over and over again. When a single tear escaped and trickled down my cheek I stood and whispered "Malo More Quam Foedari" while shoving my headphones in and took off jogging up the hill and away from all the sadness that follows.


Squinting my eyes I threw my arms out and felt around till I found the alarm clock and smacked the button. Sitting up I rubbed my eyes till I could actually see through the bright light pouring through the open blinds. "Dammit I thought I closed those." Stifling a yawn I stood and walked across my room opening my closet and grabbed my usual outfit, one plain green t-shirt, a pair of blue jeans and my black converses. Tying my last shoe, I grabbed my hoodie off my desk chair and made my way down stairs for breakfast.

"Alana! I thought I told you to buy more milk yesterday."

"No mom, you told me to buy eggs and they are on the second shelf next to the milk I bought yesterday because I knew you forgot." I walked into the kitchen to see my mom squinting into the fridge and humming a tune for the Beatles song 'Yellow Submarine'. Reaching into the fridge my mom grabbed the milk and did a little dance to the island in the middle of the kitchen.

Stifling a laugh I sat on the stool under the counter "Mom you know you could of actually found the milk if you wore your glasses."

Jumping a little my mom spun around and grabbed her chest "Oh! Alana you scared me, now please make a little noise when you move around your like a stealthy cat."

"Sorry mom, but seriously if you wear you glasses you could actually see." I reached across the counter and grabbed an orange to eat.

"I know, I know but they aggravate me, always sliding down my nose, makes me look old." She spun around and did another little dance till she was standing at the end of the stair case. "Micheal! Get down here or you will be late to school."

"Mom, relax we will be on time." I mumbled while popping the last slice of orange into my mouth.

"Oh and Alana do not forget, I need you home by four." My mom stated while placing two sandwiches into a lunch bag before zipping it up and setting it in front of me.

Groaning I placed the bag into my book bag "Why?" before I could finish I was rudely interrupted by a thump to the back of my head. "Ouch, Micheal what the hell!"

"Watch your mouth young lady." my mom said while shooting daggers at me and the at Micheal, "And you no hitting your sister."

"Sorry mom, I thought she deserved it," Micheal threw his hands up in defense "I mean she did talk back to you."

"I don't care say sorry before I show you what a real hit is like."

"Whatever, sorry sis." Micheal mumbled while chugging the milk my mom had set on the counter.

"Alana like I said home by four." I groaned "because I can't leave Caiden home alone and I have a session this afternoon."

"Okay" I groaned out an okay because babysitting Caiden was like babysitting twelve different six year olds at once. Speak of the devil.

"Mommy, I want cookies for breakfast." Caiden came running in and jumped up and down like a thousand times saying please each time.

"Caiden how about the cookie cereal." Caiden nearly jumped out of his shoes "but that means you must behave when Ana babysits you today."

After Caiden groaned and accepted the deal he skipped to the living room sticking his tongue out at me on his way.

Once SpongeBob started to play through out the house I grabbed my book bag and headed outside, to walk to school.

"Ana, Ana, Ana" Micheal shouted while running to catch up to me "wait up. What's the rush to get to school?"

I just shrugged, I didn't really have a reason but I just wanted to get to school.

"Whatever, you know the rules, you know me as your older brother but we don't talk in school unless someone is hurt or owes another a favor."

"I know, I know, same for you." After I mumbled that Micheal just laughed at me. Did he not understand that I did not want the attention that he always got, it was just plain annoying?

"Okay Ana." He tried to stifle a laugh but I elbowed him the gut so instead of laughing he coughed a little "Oh, yeah I forgot to tell you, I cant walk home with you today, we find out if we make the football team today and then me the boys are going to a party, so cover for me please."

"Yeah, Yeah whatever but now you owe me."

I waved Micheal off before climbing the stairs to Walker High School. Opening the main door I walked straight to the schedule table and waited in line behind two freshman girls who couldn't stop giggling and talking about going to high school. I was nothing like that when I started high school. I promise.

I was lost in my thought and didn't hear the lady call my name in till the kid behind me nudged me forward and muttered something along the lines "pothead".

I walked up to table and said my last name, the Lady gave me a look of pity before riffling through the schedules and pulling mine out, I don't even understand the look she gave me, I mean seriously did she even look in the mirror this morning.

After grabbing the schedule and walking down corridor B in till I came up to my locker that I had since freshman year, popping open the locker I slide my bag in and started my way to my first class, art with Ms.Lapointe.


Once I entered the art room I went to the seat that wouldn't get me noticed. Two rows over and three tables down, once I sat down in the empty chair I flipped through the sketch pad sitting on my table, it looked like every other sketch pad on each table. By the time I was able to flip through the whole pad both bells rang and every seat was almost filled besides a couple including the one next to me. I sighed in relief; I did not want someone to sit next to me. I tested my luck again.

Right before the door shut someone shot through the door and skidded to halt with a smirk on his face. "Sorry, I got lost."

"Find a sit before I second guess myself and send you to the office." Ms.Lapointe snapped at the kid before starting roll call.

The kid nodded in agreement and sauntered straight towards me and I was barley able to keep in a groan when he plopped into the seat next to me and smirked right at me.

"Hi, names Ashton." He stared at me and I was wondering if he wanted me to reply to greeting. Couldn't he see that I did not want him to sit next to me let alone talk to me?

"Hi" I mumbled before turning in my seat to face the board up front.

"I didn't catch your name." he leaned in closer like I actually said it and he couldn't hear me.

I snapped up "Well I didn't give it to you."

"You two." Ms.Lapointe stood up and pointed at us "If you are done flirting would you please flip open your sketch pad and start drawing."

I nodded in response and Ashton being the loud mouth he is said "Will do captain. What would you like me to draw?"

Ms.Lapointe just shot daggers at him with her eyes and them slammed her hand into the chalkboard which shook a little from the force.

Once Ms.Lapointe sat back down and picked up a magazine to read everyone started to talk and work. Ashton took it as a way to start a conversation that I didn't want to have.

"So, what are going to draw for your favorite place to go?"

I just narrowed my eyes at him and mumbled.

He lent closer and cupped his ear "What did you say, I couldn't hear that?" I was getting frustrated and all I wanted to do was start my project already. "My favorite place, I guess." I hissed at him before leaning over my paper so any noisy people wouldn't look.

"Fine be like that, just trying to be friendly." Ashton said before starting on his drawing.

After I finished my drawing I glanced at Ashton and he was biting his tongue and looking in deep concentration on his drawing. I leaned over his shoulder to look but only to be looking into deep brown eyes. I jumped back a little in shock because his eyes were looked so deep and I almost got lost in them.

"Now who is being noisy?" Ashton said with a smirk playing across his face "how about I show you mine of you show me yours."

I looked at him for a few seconds before flipping my sketch pad open and flipping to my picture. I stared at for a few seconds before glancing at Ashton who stared at with complete shock and awe written across his face.

He looked up at me and his mouth was nearly on the floor "You drew this?"

I just shrugged, I did the assignment like she said, I drew my favorite place. It is a small field behind my house, it is covered in all different types of flowers and right in the middle of the field is a small cottage that my dad built me when I was little. It was always my favorite place I still go back there, no one really knows about the place besides my family and they don't go back there without my permission.

He just nodded and stuffed his sketch pad in his back pack. "Hey! You said if I showed you my drawing then you would she me yours."
"Ah, she speaks."

"Don't change the subject now I want to see your drawing. Hand it over." Ashton just dropped his shoulders and dug his sketch pad out of his bag and slid it on the table to me.
I opened it and found his drawing it looked like a twelve year old drew it but I could see where he was going with it.

It was a small park with a jungle gym and a swing that was occupied by a stick figure boy. I thought it looked sweet but funny so I giggled a little and Ashton grumbled a few curses and snatched the pad back to him and into his bag right when the bell rang.

"Hey Ashton" I grabbed his foreman and my hands instantly hit muscle, "it wasn't a bad drawing, I saw what you were trying to draw and it was really good."

"Thanks but did you see yours" Ashton nodded towards my picture "it is amazing it makes mine look like a twelve year old drew it."

I just shrugged. What was I suppose to say 'Thanks, I thought the same'. No, so instead I just slide my sketch pad off the table and headed for the door only to be stopped by a muscle arm.

"Hey artisty, I never did catch your name." Ashton smirked at me with a grin that light up his whole face and made his brown eyes shine a little and a small dimple show on his left cheek.

"I guess I never threw it to you." I gave him a small grin and ducked under his arm and headed to my locker to grab my bag and head to second period.


Scribbling doodles into my chemistry notebook, I glanced up at the wall clock above the board and sighed in relief, only have to survive five more minutes of this class then lunch, the one time I could be alone.

"Okay, students for the next few weeks we are going to start a new project on different types of metal bonds." Mrs. Marshall told the class while passing out project packets "You will research different types of metal bonds with a partner, one partner not two or three, one. So please come prepared tomorrow, meaning have a partner in mind and those who can't find a partner I will choose for you."

Groaning I flipped through the yellow packet before slipping it into my binder and standing at the sound of the bell for lunch.

Weaving through the crowd I approached my locker, swinging the door open I slide my binder next to my chemistry book before grabbing my back pack and swinging it over my shoulder. Shutting the locker and locking the lock I turned around only to slam into a hard object.

Throwing my arms to catch myself, I landed with a thump against the lockers hitting my head on the way down before seeing nothing but black.

"Shit, shit, shit. Artisty, hey Artisty, come on wake up." Blinking back spots I opened my eyes only to be staring into the same deep brown eyes, I wanted to avoid through out the rest of the day. Groaning I reached up to feel the back of my head for a lump only to have my hand slapped away.

"Ouch, What the hell?"

"Its only going to hurt more if you try and touch it." Aston said while standing up and sticking out his hand to help me up. "Be careful when standing up; don't need you to black out on me again."

Grunting I pushed off the floor, not accepting his hand, no need to help his ego. Stepping around Ashton I mumbled an apology and headed for the schools garden, to eat my lunch.

Sitting on my usually bench, I pulled out my now flat sandwich and my bottle of water and stared at the all the different types of flowers planted by the gardening club.

"So is this the most popular place to hang out for lunch,"

Rolling my eyes I glanced over my shoulder to see the one and only Ashton leaning against an oak tree with a smirk playing across his face.

"I said I was sorry for hitting you." I mumbled before taking a bite out of my sandwich and a big gulp from my water.

Chuckling Ashton sauntered around the bench and sat right next to me "I thought you tapped me. I am sorry for almost breaking your head open."

I just shrugged not really wanting to talk to him, I just wanted to eat my lunch and stop the throbbing that's pounding the back of my head.