After buying the used guitar, Kane made his way to the pizzeria. When he arrived, Stacey was already waiting for him. She looked at him with puffed out cheeks as she said: “Brother you are late!”

    Kane looked at the time and realized he had spent a bit too much time in the instrument shop. He looked at Stacey and gave a helpless smile. “Sorry, I will be on time tomorrow I promise.”

Stacey wrinkled her nose and fell into thought for a moment before saying: “I will let it go this time. So what did you buy? A guitar?”

“Yeah, it’s just an old used acoustic but I figure I will get a better one later on after I learned how to use it correctly. I saw no need in buying something too expensive just yet.” Kane explained. He had a big smile on his face as he spoke. When it came to music he really enjoyed talking about it.

“Hmmm….” Stacey looked up at Kane. He was handsome from head to toe. If he really did become a famous singer he would probably do good. “You will have to let me hear you play sometime. Can you sing?”

“Mmm….” Kane nodded as he took Stacey’s bag for her and hooked it on his other shoulder. She beamed him a smile for being so considerate. 

“Then you will have to sing for me as well.” Stacey skipped a few steps ahead before turning around with her hands behind her back and looking up at Kane. “That way, in the future I can tell everyone my brother is an amazing person who sings songs for millions of people.”

“Well, I hope my little sister will do well in school then so I can say she graduated at the top of her class.” Kane grinned as he said this. 

Stacey’s lips pursed as she quickly turned around. Her cheeks were slightly red. She really liked the idea of having a big brother like Kane. “Say…. When we get to my house can you stay for an hour until my mom comes home?”

“If you want. But I am not too sure your mother will like it if you have a young man in your house. While you call me brother, we are not related by blood and are only 2 years apart.” Kane had to be careful. He did not want to be beaten up by her mother or worse his grandmother if he was said to be taking advantage of a girl. 

“We can sit outside. That way no one will say we were doing things.” Stacey replied. “I just don’t want to be home alone all the time. I work now to help relieve some of the stress my mother has. She is working three jobs every day seven days a week. Before I would leave and come home alone. 

“There were a few times when I forgot what my mother looked like because I would never see her. She would leave me notes and I know she loves me because she is working so hard to pay for our current home so we won’t be put into some kind of section 8. But I know it is hard on her. Even when she is sick she will force herself to go to work. So now that I can work I decided to help her pay the bills.

“Life is not easy for a single parent who had her child at an early age. My mother is only fifteen years older than me. She had long dropped out of school. Which is why I strive to do both school and work to its fullest. I want to make her proud of me and maybe one day make it so she can live an easy life.” Stacey had extended her hand and reached up towards the sky as if grasping at something. She pulled her hand back and looked at her empty palm and sighed. “I know I am still young but I wish I could grow up faster.”

Kane placed his hand on top of her head and ruffled her hair garnering a surprised yet pouty look from Stacey. She was going to yell at him for messing up her hair but she soon heard him say: “When I lost my parents around your age, I was left with just my grandparents who are disabled, living off of what measly state funds they get every month. When I got the insurance payoff, I used it to pay for ten years worth of rent. I dropped out of school and worked at night giving everything that was not used on bills to my grandparents so they could live a better life.

“But just the other day, my grandmother told me I should follow my dreams. That I should not be giving them all my earnings. But you know what, there was no way I could do that. So I searched for a second job. My goal is to write my own songs and better myself and allow my grandparents to live a luxurious life. I only have them as my family now. When they pass I will be left alone. With nothing to help motivate me to go further. This kind of thought scares me. What will happen when I am all alone? Will I shut myself off from the world or what?” Kane paused his steps and looked up at the sky while letting out a long sigh. He felt an arm hook around his. He looked down to see Stacey resting her head on his shoulder.

“Then let’s become sworn brother and sister. You can use me as a means to continue forward.” Stacey looked up at him. She was being serious. She was not joking around. She felt having Kane as her brother would help her escape her loneliness while at the same time, she could be his pillar of support in return. If his grandparents passed away she could help him stay on track. Help him stay on the path to reaching his dreams. 

Kane thought for a moment before smiling. “Why not. To have a cute little sister would not be so bad.”

With this promise between the two, they continued toward Stacey’s house. Little did they know that this promise would help both of them in the future ahead.