Chewing gum bubble popping and one headphone pulled off her left ear Sophie made her way into the apartment, music still playing as she punched in the code. It was only half past one in the afternoon, but she was just getting home from a long night of practice and avoiding her mother. As she kicked off her shoes at the door she heard two familiar voices sounding from the living room. It was Sunday, so it wasn't hard to guess who it was.

Sophie pulled her headphones down and hung them around her neck as she stopped by the living room. “Just you two here?” she asked the boys on the couch.

The video game they were playing was paused before her brother and best friend turned to greet her. Vernon smiled with flushing cheeks, while her brother, Joshua, stuck his tongue out at her.

“Yeah. Mom and did are at work,” Joshua answered.

“Mom still fuming about college?” she inquired with a huff.

“Of course,” he scoffed. “You graduated high school two years early and you haven't done anything since, but bounce around dance studios.”

“Because I get bored, ugh,” she groaned flopping into the armchair adjacent from the couch. “You sound too much like mom,” she grumbled.

“Because she's right,” Joshua muttered back. “Get a job or something.”

“You could be a professional dancer or something,” Vernon suggested with his usual toothy grin Sophie found adorable.

“Then it becomes work and not a hobby,” she commented.

“True,” he shrugged. “Then what do you want to do?”

“I don't know,” she said slumping down the chair. “That's the problem. Maybe I should move.”

“Oh,” Joshua suddenly gasped pointing a finger at Sophie. “Dad said he has news to share tonight, so you have to be here for that.”

She groaned again, slumping off the chair and onto the carpeted floor like a child. “What's the news?”

“How am I to know? Dad said it was a surprise,” he said.

“Good or bad?”

Joshua shrugged.

“I'm sure it's good,” Vernon said positively.

Sophie cracked a smile at the younger boy. “You're my favorite brother Vernon,” she said folding her legs. “So much more supportive than this goodie-two-shoes.” She jabbed her thumb in Joshua's direction, who was moving his jaw mimicking Sophie's talking with a scrunched up face.

Vernon's smile faltered for a moment before it grew wider then normal. Sophie knew about his little crush, it wasn't much of a secret, the boy wore his heart on his sleeve, but they had grown up as neighbors. He was Joshua's best friend it was impossible for her to see him as anything other than a little brother.

“Ha, I'm the favorite,” Vernon boasted to Joshua, who only rolled his eyes.

“Good, you can have her as your sister. She's only a pain to me,” he said turning back to the television with the halted video game.

Hopping to her feet, purposely crossing in front of the couch on her way to the kitchen to annoy Joshua and playfully ruffled Vernon's bleached hair. Joshua grumbled and Sophie laughed as she raided the kitchen for food.

That night Sophie had to force herself not to runaway when her mom returned home, but it was made easier when her dad returned minutes later with a large rectangular smile and his arms spread wide. Sophie welcomed him home with a hug while Joshua helped their mother prepare dinner (Vernon had left several hours ago).

“How have you been kiddo?” Hong Baekhyun, her dad, asked as they moved to the living room. They plopped onto the couch with identical huffs of relief. If there was one thing Sophie could say with confidence was that she was a daddy's girl. She was a little princess growing up, but when boys stopped having cooties her father put her in judo classes and taught her some hapkido to defend herself. He taught her a lot of things most parents wouldn't, like how to tell the good guys from the bad, how to escape a dangerous situation, outdoor survival. Sophie was almost nineteen and she was prepared for a world disaster, or just a city wide riot to break out.

“Busy, bored, the usual,” she shrugged.

“Still dancing?” he in