Missing Sister

Prologue:

I had thought that Tom's party was going to be big, but never this big. I had just gotten ready for the party, smearing mascara on all of my eyelashes, when Mum called out. "Indiana, come here right now!" I sighed and yelled back.

"Coming Mum, I'll be down in a second," I ran down the wooden staircase to where she stood with Sophie, my younger sister.

"Indi, I need you to babysit Sophie tonight, I need to go to a work function," she said, looking at me demandingly. She was already dressed in a little black dress and matching stilettos, her brown hair tied up in a bun. I stared at her disbelievingly.

"But Mum, I can't!" I said, trying hard not to raise my voice. "You know I'm going to Tom's party tonight, it's been planned for ages!"

"Well, darling, I'm afraid I just forgot about this...function," she sighed.

"But Mum, this is really important to me. Tom and I are really good friends. This is so unfair!" I said angrily. Mum turned to me with a fierce expression on her face.

"You will babysit Sophie tonight, Indiana May Greenwood and you will not answer back to me again," she growled. Sophie looked very annoyed, she called out.

"Why do I need to be babysat, I'm not a baby, I'm 12 years old," Mum sighed and shook her head.

"Now girls, I must be off. I'll see you at about 11, so be good," she said as she closed the door.

I looked at Sophie.

"Please don't tell Mum I'm going to the party, okay. I need to go and see Tom," I pleaded.

Sophie raised her eyebrows. "You can't just leave me here," she exclaimed worriedly. "Mum'll be so cross if she finds out!"

"Well, I'm not missing out on this party!" I shouted, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her. I couldn't help thinking Dad should be home right now. He should be looking after Sophie, not me! But no, he was in Holland 'working'- more like enjoying a nice holiday without us!

Sophie's big blue eyes started to fill with tears.

"I want to come to the party with you, I'll be too scared all by myself. And if you don't let me, then I'll tell Mum," Sophie's face was now looking triumphant. I sighed angrily, I knew that I couldn't' win against this 'demon child'.

"Fine, you can come. But you have to stay close to me at all times because this party is going to be big," I said, reluctantly. I so desperately wished she didn't have to come with me; I just knew she was going to embarrass me somehow.

"Alright, Sophie, hurry up and get ready," I said, ushering her towards her bedroom.

"You're not wearing that to the party!" I called after her a few minutes later, as she headed down the hall. I mean, for god's sake, she was wearing purple cords and her school choir T-shirt. I headed into my bedroom, sulkily applied a fresh coat of lipgloss and combed out my straightened blonde hair. I marched Sophie out of the house.

"We're going to be late! I can't be late for Tom's party!" I said frantically. I tried to walk faster in my heels but I couldn't. Sophie started to yabber on about choir and her solo in the school concert.

"And Mrs Henry said that if I do a good job for the school concert then I might be able to do more solos and maybe become a pop star. I would make a good pop star, don't you think?" I nodded and grabbed Sophie's arm to hurry her on. Finally I could see a large brick house in the distance. We were nearly there.

"Ooh, is this the house?" exclaimed Sophie excitedly. The house was lit up, and we could hear booming music coming from inside.

"Yep, now remember what I told you about sticking close-" I stopped talking, as I'd noticed Tom walking around the side of the house wearing dark denim jeans and a black T-shirt, his windswept brown hair flopping over his face. My breath caught in my throat. He looked amazing.

"Ok, forget that, Sophie," I said as I ran forward towards Tom, my heart hammering. He kissed my head as I smiled adoringly at him.

"Some party, hey?" he said proudly. I smiled at his happy face.

"I haven't been to a party that was so crowded. But I've been made to babysit Sophie, my little sister so I brought her along too," I said.

"She doesn't have to follow us around, right?" Tom said worriedly.

"Course not, she's not going to do that. Let's get something to drink now," I said. I followed Tom to a table filled with alcohol. Tom picked up a bottle of beer so I did the same. He gestured to go upstairs.