Song: Without you (ft. Usher) // David Guetta

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After three days of being holed up in our respective rooms, I agreed to meet Dante to discuss my dad's will and learn how our lives were going to change from this point going forward. I asked Amber if she wanted to come with me; if she wanted to leave the house to meet the lawyer at his office, and surprisingly she agreed.

Amber took our dad's death the hardest. She never left her room, barely ate and didn't get up from bed unless she had to use the bathroom. Sometimes, I heard her crying at night, but I didn't know what to do. Amber and I rarely talked, let alone comforted each other. When she was younger I made her cry by repeatedly smashing her Barbie Dreamhouse into pieces, and in return, she made me angry by convincing dad to make me take her with me when I had plans with my friends. Our relationship was never a strong one, so I didn't know what I could do to make her feel better.

I remember her coming down the stairs in one of our dad's hoodies and a pair of leggings. Her hair was up in a messy bun and her face was pale with some tear stains littered across her face. I didn't have the heart to tell her that we were supposed to be dressed in 'casual formal' wear because she just fucking lost her father, she obviously wasn't going to put any thought into her outfits like she usually does.

"Let's get this over with," She muttered in a hoarse voice. She stomped ahead and threw open the car's door, got in, and slammed it shut. I winced at the damage she's managed to inflict on my car in the span of three days but shook the thought out of my head. 

Everything's going to be alright, this is just for the time being.

During our meeting, Dante informed us of two important things. First and foremost I was appointed Amber's new legal guardian. I obviously knew that I was going to have to continue living with her, it's not like I could fucking leave her by herself, but the thought that she was going to become my responsibility never crossed my mind. I didn't know how to take care of myself, let alone a thirteen-year-old, hormonal, grieving, teenage girl. But when I looked over at her and found her staring out the window indifferently, not a single emotion plastered on her face, I couldn't imagine anyone else taking care of her, even if it meant that I now had to endure her temper tantrums.

He then informed me that all of my dad's possessions; our house, his cars, his wealth was to be passed down to me.

"So, this means that you're also going to be the new CEO of Amity Industries." He stated nonchalantly leafing through the document.

I paused and stared at the man because he had to be kidding. I had a life planned out, I'm a musician, not a businessman. Lord fucking knows I hated business with a passion and barely knew the basics of the subject. Now I would have to run an entire company, one my dad built from the ground up? I didn't fucking think so. I sat there, waiting for Dante to look up and laugh because this had to be a joke.

My father must've been pulling my leg from the grave.

"Listen, check that fucking thing again because there must be some mistake. I already told my dad that I wasn't going to take over the company and he agreed to let me do what I want." I kept tapping the will, thinking that if I applied enough force, all of my slowly rising anger would transfer to the document and somehow change what my dad has already signed off.

"No, you're dad clearly told me that you were to take over the company after he passed on," He told me a matter of factly, pulling the papers away from me. It was at that point that I've already decided that I didn't like this guy.

"Give me that," I gritted out, yanking the document out of his hands and looked for the paragraph that dictated what my father had left behind for me. I gripped the piece of paper tightly reading over the paragraph and once I've confirmed that what the lawyer told me was true, I tossed the paper back to him letting out a huff of frustration.

"Fuck," I cursed, running my hands through my hair and then down my face. I looked back up at him to say, "And there's no changing that? Can't the company just appoint someone else as the CEO?"

"I'm afraid not, Mr. Dylan," He started. "Mr. Amity clearly stated that you're to be the CEO of the company and that it is to remain in the hands of his children until they're unable to take care of it."

My heart dropped at his statement. I could feel all my hopes and dreams crumble before me. I was supposed to be a musician, a part of an orchestra, the orchestra, the first violinist, and now, this piece of paper has stripped me of my future.

"Fuck," I repeated. My shoulders slumped, a defeated expression covering my face. "Shit."

"Sir, this isn't a permanent position. Miss Amber is set to inherit the company when she is of age. You're just filling in until she is able to become CEO after she's graduated business school," He informed me. When he saw my surprised expression, he nodded, as if telling me that I couldn't escape this and that all that I was hearing was true.

I looked over at my younger sister and found her still looking out the window. She didn't seem surprised, it was almost as if she was already aware of the entire ordeal and actually agreed to it. When she felt my heated stare, she turned around and stared back at me. She raised her eyebrows, rolled her eyes, and turned to Dante.

"Yeah," She heaved defeatedly. "Sounds like the plan."

I wanted to continue protesting, but I paused. How old was I? Why was I acting like a fucking child in front of a stranger and my practically depressed sister? If my dad told me to take over the company, even if it was for the next 7 years, I was going to do it because I respected him too much to defy his orders. Not to forget I'm Amber's new guardian, I had to set an example, I had to make sure that she was fine above anyone else, including myself.

Because she was my priority now, that meant I had to inherit the company. For her. For dad. I would just have to put my dreams on pause for a bit, it's not like this was permanent.

It's not permanent. It's just until Amber can inherit it.

Dante wrapped up the meeting, telling us what was going to happen next in terms of legalities for the whole guardianship process and inheritance of the company, and we were off, a heavy silence between us, to return to not seeing each other at our own home.

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2 weeks later...

"Amber! Get up you've got to go to school today!" I yelled from the kitchen downstairs as I poured my coffee into my travel mug.

Nothing has changed since we met up with Dante, except for the fact that I was now legally Amber's guardian. The procedure wasn't as difficult as I expected it to be, but I was informed that Child-Protective Services was going to be on my ass about Amber. Other than that, my younger sister was still detached, grieving the loss of my father immensely. I could still hear her crying at night, and when I tried going into her room to check up on her one night, I was met with a locked door. She stopped crying after hearing the door handle jiggle.

While Amber didn't try to hide how emotional this entire situation was for her, I was trying my best to take it one day at a time. It was hard, not hearing the pan sizzling every morning while my dad made sausages and fried eggs, not hearing him tell his horrible jokes, and not hear his booming laughter. But I'm comforted by the fact that he wasn't in pain anymore, that he could finally relax.

Amber didn't respond to me, but I could hear a faint thump from her bedroom's direction upstairs. Minutes later she came downstairs dressed in grey sweatpants and a white cropped top. I did a double-take, rarely seeing her dressed in such dull colors.

"Morning," I mumbled, taking a sip of the coffee.

She ignored me and walked into the kitchen, took out a plate from the cupboards and went to the stove. She then abruptly paused and stared at the empty stovetop. It's at that moment that I realized that she was used to my dad preparing breakfast for us, and was unconsciously following her usual routine as if dad was still alive.

"Oh," She mumbled dejectedly. She placed the plate on the counter by the stovetop and walked towards the fruit basket to pick up an apple.

I instantly stood tall, "Wait, wait, wait." I stopped her from biting into the apple. "You haven't had a proper meal in weeks, just let me make you the eggs alright?" She lifted her head up so that her glossy eyes could meet mine.

She wiped a tear as it fell and hummed quietly, taking a seat at the countertop.

I took out the pan and the ingredients and went to work scrambling the eggs the way I remember her liking them. Placing them onto her plate, I hand it to her with a fork.

"I'm going upstairs to change and then when I come back downstairs I'll drop you off at school alright?" I asked her watching as she chewed on the eggs.

She replied with a nod.

While it was Amber's first day back at school today, it was my first day as Amity Industry's newly appointed CEO. I spent the previous two weeks reading up on the company and took some brief online courses so that when I was hit with some business lingo, I would at least understand some of it. Suffice to say, I was shitting bricks; I was more nervous than I was when I had to perform in front of an audience for the first time. I put on a suit that I had to get for this occasion and after three failed attempts, I finally managed to make the black tie look presentable around my neck.

I stared myself in the mirror. My hair was styled back while my beard lined my jawline. The suit was tailored so it fits like a glove and managed to define my muscles, while the tie brought the entire look together. All in all, I looked professional, like I knew what the fuck I was doing being the CEO of a company I didn't want to inherit.

I took a deep breath, "This is just temporary. You can do this. You're Dylan fucking Amity." 

And I knew deep down that if I didn't do this, dad would somehow come back from the grave to whoop my ass.

I ran down the stairs and found Amber staring longingly at the stovetop, but she cleaned up the pan and her plate which I was thankful for. She looked back at me when she heard my approaching footsteps and got up to get her backpack from next to the front door.

I followed behind her, picking up my travel mug and unlocking my car.

The silence in the car was tense as I pulled into the highway, so I decided to try and start a conversation with my younger sister.

"So..." I tapped the steering wheel. "Are you ready to go back to school?"

She shrugged, staring at the passing cars.

"Okay," I dragged out. This was going to be harder than I thought. "I bet you're excited to see your friends again, yeah?"

"I guess."

I hummed in response and tried to think of something else I could talk to her about. The thought of being CEO crossed my mind again, and then I remembered how she wasn't surprised to learn that she was going to inherit the company after she graduated from college.

"So, um, did you already know that you were going to inherit the company after me and become the CEO?" I asked, looking at her from the corner of my eye. I saw her stiffen and shut her eyes.

"Yes." She replied curtly.

I let out a small breath, slightly aggravated that she wasn't giving me proper responses.

"Did you and dad talk about this before he d–"

She cut me off with a brief yes. I responded with a nod and tightened my hold on the steering wheel. I could tell she still wasn't comfortable with mentioning the fact that dad is dead and I made a mental note to try and not bring it up again.

I saw the school approaching us and asked her if Harold was going to pick her up today after school.

"I forgot my phone at home so I can't text him," She informed me. A grin almost escaped when I heard her reply with a complete sentence, but I decided to just keep my cool.

I nodded again, "That's fine I'll just pick you up after school then?"

"Sure, I guess." She said before opening the door, grabbing her bag and trudging to the school's main entrance.

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Walking into the building, I can't help the fact that my jaw dropped as I took in the interior of the tower.  The walls were lined with glass, an accent of black paint surrounding the glass panes. A lounge sat in the corner, with leather couches surrounding a glass coffee table held up by a slab of wood. People were walking around back straight, chin up, head held high, dressed in their suits or dresses and they didn't spare each other a second glance.

This place was professional as shit.

Adjusting my posture, I could hear my dress shoes clack against the floor as I walked up to the receptionist's desk, "Hello," I addressed the receptionist. "Do you know what floor the CEO's office is at?"

The man sitting behind the desk looked up at me curiously, "Well, yes sir, but may I ask who you are? I'm not allowed to just send anyone into the building for security reasons."

Well obviously, Dylan, you should've just led on with your fucking name, you idiot.

"I'm Dylan Amity," I stated confidently. The receptionist's face paled when he heard my last name.

"The new CEO?" He asked loudly, causing people to stop bustling about and start staring at me. I almost shrank back at their gazes, especially when murmurs erupted, but I stood my ground and straightened my back.

You're Dylan fucking Amity, don't be scared.

"Yes," I paused, waiting for him to tell me how to get to the office, my new office, but he just continued staring at me, jaw slack. My eyes darted around the room and watched as everyone stared at this awkward exchange. "Well? Are you going to tell me where the office is?"

"Oh!" He jumped, scrambling around, typing something into his computer, which I really didn't understand because I'd hope he'd know where the office is without having to look it up on the system.

"Mr. Amity," A gentle voice said behind me. I turned around to find a woman who was slightly older than me, in a blazer and pencil skirt ensemble, stood in front of me with a tablet clutched to her chest. "I'm Lillian Sanders, I was your dad's secretary, and now, I'm yours."

Holding out my hand for a handshake I told her that it was nice to meet her, then I said, "So, you knew my dad?"

"Yes, he was like a second dad to me. He helped me get this job and become financially stable and I'll forever be grateful for that. Please ignore Mr. Daniels," She said, looking pointedly at the useless receptionist. "It's his second week here and he's still learning the ropes."

She handed me an ID badge, with a picture of me, my name, and the words 'Chief Executive Officer' written beneath it. I stared at the title, the reality of becoming the CEO of a company finally settling in. 

"Please follow me into the elevator, Mr. Amity, so that I can show you your office and give you the run-down on what you're going to be doing." She gestured towards the line of elevators behind the receptionist's desk.

I let out a sigh of relief when I heard that she was going to help me get started, "Thank you," I whispered so that only she could hear me. "I need all the help I can get." 

She chuckles, "Let's hope you don't have anything planned for today, sir, it's going to be a long day."

"Dylan," I told her. "You can just call me Dylan."

Mr. Amity reminds me too much of my father, and I'm scared I'll never live up to his name.

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I spent that entire day cooped up in my office with Lillian as she taught me everything I needed to know about the company and how it operates within the building. We first started off with a tour, where she introduced me to every floor and what section of the company they held. I learned what floor housed the office, and was surprised to know it was the highest floor on the building. Later, she showed me how to use the computer to access the system. And she finally informed me what was expected of me as the CEO of the company.

When I finally got a grasp of the operation, I thanked her profusely and went to work. I was interrupted when a knock sounded at the door and Lillian popped her head in.

"Hello," She started. "Just letting you know my shift's ended so I'm off to go home."

"Already? What time is it?" I asked. I could've sworn it was still two o'clock.

"It's six-thirty sir." She replied.

Then, I remembered Amber, and how I told her that I was going to pick her up from school today. It's already three hours past three-o'clock, the time when her school day ended.

Fuck.

"Al-Alright," I let out, hurriedly shutting off my laptop. "Thank you Ms. Sanders."

She gave me a nod and closed the door behind her as she left.

"Fuck," I cursed, shoving pieces of paper into my briefcase, along with the laptop that belonged to the company. "Shit, shit, shit."

I bolted out of my office, running towards the elevators and praying to God that Amber was safe. The employees stared at me, clearly confused about why their new boss was scrambling out of the building like it was on fire, but I just ignored their gazes, rifling through my briefcase trying to find the stupid car key.

Throwing the bag into the backseat, I backed out of the parking lot and stepped down on the accelerator, exceeding the speed limit. 

When I finally reached the school's drop-off zone, I wasn't surprised to not have found Amber sitting on the benches outside the building. The place was practically abandoned. I just couldn't decide whether this was a good or bad thing.

"Fuck!" I yelled, slamming my fist on the steering wheel and stepped on the accelerator again.

Please be at home, please be at home.

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Bursting through the house's front door, I started yelling her name, but she never replied. I checked the living room and found her bag thrown onto the couch. I never thought I'd be so relieved to find my sister's bag in the fucking lounge.

"Amber? Where the hell are you!" I screamed, but I was still met with silence.

I knocked on her bedroom door and opened it to be met with an empty, but messy room.

"Amber, you better fucking answer me! This isn't funny!" I yelled again, loosening the tie from around my neck.

I passed by my dad's office and found light shining through the bottom of the door. I knocked on the door and opened it to find my sister with her Airpods in, working on her assignments. My father's hoodie practically swallowed her, and she sat, snuggled into his chair. When she noticed me open the door, she took out her headphones and raised her eyebrow.

"How loud's your music, jeez," I muttered, and she rolled her eyes in response and went back to working on her homework. "I'm so sorry Amber, I was so busy with work, it completely slipped my mind that I was supposed to pick you up."

"It's fine," She mumbled and furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to understand whatever she was working on.

I rubbed my arm, really embarrassed that I was here worrying while she looked like she didn't give two shits.

"How did you get home, did you manage to text Harold?" I asked.

"I just bought a public transport pass since–" She paused writing and looked down at her hoodie. "Since papa told me that I wasn't allowed to use Uber."

"Oh," I replied awkwardly. I didn't know how to respond, this is the most she's talked to me in weeks. "Did you get on the wrong bus or anything?"

"No," She replied curtly and continued her work.

Well, you fucked that one up Dylan.

Letting out a sigh, I felt my stomach gurgle and remembered that I haven't eaten anything since breakfast, "Well, do you want to eat dinner with me?" I offered weakly.

"I already had lunch late, and I'm not hungry." She informed me and put her earphones back into her ear, a clear sign that she was done with our conversation.

"Alright." I stood awkwardly at the door, taking in my sister, her puffy face and the bags under her eyes. 

But she just ignored me and continued on with her assignment.

Nice going, Dylan.

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27/03/20 – We on lockdown now, boyss.