I miss the way it used to be. My brother Elijah and I wrestling together and me crying because the squabble got too intense. Me and my sister Alexis having screaming matches over space in our small room. And me pestering my oldest brother Cory when he had friends over because back then it was my job to be the annoying little sister. 

The one who got everyone in trouble because I was a tattletail. The one who always asked for some of their snacks or food and told on them when they refused. The one who didn't knock and would leave a mess for everyone else to pick up after. That was my job as the youngest. The smallest of the four of us.

But time flies. People grow up. And life doesn't wait for you. Everything is different now. All my siblings have graduated. Class of 2015 . Class of 2016 . Class of 2019. I remember being so happy when my eldest brother graduated and equally as happy when my sister graduated. Bubbling with joy. The loud ensemble of cheering, clapping, and shouting that came from our section when their names were called. I was so proud. And I still am but if I knew it would be like this now I would not have been so naive. I was so excited that they would finally be out of the house. No more fighting over the space in the tiny room. No more arguing over whose mess it was. And no more getting policed around because I was so sick of that too. 

When my brother Elijah graduated it was different. I was still proud. But I was sad because I knew that meant he would leave just like Cory and Alexis. When Elijah officially moved into his dorm and I finally got home I truly felt the emptiness of the house. The house was so quiet you could hear the loneliness, there were no more screaming matches with words that hit you like a dodgeball at full speed. 

In a silly way I missed the bickering and the petty little arguments that would hurt my feelings. I miss having my siblings in the house more than anything. I miss the company. I miss telling my sister all the latest playground gossip. I missed baking cookies and doing silly little dances around the kitchen with Cory. I missed annoying Elijah and running as fast as I could so he wouldn't catch me even though he always did. I always thought I wouldn't miss them. I was so naive and didn't realise how lucky I was to have them around.

I always thought the time would never come and I expected to be happy when it did. We are all grown up now. Well I'm still growing but, sometimes I wish I could go back to when the house was full of people. Erupting with liveliness and joy. It's different and I'm okay with that. One day I will graduate, go to college and leave the house. But it will always be my job to be the annoying little sister.