The Willis' lived in a relatively large turn of the century house only three roads away from Addison. The house was a lot like Addison's own house apart from the fact that the Willis house didn't fill her with a sense of foreboding like her own home. It was also a lot smaller but Addison preferred that. Her own house always felt too big. Dylan parked up on the driveway behind a nondescript silver hatchback. Addison assumed it belonged to Dylan and Leo's mother.

Both Dylan and Leo piled out the car without a care in the world. After breathing in carefully for a few moments, Addison followed because it would have looked strange to just continue sitting in the car. Dylan strolled up to the front door and opened it before calling out "Hey Mom, we're home!"

"Hi honey, I'm in the kitchen!" came a voice from inside the house and Dylan motioned for Addison to follow him.

"Are you sure your mother will be ok with me being here?" Addison asked again because she knew from experience that unexpected guests could send people into a world of panic, or maybe that was just Eric and really he should have been ok with Brigid dropping in whenever she wanted by now as she had lived next door since Addison was five years old. Dylan scoffed loudly before he actually chuckled slightly.

"It's fine Addi. My Mom really won't mind you being here. Don't worry so much." Dylan said laughing.

Addison watched in mild fascination as she observed Dylan walk into the large kitchen and hug a smiling blonde woman. She had to be his mother as they had the exact same green eyes. Even though the Willis' hadn't been in the house for long, the kitchen was already full of appliances, cooking equipment, and cookery books.

"Mom, this is Addison. She's at the sixth form with me. We're in the same English and Art classes." Dylan said nodding over towards Addison. She braced herself as Dylan's mother looked over at her and was amazed to see her smile was just as bright as when she looked at her son.

"Well hello, Addison. It's a pleasure to meet you" Mrs Willis said walking over and actually hugging Addison tightly. It caught her completely off guard. The only parents she ever interacted with were Brigid's or her own father and none of them were huggers. Mrs Willis was also a lot stronger than she looked as her hug could have easily crushed bones or at least cause some serious bruising.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you Mrs Willis." Addison said in the politest voice she possessed as Mrs Willis finally let her go. Politeness didn't really come naturally to her anymore but Dylan's mother seemed so damn cheerful and pleasant that it was impossible to not be polite towards her.

"Please Addison, call me Eleanor. The only people to ever call me Mrs Willis are people from the bank and things like that." Mrs Willis said chuckling slightly and Addison noticed just how much her laugh was like Dylan's "I've just finished a batch of cookies if you're hungry." Eleanor added nodding towards the top of her large range cooker. A huge plate of what smelt like peanut butter cookies rested on the top and Dylan was already hovering by them ready to pounce by the look of it.

"I heard cookies!" Leo called from the hall.

"They're in the kitchen Leo!" Eleanor called out with a warm chuckle. "Can I get you a drink or anything Addison?" Eleanor then asked Addison as Leo raced into the kitchen and grabbed a handful of cookies off the plate before Dylan could. "Leo, you're worse than Dylan if that was possible." Eleanor chastised her son.

"No thank you, I'm ok." Addison said politely and she couldn't help but smile when Eleanor gave her a warm grin.

"Well if you need anything then don't be afraid to ask at all." Eleanor said before turning to Dylan. "Niamh rang me earlier on saying she was going to some comic store in town, will you be ok to fetch her when she's finished? I'm not too keen on her getting the bus back when we've only just moved here." Eleanor said and Dylan gave her an absentminded shrug of his shoulders. "Thank you, I suppose" Eleanor said shaking her head slightly before turning back to Addison. "So Dylan says you have a few classes together."

"Um yes, ...we have English and Art together." Addison explained.

"They also had detention together." Leo said between mouthfuls of cookies. Dylan swiftly gave his brother a whack on the back of the head causing Leo to momentarily choke on his mouthful of cookie. Leo coughed for several moments with streaming eyes until he recovered and glared at his brother.

"Dylan! Honestly, will you leave your brother alone?" Eleanor said in a reprimanding voice.

"Addison was more of the political prisoner when it came to detention." Dylan said making it sound like Addison had done something more profound than giving her English teacher sarcastic abuse.

"What, as opposed to you who was only there because you're a complete jerk?" Leo asked. Dylan turned to whack his brother again before Eleanor coughed loudly stopping Dylan in his tracks.

"Honestly, Addison you don't have siblings you treat as terribly as these two treat each other do you?" Eleanor asked keeping a wary eye on her sons.

"Um...not really...I mean, I have brothers but they're all older than me." Addison said. She didn't really want to get into the long story that was her family. Eleanor seemed to take her comment as enough and she gave her a small nod. Leo muttered something about how being the youngest sucked and how he was going to his room to do homework.

"We've been there two days, how can he have homework already?" Dylan asked.

"I wondered that about you and your detention." Eleanor said giving Dylan a disapproving look.

"Hey, I was a political prisoner just like Addison." Dylan said giving his mother a bright smile different from the smirk Addison had seen him give others.

"Yes well, I'll believe that when I see it." Eleanor said rolling her eyes as Dylan motioned for Addison to follow him out the kitchen. "Now don't forget about Niamh" Eleanor called after Dylan as they walked out the kitchen towards a spacious living room with several cardboard boxes still pushed up the far wall.

"Like it's possible to forget Niamh, she's loud enough." Dylan muttered as Addison glanced around the room.

Like the kitchen before, the living room was clearly going to be one of the most lived in rooms, a large bookcase was already full of both DVDs and books. One corner of the room seemed to be solely dedicated to the large stereo and turntable. The large mantle above the fireplace was groaning under countless family photos. For a moment Addison was saddened that the Willis' hadn't been living in this house for long but it already looked like more of a home than Addison own house. Her home was lacking in anything other than minimalistic décor for the past several years ever since...well for the past several years.

"Ignore the mess, we're trying to unpack everything but it seems like we've amassed a shitload of junk since we last moved and it's taking forever. I don't even want to think about how long it's going to take Leo and Niamh to unpack all their junk." Dylan said throwing himself onto the worn but very comfortable looking sofa. "So, how on earth do you do that?"

"How do I do what?" Addison asked as she looked over the bookshelf at the endless titles of books and DVDs.

"Get my mother to like you so quickly?" Dylan asked as he turned on the TV and began channel surfing.

"I don't know." Addison said with a shrug.

"Of course you do."

"I really don't Dylan." Addison said, laughter escaping her lips.

"Oh, you're one of those girls." Dylan said. Addison shot him a questioning look. "You're one of those 'Oh I'm cool but I'm going to pretend that I'm not' girls."

"I'm not like that. I just mean that most parents actively dislike me. Brigid's parents cannot stand me" Addison said as her eyes raked over a huge section of horror novels including works from Stephan King, Cormac McCarthy, and Henry James. Addison recognised many titles that were in her own house. Mark was a huge horror literature fan when he was younger. After a moment Dylan whooped with happiness as Star Wars: A New Hope had just started on a random film channel. "One day I might watch all those films" Addison said absentmindedly as she continued looking over the bookshelf.

"Huh...wait...what? You've never seen all the Star Wars films?" Dylan asked in a shocked voice like Addison had never lived a day in her life.

"No, I think I saw five minutes of one of them about ten years ago but that was it." Addison said nonchalantly.

"Right sit down, man are you in for an education!" Dylan said motioning for Addison to sit down on the sofa. "Never seen Star Wars..." Dylan muttered under his breath like it really was the most shocking thing he'd ever heard in his life.

---

Dylan was busy explaining the finer points of the first three original Star Wars films, during which he'd decided they needed to watch his Blu-Ray version of A New Hope instead of the version on TV 'to get the full experience', when the front door banged loudly and a small red-headed girl waltzed into the sitting room before throwing her full looking messenger bag to the floor.

"Hey bitches" she said grinning over at Dylan.

"How did you get home?" Dylan asked pausing the DVD and glancing over at the red-head who had to be their sister Niamh. Though, Addison could see no resemblance between her and any of the other Willis' she had met.

"I took the bus, the comic store wasn't too bad but there was nothing in there that I didn't already have so I might have to make a trek to the city soon." Niamh said shrugging her hoodie-clad shoulders.

"Didn't Mom tell you that I was going to pick you up? She didn't want you to get the bus home." Dylan said sounding concerned and the protective brother side of him became apparent.

"Mom worries way too much." Niamh said rolling her eyes heavily.

"Fine, but if she asks you, I drove you home. I'm not having her yell at me." Dylan said before turning back to the TV screen and pressing play so the DVD started back up again. Niamh shrugged her shoulders and sat down on the other sofa before she noticed Addison and gave her a double glance.

"Hey...aren't you in my film class?" she asked. Addison had to rack her brain because she really didn't pay attention in film class at the moment. "You sit at the back of the room I think. I'm near the front, they were only seats open." Niamh added if that was remotely helpful. After looking at her more closely Addison realised that Niamh was the red-haired girl who had been reading a graphic novel during the class.

"Oh yeah, Addison this is my sister Niamh. Niamh this is Addison Harper." Dylan said waving vaguely at Niamh. After only a few moments Niamh had pulled Addison into a discussion about the film they were studying in Film Studies. Apparently, Niamh had seen it as many times as Addison had. Niamh quickly recommended Addison a book that was a lot like the film. Addison noticed Dylan watching the pair of them with a bemused expression.

"Dylan! Dylan, did I hear Niamh in the hallway earlier on?" Eleanor called from the kitchen.

"Yes Mom, I've just come back with her!" Dylan called back. Niamh rolled her eyes but didn't correct Dylan which he seemed appreciative about and he shot her a grin.

"Yeah, he picked me up from the comic book store and everything!" Niamh called throwing Dylan a smirk of her own.

"That's lovely honey. Dylan, does Addison want to stay for dinner?" Eleanor then called. Addison glanced over at the clock on the fireplace and swore under her breath. It was nearing seven in the evening and Eric was expecting her at the dinner table any moment. Her brother was going to kill her.

"Shit, I have to get back; my brother's expecting me at home for dinner." Addison said leaping up from the sofa.

"I can give you a ride back home." Dylan offered but Addison shook her head.

"No...no it's ok. I can walk back" she said quickly because no doubt Eric would be in a terrible mood and Addison really didn't want Dylan to witness that. "It's only three streets down, I'll be fine." Addison said as she grabbed her bag from where she'd thrown it before.

"Addi-"

"Dylan I said I can walk" Addison shot back. As she was beginning to leave the room Eleanor walked in with a smile on her lips. "It was a pleasure meeting you Mrs Willis" Addison said hoping that she sounded polite because the general tone she seemed to give off most of the time was that of sarcasm.

"Well it was lovely meeting you Addison; you'll have to come over again soon." Eleanor said.

Giving Eleanor what she hoped was a warm smile, Addison hurried out the house and took off down the road in the run. A slight cold wind picked up as she ran, her feet pounding against the pavement which quietly echoed along the deserted road. The Harper house loomed towards her and the lack of her father's car in the driveway didn't surprise Addison in the slightest. The presence of both Mark and Eric's cars though was not a pleasant sight and just added to the dread settling in the pit of Addison's stomach. Addison took a few deep breathes before she pulled his keys out of his jacket pocket and let herself into the house. She prepared herself for whatever Eric was going to say.

"Aaron?" someone shouted from the dining room.

"No...it's me." Addison called back sighing as she practically dragged her body towards the dining room.

The very moment she walked into the dining room, Addison knew what kind of night the evening would turn out to be. Eric already looked pissed off and it was clear that Mark was trying his hardest not to saying anything to antagonise Eric. That was an achievement for him because normally he delighted in winding Eric up.

"You're late for dinner Addison. I said that everyone should be down here for seven and it's nearly half past now. Are you incapable of being on time for anything?" Eric asked. Addison rolled her eyes because she hadn't meant to be late it was just something that had happened. Time wasn't a real concern of Addison's if she was honest and this generally meant that she was late for most things. Brigid had gotten used to it so why couldn't her damn brother get used to it?

"Sorry." Addison said knowing full well that she didn't sound apologetic at all. That served Eric right for sounding like such a dick. She glanced around the room and saw that Aaron wasn't here either. Wasn't much a surprise as Aaron had the same thoughts as Addison when it came to family dinners. Addison briefly wondered if Aaron had even come home after he escaped down the drainpipe. If it weren't for that drainpipe both Aaron and Addison would have been around for more family arguments than they witnessed already.

"Yes well, you can sit down now." Eric said glaring slightly.

With a tired lament, Addison said "You know what, I'm really not hungry." The last thing she wanted was to sit down to a meal with her brothers, especially when Eric already seemed to be in a terrible mood. Before Eric could say anything else Addison turned on her heels and headed upstairs towards her bedroom.

"Addison!" Eric called back angrily but Addison carried on walking until she got to her room and slammed the door shut behind her.

Her room was her sanctuary, it was where she came to get away from her family and it was safe. It was the only room in the house that felt like home with its deep red walls, art prints hung up and the huge desk where Addison did most of her art.

A light knock on his door made Addison look away from her ceiling and sigh loudly. If it was Eric then she wasn't up for whatever argument would start up between them. Whoever it was on the other side of the door did not wait to be allowed in and just opened the door. Surprisingly it was Mark and not Eric.

"Are you ok?" Mark asked as he leant against the doorframe. "Eric's just pissed that Aaron isn't here."

"Yeah he made his escape down the drainpipe when you and Eric were arguing over marinades." Addison said haughtily.

"Huh." Mark said with a chuckle "I didn't know he was still small enough to do that...remember when we climbed down the drainpipe to go and see Jurassic Park III in the cinema?" Mark asked.

"You remember that?" Addison asked because that was one of the best memories she had that contained both Mark and Aaron in the same place without anyone fighting, making a scene or something blowing up.

"Yeah, I got the girl behind the box office's number." Mark said smirking. "Look just ignore Eric, he's in a shit mood and he's just looking for someone to take it out on. Aaron's not here and you're normally his next target when it comes to shit like this because he knows that I'll just fight back."

"Mark, did you really come up here to talk to me about this?" Addison asked. Mark's face darkened for a moment; there was a high chance he was about to tell Addison to fuck off but instead, he just let out an incensed grumble.

"No...I just wanted to see if you were ok but just forget. If you're hungry later on then they'll be food downstairs." Mark said before walking out the room and slamming the door shut behind him.

---

The argument between Mark and Eric resumed almost instantly and carried on well into the night. Neither of them seemed to care that Aaron wasn't there. Well, that was until Aaron came home and all hell broke loose between him and Eric. The pair yelled at one another until the early hours of the morning, clearly not caring who they kept awake with their constant rowing. It didn't even let up when their father returned home.

There was only so long Addison could stand listening to music at ear-splitting decibels before she developed the world's largest migraine. Addison discovered that at two in the morning when Eric and Mark were still doing their best to start World War III right in the Harper's kitchen.