Afternoon guys, gals, non-binary pals, and those who just exist. These next few chapters are going to be mostly dialogue. Hope you enjoy it! This is the time to get your numbers in. The number count stops Friday, July 30th, 2021!

Enjoy-

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Maddie's POV

John knocked on the door and took a step back. There is nothing worse than opening the door and someone's right in your face. After a few seconds, there was a girl standing in the doorway. She was about 5'5. Definitely taller than me. She was a shade or two darker than John, she had pretty emerald spheres that were surrounded with glasses and a face full of freckles, and had long black curls. She was definitely John's kid. Unless he had a twin brother I didn't know about.

"Dad!" Frances' eyes lit up with glee as she ran and gave her father a hug. Her head fit snugly under John's chin. She squeezed him tight.

John kissed the girl's head and responded with the same amount of excitement Frances had shown, "Frances!"

I stood there, kinda awkwardly until I heard a high-pitched voice, "Who are you?"

"I'm Maddie. I'm his godchild and solver of all his problems. Your father would be a mess without me. Nice to meet you." I smile, sticking my hand out.

She looked at my outstretched hand for a second and dapped me up, " I'm Frances, but I think you already knew that though." 

"I did."

"Do you have your stuff ready?" John interrupted our conversation.

"Yeah, my stuff is right here." she pointed to a suitcase and two bookbags. "I can put them inside the car myself."

"No, I got it" John smiled. "You guys can go wait in the car."

"Alrighty." I say, "Come child we have much to discuss."

"Ummm, ok"

Frances POV

"Ummm, ok" I replied to Maddie, who sat in the passenger seat, leaving me to sit in the back. I saw her mouth moving as I thought about the events of the next few weeks.

I was super excited to be with my dad while my mom was in the hospital. Not that I enjoy the fact that mom is in the hospital, or that she got hit by a drunk driver, or that my dad has to take care of me while she is in the hospital. Or the fact that now I have to meet this brother I know that I have, but have never met. Apparently, he's really mean to dad. Dad never told me that my step-brother was mean to him, but mom talks about him all the time to dad. That's why he stayed home with us the past couple of days. I know that eavesdropping is bad, but I can't resist overhearing their conversations. I hope that my step-brother is nice while I'm there, not that I'm expecting him to change just because of me or anything. No, that would be selfish and totally wrong. I hope that if he doesn't like me, he'll just ignore me, which will make living there a lot easier than him pretending to like me and having weird encounters or him treating me like I've heard he treats dad, and then I'll get in trouble and dad will make me live by myself until mom gets better.

I heard the trunk close, then dad getting into the driver's seat. He looked at me through the rearview mirror. I looked at him and he handed me an orange bottle. My anxiety medicine. I flushed red, grabbing the bottle from him and stuffing it in the door. I left it in the cabinet, hoping that dad wouldn't make me take it. Maddie is gonna think I'm a freak for needing medicine. That's why I tried to leave it on the counter. So that no one would know that I needed anxiety medicine in the first place. I guess dad knew I was going to pull something like that, and checked the cabinet. I took a sharp breath and started listening to the conversation that was happening in the car.

"Good, are you guys hungry?" Dad asked, looking at me once again.

Maddie groaned and dramatically leaned on my dad, "Yes! You've neglected me from food to pick up a child"

My dad smiled and asked what we wanted to eat. Maddie immediately started naming things. Dad told her to slow down, then asked me. I don't want them to have to worry about getting me anything special, especially since it's already big enough that they came all the way out here just to pick me up. And the fact that dad is already doing so much by not letting me stay by myself. Mom had planned to get groceries delivered and I walked to school. But when groceries get delivered, you have to open the door to show someone's home, then you have to take the bags inside while the worker puts more down, and if it's only you there, they may think you're a pig for getting too much food or think you're lazy for getting your food delivered and not going to the store. You never know, they may kidnap you or knock you out and steal your stuff while your door is open. My actual thoughts of getting stuff delivered.

I tune out my inner thoughts, listening to Maddie joking around with my dad.

I think I'm going to like it here

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Oh just you wait Frances, this is only the beginning. 

Thoughts on Frances? Anything you guys would like to see her do or say?

Thank you for reading, have a good weekend.