"And the prodigal son returns! Where you been?" The drunk old man asked Cegs from his ratty old armchair. 

Cegs grabbed a beer and sat as far away as possible from the old man "Where're you been dad? Last time i saw you was august! That was two months ago!"

They seemed to have the same physical features. Both tall, strong and handsome. Both a mess. "Don't you talk to me like that BOY! I've been working!"

"Oh really dad, where's all the money then?"

"I spent it!" He got up to get another beer. He was a scary man if you didn't know his story. Cegs used to be scared of him when he was a kid.

"On what dad? Booze?Girls? Cause i don't see any bills being paid?" Cegs sipped more of his beer while his old man scowled at him. 

"You just looking for a fight aren't you? Why? Some girl not love you Cegs? Did you not get picked for the fucking football team? Or was it that family your always hanging out with? They finally get sick of you?" He grinned when he saw Cegs reaction/

"Shut up"

"It was, wasn't it? Those fancy Elliots kicked you out. Don't blame them your a waste of space but i thought you were the one who always said they loved you more then me. I guess not!"

"They weren't too fucking mighty to get off their high horses and come meet me! Your father! That stupid brown-haired bitch and her-" But he couldn't finish his sentence before Cegs had him pinned to the wall.

"Don't you ever, EVER, talk about them like that! They were more my parents then you'll ever be! They raised me!" He screamed in his face.

"Fat load of good they did! You still my son, you still act the same way you always did!" He burped a little with all the beer and Cegs knew it was no use.

"You know, sometimes i think dogs could of raised me better dad" And he walked out.

Callum knocked on Clare's door first thing in the morning. No one else was awake and she had taken his bed while he slept on the sofa.

"Come in"

Callum walked in, shyly and sat down on his bed "You feeling better?"

"Much."

"Good. You think you're ready to face the world again?"

"Yes."

They sat in silence for awhile. Callum scanned his little sisters eyes and tried reading her. He was always good at reading her. Jake and Isabel were closed books but Clare had always been open until now.

"You're trying to read me!" Reading his mind. "I'm ok Cal! Really, i am! I broke down yesterday! I just wanted to come home...but I'm ok now"

"You want me to beat this guy up!"

"His a geeky little freshman that showed it to one of his friends. I can handle him!" Clare tried persuading him. "Besides there seems to be a whole hell of a lot happening here.."

"I promise, it hasn't all been like this. Jake...i don't knwo what's happening with him. Cegs is...Cegs..." Callum thought about the boy who he thought of as a brother.

"And Isabel? She has bruises? Why haven't you called me?"

"I...I've been busy trying to run things without you...Why haven't you come visit?"

"Because..." It was time to come clean "I lied to everyone in my year and told them i was only child who was spoilt rotten by her parents..."

Callums eyes went wide for a second "Why, may i ask?"

"Cause i didn't want to be the girl with the dead parents! That's what i was to everyone here and i didn't want that for my new start!"

Callum didn't say anything but nodded in an understandable way.

"FIRECRACKER!" Cegs called after the speeding brunette in the halls. He rolled his eyes when she completely ignored him. A few cheerleader came up to him but he brushed past him.

"Isabel, would you slow down for a sec."

"Go away Chace, i don't wanna talk to you"

"Did Jake tell you to say that?" He ignored her calling him 'Chace' again.

"Jake hasn't been seen since last night even though its none of your business." She opened her locker angrily and pushed all her books inside.

"Look, i know your mad bu-"

"Why do you always screw up? Huh? Cause i really wanna know what goes through the famous Cegs head when he's about to screw up? I mean did you even think about Jake?"

"It was a kiss, come on...i pushed her off after a few minutes..."

"After a few minutes? So you made out for awhile and then stopped it? Had to get some classic Cegs time before doing the right thing, i get it!" She walked off.

"Isabel."

"Stop calling me that!"

"Stop calling me Chace!" He screamed the corriodor. She spun around, her eyes flaring.

"Why, cause it reminds you of someone?" S.Her eyes locked with his. "God, Cegs i really don't understand why everyone's so afraid of you. Cause you know what you are, a coward! You're a fucking coward!"

Cegs watched her march down the hall and out the door. He ran his hands through his hair and took a swing of his hip-flask. That girl whiled him up.

"Hello Cegs." He recognised her voice and was dragged into a classroom, the door shut behind her. "Hope no one saw us" She giggled, pushing him onto the desk.

"What the hell?"

"We never finished what we started after being so rudely interrupted by the janitor. Don't worry i paid him off" She stood in between his legs and ran her hands through his hair.

"Its school time. There are people out there!"

"I know, its it fun!"

"Look, Ms. Evans, I've got a lot on...my...plate...right...no-" She began kissing his neck, making him feel tinkly"I ...don't...think...its...a goood....idea..."

"Cegs..." She whispered in his ear.

"Yes mam"

"Shut up" And she pushed his back onto the desk.

Callum put the final bag in her car and slammed it the boot shut. "That seems to be it! Don't worry, i packed your blue PJ's"

"God, what has happened to the irresponsible big brother i left behind? You've been replaced!" Clare wrapped her arms around him tightly.

"Ha ha, very funny! You take care of yourself, ok? And if there's nay problems, you call straight away!" Callum kissed her on the top of her head.

"I feel bad for leaving you in all this but I've missed so much class already..."

"Its fine, go! I can handle our crazy siblings!"

"Bu-"

"Clare, you've gotten out! You're free from all of this! Your the only one of us actually doing anything! Make us proud!" He told her as she got in the car.

"I'm not the only one doing something! You're raising a kid for god sake...you're changing his life Callum..." And she drove of, leaving Callum happy.

"How was your night?" Jake almost jumped with fright as he jumped in back into his room. It was dark but he could see the faint shadow of Isabel sitting on his bed.

"You shouldn't be in here" He had never said that to her before and it hurt them both. Jake wiped his eyes, trying to seem normal.

"What's going on Jake? You're scaring me."

"Good. Maybe you'll leave."

"Jake?" Isabel pleaded as he grabbed her arm and began to pull her out "Why don't you talk to me? Why is this different?"

"You're too young Isabel! You wouldn't understand."

"I would! I could Jake! Please!" She cried, as he pushed her out of the room. She was clinging on to him, trying to get him to let her stay.

"I DON'T NEED YOU!" And he pushed her out onto the hallway floor, slamming and locking the door shut.