"Please open the door" I begged but I could only hear her crying, "Veronica you need to go to school" I told her but she wouldn't budge, I Finally left her be. Something happened and I needed to figure out what.

I left to get ready and she must have left for school while I was cause when I went downstairs she wasn't in the house. I wasn't in the mood to eat so I just went to the park again, sat on the same bench and watched the same people who come here as a usual daily thing, at the same time, same place, their lives were so direct and in order.

I sat for hours with nothing but my set of eyes to entertain myself, there was a dog park across the park where I could just about see small puppies running around, the time came where I grew tired and Veronica would be home from school so I walked home, the walk contained of a lot of thought, my mind was going more and more blank as the house grew closer, I trudged inside and up to her room where her bag blocked the entrance.

This time without knocking I just walked in to find her lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling, "did you go to school?" I asked, lying down next to her, "no" she whispered. "Are You Ok?" I asked awkwardly, "it doesn't matter" she sighed, getting up and heading to the bathroom, "I have to collect Charlie, do you wanna come?" I asked but she had locked the door before I finished the sentence.

I drove to his school without Veronica and picked him up early, "Can I sit in the front?" He begged, "no" I laughed, "Where's Veronica?" He asked as the car started up, "at home" I replied, distracted from thought, we pulled up to the doctors office and walked into the waiting room.

"Are you sick at the moment?" I asked, preparing myself if he was, he shook his head but looked scared, I rubbed his dirty blond curly hair and told him he'd be ok and gave him a side hug.

"Is mommy coming home soon" he asked, forcing me to look up from my magazine, "I dunno" I lied, I knew well, she was staying out of town with Bill, she told me she needs a break but we all know that she just wants attention, "I never told you about my father" I said, changing the topic, trying to make some sort of metaphor.

"I've never met him but I've heard about him, his name's Steven and when I was born he moved to a different state with his family, he was still in highschool like my mother" I explained before he cut me off, "High School?"

"Yes, they were young. You know that time I went to go meet my real mom, Clara? and she told me something about my real father, she explained that he married some other woman and had a baby and were planning for a second" I said, "You have to be prepared for anything, you'll have no choice in the situation or maybe like me, never met the guy before" I smiled, "I have more siblings!" he complained going completely off topic and not understanding what I meant and before I could answer his name was called.

"Primary immune deficiency" the doctor said, "huh?" Charlie sighed, "it means that you're very likely to get sick easily" he smiled, "I can tell just by your breathing but we'll have to undertake more testing" he explained, sitting back in his chair, "there is medicine we can give him for a short period of time but I'm surprised he hasn't been diagnosed yet" he said.

He talked for ages and I continued to pretend to listen, he gave me a subscription to collect at the front desk which I almost forgot about, Charlie went quite so I brought him out for ice cream to try and be nice, "am I dying?" He asked, "Yes"
I lied but he took it seriously, I was too lazy to reassure him that it was a joke but he was starting to get annoying so I'd just let John explain it to him.

"Tell Rebecca if John's not bringing her to gymnastics I am" I shouted after him as he got out of the car, "she hates gymnastics" he complained, knowing that Becca would complain more, "I don't give two shits, tell her paybacks a bitch, I was forced to go as well" I shouted, watching him walk inside and then I waited a few minutes till ringing the apartment buzzer on the front of the building. After convincing John to let me in I made my way up to the fourth floor, door 4D, John answered the door and wouldn't let me in.

"You're being a dick!" I argued, "I asked you not to use that language" he said but I just pushed past him and took a glance around before wanting to leave, "this place is disgusting" I said, looking at the broken floorboards and peeling walls,

"renovations, the kids rooms are finished, "Where's your mother?" He asked awkwardly, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Maine" I replied, knowing that he wanted to know where Karen was, "Maine! How will I tell the kids" he panicked, "she's my mom not theirs" I laughed, watching him calm down,

"Where's Karen?" He asked again,"ohhhh Karen, I thought you meant my mom, she's on a 'business trip' with some guy" I answered, "Are you two legally still married?" I asked, getting distracted by looking around the place.

"Can I take the kids for a while" I asked, a question I thought would never escape my mouth, "why?"

"Veronica misses them, she actually likes them" I laughed, a joke he didn't find funny, "Don't tell Karen you have them" he sighed.

I walked into Rebecca's room and forced her to begin packing, Jacob packed in seconds and wouldn't shut up about Veronica, I made Rebecca pack for Charlie just because, "why are you so mean to me?" She complained,

"why are some of my fingers permanently bent? Oh yeah cause you crushed them with a car door" I answered, pushing her back into his room, "hurry!" I shouted, going back into the living area to John. "Are you and Karen getting back together?" I asked, trying to start dumb conversation, "I heard you got suspended" he sighed, changing the subject, "Yes, I did, but for stupid reasons, I shouldn't have" I argued, "you're grounded"

I laughed after he said that but he wasn't joking, "John we live in separate houses" I laughed, "Last time you got suspended you went out every night and Karen ended up locking you in your room, I'm being easy, you're grounded, just because you don't like me doesn't mean I don't have power over you anymore" "you don't, I'm 18" I defended, "whose house are you living under?"

"Karen's, she told me she payed so it's hers" I argued, looking at his reaction and realizing it was his, "you do care about her" I smiled as if I were mocking some kid in playschool, "Get going" he sighed.

(Lmao didn't realize how much of this book I actually have prewritten... thanks for reading❤️)