How hard could it be? • LM / SS

Chapter 1

                       "I wish someone had
                        told me I'd be doing
                             this by myself."

California. Somewhere they hadn't visited in the last five months, yet the house still felt just as familiar and welcoming, a warm hug in the freezing cold weather. The two spare bedrooms had been vacated of its usual occupants, which included anything that had stepped foot through the door and had been shoved in there for safe keeping- in other words, to never be used again.

There was playful shouting coming from the kitchen of the McCall residence, rain pattering softly against the window. It was January fifth, the evening before the three teenagers had to venture back to school after spring break. For Jade and Max Pierce, their first day was daunting upon them, the reality really starting to hit. Being the new kids on the block wasn't easy, especially not when people had already formed their cliques and were determined to shun anyone who tried to interfere.

"You're a cheater! Nope, you're a cheater, you counted that wrong!" Jade yelled, pointing an accusing finger at her cousin as she counted out her money another time.

Monopoly was a competitive game in the household, everyone desperate to have the glory of winning- that was, if Max didn't get bored and decide to quit halfway through. Lasting an hour and a half was a new record, the unusual thing being that no one had flipped the board yet and then stormed off in a huff.

"You conned me out of my money!" Scott yelled back, the corners of his lips tugging up into a smile as he gestured for his mother to side with him. This was why he never played with his family; a whole lot of them were cheaters! It was even worse when Sean and Elizabeth joined in on summer holidays, teaming up to bankrupt everyone on the board.

He knew that his cousins were taking the loss of their parents a lot harder than what they were making it out, but he hadn't wanted to pry. The pair had been living with him for the last two weeks, and considering the twins' parents had left Melissa as their legal guardian, it was looking like a full-time thing.

Even though they had been brought together through a heartbreaking loss, it was still nice to have Max and Jade back. Seeing them every summer just wasn't enough, yet maybe seeing them every day would make them hate each other. Although, he couldn't see that happening; the three of them had been best friends since they were toddlers and a bond like theirs wouldn't be broken that easily.

On the subject of people hiding their grief, his mom fit right into that category, too. She was trying to be strong for the three teenagers, but they all knew that she was in excruciating pain. She cried late at night sometimes, when she thought no one could hear her. They could, though, as clear as day, her sobs as she mourned the loss of her brother.

Well, her adoptive brother, but she didn't see it that way. They had grown up together, squabbled like normal siblings, Sean had walked Melissa down the aisle in their father's place. All of that 'blood is thicker than water' was bullshit. Family wasn't defined by blood, not in the slightest. Family was the people who were always there for you, the people who would get on stage and dance with you because you didn't have a partner, the people who never gave up on you and the people who loved you for you. Not for some fake version of yourself that was made to please the people around you.

"She gave you the right amount, you just can't count," Melissa covered her mouth with her cards as she laughed lightly, nudging her son gently in the side to show she was only joking.

The night aimed to have some fun and forget about their troubles for as long as humanly possible, while simultaneously not upsetting anyone. Believe it or not, but when the three kids were as sensitive as they were, both goals overlapped paths, making it hard to do the two at once.