Family Matters

PART 2: Chapter Two

A/N: I mentioned this earlier but I'd just like to mention it again. This story takes place 3-ish years after the first book so the characters are all much older and have had more experiences in their lives so please keep that in mind!!

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"Agh, who the fuck understands any of this shit anyways?!" Fred muttered to himself frustratedly as he looked down at his calculus homework.

"I don't know but I can't do this anymore!" Ross whined in agreement.

Ceres, Diana, and Hayden just watched the frustrated duo. Unlike them, the three of them had been placed in statistics instead of calculus so Fred and Ross were on their own.

"...you haven't even read the problem yet" Ceres said with a deadpan look.

"I can't read hieroglyphs Ceres!" Fred exclaimed and said girl just laughed his worries off.

"Jeez it's only week one and you two are already losing your shit" Diana muttered.

"Don't worry, I'll help you guys" Hayden said with a sigh and the two boys turned to him as if he were their savior, which in a way he kind of was.

"Thank you!!" The both of them cried and Hayden didn't seem to be the slightest bit pleased with their thanks.

After the group's small study session, everyone had began to split up and make their ways home.

"What are you thinking about?" Hayden asked as the two walked down the empty street. It was way past dark so Hayden insisted that he walked her home (not like Ceres had any objections anyways).

"Uh...nothing really, I'm just a little tired" Ceres muttered and Hayden looked down at his girlfriend with worry. He knew that Ceres didn't sleep well at night sometimes, something she still has yet to explain to him but he would never ask her to.

If she didn't want to talk about it, then who was he to pry? Although he did think that maybe if she talked about it, she'd feel better but Hayden knew very well that people dealt with certain things in their own way.

Hayden was specifically worried because it was around this particular time of year where Ceres had it really bad. She'd become restless and show up with bags under her eyes and it would last for a week or two before she could finally start to get back to normal.

"Is it...?" Hayden asked unsure and Ceres merely just nodded and that was all Hayden needed to understand. He gave her hand a small squeeze of reassurance.

"We can stay on the phone if you'd like" He said and Ceres gave a small smile.

"And don't say you don't want to bother me. You know it doesn't bother me at all" Hayden said with a serious look.

"I know" Ceres said.

When the two got to Ceres' house, Hayden turned to face the smaller girl.

"I'll see you tomorrow" he said before leaning down and giving a short kiss to Ceres' forehead.

In all honesty, small kisses on the forehead and cheek is as far as the two have gotten. They had only recently gotten together before the summer and hadn't really been...intimate or anything of the sorts. Hayden wasn't in a rush to be as such and he knew Ceres definitely wasn't either.

He just figured it was one of those things that would come naturally.

"Good night" Ceres said before giving Hayden a hug and then heading inside.

"I'm home" Ceres said as she stepped inside.

"Welcome home" Ares, who was on the couch with a textbook in his lap, greeted the girl.

"What cha' doing?" Ceres asked as she walked over to Ares.

"Studying for this psychology quiz..." Ares muttered. Ceres had noticed that he had jotted down several notes on a separate piece of paper and the text book had all kinds of sticky notes poking out of it.

Ares had decided that he'd finally go to college and surprisingly he chose to be a psych major. It suited him in a way since Ares was very good at reading people, he figured why not learn how to do it even more and maybe even make a career out of it.

Ceres could tell he was seriously studying so she silently wished him good luck and headed into the kitchen.

Inside was Max and Lucas talking on the phone with someone together and Ceres just maneuvered her way in between the two.

"Oh, look who just walked in" Lucas said.

"Is it Ceres? Can I speak to her?!" The familiar voice of Kade flooded Ceres' ears and she couldn't help but smile at her doting brother's words.

"Hi, Kade" Ceres said as she leaned closer to the phone so that he could her clearly.

"Hi, honey! I miss you guys so much!! I hope you're brushing your teeth every morning and night, studying properly, doing your homework, and-"

"Jesus, Kade, don't you have your own kid to tell that kind of stuff?" Max said.

"I do but all Kai does is poop and pee so there isn't much listening going on other than me listening to him crying for me to change his diaper. Though he's been kind of quiet..." Kade said with a suspicious tone at the end.

As if given a cue, the sound of Kai's cries began to reach their ears.

"Spoke too soon...I'll talk to you guys later. I love you" Kade said and they all said goodbye before the click of the phone hanging up ended their conversation.

"I heard a baby crying" Ares said as he stepped into the kitchen.

"Yeah we were on the phone with Kade. We would have told you but you were pretty occupied" Lucas said and Ares frowned.

"I wanted to see the baby..." he muttered.

"Then go visit him, I'm sure Kade will love the company" Max snickered.

"Uh...I'll wait until thanksgiving" Ares said before leaving and Ceres giggled.

"Ceres did you eat while you were out?" Lucas asked and Ceres shook her head.

"I'll make you something" He said before heading over to the fridge.

"Make some for me too please" Max said.

"Me three!" Ares chimed.

"Yeah, yeah..." Lucas muttered.

"Ceres, listen to this..." Ceres just hummed as Max ranted to her about whatever went on in his day today as she wondered if she'd be able to get a good night's rest.

She hoped that she could...