Chapter one Changing lanes,
It was like an ordinary morning Justin and Leo and their little sister Scarlet Fitzgerald they had just landed down the stairs, when Scarlet stopped confused when she saw bags packed downstairs in the house.
"What's going on?" Scarlet questioned as Justin and Leo followed shortly after, looking confused as well,
"I'm sorry," Olga replied
"What?" Justin said angrily.
"I...have to see your father, you need to, just come with me and trust me okay? Please?" Olga questioned although it was more of an order,
"No!" Justin shouted "He abandoned us"
"That wasn't a request Justin! Now get in the car! Now!" Olga replied "The three of you!" Olga said,
"Come on Justin" Scarlet, muttered "I'm sure we can sort something out"
"Yeah" Leo agreed wanting to speak up. Olga came with a few bags, Scarlet assumed they had clothes in for her, Justin and Leo, the journey was tedious and silent nobody spoke. Scarlet noticed her mothers hands twitching, on the wheal nobody wanted to turn to their father, the least of their worries. She had noticed her mother being stressed, but Scarlet and her brother Leo were mice, they never spoke up not ever. They weren't hustle, it was probably just Justin. The car swerved up and to the school and made a screeching sound as it skidded slightly Scarlet pushed her brown hair off her shoulder, and glanced at the sign WATERLOO ROAD. This better be worth it.
"Please don't do this" Justin begged her
"Justin leave it" Scarlet warned him
"Both of you shut up" Olga snapped at them, she viciously grabbed the younger one by the arm, causing students to look around, a couple of students giggled.
"Wrong school weirdo's" A girl with black hair shouted
"Shut up Shazney" another boy shouted and three of the students walked off,
"Mum get off me" Scarlet hissed and yanked her arm free,
"Before we go in their...your father doesn't know about your condition, I expect you to tell him if you want him to but I guess you can deal with it on your own as long as you do deal with it" Olga said
"Yes" Scarlet replied, they continued down the corridor, and into the reception, Justin, Leo and Scarlet shoved past the women who was at reception and sat in the office not long after that their father arrived. Leo walked up to him giving him a hug where as Scarlet rolled her eyes and sat impatiently.
"Hey, Hey, Hey" Vaughn said soothingly to Leo as he hugged him "What's happened? Why are you here?"
"You didn't tell him we were coming?" Justin questioned
"Oh I'm Soooorry for the inconvenience" Scarlet rolled her eyes
"Scarlet!" Olga scolded her
"Well I'm only saying what we're all thinking" Scarlet muttered, Vaughn looked back at her ignoring her comments.
"I can't do this any more Vaughn" Olga said, Scarlet felt like a knife had plunged through her chest when Olga said that, now both her parents didn't want her - them, this wasn't fair.
"Kids can you give, me and your mum a minute" Vaughn said, turning to his three teenagers, Scarlet rolled her eyes, at him erm No she thought.
"If you've got something to say you owe it to them to let them hear it" Olga snapped
"Olga this is not appropriate" he snapped back
"Don't worry, I'm not here to cramp your style on your big first day I'll be gone soon but they're staying here," Olga finished off
"What?" He sounded annoyed
"Sorry to disappoint you" Scarlet said
"I can't cope anymore I'm at my wits end" Olga said,
"Why can't you come home with us dad? You should be at home with us! Your our dad not theirs!" Justin pleaded
"How can you walk out on your own children to shack up with someone else's?" Olga questioned him
"I have not walked out on them I am here for you whenever you need me" Vaughn explained
"And how exactly, do you expect us to get here? I'm sure your new wife will be pleased about that" Scarlet raised her eyebrows
"Here for you! Your bloody miles away, how does that work? face up to what you've done!"
"Take them home"
"I'm not going home, the doctors put me into a clinic I can't eat I can't sleep I'm having anxiety attacks-I'm on the edge of a complete nervous breakdown are you happy now!" Justin and Leo then went to give Olga a hug, but Scarlet stayed put not moving, unhappy at both of them, Olga then rushed out the room.
"Olga!" Vaughan shouted
"Mum!" Justin said and they both walked out, Scarlet looked at Leo who looked upset,
"Well that's that then!" Scarlet said fantastically, "But never mind I'm sure we can have some fun here, I wonder if Allie teaches here, I wonder if her kids go here?" Scarlet questions looking at the files on her fathers desk, Leo looked at her saying nothing.
"Your not causing trouble!" Leo argued
"Your not the boss of me!" Scarlet said "Dad deserves this,"
Leo looked even more upset and Scarlet hugged him, and the women from reception came in "Are you alright?"
"We're fine" Scarlet snapped, "Looks like Allie teaches art" Scarlet said recognising the surname,
"Are you gonna tell dad? About, what happened last term, with you getting referred to the cancer clinic?" Leo questioned
"I'm all clear Leo" Scarlet gulped "He wouldn't care anyways, he's got a perfect daughter why would he want me?" Scarlet said Leo then hugged her, they both sat down and Justin came in,
"Mum left" Justin informed
"Thought so" Scarlet said they heard Vaughn talk to the woman about getting their timetables sorted out for the day,
"I told you I don't want to go to this school!" Justin shouted as Vaughn came in and shut the door,
"Look I'm sorry for so much hurt that I have caused but mum is going to get the best, help there is and you are going to have to stay here for now" Vaughn explained
"Why because nobody else wants us? You don't even want us here, do you?" Scarlet snapped at him
"That's not true its a shock" Vaughn said, "But I want to start making it up to you I thought you might like to join some classes, to take your mind of things" Vaughn said, Scarlet sighed and looked at Justin he wasn't going anywhere.
"I'll go dad" Leo said
"Fine" Scarlet said and walked out,
She spent the time looking around when a teacher approached her, with blonde hair,
"Hello, I'm Mrs Mulgrew"
"Scarlet Fitzgerald" Scarlet informed
"Oh I was just wondering because you were in a different uniform and I was thinking maybe your a bit lost" Mrs Mulgrew joked,
"Yeah well maybe you can keep your nose out of my business" and with that Scarlet walked off, she found her brothers, hanging by the lockers,
"How's it going?" Scarlet questioned
"Pretty shit you?" Justin replied
"Pretty shit" Scarlet nodded
"Come on, we have to make an effort." Leo said
"Um, no we don't" Scarlet replied
"Yeah I'm with her" Justin added "Dad didn't make an effort with us so why should we make an effort with him?"
"Because that makes us just as bad as him" Leo stated
"Leo he's the adult here! We're the children," Scarlet said "We're allowed to behave like this, he isn't"
"That still doesn't make it right" Leo said
"Your defending him after he literally replaced us" Justin shook his head
"I'm not defending him! I'm just justifying our actions and his" Leo responded
"Which is technically a type of defence" Scarlet said, their conversation was interrupted when Floyd and Tiffany walked over to them, despite what they thought.
"Hi, are you Justin, Leo and Scarlet?" Tiffany questioned
"Yeah" Leo said
"We're Allie's children, I'm Tiffany and this is Floyd" Tiffany introduced as Justin began to walk away, Scarlet followed her ignoring the two
"Hi" Leo said
"Alright" Floyd said
"Justin you alright?" Scarlet placed a hand on his shoulder, violently, he shook it away, Leo came over and pulled Scarlet back a little.
"Look, we're both really sorry about your mum" Floyd said
"You no nothing about our mum!" Scarlet snapped at him,
"No...you must be really worried" Tiffany said
"We don't want your pity, just leave us alone, come on lets go" Justin replied Scarlet began following her older brother,
"Leo" Scarlet said, Leo looked over at Tiffany and Floyd before following them.
"Listen, its not our fault she's not well I think the best thing to do in this situation is to try and get on, because we're all gonna be living in the same house its best for all of us-" Floyd didn't get to finish his sentence when Justin started attacking him.
"Justin!" Scarlet shouted and went to go over but Tiffany stopped her, and then money flew everywhere and a teacher came,
"Break it up, break it up" The teacher said, separating the boys
"You should off left us alone" Scarlet replied
"Thank you for your imput" the teacher replied "Right you two with me"
Scarlet followed behind and went to go into the office,
"Your not coming in"
"I'm his sister" Scarlet replied
"Stay out here NOW"
A few hours later Scarlet, Justin and Leo were all called to the pastoral care office,
"Okay everybody we all got off to a bad start this morning" Vaughan started
"Yeah because of him" Floyd muttered
"That's a bit rich, have you been blind for the whole year" Scarlet hissed
"Stop it now, Scarlet" Vaughan added "Anyway we all have to move on now because we're all going to be living under the same roof."
"Unfortunately, you don't even want us here so what the heck is the point of this? We're just in the way to you you'd prefer it if we weren't here" Scarlet replied to him
"That is not true" Vaughan replied
"Yeah of course we all want you here," Allie said, "Its just a shock"
"And stop acting the saint your a bitch with horns and I'll make sure everyone thinks it" Scarlet replied
"Scarlet!" Vaughan said, "Apologise now"
"Why don't you make me" Scarlet said, "I don't want to be here" Scarlet said and began to walk out before Vaughan grabbed her arm,
"Stay here, and sit down now" Vaughan said and sat her down, Scarlet glared at him and decided not to make a scene...agaom
"As I was saying we're all going to live under the same roof," Vaughan added
"Floyd you'll be moving into the box room" Allie said
"Oh great" Floyd added
"Well at least you'll be having be having your own room, Justin and Leo will be sharing so will Tiffany and Scarlet"
"No way" Scarlet said
"We don't have any other option" Allie sighed "Look you'll be home with your mum soon and everything will be back to normal"
"Exactly you don't want us here" Scarlet said
"You don't really want to be here though" Tiffany added
"Wouldn't want to ruin your perfect family would I?" Scarlet said
"I know its been tough but I will make it up to you all of you, there are kids in this school who have it so bad you wouldn't believe" Vaughan interrupted
"There's nothing worse than having your own father walking out on you" Justin replied
"There is, believe me" Vaughan snapped
"Really how would you like to be replaced? What if mum got a new husband and we started calling him daddy?" Scarlet said, Vaughan chose to ignore that
"We are going to try our best to make this work for all of you but you've got to get on board, Justin and Scarlet behaving like this could destroy both families and I don't think that what you two want" Allie said, Scarlet couldn't see Justin but she rolled her eyes,
"You don't know me" Scarlet said
"I'm sorry okay You're right I don't everyone want to feel bad" Justin said falsely Scarlet smirked at him
"If its bunks I bagsie the tops bunk" Leo joked
"Right why don't you lot go and grab some lunch whilst its still there" Vaughan said, Scarlet was straight out of the door.
Scarlet sighed and slummed against the wall, she got up and headed down the corridor, and seeing Allie's art room.
Nobody was in there and all the hurt she had experienced over the past year she walked in and grabbed some paint writing, 'whore' on the classroom window very big and then completely destroying the place before exiting like nothing had ever happened.
"Where have you been?" Justin asked Scarlet when she came and sat in the canteen,
"Around" Scarlet shrugged
"Are you going to your appointment tonight?" Leo questioned
"I don't want to talk about it" Scarlet said, "I don't want to know if that tumour has come back or not"
"We'll come" Leo said quickly "Won't we Justin"
"Of course" Justin added
"I like Tiffany she's pretty don't you think?" Leo questioned
"It's called sucking up Leo she's just like the rest of them" Justin replied
"I thought you said you were sorry for making everyone feel bad" Leo asked
"He was joking" Scarlet said
"Yeah that's exactly how I wanted them to feel" Justin said
"Dad doesn't deserve our loyalty Leo, when will you stop being his lap dog and realise that?" Scarlet said as Floyd came over,
"Hi I was wondering if I could join you" Floyd said,
"Sure" Justin said
"And I just wanted to say I'm sorry about the fight too" Floyd said, Justin and Floyd shook hands
"So where's Tiffany?" Scarlet questioned
"Um... not sure" Floyd said, the four of them were interrupted when Vaughan interrupted them
"Scarlet, Justin and Leo I want all three of you in my office right now" Vaughan said "Move it!"
The four them arrived at Vaughan's office and he looked angry at the three of his kids.
"Which one of you trashed, Allie's classroom or was it a job which all three of you took pleasure of doing it"
"I didn't do it" Leo put his hands up
"Me either" Justin said
"Thanks guys thanks for your loyalty" Scarlet sighed
"What?" Justin argued
"That is enough!" Vaughan shouted at them "Justin and Leo you can both go" Vaughan ordered them, "Now go"
"I'll wait outside" Justin said, Scarlet sighed as her brothers existed the room, Vaughan looked at her and sat down, next to his daughter.
"How could you do this? This isn't Allie's fault it's my fault, you can't take the blame on her" Vaughan said
"I wasn't blaming her I was upset and I was bored" Scarlet replied "I didn't even want to come here"
"I know you don't but you can't blame Allie for this" Vaughan sighed, "I know about...your brain tumour
"Its not a brain tumour...it was stomach cancer, and I'm fine now" Scarlet said, "Why would that have changed anything?"
"I would have been there for you all of you more" Vaughan said
"What just because I had cancer?" Scarlet questioned "That's not good enough dad"
"I know that and I'm sorry, what's done is done" Vaughan replied
"It sucked dad, one minute everything was perfect we were all happy and the next you left and mum was depressed and then that happened and we found out about you and you replaced us with new children perfect children one boy and one girl and we were history." Scarlet explained
"Look I just lost touch with you and the boys that's all its not because of that but I'm here now, and I can be here for you" Vaughan placed a hand on her back and Scarlet flinched away, "Scarlet..."
"Why can't things be the way they used to be?" Scarlet questioned "You and mum can still work things out"
"No we can't we've gone past that bridge" Vaughan said, "I think you should go to Allie and apologise and help her clean up and I'll go with you okay?" Vaughan questioned
"Fine" Scarlet said,
Scarlet and Vaughan walked down, to Allie's classroom and Allie and Tiffany were cleaning up in there.
"I'm sorry I wrecked your classroom" Scarlet said "And what I wrote on the windows"
"Thankyou for the apology" Allie responded
"I'll help you clean up" Scarlet said
"Actually we're doing it" Tiffany replied
"Suits me" Scarlet shrugged, and began to walk out, but Vaughan stopped her,
"I'm sure you can help Scarlet," Vaughan persuaded
"No, I don't want too" Scarlet shoved past him,
It was the end of a dramatic day, Leo, Scarlet and Justin were at home.
"Please don't do anything stupid like that again" Leo said to Scarlet, Scarlet shrugged as they were all in Justin's room,
"Whatever she deserved it" Scarlet shrugged
"Agreed, they both deserve it" Justin said
"You're going to make everyone unhappy," Leo said, "Both of you"
"Well he made us unhappy Leo, stop being such a good boy" Scarlet rolled her eyes, there was a knock on the doors and Vaughan came wondering in,
"Um, we have pizza if anyone wants any" Vaughan said
"I'll come" Leo said, going out the room
"What about you two?" Vaughan questioned
"No thanks I'm going to bed" Scarlet, said shoving past him unhappy.