The night was much like every other in the Nichols/Parker household. Audrey and Walter pleasantly watched television in the living room. Their sons, Drake and Josh, were both upstairs, and surprisingly quite, in their bedroom. And their daughter, Megan, was perched at the dining room table doing her homework.

When their evening was disturbed by the ringing of the telephone, Audrey sighed,

"I'll get it."

She made her way into the kitchen and retrieved the phone hanging on the wall,

"Hello?" She asked politely.

"Audrey…Audrey Parker is that you?" Exclaimed the eager and excited voice coming from the other line.

"Yes, and this is…"

"Glenda Sherwood of course," the woman's voice rang loudly.

"Glenda! It's been ages!"

Glenda was a dear friend of Audrey's. They had met in college, both aspiring designers, and even spent much of their early adulthood together. They were inseparable, so much so that they had even forced their children to play together when they were little. Unfortunately, when Glenda got a job in L.A. designing and directing her own shoe company, the two parted ways. They had kept in contact via phone, but as life got in the way, as it often does, the two had a falling out. Now, however, it seemed the two were going to be reconnected at last. At least, that's what Audrey thought.

"Yes, far too long. I heard you got remarried. And to a local weatherman no less. Congratulations, dear. I was really hoping you'd find another man after…well, you know."

"Yes, Walter, he's a great man. His son Josh lives with us too, he's very sweet and bright. I couldn't be happier with the way my life has turned out."

"That's so wonderful to hear," Glenda replied, joyed by her old friend's happiness.

There was a long pause before Audrey spoke, "Glenda, is everything alright?"

"Oh Audrey, I think moving to L.A. has been one of the biggest mistakes of my life. Not two years after my business took off Fred left Elaine and I for a floosy I hired to model my shoes. Now, I don't even have my company. I'm completely broke. I lost my job, the house is being foreclosed, oh, Audrey, what am I supposed to do? I had to take Elaine out of school because I couldn't afford the tuition, we have nothing. I'm trying to find another form of employment, but it's so difficult to get a job and even if I do, I won't be making nearly as much as I had in the past. Certainly not enough to support myself and Elaine."

"Glenda, I'm so sorry, I had no idea," Audrey told her, thoroughly upset by her friends distress.

"I'm not so much worried about myself, but Elaine. I don't want her staying with me in a motel while I try to pick my life off the ground. And the public schools in L.A. aren't very great, that's why I had her enrolled in a private institution. She's not very good with people as it is, I can't imagine the way they'd treat her there."

Audrey quickly picked up on what Glenda was hinting at and feeling sympathy for her, spoke, "Well…I'd have to talk to Walter and the kids, but we do have a guest room I'm sure she could stay in until you get back on your feet."

"Oh, Audrey! Thank you so much for considering me. I'm terribly sorry to put you out like this, it's just, I have no one else to turn to."

"It's perfectly alright, let me talk to everyone and I'll call you back, okay?"

"Okay, again, thank you so very much."

Audrey and Glenda said their goodbyes and Audrey hung up the phone. She breathed deeply, suddenly feeling apprehensive about approaching her family. She left the kitchen and walked into the living room where she was immediately greeted by Walter.

"Who was on the phone?"

"My old friend Glenda, you know the designer I told you about?"

"The one with the shoes?" Walter asked.

"Yes, her business went under, she's lost everything."

"Oh no, that's awful."

"Yea…and she has a daughter, Elaine. I don't even know what I'd do to protect my children in such a situation."

"Audrey…"

"I was thinking because we have the guest bedroom, maybe she could come and stay with us until Glenda finds a job."

Walter smiled at the gentle and concerned demeanor of his wife, "Well, I say yes, now you just need to get the kids on board."

Audrey sighed, relieved by her husband's answer and turned to Megan, "Megan."

Megan looked up from her homework, "What?"

"Would you mind if my friend's daughter came to stay with us for a little while?"

"As long as she isn't staying in my room," Megan replied and went back to her work.

Audrey smiled, "No, she won't be."

Audrey was pleased she had two of the four votes needed to give Glenda an answer. The only two she had left were Drake and Josh and she couldn't imagine them being opposed to the idea.

She walked up the staircase and entered their bedroom. Drake was sitting on his bed playing guitar and Josh was studying on the couch in the middle of their room.

"Hey guys," Audrey said and sat down next to Josh.

"Hi, mom," Josh responded.

"Yea, what's up?" Drake asked and put down his guitar.

"Well, Drake you remember Glenda and Elaine right?"

Drake stared at his mom, mouth parted, and twitched, "Elaine Sherwood…Glenda's daughter…"

Drake indeed remembered Elaine from those long ago play-dates they had when their mother's would get together.

Drake was, at first, fond of Elaine. He'd follow her wherever she'd want to go like a lost puppy ogling over a potential owner. However, Drake found out soon enough that Elaine's adventures were mere plots to torture him. She was, as Drake describes it, Megan before Megan was Megan. She was mean, cruel, and found varies ways to get him in trouble. If Elaine spilt juice on the carpet, it was Drake's fault. If Elaine and Drake came home muddy with ruined clothes, it was Drakes fault for pushing her in with him. She was a convincing actress, sometimes even fooling him into believing he had done something wrong. The incident he remembered most, however, was when she persuaded him to play Doctor with her. This lead to her chasing him around the house with a sewing needle protesting he needed blood drawn. When their mother's finally broke them apart, Elaine had turned the story around and Drake ended up spending the remainder of that day shut up in his room.

"NO!" Drake shouted at his mother, "Anything that has to do with her, no."

"Drake, her mother needs my help. She'll only be staying with us until she can find a way to support her family."

Drake stood up, "Staying with us? You're considering letting that demon spawn live in our house. I don't think so."

"Drake!" Audrey yelled. She paused for a moment to calm down, and then spoke again, this time patiently, "Glenda and Elaine have lost everything. Glenda lost her job, they lost the house, she had to pull Elaine out of school, their lives are in shambles and you're sitting comfortably here calling her a demon spawn. I'm sorry, but I have to help her."

Audrey looked down at Josh, "I know you don't know her, but would you be alright letting her stay with us?"

"Of course, mom," Josh answered.

"Josh!" Drake shouted.

Audrey stood up and smiled weakly at Josh, clearly exhausted by today's events, "Thank-you," she spoke quietly and left the room.

"Josh!" Drake yelled again, "Are you insane. Elaine is basically Megan only with five years more experience. Do you understand what you've just brought into our house?"

"Drake," Josh said calmly, "That was a long time ago, I mean, maybe she's changed."

"Yea, probably into something far more evil and insane."

"Look man, I'm sorry, but it seemed like mom really wanted her here. I mean, they did lose everything."

"Oh, yea, sure, that's probably what she wants you to think. She'll come in here with a sob story, make you like her, but just wait, you'll be flat on your back with a knife in it as soon as you turn around."

"I'd actually probably be on my stomach. When someone stabs you in the back, it's unlikely that you'd…"

"I don't care!" Drake interrupted, "The point is, you're dead as soon as she gets here. We both are."

Drake sat down on the couch and sighed, "I can see it now, she'll probably team up with Megan and awful things will happen. Very awful things…"