Chapter One

I was floating. Floating happily on a sparkling pink cloud, soaring through the fresh air. Around me, the faces of some of my friends and family appeared, talking to me. Sirius told me my hair was very shiny today. Sophia complimented me on my socks, which was a bit odd, I admit. James approached me and was about to say something I was sure would be very lovely, when all of the sudden, Professor McGonagall's head came out of nowhere. It was unwelcome.

"You didn't finish you homework!" she wailed in her thick Scottish brogue. Her head was getting closer and closer, and I was almost certain she would bite me. Hard.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

My hand slapped my annoying alarm clock several times. It wouldn't stop beeping. Stupid alarm clock. Irritated, I flung it across the room, where I heard it hit the wall, approximately four and half seconds later.

After lying in bed for a few more minutes, I decided to get up. Today was going to be a busy day. Toby was going to come over later this afternoon, and I still had to clean my room and go with Mom to buy some new sheets for her to sleep on. Thanks to Petunia, the other ones have urine spots on them, slightly faded by the mystical powers of the washing machine, but still coloured enough to freak out anyone who was not a member of my immediate family.

"I need another alarm clock," I announced, walking into the brightly lit kitchen. Bloody hell, it was bright in there. It looked like noon.

"Mum!" we heard a certain horse-faced seventeen year old cry from the upstairs bathroom.

"Mu-um!" Petunia cried again, after we failed to acknowledge her distress. I heard her thumping down the stairs. She was running.

"I don't have any more shampoo!" she yelled at this particularly bright kitchen. "I told you last night to buy me some more!"

"I was at the market last night, dear. You should have gone with me." Mum said calmly. How is it that she manages to stay calm and collected for Petunia, but with me she always loses her temper? It's abuse, I tell you.

"I had a weird dream last night." I stated to no one in particular.

"Mum, I couldn't go with you! I was painting my nails, for Christ's sake!" replied Petunia harshly.

"I thought you were Agnostic." I questioned her.

"Shut up, Lily! I'm having a crisis here. My date with Vernon is tonight, and I must have clean hair!"

I rolled my eyes and opened the fridge door. Nothing looked appealing this morning. I grabbed the bottle of orange juice and shook it around. It was almost empty. I closed the fridge door and took off the lid and drank it. It was pulpy, just the way I like it.

I started back up the wooden stairs, listening to the rest of Petunia's rant. She did have a temper, that one. And they said I was the crazy one!

As soon as I entered my messy room, I turned on my old red radio. It used to be Petunia's. She was very rock and roll for the longest time. But then she met Vernon and his little posse. Clean, crisp, and polite was what they molded her to become. She's no fun anymore, but what can I do about it? She won't listen to anyone, even Mum and Dad got worried. But I guess if she doesn't want to be my cool big sister anymore, she doesn't have to be.

Unfortunately, she still is my big sister. Meaning that I have to put up with her for about nine weeks during summer holidays. Not to mention the rest of my family. Don't get me wrong, I love them all, but we're not exactly the most conventional family. My paternal grandfather has recently remarried for the sixth time in his life. None of Grandpa Jeremy's marriages last for longer than five years, except for Susanne, my dead grandma, which was for about fifteen years. Meanwhile, my other grandpa, Richard, is off on a safari in North Africa, and hasn't stopped by to visit for three years. It kills Mum. And Mum's mum, Maria, is also dead. I also have various drunken cousins, an aunt who lives alone with her seventeen cats, an uncle who has eight missing fingers, and my parents, of course, seem to favor Petunia over me. Oh yeah, and the aunt with the seventeen cats is my namesake. Great choice, male parental unit.

I picked up my broken pink alarm clock. The glass was smashed. I turned it over to see if it would still do it's duty.

"Stupid alarm clock," I murmured, chucking it into my trash can.

"Lily!" I heard my female parental unit's voice call from downstairs. "You're friend is here!"

I strided over to my window, pulled back the shimmery blue curtains, and peered outside. There was a white car pulled up in my driveway.

I raced downstairs.

"Is your room clean?" asked my mother, holding a wooden spoon in her hand. I nodded and opened the front door.

"Oh, please shut up! I am having an emergency!" screeched Petunia, from the living room couch, as soon as she heard the loud squeals that emitted from Toby's and my mouth. I ran up to hug her.

"Get a room." Petunia asked, walking past the front door to get to the kitchen.

"Why are you against lesbianism?" I joked. Then I noticed her father, who was standing in the back.

"Come on in, Mr. Wallace," I invited graciously, or at least I thought it was gracious.

"Mum! Toby's father is here!" I hollered loudly. Mum arrived shortly after, in an apron. I bet she was trying to look like the non abusive, wonderful housewife that she isn't. Haha.

"Hello, Mitchum," she said, hugging him friendly and giving him a kiss on each cheek. "How's Lucinda?"

"Ah, Cindy's great. She just got promoted two weeks ago."

Mitchum and Lucinda, Toby's parents, were divorced, but that didn't stop them from being best friends. I thought that was pretty cool.

"Hello, October," greeted Mum. Toby grimaced and said hello back. She hates being called October, even though that's her name. October Raine Wallace. Pretty sad, huh? Her parents named her after the month and weather conditions she was born under.

Toby and I said goodbye to her dad, who gave her some extra money in case he didn't get to see her before September first. Then we marched back up to my room.

"Didn't finish cleaning, huh?" she asked when we entered.

"Nope."

"You have to ask your mum not to call me October. I can't stand that name," explained Toby.

"I know. My mum just likes formalities, I guess. Hey, at least she isn't calling you October Raine or Ms. Wallace."

We just sat there in silence for a while. I don't know what she was thinking of, but I was thinking of what we could possibly do to amuse ourselves for these two days we'd be at home. And if Mum would mind buying me a new alarm clock without me having to go with her.

"Eurgh...is that...was that a peach?" asked Toby in disgust, holding up a rotting, fuzzy orange sphere, attached to a sock.

"I guess."

"When was the last time you cleaned up this place?"

"Um...last summer?"

"We have some work to do."

The good thing about having a best friend who's a complete neat freak, is that they don't always mind cleaning your room for you. The bad thing is that they can't stop obsessing over it until it's actually done, which can drive any girl into a raving lunatic. No lie.

A/N Okay, so I know that I'm a huge hypocrite and all for starting new story, but I've been toying with this one for quite a while, and I think I have enough ideas to last at least seven chapters. If I don't update for quite a while, then please pray for me. That'll mean that my mother received my report card in the mail before I had time to snatch it away from the mail man. And after receiving three fails (eek!), I don't think she will be thrilled.

Please review this story. It really does mean a lot when people review. I read every single one of them, and I pay very close attention to what constructive criticism people give me, and I try to work accordingly. And also, don't forget to pray or wish or whatever!

Also, if anyone knows how to make that thin gray line appear on the page, to separate different story parts, please tell me how to do it! I hate using zeros or dashes. Anyways, have a fun day and don't forget to review!

-Jules