The wooden gate creaked as the boy opened it. Looking around disdainfully, he strode up the overgrown path toward the house. He rang the doorbell and waited on the doorstep, listening to the sounds of activity from within.
After a moment the door swung open, revealing a boy with purple bangs and brown hair swept up into a ponytail.
''Listen, whatever you're selling, we're not buy- oh, it's you,'' Rex said. He stepped aside to let Weevil in.
''What happened to you?'' Weevil sneered as he walked in. He was referring to the flour smeared all over Rex's face and on the apron he was wearing over his yellow shirt.
He snorted. ''Try having six younger siblings and see how clean you are at the end of the day,'' Rex said as he led the way to the living room.
Everything about the place was old, apart from some of the people in it. Napping in a dated armchair was the oldest woman you had ever seen, with the oldest cat you had ever seen sitting in her lap. Her eyes, when open, were sharp as a raptor's.
In the middle of the floor was a play mat. A toddler was sitting on it playing with some toy dinosaurs. He looked up when Rex and Weevil entered, but looked down disinterestedly after a moment. From upstairs, the boys could hear the sounds of two or three sets of feet charging about, and several voices yelling.
They walked through the living room to the kitchen. It was small and messy, with a table in the centre and toys scattered about the floor. In one of the corners was a travel cot with a sleeping baby inside. On one of the counters were ingredients and a mixing bowl- what Rex had been doing before Weevil got there.
Weevil, well accustomed to Rex's house and the routine they had fallen into, went straight to the table and sat down, while Rex went back to the mixing bowl.
''Where's your mum?'', Weevil asked as he took his homework out of his bag.
''Working. Won't be back till later.'' Rex paused and turned around. ''You sleeping over tonight?''
Weevil nodded without looking up. He seemed focused on his homework but Rex thought he looked nervous.
''Alright,'' he said. ''But you better not kick me outta bed this time.'' Rex remembered a few nights ago when he'd ended up on the floor.
Weevil scowled. ''Just be thankful I don't make you sleep on the floor, dino- brain!''
''It's my house! If you want a bed to yourself, why don't you sleep in your own for once?'' Rex said.
Weevil was silent. He turned back to his homework, but wasn't even pretending to do it anymore. Rex, sensing that'd he'd struck a nerve but not knowing how, just turned back to the mixing bowl.
He had never asked before why Weevil always wanted to sleep over. At first he thought he just didn't want to listen to his sister and her new boyfriend going at it all night, but thinking about it, it didn't really make sense. Sure, their rooms were right next to each other, but Weevil could just move. It wasn't as if the place didn't have enough bedrooms for both of their families combined- and Rex had a lot of siblings.
As he cracked eggs, he began to think of other reasons Weevil would want to sleep over all the time. His parents were always working abroad and all his sister seemed to care about at the moment was her boyfriend, so maybe he was lonely?
Rex paused for a moment, listening to the sounds of Weevil finally starting his homework behind him.
Could Weevil really be lonely? Somehow, Rex didn't think so. Weevil used to be alone all the time, usually by his own choice, because he said he didn't like people. Even now the only people he talked to on a regular basis were his sister and Rex's family.
He started spooning the mixture into cake cups. So then, what could be wrong?
Rex bit his lip. Despite everything, he cared about Weevil and wanted to know if there was something wrong. He just couldn't think what it could be.
He thought about it in silence for a few more minutes but the sound of the front door opening and footsteps running towards the kitchen drove all those thoughts from his head. Rex knew who it would be before he even saw her.
''Rexy!'' A little girl appeared in the doorway and instantly ran over to Rex, hugging him around the middle.
''Hey Rose,'' Rex said. His sister stepped back, and smiled up at him. He leant against the counter and folded his arms. ''You're late. Rory told me you got held back after school. What happened?''
Her smile faded as she walked over to the table and dropped her bag next to a chair, before hopping on. Instead of answering her brother she leant over to see what Weevil was writing.
''Hi Weevil,'' she said, and then giggled. ''Why are you putting letters and numbers together like that? They don't go together- that's why they're separate subjects, silly!''
Weevil glanced over at her before looking down at his homework. ''This is algebra. You're supposed to put them together, that's the whole point.'' He paused and looked at her school bag. ''Suppose you want help with your homework, since dino-dung over there's too stupid to do it.'' He looked up at Rex and smirked.
''Hey, I'm smart enough to help a six year old with her homework!'' Rex glared back, before turning around to put the cupcakes in the oven. When he turned back, Rose had her homework out and was scribbling down answers with her good hand as Weevil distractedly tried to explain division.
He watched them work for a moment before walking over to sit at the other side of the table.
''So, Rose, you were saying?'' Normally he wouldn't care all that much about her being held back, but it had been happening more frequently and he was worried that something was seriously wrong.
She sighed dejectedly before mumbling, ''my teacher got me in trouble for drooling on the desk again, even though it wasn't my fault!''
Rex frowned. He hated that school- that's why he never went. They were horrible at dealing with Rose's special needs.
When they were younger they used to live in a caravan. But Rex's dad- who has long since left- got in trouble with some loan sharks, and when he couldn't repay the money, they got angry. Finally, after months of having them come banging on the door demanding money, they got tired and realised they weren't going to get their money and set the caravan on fire as revenge. With Rose inside.
No one else was hurt, but Rose escaped with severe burns on her right side. One side of her mouth droops and she tends to drool because of it, and she lost two fingers on her right hand.
Now they live in a house provided by the government, but their mother still can't afford to send Rose to a school better suited for her needs.
Rex sighed. He'd tried explaining to the teachers, but they hadn't been very understanding. For now all he could do was try to cheer her up, and call her teacher later.
''Well, uh… why don't you do your homework later and we'll go watch Jurassic Park, okay?'' he said, putting aside his worries for a while.
Rose brightened up immediately and scrambled to stuff her work back into her bag, before running through to the living room. Rex stood up as well but stopped when he saw that Weevil wasn't following.
''You coming?'' he asked.
Weevil glanced up at him then at the living room door doubtfully. ''You've made me watch that movie a thousand times already, stupid. I practically know it off by heart.''
Rex grinned and leaned against the back of the chair. ''Come on,'' he whined. ''We always watch Jurassic Park when we're at my house.''
''That's my point,'' Weevil snapped irritably, but he was already tidying away his stuff, probably knowing that if he didn't, Rex would get all five of his little brothers on him.
Rex smirked victoriously and turned to go through to the living room, nothing worrying him except whether or not the movie would wake his grandmother.