New Home

"Phillip! Get up out of your bed, right now." A short tempered young woman yelled into her son's bedroom.

"Go away." The eighteen year old grumbled, turning around in bed and wrapping his pillow around his head.

"You are not missing another day of school." The woman said, walking further into the messy room, opening the curtains wide to let the winter sunlight in as the young boy further moaned, "And April is coming this morning so don't wear something from your room floor." She shook her head, stepping over the clothes on the floor.

"I don't care about April." The young boy, Phil Brooks, best known as Punk to those around him said.

"Hey, stop that." His mother, Kerry said, "She's had an extremely tough time. You know that." She said.

"Doesn't mean we have to adopt her." Punk shook his head, sitting up from his bed and rubbing his face tiredly.

"She has no one else. Her mother was my best friend." Kerry said.

"Best friend?" Punk made a face of confusion, "Where were you when she killed herself then?" He tested as Kerry shook her head.

"Get dressed, Phil." Kerry said, closing the room door over as Punk rubbed his face tiredly and stood up.

He pulled some clothes out of his half empty closet before heading across the hall into the bathroom to take a shower. He lived at home with his mom and sixteen year old little brother. They didn't grow up with much, especially with just one parent. Kerry worked every shift under the sun at the school which Punk and his little brother, Dean attended. She was the receptionist, and it was hard making a living off what little wages she had, even harder days to come as they were welcoming a new guest into their house.

Punk got dressed once spending way too long in the shower, and headed downstairs into the kitchen where his little brother already was slouched at the table, falling asleep with his head on the table. His mother was frantically making breakfast in the background. Despite what little they had, they still had a home, three meals a day, clothes on their back, and every bit of credit went to their mother for that.

Punk dumped his bookbag on the table, making a loud bang beside Dean who shot up and jumped out of his skin after dozing.

"What the fuck-" Dean groaned sleepily.

"Wakey wakey." Punk smiled, moving his bag down to the floor and sitting across from Dean.

"You're a dick." Dean grumbled as he placed his head back onto the table.

"And you have a hangover on a school day." Punk noticed.

"No he doesn't. He said he's not feeling good." Kerry said, putting down a plate of toast for them to help themselves as she brushed her hand over Dean's dirty blonde hair, "You've even got a temperature." She frowned.

"More like the boozy sweats." Punk said as Dean kicked him hard under the table.

"Why don't you eat your toast." Dean eyed him whilst keeping his head on the table as Punk just shook his head and grabbed a slice of toast.

"Your lunch is in the fridge, Phil. I don't want you buying food at school anymore. It's way too expensive and with April staying with us now we… we need to save all the money we can." Kerry nodded.

"Can't she just go stay in a home?" Dean asked.

"Dean." Kerry scolded angrily, "You both used to love playing with April when you were little. She's a sweetheart."

"Yeah when we were like 7." Punk shook his head, "She's weird at school. She's got no friends."

"She's in my history class." Dean nodded, "She is weird." Dean agreed.

"How about you both take into consideration what she's gone through in the past year or so." Kerry said, "Stop being so damn insensitive and look at the bigger picture." She said as they both just stayed quiet, "That's what I thought." She said, nudging the back of Punk's head as she walked by them.

"How long is she staying for?" Dean asked.

"She's staying with us permanently until she wants to leave. I'm her legal guardian now." Kerry said, "She'll be like the sister you guys always wanted." She smiled to them as they both looked at her in horror.

"I didn't want any siblings." Punk said as Dean just rolled his eyes.

"And I don't want a sister." Dean said just as the doorbell rang, "Speaking of sister." He grumbled, looking over at Punk who just shook his head and grabbed another piece of toast.

"Be nice to her. Please." Kerry begged, walking out of the kitchen and down the hall to the doorway, opening it up where she saw April or AJ as she liked to go by, standing with a social worker who she had been with over the past few weeks whilst the paper work got sorted out for her to stay with Kerry legally.

"April." Kerry smiled.

"Hi." AJ smiled, walking into the house and hugging Kerry, whom was like the only family she had left.

"How are you doing?" Kerry asked, rubbing her back as AJ just nodded.

"I'm ok." AJ forced a smile and nodded.

"I'll be making a few visits over the course of the month to see how April is settling in." The social worker nodded, "And I've arranged for her things to be dropped off over the next few days." She said as Kerry nodded.

"She'll be just fine here." Kerry smiled as the social worker nodded.

"Very well." The worker said, "I'll see you later then." She said.

"Thank you." AJ made sure to say before the social worker left and Kerry closed the door over, "Kerry I really appreciate you letting me stay with you. I… You really didn't have to."

"Hey, you're like family." Kerry said, "Your mom would have done the same for my boys." She nodded as AJ just smiled, "Come on, have you had breakfast?"

"No." AJ shook her head.

"Come on then. I just made some toast." She smiled, leading her down the hallway as AJ followed.

April Jeanette Mendez was a 17 year old girl whom had lived with her mentally ill mother all her life. She had no other family. She spent her childhood and teenage life taking care of her mother, making sure she was eating, sleeping, taking her pills, but there was only so much she could do. Her mother committed suicide a few months ago. She was still in shock. Kerry immediately reached out and offered to take her in. She always knew Kerry as an aunt type figure in her life, but as the years went by things had become a lot more distant.

"Where did all the toast go?" Kerry walked into the kitchen.

"We ate it." Punk shook his head as AJ followed in behind Kerry, looking on at them both. She saw them around school. They were both outsiders like her but in completely different ways.

"I put six slices on." Kerry shook her head.

"And we were hungry." Dean argued as Kerry just shook her head.

"April I have to apologise on behalf of my toast eating locusts, otherwise known as my sons. I'm sure you remember each other." Kerry nodded, walking on over to the kitchen counter to put more toast on.

"Hey." AJ nodded to them as they both nodded to her, watching as she stood awkwardly at the door.

"Well sit down. We aren't gonna bite you." Dean shook his head as AJ looked at them both, putting her bookbag down and taking a seat beside Dean.

"Do you have something for lunch, April?" Kerry asked.

"Yeah I made something up at the home I was in." AJ smiled and nodded.

"You were in a home all this time?" Kerry asked, "I wish they let you come here sooner." She shook her head.

"It wasn't so bad." AJ shrugged, "The people there were nice." She nodded, "Do you still work at the school? I'm barely at the office so… I never know."

"Yeah, I'm still there." Kerry smiled, "It's a real moment of pride when I see one of my son's in the principal's office once a week." She nodded as AJ just looked from Dean to Punk who just shrugged, "It keeps us all fed and warm, I guess." Kerry shrugged, "Here, more toast." She said, putting down another plate as Dean and Punk went in for more first as AJ watched them.

She remembered seeing them when they were all little, but as the years went by she barely saw them at all apart from at school. She knew the older one, Phil, barely went to school. She secretly thought he was cute, remembering that one time he held the door open for her in the cafeteria. Dean, the younger one, was more of the rebel, she knew he hung around with the dangerous kids, the ones who stood at the back of the school smoking. She got the vibe they were very different, but she also knew they were very close brothers.

"You're both… going to school today?" AJ asked them both nervously. She didn't know how she felt about living with them. She was truly grateful to Kerry for letting her into her home, especially when she really had nowhere else to go, but she was also extremely nervous to live with two boys around. She didn't know anything about boys. She didn't even had girl friends at school.

"Well duh." Dean made a face at her, "Obviously we are."

"And mom makes us walk because she hates us." Punk told her as AJ shook her head.

"I don't hate you." Kerry rolled her eyes, "I think it's better for you to walk. It's more exercise and fresh air for you."

"Fresh air? It's freezing outside, you crazy woman." Dean laughed as AJ just stayed quiet and looked down whilst Punk looked across at her.

"Looks like another person has joined the walking bus then." Punk said as AJ looked up at him, smiling softly. He always secretly thought she was pretty, even when everyone called her weird. He was never one to follow the crowd and agree with something just because everyone else was saying it. She was super quiet and awkward, but he also knew that what she'd been through couldn't have been easy at all.

"You guys should leave in five minutes if you wanna make it in time." Kerry looked at the clock in the kitchen, "We're having chicken and rice for dinner, does that suit everyone?" She asked, "Ok, great." She nodded, not giving anyone the chance to answer. Punk and Dean were used to their mothers excessive behaviour whilst AJ just sat and took it all in. It was strange to be in a home where she didn't have to check pill boxes and make her own food and make sure her mom was fit to go to work.

"Ok, let's get going then." Dean nodded, dusting his hands off and standing up, stretching and yawning loudly as Punk also got up which made AJ stand up.

"Oh, April. I'll show you to your room when you get home today. It's the spare bedroom so it's nothing special. You can… decorate it with whatever you like." Kerry waved her hand.

"Yeah, you like any cute girl bands? Feel free to plaster that on your door." Dean nodded as AJ just smiled awkwardly.

"Everyone go and have a great day. Can't wait to hear what you all learn." She smiled, watching as they walked down the hall, April slowly walking behind them as she sighed to herself, only hoping that this would work out. She wanted to do right by April. Her mother was her best friend and she felt extremely guilty for not being there for her as much as she could. If this is the best she could do for her then she was going to do it.

Punk and Dean walked on ahead whilst AJ walked behind them on the way to school. Neither knew what to say to her, so they simply walked ahead. Dean pulled out a cigarette from his bag once they were far away from their house.

"You're gonna be dead at twenty. Your lungs are gonna get tired." Punk scoffed.

"So will you. For being a boring bastard." Dean replied, lighting up as he saw AJ walking behind at the corner of his eye, "You smoke?" He turned around to her as she looked at him and shook her head, "Didn't think so." He whispered, "She's like a lost puppy." He said quietly to Punk.

"Shut up." Punk replied as Dean blew smoke in his face, which made Punk grab him by the back of the neck and push his head down.

"Alright alright." Dean moaned like a little brother would after biting off more than he could chew, "I'm just saying… this is gonna be the worst." He shook his head as Punk just turned his head a little to look at AJ who was looking down as she walked behind them.

"Just be nice." Punk shook his head, which normally wasn't his response at all, but he could see AJ was clearly uncomfortable just like them and she'd been through a hell of a lot, the last thing she needed was them acting like jerks.

"I'll be nice." Dean nodded, "Is it bad I find her hot? Like now she's supposed to be our sister but I'd still love to jizz on her tits." He said as Punk turned to him.

"Never mind. Your lungs aren't gonna be what kills you, it's gonna be me, I'm gonna kill you." Punk nodded as Dean just shook his head as they walked to school with their new house guest following behind.

A/N: Let me know what you think!