Chapter One – The Mayhem
"Jessie! Are you ready for school? Grace is about to leave!" Lily stood at the bottom of the stairs calling up to her youngest step child in frustration. There was no reply from the attic.
"I'm not taking her" Grace said as she sidled past her mother towards the front door, school bag in hand
"Grace, for goodness sake, of course you're taking her. I wish you two would just get past this feud and act like sisters for once" She snapped at Grace before turning her attention back up the stairs and calling "JESSIE!"
"It's not a feud, we just don't like each other" Grace said, although talking more to herself than anyone else.
"JESSIE!!" Lily ignored her daughter's comments and called for Jessie again, even louder now.
This time footsteps were heard hurrying down the stairs.
"I'm ready mom, let's go!" It was Zoe who appeared in the hallway, Lily let out an exasperated sigh.
"What? I said I'm ready..." was the response from the youngest member of the Sammler-Manning Clan.
"That's great honey, and we can go just as soon as I'm sure Jessie is on her way to school" I don't want to hear that she's been ditching school again this week.
"Grace, can you go and get her please? Then you can leave."
"I'm not taking her, I have to go, I'm going to be late" Grace tried to explain again.
"Well how do you expect her to get to school then Grace?"
"Katie's picking her up"
"What? Who's Katie?"
At this moment, Eli made his presence known as he ambled into the hallway, skirting around Zoe who was leaning against the doorway tapping her foot in agitation, with a cup of coffee in his hand and a piece of toast hanging from his mouth.
"Where's Jess?" He questioned almost incoherently, the toast wobbling as he spoke.
"Eli, use a plate. Grace, who is Katie?" Lily said, her frustration at her collection of assorted children and step children increasing by the minute.
Both Grace and Eli were in the process of making some remark in response to this when the doorbell rang, interrupting the chaos that was steadily forming in the hallway. Lily glanced at the group assembled around her with a questioning look on her face. She sighed for the hundredth time that morning and opened the door. As soon as the door is fully opened, all turn to face the latest addition to their morning mayhem.
Eli's toast drops from his mouth into his coffee which splashes up his shirt, not that he notices, uttering only one word...
"Woah."
Only Grace seems to know what is happening, looking pointedly at Eli and rolling her eyes. Even Zoe who's quick wit would usually be on high alert in a situation like this ignores her step brother and is caught staring at the visitor.
"Mom, this is Katie" Grace says knowingly, before slipping out of the front door where Katie is standing rather awkwardly, issuing a rushed "Hi Katie, Bye Katie" as she passes, to which Katie herself only has the chance to open her mouth in reply, then close it again, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she turns to watch Grace's speedy escape from Manning Manor. She turns back to face Lily, Zoe and Eli once more, lifting her hand to rub the back of her neck nervously, her body language giving away the feelings that are usually hidden by her bubbly demeanour.
"Hey! I don't suppose Jessie is hiding in there somewhere?"
Lily, regaining her composure and her manners herds Katie into the hallway.
"Katie, hi, Jessie is in her room I'll just go get-" She begins to say, before being interrupted...
"JESSIE!! YOUR HOT FRIEND IS HERE!!"
Three sets of eyes widen in surprise, well, maybe only one them is surprised, after all this is Eli, Lily and Zoe are used to his behaviour, Katie however, is definitely uncomfortable. She focuses her attention on picking at the peeling rubber on her left converse shoe with her right foot as she considers how best to hide her discomfort.
"ELI! Sorry about that Katie..." Lily says, attempting to retain control of the situation, and hopefully ease the embarrassment of Jessie's friend. She throws a warning glance in her step son's direction. Jessie has never brought a friend to the house before, trust Eli to make it probable that she won't be coming again.
"Come on Lily, she's fine I'm sure she gets it all the time" Eli says, trying to defend his actions. Katie cuts in.
"Oh yea, all the time, it's hard to walk down the hallways at school without that kinda stuff happening. What can I say? It's a burden."
The family turn to face Katie once more, trying to figure out if she's being serious, and is just hopelessly vain. She stares back at them for a moment before allowing the slight smile that was evident in her eyes to travel down her face to her lips. Zoe lets out a sudden laugh, smiling back at the new-comer I like this girl, how did Jessie manage to get a friend this cool? She can even handle stupid Eli...
The moment is broken as the sound of a door being slammed upstairs graces the ears of those standing in the hallway followed quickly by more footsteps on the stairs. Jessie appears at the foot of the stairs, rushing into the already crowded entrance way. She glances around her family quickly before her eyes settled on Katie.
"Katie! How long have you been here?" She asks worriedly
"Morning Billie! I haven't been here too long"
"Trust me, any amount of time here can be considered 'too long'!" Jessie mumbles as she grabs her school bag and swings it over her shoulder then begins to tug her friend's sleeve in the direction of the door. Katie smiles at her, shaking her head but catching her hint as she too swings her bag over her shoulder and allows herself to be dragged from the scene. Still watching Jessie, she notices something and stops.
"You're wearing the purple sweater!"
"Yea, it's cozy" Jessie says before returning to her task of pulling Katie from the house.
"I like the word cozy..." Katie remarks as she once more allows herself to be dragged away
The family watch on in interest as the girls continue their conversation as they head for the door, now seemingly oblivious to everyone else around them. Jessie opens the front door, releases her grasp on Katie's sleeve and heads out, Katie is about to follow when she turns quickly, gives what could only be described as a geeky smile and waves to the remaining Sammler-Mannings before pulling the door closed. Just before the door closes completely Lily remembers something.
"Jessie!...You didn't have any breakfast!" She yells, the only response she receives is the sound of the door clicking shut. Lily sighs yet again, promising herself it will be the last time that morning, before turning her attention back to the last two of her supposed offspring.
"Zoe, go and get in the car."
Then walking to Eli, gives him his own orders.
"Eli, pick your jaw up off the floor and go and change that shirt."
Eli glances down at his coffee stained shirt and closes his mouth finally, before shaking his head slowly and retreating back into his room in the garage.
