Waverly Place.

Alex looked up at the green street sign with disgust as she climbed out of the taxi cab. Starting now, Waverly Place was gonna be her new "home".

Waverly Sub Station sat on the corner, customers going in and out the front double doors. It was unusually busy; Alex had been there enough times now to know that business was normally slow.

"This is gonna be so cool!" Her little brother, Max stood beside her, watching the restaurant as well. "Living in a sub station."

Alex rolled her eyes. "We're not living in the sub station. Just on top of it."

Max shrugged. It made no difference to him.

"Are you guys ready?" Alex's mother Theresa asked as she shut the trunk of the cab. She juggled a few bags of luggage. Alex forced herself not to help her with them as punishment to what her mother was doing; marrying and moving in with a balding man that had nothing but a sub station and one nerdy son. Why couldn't it have been a cute, young billionaire or something?

Max nodded eagerly and ran on ahead, the backpack he had on bouncing against his back. He was the exact opposite of Alex. He loved their mother's new husband Jerry, and his son, Justin. He found the sub place neat, and like to help out with the orders (though he didn't do a good job at it). Alex was kinda jealous, she wished she could be as happy about all of this like Max was.

"C'mon, Alex," Theresa said and Alex sighed, following her into the station.

It was noisy inside, the chattering of a few full tables filling the room. Alex could see Justin at one of them, taking the customers' orders. Through the little window that let you see into the kitchen, she saw Jerry, bent over a half made sandwich. Max was next to him, chattering away.

"I told him he shouldn't bother Jerry while he was working!" Theresa scoffed before turning to Alex. "Take these bags upstairs for me, please, Mija? While I get your brother?"

Alex rolled her eyes but took the luggage, heading to the spiral of steps that was to the right of the room. They lead her to her new home; a tiny apartment with ugly orange furniture. She dropped the bags next to the door, heading to the kitchen. Though she had tried to avoid this place as much as possible, Theresa had dragged her there enough for her to feel comfortable about stealing food from the fridge.

There was a carton of ice cream, which was good enough for her. She grabbed a spoon and dug in, not bothering with a bowl.

Alex looked around the apartment, which was quiet with only her in it. She felt sad, lonely, betrayed, annoyed, and anger all at once. She already missed her own little house where just her, Theresa, and Max had lived in. Why did her mother have to get married? It messed up everything.

Alex shook her head at herself, closing and throwing away the now empty ice cream carton. There was only one person she wanted, and that person was gone.

The front door of the apartment swung open then, and in came Jerry followed by Theresa, Justin, and Max.

"We did so well tonight!" Jerry was saying to Theresa, who held onto her new husband's arm. Alex scrunched her nose up at that.

"Who ate my ice cream?" Justin stood over the trash bin.

"I did!" Alex announced, smiling over at Justin. It was funny (and easy) to annoy him.

"That was mine," he grumbled. "Don't you know it is impolite to go through people's refrigerators?"

Alex shrugged. "Well, I figured since I'm now living here, it would be okay to have a little ice cream."

Justin opened his mouth to protest, but Jerry interrupted. "She's right, Justin. She's family now, they all are. We can get more ice cream." He looked over at Alex and smiled apolegetically.

She returned the smile, laughing inside. Jerry didn't get her sarcasm and rebellion just yet. She could tell she was gonna have a bit of fun with him for a while.

"Now Max, Alex, Theresa," Jerry said. "I just want you guys to know how happy Justin and I are to have you here. I'm excited for us to start our lives as a family."

"Oh, Jerry," Theresa said and she reached up to kiss him.

Alex looked away, glancing over at Justin. He was looking down at the floor, away from the kissing couple as well. Obviously, he wasn't too happy about this either.

Max interrupted the quietness. "Where's my room?"

Jerry and Theresa pulled away from each other. "That's right. I have to show you your rooms. Come with me."

The five of them headed upstairs where there was a tiny hall with a few doors on both sides.

"This one," Jerry knocked on the first door the left, "is mine and Theresa's room. The one across from it is the bathroom."

"And now, the one next to the bathroom is Max's."

"Yes!" Max said, shoving past everyone and opening the door.

"Where's mine?" Alex then asked. The sooner she got moved into her own, personal space the better.

Jerry and Theresa glanced at each other. "Well, Mija, we have a bit of a surprise for you and Justin..." Theresa started.

"What?" Justin asked, his forehead creasing. "Dad?"

"You know we're short one room," Jerry sighed. "So you and Alex are going to have to share yours."

Alex gasped out loud, looking over at Justin with a face of disgust. She had to share a room with him? Could it get any worse?

"Why can't Max share with me?" Justin demanded.

"We've already moved and set up his bed in his room," Jerry explained. "And since you two are the oldest, we figured you could handle it like mature, responsible adults." Theresa nodded in agreement.

"I'd rather sleep on the floor," Alex snapped. "Or even outside."

"Alex..." Theresa said in a warning tone.

"You've ruined my life!" Alex said, pointing at her mother. "You all have!"

She ran past them and out the hall, leaving the other three in stunned silence.