Authors note : So i have no idea what happened the first tine i uploaded this doc, but hopefully this one is actually readable. happy reading guys, any problems, let me know :)

Chapter One - Moving On Up

I never thought I would be moving back to San Fransisco. But then, I never thought what had happened in the past couple of weeks would be possible. Glancing over, I could see Amy had made herself comfortable in the passenger seat, her ten year old body small enough to fit into a ball as she slept. We had been driving for hours, the road trip from Seattle was long, and most of it had been Amy shoving her headphones in and ignoring me.

Not that I could blame her.

We had just lost dad, and honestly this was the most pain either of us had felt in a long time. Not even the divorce had been this painful, or the night we had left San Fransisco and our mother. Dad had been granted custody, which meant I had had to leave everyone behind. At 8 it had been pretty traumatising, though Amy had only been 2 at the time. Thankfully she didn't remember much of it.

"Are we there yet?" Amy asked, her voice groggy from sleep. We had stayed in a motel last night, sharing a double bed that had been so hard sleeping on rocks would have been better. I had had to drink coffee this morning to wake myself up. I'm not a big fan of the black stuff, but tea wasn't going to be strong enough.

"We're close, about an hour away."

"Oh." She said, staring out the window at the California view. The sun was up, heating up the car as we drove. Even though I loved it and had missed it, my body already craved the grey rainy afternoons Seattle had given me. Trips to pike place market with Amy and dad, the view from the ferry as we crossed to the west side.

I pushed those thoughts away, knowing they would make me cry.

"Why are we doing this Lucy?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why do we have to go live with her?" Amy and mum didn't get along. Which was rare, because Amy made friends with everyone. At 11, she had more of a social life then I did.

"Because she's family."

"I don't like her."

"Amy!"

"You already know what's she's going to be like. She's like, controlling and probably won't let me go see any friends or have any fun. It's going to be all about but books, and studying, and smart stuff with her isn't it?" She had a point. I loved my mother, but she was hardly the warm nurturing stereotype.

"It's going to be okay." I said, trying to sound as convincing as possible. "You didn't answer my question." for an 11 year old, Amy basically had no filter. It was one of her things that made her the best and worst little sister of all time. I had no Idea what she was going to say next.

"Seriously Lucy, living with her is going to be like prison."

"I know."

"Are you saying I'm right?"

"I'm saying this is something neither of us want."

"Then why are we doing it?"

"Because we have too." I sighed.

We pulled up to the house about an hour later, Amy snoring soft next to me. The lucky devil had fallen asleep again. Stopping the car, I paused for a minute. Nine years and the place hadn't changed, right down to the porch swing. "Were here" I said, nudging the little munchkin. Anxiety built up in the pit of my stomach as I glanced at the house.

Here goes nothing.

Mom was waiting for us on the porch, smiling at us. She held her arms out as we walked up to her, inviting us in for a hug. I walked up to her, wrapping my arms around her tenderly as she pulled me in. She still smelled the same, vanilla with a little but of cinnamon. "Hi mom" I said, smiling a little. "Lucy, I'm so glad you girls are here." where you belong I added mentally, because I knew she was dying to say it. That had always bee her argument in the custody case.

"And Amy, you look so ... tall" she said, her eyes assessing her. Amy scowled.

"Mother" she said, arms folded across her chest. This was going to be harder than I thought. I shot a pleading look at Amy over my shoulder, before glancing around me. As hard as it was to accept, this would be home again for now.

The evening was pretty uneventful. Mom had gotten a call asking her to come into work, apologising a lot as she walked out the door with a scowl on her face - which left me and Amy to fend for ourselves. Even though I wasn't much of a cook - that had been dad's speciality - I managed to find something for us to eat before Amy disappeared into her new room.

Making my way up, I found my old room on the top floor. Basically the attic. Boxes were everywhere - most of them filled with books - which I needed to sort out.

I couldn't face it tonight. I was alone. Since dad died, someone had always been there. Family friends, lawyers, Amy sharing my bed because she couldn't sleep in her own.

But being back in my old room - which really needed redecorating - I had never felt more alone in my life. Tears started to come, rolling down my cheeks as sobs racked my body. I couldn't hold it in anymore. Dad was gone. Our life was gone. I had lost everything.

Waking up the next morning, I felt a little better, though my eyes were still sore. My clothes were still all in boxes, so finding something to wear for my first day of school was going to be fun.

The first thing I pulled out was the top dad had gotten me for my last birthday. Somehow, dad had always been good at finding clothes for us - we had no idea where that had come from. Pulling it on, I rubbed some concealer under my eyes to hide the dark circles before finally going downstairs.

Mum was in the kitchen arranging breakfast on the table. Boxes of Amy's favourite cereal where there, along with the latest New York Times crossword puzzle. When we were younger, before Amy had come along, mom dad and I would sit down at the breakfast table with the crossword. Though I could never figure out the clues without dad's help, it had still been fun.

"Where are the waffles?" Amy asked, coming in behind me. Mom's face dropped. "You can't have waffles sweetie"

"But dad always made us waffles on our first day of school." I stiffened. Amy hardly ever threw tantrums, but I could tell this was where she was going to go with this one.

"Unfortunately, I don't have the time too-"

"Dad ways found the time."

"Amy-" I tried to inturrupt, but it was no use.

"No, I want waffles!"

"Young lady, I went to a lot of trouble this morning. You will sit down with me and your sister and eat your cereal." mom said calmly, but I knew that tone.

"Is that an order?" Amy asked, stubbernly refusing to move from her spot in the kitchen doorway. Before things could get any worse, I grabbed my bag and my car keys. "Come on Amy, grab your bag. let's go get waffles" I said, trying to avoid the conflict. I needed to get Amy out of here, or she was going to explode. I could see it on her face.

Mum stood in the kitchen as Amy rushed passed her, a look of disappointment on her face. I didn't care. "Lucy, she needs to learn to listen to me." I ignored her, grabbing a bottle of water. "I will pick Amy up from school, okay? " I said making my way to the door.

We managed to find a diner - one that looked straight out of the 60's with a couple of historical accuracies - near Amy's school. Slipping into a booth, I stared at her as she grabbed a menu. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"About what? How I hate it here?"

"We've only been here a day."

"Yet it feels like forever."

"Stop being so dramatic."

"Me, dramatic? Well I guess it's good me and mom have something in common."

"What?"

"Oh Lucy darling, how lovely it is that you are here" Amy said, throwing her arms about as she tried to imitate moms voice "And Amy, so tall. You would think it's a miracle I've grown!"

"Amy-" I said, trying to stop her but I could stop a smile from coming.

"What! It's true. It's like all she can comment on is my height"

"You don't know each other, that's all."

"What is there too know? She's a brilliant psychotic history teacher bent on controlling us. I know enough."

"There is so much more to her then that, if you gave her a chance-"

"So she could get her claws into me? Not happening luce."

"At least she's trying. It's not like she wants nothing to do with us."

"Wouldn't that be better? We could get an apartment somewhere, just the two of us, without the Dictator."

"We haven't been here 24 hours yet, there's nothing for her to dictate."

"Except what I eat for breakfast."

"Well, you were being kind of rude this morning."

"First day of school Waffles are a tradition, Lucy. I don't want to loose those too."

I hadn't even thought of that.

Before I could say anything, a waitress came over wearing one of those cheesy 1960s uniforms. They were really going all out with the theme here. "Morning darlings, anything I can get for you today?"

After she had taken our order we fell into silence again, Amy staring out of the window as I scanned the place. I loved watching people, how they interjected with one another. The diner was kind of empty, not giving me much to look at.

Until they walked in. A tall guy, kind of rough looking with his hair cut short and the most amazing blue eyes I had ever seen came in, holding back the door for his girlfriend.

My mouth fell open. "You okay Lucy?" Amy asked but I barely heard her. Jessica, one of the girls from middle school had just strutted in wrapping her arm around the guy. Her blond hair perfectly curled and her make up done to perfection, she didn't notice us as she picked a seat. Though the guy looked up, catching me looking.

I glanced away quickly. Out of everyone from my past, of corse I had to see her here. "Who's that bitch?" Amy asked, peering round to get a good look at Jessica.

"She's no one."

"Yeah, right." Of corse she didn't believe. The little monster knew me way too well.

"It's just... She's someone I really didn't want to see again"

"She's that girl from elementary school isn't she? The one that basically made your life hell?"

"How did you- you read my journal didn't you?"

"I was bored and in your room, how could I resist?

"Does privacy mean anything to you?"

"Nope" Amy said, smiling as she took a bite. She was the one person I couldn't stay angry at, no matter how hard I tried.

"Oh my God Lucy, Is that you?" My heart stopped as I restrained myself from diving under the table to avoid this situation. Jessica's voice, almost as annoying as it had been when we were 8, travelled across the diner. Amy's eyes twitched a little as she approached. "Jessica."

"How long has it been now, like nine years?" Why couldn't have it been longer? I thought as I tried to plaster a fake smile on my face. I was actually getting pretty good at that. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the guy still in the booth, watching the exchange go down with a blank expression on his perfect face.

"Something like that." Amy nudged me with her foot under the table. She could tell I was getting uncomfortable. So could Jess's boyfriend apparently, because he started to make his way over to us. Though Jessica didn't notice him, looking me over with her critical eye.

"You really grew into your nose. Though it could use a few adjustments. You know, my brothers training to be a plastic sergon, he could totally give you a consultation."

"Jess!" the guy warned, grabbing her arm gently as if to start tugging her away. Unfortunately, he was unsuccessful.

"Calm down Wyatt, Lucy and I are old friends. She knows I'm only joking." She laughed, though I knew it was fake. I didn't reply, not wanting to start something here, though i could see Amy was biting back a comment. "Emma - you remember her right?- said you were coming back, you know because her parents know your mum and all that. I can't believe your dad was in a car crash, your story is so tragic. "

That struck the nerve I knew she wanted to hit, but before I could say anything Amy as on her.

"Yeah, almost as tragic as your outfit." Amy shot back, taking a bite of her waffle as I almost choaked on mine trying not to laugh. The guy behind Jessica want so lucky, a laughing coming out before he could convincingly disguise it as a cough. Jessica shot him a death glare. But Amy wasn't done.

"Now if you don't mind, can you leave? I didn't order my waffles with a side of bitch." He couldn't stop it this time, hiding his laugh as he tried to pull Jessica away.

"See you at school Preston." she said, her fake smile looking a little straind as she finally let her guy guide her back to their table.

"I love you" I whispered as Jessica and her guy made their way back to their table. He shot a glance back at me, his blue eyes capturing mine with an unreadable expression on his face.

"I know. Now can we go? I need to be at school in like 20 minutes or I'm going to be late"

"You are so demanding." I said with a smile, signalling for the bill. Though Amy had managed to make me laugh, The thought of school made my stomach sick