Chapter 1- Jam-packed

"And…that's a rap!" the director yelled. "Thanks, Ingrid! Thanks, Kevin!"

"Hey, a few friends and I are going out to celebrate on New Years, you want to come?" Kevin asked. Tonight was New Years but I knew I couldn't come. I was way too busy.

"Thanks, Kev, but I can't. I've got a lot of stuff going on right now. Maybe another time." I said as I put on my coat and boots. It was a frosty day, even for New York.

"But New Years is only once a year." He whined.

"Technically it's twice a year." I said smartly. "I'm sorry!" I yelled as I ran out the door. I ran into the street and called for a taxi.

"Ingrid!" I heard Lucy yelled when I walked in the door. She ran up to me and hugged my legs. I picked her up and shut the small, screen door. I kissed her slightly on the cheek and set her back down. She was only 6—the youngest in the family. She had light brown hair down to her shoulders.

"Ingrid!" I heard Charlotte and Gabrielle shout and they both came running. Charlotte and Gabrielle were twins. They were 7 and a half and had red hair—just like their father.

"Hey, Ingrid." Evan said as he walked by and waved. He didn't look at me. He was too busy reading his book. He was tall and lean. He had dark drown hair—like me—and bright green eyes. He didn't like showing them off, so he hid them under thick, black rimmed glasses. He was the second oldest. He and I always had to take care of everyone since our mother refused to and our father ran off when Lucy was born. "Nicole and Valerie went outside. They said they wouldn't be long!" he yelled from his room.

"Thanks!" I yelled after him. "So, what do you want for dinner?" I asked as I kneeled down to see the little girl's faces.

"Pasta!" said Lucy. She had a huge smile on her face.

"I wouldn't mind pasta." said Charlotte. Gabrielle nodded. I stood up.

"Pasta it is. Do you mind pasta?" I yelled down the hall to Evan's room.

"Sure!" he yelled back. With that, I walked into the kitchen—the girls following—and began to make the pasta. Lucy sat herself on the counter and Charlotte sat on a stool. Gabrielle helped me make the dinner.

"So, how was school?" I asked generally.

Gabrielle spoke first. "I had a pretty good day. I first got on the bus and I sat next to Fiona. She asked me to sit with her yesterday. When we got to school, I finally got a swing! I was very happy about that. But the rest of the day was really boring." She said as she handed me the noodles.

"I had I good day!" Lucy said. "My teacher gave me a gold star for good behavior." She said with a proud smile on her face.

"That's wonderful, Lucy!" I said as I cut up the beef and put it in the pan.

"I didn't have a very good day." Charlotte said looking down at the table. "My boyfriend and I got in a fight." I couldn't help but giggle.

"A boyfriend, huh?"

"Yes, He's really quite cute."

I laughed, "Of course he is." Just than Nicole and Valerie walked in. their faces were beat red.

"Oh my!" I shouted. I put my hands on either side of Nicole's face and than Valerie's. "Why were you out there so long?" I exclaimed.

"Well, we were making a snow fort." Nicole said innocently.

"It was really nice." Valerie added. I smiled and began to take off their hats revealing their strawberry blond hair. Nicole's was darker than Valerie's. Nicole was 10 and Valerie was 9 and a half in February.

"Come on, I'll make you some Hot Chocolate." I said as I walked back into the kitchen.

"I want some!" was shouted by everyone. I smiled and began to boil the water.

Once the pasta was made, everyone seemed content. Evan even came and ate his dinner without his book. I made enough for all of us and than some for Mary-Ann. Mary-Ann was our mother. She never seemed to eat dinner with the rest of us.

"Evan, will you give this to Mary-Ann?" I asked as I handed him a plate of pasta. He nodded and left the room.

Everyone seemed to be tired, even Evan who went straight to bed after returned from May-Ann's room. I started to read a story to the girls. Beauty and the Beast I think it was. I saw Evan across the hall. He was wiping his eyes. "Hold on a second." I said to the girls and I walked into Evan's room.

He didn't realize I was there I until I spoke. "Hey, Bud. What's wrong?" I asked as I walked in and sat on the bed next to him. I turned away quickly and sniffled.

"Nothing." He said trying to hide the fact that he was crying.

"Are you alright?" I asked trying to squeeze it out of him. He looked up at me. His eyes were blood shot.

"She hit me." He side revealing a large bruise on his arm. I knew that the bruise didn't hurt, but he was crying form the mental pain.

"Can you finish reading the girl's their story?" I asked as I got up and walked furiously to Mary-Ann's room.

It was dark and fuggy in there. The only light was coming from the TV. I saw the pasta upside-down on the floor. She had a smoke in one hand and a beer in the other. Her eyes were red and had big bags under them.

"What the Hell do you think you are doing?" I exclaimed. "You have no right to do that to someone! Especially your own children." She looked up at me sheepishly then looked away. Her attention was focused on the TV, not on me. I walked over and turned the TV off so she had top pay attention to me.

"I want you out of my house." She said looking me straight in the eye.

My jaw dropped. "Your house? I don't see you paying the bills, cleaning, or making dinner for your children!" I throw my hands up in the air.

"Get out." She said through grinding teeth.