This is my first fanfiction so wish me luck. Oh and also I don't own any characters. They all belong to wonderful Mr. Patterson.

Max POV

"Mom, why do the guest beds actually have sheets on them? And is the couch about to be slept on?" I hollered as I burst into the house after school.

My mom with her dark hair pulled back into a ponytail walked into the main entryway where I was in the process of getting my homework.

"Mom have you been cleaning?" I asked stunned; my mom only wore her hair in a ponytail when she had been cleaning EVERYTHING.

"I promise to tell you, but right now I have to finish getting ready. Also I don't want to tell you before Ella gets home."

Oh yes. I forgot. My little half-sister Ella had gymnastics for another hour. I highly doubted I could survive until then with all of this mystery. I also doubted that it was possible for me to squeeze Mom's secret out of her.

"I'll be in the tree. Send Ella to get me the moment she gets home," I said

The tree was actually a tree house that was built on this HUGE tree. It was one of those trees that the trunk is split into eight sections allowing us to have eight rooms. One of those rooms was my song room. Mom and Ella knew never to enter or risk their lives. I had an old acoustic guitar, a stool, and my notebook inside. My notebook had every song I had ever played. It included lyrics and sheet music for my guitar. Also in my notebook was a song that I was writing. It was a first for me but I thought it was okay. Hmmm, I thought, what if I added that to the chorus and put the feel line there. . .

"Max! MAX! MAX!!!!!!!" Ella yelled from the ground below me.

Looking up and quickly shoving my notebook back into its shelf I yelled, "I'm coming!" back to Ella and put my guitar away before hurrying down the ladder.

Mom was waiting in our kitchen. She was seated on one of the long sides of our island drinking a cup of coffee.

"Max, Ella. I have been thinking really hard and I decided to join the foster care system. We could really use the extra money and it wouldn't harm you guys to have a few more friends." Mom said looking us both in the eyes.

More friends weren't my problem. My problem was, well, never mind. Ella was social and kind and funny and sweet and a million other perfect things. Nobody wanted to be her friend because she was my sister. But Mom could NEVER find that out.

Ella was speechless but I wasn't, "Sure, whatever. When is the kid coming?" I asked before I went back to the tree.

"It's a boy and his two younger sisters. They are coming any moment," my mom said as Ella and I gaped at her, "So Max, please stay at the house."

"Fine, I'll be in my room," and then I walked away to my room.

My room was a smaller size. It was painted light blue and the ceiling had puffy clouds painted on it. The bottom bit of the walls and the carpet was a light green color. I had a bed, wardrobe, and a desk. That was about all I could have fit, but I liked my room like that. I thought it felt especially cozy. I picked up my book for school, The City of Bones. I was at the part where Clary woke up at the Institute and I couldn't wait to continue.

Probably about ten minutes later I heard Ella answer the door so I went downstairs to meet our new additions to the family.

There was a tall, lean, muscular boy who had dark hair, dark eyes, and olive colored skin. He was wearing all black. Holding on to his hand was a small, thin girl with pale skin, sweet blue eyes, and crinkly white blond hair. She had an arm in a cast and wore a plain lilac summer dress over a white T-shirt. On the boy's other side was an average height, slim African American girl dressed in jeans and a sparkly T-shirt. I swear they all looked slightly bruised, but it could have been the bad light.

"I'm Dr. Martinez, but you can call me Valencia. This is my eldest daughter Max, and this is my younger daughter Ella," my mom said to the three kids standing in our entryway.

"I'm Fang," the boy said then pointing to the African American looking girl he said, "This is Nudge and Angel," he finished by holding up the little blond girl.

"Are you tired? Max can show you where your rooms are. Well I'm sorry Fang, but do you mind sleeping on the couch? We only have two extra beds?" my mom asked looking nervously at them.

"Ok. That would be nice. Thank you, don't expect Fang to say too much but I'm sure he doesn't mind sleep on the couch. I really like your house and the neighborhood seems very friendly," the girl named Nudge said in one breath. I could tell she was a chatterer.

"Umm, follow me then." I said as I walked to the guest room.

"Hi, I think I'm going to like you," the little girl Angel said as she ran forward and grabbed my hand.

The name Angel fit her. She looked exactly like an Angel. Fang followed silently while Nudgeon the other hand never stopped chatting with Ella. At least one good thing came from this. Ella needs more friends; she shouldn't be punished because no one likes me.