"Dude come on, you're going to get caught and killed, then I'm going to be dragged down with you so they'll kill me to. I have a better idea, how about instead of changing your grades you actually get the grades like I know you can," I complained, tossing the ball repeatedly against the wall and having it bounce back. "Allesandra you know if I start getting better grades I'll be bullied again," Tom hissed, his fingers flying across the keyboard. "Listen here you get good grades, tell me who's picking on you and I'll kick the crap out of them but only if you never call me by that name again, I swear my parents must have been stoned and drunk when they called me that. Deal?" I asked cheerfully, stopping my bouncing for a moment.

He shook his head and I sighed, flopping dramatically onto his bed and burrowing my face into his pillow, letting the ball drop to the floor. My head whipped towards the window as it slid open with a squeak, years of watching horror movies kicked my fears into place and I fell off the bed, my head landing towards the window. A head of blond curls poked through the window and I grinned, jumping up. "One word and you're dead," she hissed towards Tom, stalking across his room. I intercepted her halfway with a big hug and swung her around, planting an innocent kiss on her lips, "Oh Bethany were has thou been I have been half mad without your wondrous presence," I cried dramatically.

She giggled and patted my back; I launched myself across the room again, back towards Tom's bed and fell onto it, watching the two siblings fight. "Are you crazy? If dad catches you he's going to kill you," Tom smirked, standing up and following Bethany and she walked towards the other window. "Dad's not going to catch me," she said smugly, pulling open the curtains and blowing a kiss to her idiot boyfriend also known as my cousin, Ricky the man-whore. "What do you see in that guy?" Tom asked incuriously and I looked to Bethany, wondering that myself.

"You mean other than the fact that he's good looking, sweet, sensitive, romantic, funny and ridiculously athletic?' she asked, smiling like a love struck fool. I made gagging motions and pretended to be fainting; hey this was my cousin they were talking about. Just then the door swung open, revealing a pyjama clad Hannah, holding her teddy. She looked around confused for a few seconds before she zeroed in on the two siblings, "Dad's coming and he's mad," she said her eyes wide.

They both looked at each other in worry, "at whom?' Tom asked, glancing at me. "Tom," Hannah said pointing at the same time a voice echoed her from the stairs. We girls quickly sprang into action, Bethany grabbed Hannah and pulled her behind the door while I rolled off the bed and scrambled under it, just in time as Tom's dad came in. "What?" Tom asked innocently and his dad took a deep breath. "If you're smart enough to hack into the school website then you are smart enough to pass math," his dad started, his eyebrows already raising.

"Do you think Bethany got accepted to Michigan by screwing around all the time?" he asked and I winced, play the sister card why don't you. Bethany shook her head and Tom sighed, "Of course not she got in cause she's perfect," I winced again, "No your sister got in cause she worked her tail off and that's exactly what I expect from you," he said, pointing an accusing finger at Tom's chest. "Yeah you're right Dad, I...I... I don't deserve a family vacation, I should stay home tomorrow, learn my lesson," I glared accusingly up at Tom. He was going to leave me with his family the prick.

"Oh no no I am not taking that bait kiddo," his dad said and I breathed a mental sigh of relief "This isn't you the grades, the bad attitude. What is going on?" Tom shrugged "Nothing," I wished Tom would just tell him that he was being bullied for being smart. I blame all this for coming between this right here," he pointed to the computers and electronic then both of them. "Some good old fashion, no tech-" he pulled out the power plug and Tom and I both winced. Damn I had a game of Tetris going on on that thing.

"-family togetherness is exactly what we need," he finished, walking towards the door. "So get some sleep we're hitting the road at sun-up. Oh and you guys to, yes even you Andy, I can see your foot poking out" he said. Tom smirked at Bethany and she smiled innocently back before tugging Hannah out of the room. "Are you staying here tonight?" Tom asked, turning off some of the lights. "Yeah my stuff downstairs and my sexy beast is in your driveway so might as well," I said, pulling myself out from under his bed. "Why must you continue to refer to your bike as a sexy beast?" Tom wailed, tugging off his shirt and pants, replacing them with his sleeping pants.

I shrugged and stripped out of my top, bra and skirt, moving towards Tom's draws and pulling on a pair of his sweats and an old singlet. I crawled into his bed and he slid in next to me, tugging me closer to him so I was cuddled up against him, "Night Tom," I mumbled, feeling his hands sliding around my back, "Night Andy," he whispered, killed the rest of the lights and drifted off to sleep.

Before you get ahead of yourself let me explain, Tom and I are in no way together. He is the brother I never had, my parents are kind of abusive and when it got to bad Tom was my caretaker sometimes that involved him dressing my wounds so I was used to him seeing my body naked. It was nothing sexual or anything; they were high up lawyers and didn't really have time for a kid, or the parental instincts. Growing up I was left alone in a huge mansion for months on end and had to learn to take care of myself, I guess that was why I was so guarded around anyone but the people I trusted completely, the Pearsons had grown used to my overly fond ways, kisses, large hugs they were my way of saying thanks for sticking around. It's why Bethany didn't break my nose when I kissed her earlier, it wasn't that I'm attracted to her it's just my way of greeting her.

The reason I slept with Tom, not like that get your mind out the gutter, was also due to my past. Growing up in a huge mansion with empty rooms, creepy dolls, loud noises, thunder storms, being convinced monsters were everywhere, you know the things a kid's imagination makes up. Well normal kids can go run and hide in their parents beds when they get scared, I didn't really have parents to run to, those things no longer scare me now but I have nightmares a lot about what it felt like and sleeping next to someone, knowing someone is there helps them go away. I grinned and pulled Tom tighter against me, slowly drifting into a comforting darkness.