"Hard Time"

It was a quiet, chilly February night.

Marie and May have been waiting for their step-sister Lee to return home.

The Kanker Sisters always had each other's backs.

All having different fathers who were not in their lives, and a mother who was barely home to take care of her three daughters, they had to take care of themselves.

So, Lee got a job at some tattoo place and would usually come back at eleven at night when her shift was over.

It was two in the morning.

Marie always had to look after her younger sister May since the poor thing was such a sweetheart but due to her dyslexia, she was always picked on for needing extra help.

Marie on the other hand was the middle child. Don't let the bluenette's punk-ish looks fool you, she is the smartest Kanker and the only one out of her sisters to be on the honor roll.

She was also more responsible, not being that big of a drinker, she's an ex-smoker, and she always takes care of May as if she was her mother, but still had her attitude and personality since childhood, but was just much wiser than before.

Lee on the other hand had no choice to work since she was the oldest.

She was getting tired of taking care of her little sisters, and been wanting to move out for the longest, and Eddy had been trying to convince her to move into an empty apartment, but she wouldn't give in.

Until that February night.

Eddy's beat-up car lights were seen in the distance from the Kanker's trailer.

May fell asleep on the cheap couch laying down next to an impatient Marie.

Lee opened the door with her key and entered.

She was startled by the girls (basically Marie) still being up at this time.

"Gurls?" Lee said as Marie stood up from her seat.

"Where have you been? It's like two-somethin' Lee." Marie questioned the redhead.

"I was workin' Marie."

"For three extra hours? Who the fuck would get a tattoo at two in the morning Lee?!" Marie yelled which caused May to wake up.

"What's going on guys?" May asked with her nasally-accented voice, rubbing her eyes.

"You know I am sick of you gurls always comin' down my throat about somethin'." Lee stated.

"Well if you would do what you're supposed to do instead of being around town with shrimp-dick over there, we wouldn't be bitching now would we?" Marie fired back.

"Don't talk about my man like that Marie."

"Stop fucking being irresponsible Lee."

"How the hell I'm being-"

"You spent the money we needed for food and rent on a stupid party Eddy was throwin' last week! You come home mega late, having me and May scared, what the fuck Lee? You have sisters to take care of!" Marie interrupted her.

"Not anymore! I'm leaving!" Lee yelled.

Marie's eyes widen.

May gasped holding back tears.

"I'm moving in with Eddy, ya can take care of ya-selves, I don't care, I'm out. I already packed everything up the night before into Eddy's trunk." Lee yelled as May fell to the ground sobbing.

Marie put her head down, showing an escaped tear running down her right cheek.

"So it's gonna be like that huh?" Marie crouched down to May and hugged her.

"What happened to 'sisters before misters' Lee?" Marie asked as May cried more and more onto Marie's chest.

"Things are different Marie, I'm sor-"

"Don't you dare apologize, if you was really sorry, you wouldn't be leaving us!" Marie stood up and scowled at her.

"Just leave." Marie demanded as she helped May up from the floor.

"Gurls. I-"

"Get out!" May yelled, grabbing their ship-in-a-bottle and throwing it at Lee.

Lee dodged it and flew out her previous home.

May turned to Marie and hugged her sister.

"It'll be okay May, I got you." Marie said as her sister's cry went softer.

"I l-love you M-Marie." May said softly.

"I love you to-" Marie was interrupted by the sound of her HTC phone (the last gift her step-father sent her) rang loudly.

She broke the hug and ran to the phone to see it was Eddward.

"Hello? Edd?"

"Marie, I'm sorry to intrude at this hour, but Eddy sent me a message stating you and your sisters exchanged some screams inside your trailer, is everything alright over there?" The concerned friend of Marie asked.

"N-No Edd, L-Lee just left us to b-be with Eddy!" She yelled as her voice started to crack.

Edd heard May starting to cry in the background.

"Oh dear, I'll be on my way Marie." Edd said as he quickly hung up the phone, put on his post-winter clothing, and speed-walked it towards the Park n' Flush trailer park.

Edd comforted Marie and May in their time-of-need manly because Marie and Edd's friendship blossomed once Marie lost her attraction towards men, and Edd doing that made their friendship stronger.

Ever since that day, Marie took a job as a barista at The Java Hut, and May managed to get a job taking care of the puppies and kittens at Underwood's Pet Shop.

It's just so sad how not even family is safe from betrayal and heartbreak.

Edd was actually relieved that he wasn't the only one going through it, but it didn't make him feel any better about the situation he was in.

Oh dear.

This was a short flashback chapter, explaining the events taken place within the Kanker household, and explaining why Marie was so close (or atleast cool) with Edd.

This tense chapter was named after the Gazlind remix of Seinabo Sey's "Hard Time" track.

Until next time! Bye-bye :3