Aaron woke up at perfectly seven o'clock in the morning. It was his first day with the bigger girl, JJ, in the house. He felt better with more kids here, because there was safety in numbers. The more kids, the more defenses he could have in case Emily got really mad. He got up and made his bed, just like Emily showed him. He made sure there weren't any wrinkles. He got dressed and made sure his pajamas were all folded up and there was not one thing on his bedroom floor. Then, he went upstairs to the table.

There was a plate with eggs and bacon and toast. It was on his placemat that said his name, so Aaron knew it was okay to eat. He got going and watched the time very carefully. It was much easier to eat without Emily looking at him and Aaron was glad again that JJ came. Aaron could hear Emily trying to wake her up, but JJ didn't want to get up. Normally, Aaron would get all worked up about that, but JJ was bigger and she looked like she could run fast if something happened. Aaron wanted to make it his goal to get out the door and go to school before Emily came out to see him one time. He liked her most of the time, but sometimes she still made him nervous.

Aaron ate everything on his plate and drank his orange juice. Then, he very carefully took his plate to the sink and rinsed it off to put inside the dishwasher. He stopped short, seeing that there were all clean dishes inside. He didn't want to leave dirty dishes for Emily to see even though she usually didn't care. He didn't want to wash them either, because there wasn't time for that if he wanted to get out of here before Emily saw him. But then he got a great idea. He brought the dishes downstairs and hid them in his bedroom closet. Then, he got his backpack and slipped out the back door downstairs.

Just like he hoped, Emily didn't notice him at all.

Maybe, all his dreams came true while he was sleeping.

Maybe, Aaron became invisible.

He walked down the sidewalk to the bus stop and stayed away from the other kids because they liked to tease him about being a poor reader and bad at everything. Aaron was going to make sure and do his best job at school so that his teacher would be very proud, but learning was hard work. The bus came and Aaron got on.

He sat down in the only open seat. He never saw it coming when the other kid sitting in the big green seat shoved him out so he landed in the walkway. The bus driver turned around and yelled at him. The other kids laughed. Aaron just picked himself up and sat back down. He narrowed his eyes at the bigger kid. Then, he counted the seconds until they were at school and Aaron could have the protection of 'No Violence.'

JJ was still sleeping hard when she heard Emily's voice trying to wake her up. She groaned and pulled the pillow over her head. The sound of Emily talking made JJ want to cry. She was hoping last night was all a dream or a big mistake. But it looked like it was real and she really did get taken from her mom and dad.

"JJ. You need to get up," Emily insisted. She took all of JJ's blankets off.

"What the hell?" she asked, just like Janet did on her first day of school when JJ did that same thing to her. Maybe, she would turn out like Janet after all. She was definitely sad enough this morning.

"Aaron's already on his way to the bus stop. You're going to be late," Emily kept talking, annoying the crap out of JJ. Like she really cared what Aaron was doing.

"Big deal," she mumbled, and was shocked when her pillow disappeared. JJ opened her eyes and glared at Emily. "Give that back!" she yelled.

"Get up, make your bed and put some clothes on. I want you in the kitchen in five minutes," Emily said, like she actually expected JJ to listen.

JJ curled into a ball and tried to keep sleeping but now she was pissed and sad and freezing. She got up and threw the blankets angrily on her bed. Then, she stopped short and looked around. She hadn't brought anything with her. She didn't have anything to wear except what she came in last night. JJ looked at the closet but didn't go over and open it, just in case she might see the same thing she saw at home. When she opened the dresser drawers, she found socks and stuff, but not enough of anything to make an outfit.

She sat on the bed and thought. Emily said not to come to the kitchen until she had clothes on, but she couldn't do that. Did that mean Emily was going to get all pissy at her again? JJ hoped not. It was hard enough adjusting to a new house, a new lady, a new little boy, a cat and a new school. She didn't need to get a hard time about not having clothes with her. Besides how was she supposed to know yesterday morning that by last night everything was going to be different?

"JJ. Are you all set?" Emily called. She didn't sound mad, even though JJ's own mom would probably be really mad if JJ acted this way at home. Now, she wouldn't care. But before, when she gave a damn. JJ wasn't trying to make things hard, but she didn't know what else to do.

She trudged, embarrassed, out to the kitchen. JJ stood there in some socks and a nightshirt that was someone else's. She felt totally humiliated.

"You're not dressed," Emily said, scooping scrambled eggs on a plate.

"I don't have anything…" JJ explained softly, biting her lip.

Despite their rocky beginning, it was moments like these that reminded Emily JJ was just a little girl. It was easy to get drawn into her behavior. The deceit. The stealing. The horrendous attitude. Stripped of all that, JJ looked young and small. She seemed painfully embarrassed and Emily found herself wondering if this was the reason JJ stole from other people. Was it because she didn't have things of her own and wanted to know what that felt like? Emily knew she would never ask such a question, and instead, took JJ by the hand and led her back to the bedroom beside her own.

JJ seemed like a different girl this morning. The mere fact that she allowed her hand to be held suggested defeat. Sadness hung around her like something tangible - a curtain or a veil - and Emily didn't know what to do to lift it. So instead, she began with something she could do.

"I'm sorry. I forgot to tell you. There are some clothes in the closet here that should work for now. In a couple weeks, we can go shopping and find you some clothing and shoes that suit your taste."

JJ sank down on the bed. "Don't you mean you're sorry for ripping the covers off me while I slept? I bet you don't do that to the little boy." She kept her eyes downcast, refusing to meet Emily's gaze.

"Aaron doesn't have a problem waking up in the morning," Emily said matter-of-factly.

"I don't want to go to school," JJ insisted, wrapping her arms around her knees.

Sighing, Emily sat down on the bed beside her. "It's hard adjusting to a new place, huh?"

JJ's face gave nothing away in the silence. Finally she spoke. "Did you ever have to? Adjust?"

"Well, let's see… You're in sixth grade, right?" Emily asked, though she knew the answer. At JJ's affirmative she continued. When I was in sixth grade, my mother's job meant we had to move to Lebanon. That's a Middle Eastern country where they speak Arabic and French. Their country just stopped fighting a Civil War when we moved there. It was very hard to get used to. I knew French but not well and I wasn't familiar with Arabic at all. I was afraid the kids would make fun of me."

"Are you gonna tell me none of them did? Because I won't believe you," JJ insisted, distrust back in her eyes.

"No. Some did. But not all of them. I didn't make a lot of friends, but I made a few. I learned to fit in."

"Yeah, of course you did. You have dark hair and all of them have dark hair," JJ said, shrugging.

"Anyway, kiddo, I'm sorry it's hard. I won't lie to you. It will be hard, but you can always talk to me."

JJ stretched and reclined on the bed. "I'm not going to school…" she maintained.

"That part is not negotiable. You are most definitely going to school. Dressed or in your pajamas is up to you, but you are going."

JJ waited until five minutes before they had to be out the door and then threw some clothes on and tried to leave for the bus stop, but Emily met her in the driveway. "Get in," she said.

"No way. I'm riding the bus," JJ maintained.

"No, ma'am. You're riding with me. Unless and until you can be trusted to go to school every day and stay there for the duration."

JJ wrinkled her nose. She balked. She dragged her feet. But she got in the car.

School was just as terrible as JJ imagined it was going to be. She didn't have a clue what was going on and she was so behind in everything. The only class she liked at all was gym and that was because she got to be active and do stuff that didn't involve thinking too much.

She was lost when they studied whales in science. She was lost when they were learning about bodies in health class. And she was really lost when she walked into some kind of Japanese tea ceremony in her Reading and Language class. That was actually fun, but the tea tasted gross and she would never admit it to Emily if she asked. When they looked up Japan on the computer for facts, JJ tried to find Lebanon and couldn't. It wasn't anywhere near Japan.

It was really weird in this school because it had first through sixth graders in it, not sixth through eighth grade. She saw Aaron once, and it gave her a strange, fluttery feeling inside. She wasn't sure why, since she and Janet never really went to the same school, except when JJ was, like, five and Janet was eleven. It was just strange to have some kid that could be her brother at the same school as her. No one talked to her, but Aaron's mouth twitched a little, like he wanted to smile at her.

The second graders were walking down the hall doing whatever they did, and JJ watched because math was boring. That's why she saw Aaron almost smiling at her. Then, some little ass shoved him from behind and he fell.

"Hey!" she said, getting up and rushing to the hall.

The dumb second grade teacher had not even turned around yet, even though kids were laughing and Aaron was getting up from the floor as if nothing happened. The line of kids just kept going.

"You leave him alone!" JJ yelled at the little shit who was giggling, as if it was some big joke.

"Young lady. Get back to class," the teacher at the front of the line said, finally noticing the commotion.

"This kid shoved Aaron! Are you really not going to do anything about that?" she asked, thinking that this school sucked more than usual.

"I'm sorry. Who are you?" The teacher squinted at JJ's unfamiliar face.

"I'm his sister," JJ said, and Aaron moved closer to her. She hadn't expected to say it. She hadn't even thought she meant it until it was out of her mouth, and Aaron was standing closer to her.

Her throat swelled with too many emotions. It felt good to be somebody's sister again.

A/N: Thank you guys so much for all the sweet reviews! They mean so much to me. Sorry this chapter took a few days to post. Life got in the way about halfway through this chapter, but I really hope you all like it!