Many thanks to Islanda and strawberry-sunset194 for reviewing. I am happy you liked it.

Disclaimer: I don´t own Cheaper by the dozen. But the ideas of the story, they´re mine.

Note: English is still not my native language, but I am doing my best to make no mistakes.

Chapter

Make some noise (Mike)

"Shut up Mike!"

It was always the same, when I wanted to talk to Sarah nowadays. She would treat me like a little child and make me go away.

In a big family you can soon be unheard. I mean when absolutely no one is listen to you, you are just some pain in the neck to them, them, whom they call your family outside but inside everyone already knew, that the days where you all used to be a big, happy family were over.

But I did not want to shut up, not again.

"Do it yourself!", I screamed back at Sarah, the Sarah who once was my favourite sister.

She starred back at me for a moment, then without a flinch, she put out her lipstick and coloured her lips, again.

I was done with it, with everything. Since this one day, the Baker clan wasn´t the same anymore and against all my previous tries, I would not go and try to fix it.

I really tried to work against it, but not this time.

I kicked Jakes skateboard.

"Leave it alone, it is not yours", Sarah said.

It was always the same.

You know that game? Simon says...Simon says: Tidy up your room. Simon says: Wash the car.

But it was not Simon, who said. If I really thought of it, it were not my Mum and Dad, either.

It was mostly Sarah, but not because she cared, just because she was tired of the stuff who was lying around and tired of me.

Perhaps I was just ten years old, but I was not stupid.

"And it is not your shirt you wear", I told her.

"Lorraine does not mind, it is to small for her."

"Jake does not mind, neither."

That was the wrong sentence, because there is one rule in this house: Never mention Charlie or Jake.

One moment I could see Sarah´s lips shake, but then she laughed.
"Of cause he does, when he is fine, he will want to have it back in the same state it was, when he left."

I was not brave enough to tell her what I really thought. That Jake would not come back, he was gone in some way, followed Charlie on his way down, and soon someone else of this family would follow, too, either I prayed it would not happen and either I knew it already was in progress.

Something in Sarah´s eyes made me feel sad, but I can not tell you what it was. Perhaps she looked sad, too, or like she would not care, but I could not tell what it was. I am not the most intelligent in this family.

Sarah went away and I thought for anything to do.

When you are on your own, you have to be creative.

I did not want to be alone, never, and no one ever asked me if I was okay with how the things were.

I had to shut up.

The way to my room seemed endless.

When I finally reached it, I turned on some music and got on my bed. You know that jumping on it is real fun?

While the music was playing loudly I felt angry, because normally it is Jake who turns on his music as loud as this. I took a shoe that was lying next to my bed and threw it against the wall. Then the other shoe. And a book. I ended up with throwing my lamp, which hit the wall first and and crashed on my desk with a comfortable noise.