Gwen's POV

Great job, Gwen. Great job indeed.

You were about to be busted.

Way to go.

"N-nothing!" I stuttered out, tossing the lighter into the drawer and flicking the used cigarette out the window.

Beck's fist connected with the wood a few times. "Then open the door."

I quickly trotted to the door, composed myself, and opened, looking as cool as a cucumber. "What's up?"

"What's up? What was with the coughing that sounded like you swallowed Rex and were trying to regurgitate him?" My sister raised her eyebrow and suspicion and stepped into my parents' room.

"I was uh-"

"It smells like Smokers Paradise in here." Beck moved his hand in front of his nose trying to keep the smell of gross smoke away.

Aly turned around. "How do you know what Smokers Paradise smells like?"

Yes, Beckett, how do you know?

He shrugged. "I've been there a couple of times with Dad."

"Look, I was just trying to remember what Mom smelled like, so I sprayed some of her perfume around. Evidently, said perfume smells like crap."

Beck seemed to take this in, probably because I mentioned trying to remember what mom smelled like, which was sort of a low blow with her being in the hospital and stuff.

My older sister on the other hand, seemed to be more observant. "Oh. So why is Daddy's cigar and cigarette drawer open?"

Both my siblings crossed their arms and narrowed their eyes at me.

This is probably the worst day of my life.

/ /

"Gwendolyn Joyce Oliver. What is wrong with you? Do you know how dangerous smoking is? Do you know how wrong it was of you to go in there, trying to act all cool and chizz and light up? Are you stupid?"

You may be thinking that the person saying this is good ol' brother Beck.

But it's not.

It was Aly.

Aly the rebel, Aly the booze hound, Aly the-

I'm out of things. Anyway, my older sister was lecturing me about the dangers of smoking.

God, Gwen. You just had to get a cancer stick out and release all your problems. At least I didn't do something as bad as like, purposefully self-harming myself. That's not even something to joke about.

"I- I don't know, Als."

She shot me a glare and stood two inches away from where my feet were lying. "Oh no. It's Allison to you, Ms. I like to smoke in my parents bedroom!"

"Fine! Allison! Then you have to call me Doctor Professor Gwen Patrick Harris!"

Aly uncrossed her arms. "…Why?"

"Because, if I'm Ms. I like to smoke in my parents bedroom, then you're Ms. I go out and drink 'till I'm chizz faced!"

"Don't use that against me!"

"Drinking is worse than smoking! Have a good time trying to find someone to get a liver transplant from when you're dies because you're not getting mine!"

That's when I felt a cold hard décor pillow collide with my face. That girl just hit me with a decorative pillow!

I armed myself the brown pillow I was leaning on and hit her back on top of the head.

"You hit like a Robbie!" Aly cried.

Beck walked in from the kitchen, where he had been when Ms. I go out and drink 'till I'm chizz faced was scolding me for my bad actions. He nearly dropped his glass of Mountain Fizz running over to stop the violence. "Hey, hey, hey! Stop it!"

I dropped my pillow (aw, darn) and pointed at the now all messed up haired Aly. "She started it!"

Beck grabbed my pillow off the floor and stopped our sister from hitting me again. "Yeah, well I'm stopping it." He pointed to the other end of the couch. "Allison. Sit."

She grunted and took a seat, obeying Beck's orders.

"What the hell was that fighting nonsense?"

I opened my mouth, but my very rude sister interrupted me before I could even say one word. "I was trying to explain the dangers of smoking to young Gwendolyn over there, but she turned it around on me and brought up my drinking adventures night! I already got in trouble for that, it's her turn to finally get in trouble for something!"

I have gotten in trouble. I snuck a boy in the house, remember?

"You didn't have to hit her with a pillow." My brother ran his fingers through his hair out of stress.

"I was only trying to knock some sense into her. She's the one who just poisoned her lungs with that pack of cancer in a box." Aly rolled her eyes.

"It was one and I don't even think I finished it. It was gross and I'll never do it again." That was the complete truth. It tasted so bad, and the coughing made my throat itchy.

"That's right. You will never, ever, ever, as long as you live, smoke again, understand?" Beck sounded serious. Like that sort of, If you do smoke again, I'm going to chain you to the pipes in the basement and you'll never see David again, serious.

And I love David, so I can't let that happen.

"I understand."

"Apologize." He crossed his arms and looked at both of us, waiting.

I twisted my body sideways to face Allison. "I'm sorry I brought up your dirty deed, and I'm sorry I hit you all Robbie like on the head." I smiled.

She returned the smile. "I'm sorry you come up with sucky comeback names."

Yeah, I snatched my pillow back from Beck and threw it at her.

/

It's Monday, Monday. And we're so not getting down on Monday.

This weekend has been…ugh. Full of stress and gross inhalation of smoke and stuff.

Oh, and on Sunday, we did a whole lot of nothing. Aly slept on the couch all day, Beck rehearsed at Jade's with Cat and I sat on the couch with a slumbering Aly and watched Sonny with A Chance.

And then this morning, upon arriving at school we got lots of 'I'm sorry about your parents,' and 'I hope they'll be all rights'.

Jeez, word travels fast in Hollywood.

And I'm not usually one to be annoyed about being consoled by people I don't know, but I just really didn't want to be reminded of said tragedy.

Besides, they were coming home today and everything would be good. My aunt Lea was picking them up, taking them to her house for a bit, and then driving them home.

It wouldn't make a difference if they stayed at her house or came home, anyway. We already know we can all survive without them.

I was forced to part ways with Jade and Beck, even though we were going to the same class. Aly wanted me to travel two hallways over to go to her locker with her. Needy sister.

When she opened her corkboard covered locker, a piece of paper flew out. "Hey, what's this?" I picked it up off the floor but didn't get a good look at it before she ripped it out of my hands.

"If it was in my locker, it's mine." Aly smirked.

Eh, I half expected it to be a cute note from Sean anyway. And I guess she did too, considering after she read it, she wasn't smiling and she just crumpled it up and shoved it in her skinny jeans pocket.

"So what was it?"

Aly slammed her locker after collecting her Bilingual Acting books. Harder than necessary, might I add. "Nothing."

Note to self: Check Aly's pants pockets tomorrow morning.

That may sound weird, but as we all know, after my mom, I'm the first one up in my house and sometimes I sneak into my sister's room and try on her shoes. She leaves her 'yesterday' jeans on the floor anyway, so it's fair game.

"I have to get to class early." Allison patted my head and left abruptly and coldly.

And now Gwen has to walk to class all alone. Boo for Gwenny.

So, I started my lonely journey, and was unlucky enough to be in front of two boys who liked to whisper about other people.

"Nah, man. She can't actually be in the Oliver immediate family. She looks nothing like them,"

They could just ask, you know. I would happily tell them I'm an adopted child.

"Maybe she's a cousin, I don't know."

The turned into a classroom before they said anymore. It's not like I wanted to hear anymore anyway.

An announcement crackled on and Principal Ikner's voice boomed over, "Students. I'd like to remind you all that the play 'Kiss With a Miss' starring juniors Beck Oliver and Cat Valentine will premiere this Friday. Remember to come and show your support! Ikner out,"

Trying to act hip again, eh Principal Ikner?

I almost feel bad for forgetting Beck was in a play. But he was, and it premiered this Friday night.

I can't shake what those guys were saying behind me…

And suddenly it was like I was back in grade school, it was the middle of the year and Hollywood Arts wasn't in the picture yet. At least, not in my world.

I was drawing in Art class, naturally, and boys were snickering in the corner and whispering and pointing. Teasing was considered a hobby in the fourth grade, I guess.

Everyone did it.

Well, except me. I always thought people should be accepted for who you are.

"Gwendolyn." I told them a thousand times that it was fine to call my Gwen, but those boys didn't happen to be nice to me at all. Come to think of it, they were never really nice to anyone in our class.

I finished the last part of my building and pushed my pencil aside. "Uh, yeah?" I tried to smile politely.

The oldest boy in my class, he had gotten held back like three times, had approached me, followed by what I like to call, his lackeys. "If Aly and Beck are your brother and sister, why don't you look anything like them?"

One lackey laughed meanly and added, "Yeah, your skin is all pale, and their skin is tan. Are you an alien or something?"

I sniffled a little. Yes, I was emotional back then too. "N-no. I just look different, I guess."

"They're probably not even related to you, you're probably just a homeless girl who they take of."

"Yeah. You probably don't have a real family."

Who knew two ten year olds and a twelve year old could be so cruel to a confused little girl.

I had silently started to cry and the boys just continued to laugh.

"Gwenners, what's wrong?" Aly had asked me on the bus ride home. Yeah, public, non artsy schools mean treacherous rides on the big yellow death trap.

All I did was frown the entire way home, not bothering to answer her question. Because I had a question of my own that I wanted an answer too. And the only person who would know the answer was either my mother or my father.

Mom was the one home when we arrived there because she used to get off work earlier than she does now. "Mommy…?" My trembling body hoisted itself up onto the kitchen stool.

"Yes, love?" This was the beginning of the alcohol era, it didn't come into full bloom until I was about twelve.

"Why do I look so…different? From you, daddy, Beck and Aly?"

She sighed. "We all knew you'd find out soon enough."

That was the day she told me I was adopted.

Forget it, Gwen. That was years ago.

"Gwen! Who knows everything there is to know about the world!" Sikowitz yelled, bringing me out of my thoughts.

Oh gosh, I don't know, uhm, "Buddha?"

He hung his head and sighed. "No. Cat! Who knows everything there is to know about the world?"

"You?"

A purple and blue ball came flying to her face and she thankfully dodged it.

"Sikowitz! You almost hit Cat in the face, for like the hundreth time this semester!" Tori hugged Cat as she looked like she was about to burst into tears.

"Have I not taught you kids anything? The coconuts know all! Only the coconuts!"

The bell chimed, and if you were smart, you avoided talking to the teacher and further and made your way out the door.

Cat latched herself to my elbow. "Yay, food!" Good to see she's feeling better.

The usual gang walked together, but we were however missing one rambunctious blonde.

"Where's Aly?" But it wasn't I who asked that, it was Jade.

"She's probably with Sean." Beck rolled his eyes.

Probably.

To the Asphalt Café!

Aly's POV

I swear to god, if I find out who chizzing wrote this, I'm personally going to destroy their social and physical life. I stared down at the note again and the bold words stared back.

'Getting a little tubby are we, Allison? Better watch those calories!'

It's probably just a joke, Al. Chill out. Whoever wrote this is obviously jealous of you and you need to let it go.

But…I have been lacking on my dance lately, what with everything going on. I should definitely start cutting back my soda intake and switch back to only water, and eat a bigger bowl of oats in the morning and-

Whoever wrote this is seriously causing me some mental issues. More than I already have.

And if you think I'm being dramatic, well, let's just say I'm standing here in front of the handicap mirror with my shirt off inspecting my stomach.

I don't think normal girls do this during school. At least…none of the girls I know.

Everything's the way I left it last time I did this. Then again I usually do this in my skivvies and in front of my full-length mirror.

I really should push myself harder next time I have dance class; any and all 'flab' on this body needs to turn into muscle. I need to make sure this stays a ten because right now, I'm probably a seven.

I pulled my yellow top back over my head and turned the both nozzles until they couldn't be turned anymore. The water rushed out like a glacier slowly melting on a mountaintop.

The toilet water smelled like Sinjin when he goes on his 'showers are for republicans' week.

Do it. Do it. Do it.

It was harder than I remember, but I did it.

You can bet ninth grade Allison Oliver is back.