"Emma Nelson get up this instant!"

"Already up, Mom!" I screamed but didn't move from my spot on the bed.

I had been awake since Jack started crying. I swear that kid got a megaphone instead of vocal chords. One of these mornings, I'll call a doctor and schedule an appointment to get the damned things removed.

Not this morning, however.

"Then get up here and feed Jack!"

I mimicked her soundlessly, and then growled. Not "Get up here, feed yourself and Jack, and get to school on time." Not even a simple "Good morning" or "please".

Sighing, I hopped out of bed and made my way upstairs. I had dressed the instant I was up, thinking that I was going to be late. Finally I had glanced at the clock, and literally smacked myself. Not that it mattered now anyway; I'd still be late.

Stepping into the kitchen I found my screaming little brother in his highchair—well screaming. If Jack wasn't screaming, he was hungry and screaming. If he wasn't hungry and screaming, he was just plain screaming. The only time he was silent and resembled anything cute, was when he was fast asleep.

That didn't last too long either.

Sighing, I gave the little guy a half-glare half-smile and moved to open the fridge where I knew mom kept his baby food. Sure enough, there it was. I pulled out a little jar of Gerber's baby food (peas, yuck) and wrestled it open.

Instantly the aroma of cooked, mashed peas reached my nose and caused me to gag. I couldn't believe my mom could feed him this stuff and not have him hauled away by Child Services.

Getting out a little spoon, I moved to stand in front of him and started to feed him.

"C'mon, Jack!" I cooed pathetically, the third time he wouldn't open his mouth to eat it. "It's oh so yummy…" I moved the spoon around like it was a little airplane and, to my complete surprise, he opened his mouth and ate the disgusting crap.

That never worked for my mom. I smirked, feeling the power flow through my veins. I had the control to make him eat the most disgusting thing in the world: baby food. I felt unstoppable.

Until it hit me how pathetic that was.

Sighing, I repeated the plane-movements until he'd finished at least half of the little jar.

"Mom! He's eaten most of the jar of food! Can I go?" I yelled at the top of my lungs, resulting in him starting to scream again.

Wincing, I did the airplane-movements and fed him a little more while waiting for my mom to reply.

"Yes you can, Emma! But remember, Snake and I are going out tonight so we'll need you to watch Jack."

Of course, you're live-in baby sitter isn't allowed to have a life of her own, perfectly understandable, I mentally grumbled. Aloud, I said, "Alright, Mom! See you after school!"

Tossing the spoon in the sink, and re-capping the jar, I put that in the fridge. I dropped a couple Cheerios on the little tray in front of him to keep him quietly busy, grabbed my backpack, and started on my way to school.

Simpson was coming back today. Er. Snake was coming back today. He had just gotten done with his last chemo session and said he felt like coming back. I sighed. No one my mom seemed so out of it. She was worried about him. I was, too.

I didn't act like a bitch though. Not purposefully anyway…

Coming up on the school, I started up the stairs. I really didn't want to go to school today. People would be looking at me and whispering questions about my step-dad's health. I couldn't take it if they persisted all day. I'd blow up.

Re-adjusting the strap of my backpack, I took a deep breath, let it out, and opened the door, walking inside. I spaced out a little as I made for my locker, not really bothering to take in what was happening around me. Alright, some things I noticed, but didn't really care about.

Like the fact Manny's red thong stuck out at least a good three inches out of her very low-cut jeans. That her shirt showed way too much cleavage to be in the Code of Conduct. The way she was practically throwing herself at some senior, when JT was across the hall watching her with a disgusted look.

Behind the disgusted look, deep in his eyes, I could see a pain of rejection that I hadn't seen before. Then I remembered that Manny was too much of a slut to realize that JT had true feelings for her, when the nameless senior who probably didn't know her name, only liked her for her body.

I shuddered in disgust at the thought of her body. She used her body for sex, and then aborted the baby she'd conceived on accident. I wondered if Craig ever for killing his first kid. Probably not.

I was making a mental note to talk to JT and tell him Manny wasn't worth his time when I saw the person I least wanted to see (even more so than Manny).

Sean Cameron.

I hated him. Not only did he hurt me more than enough times, he also stole Mr. Simpson's laptop that my mom had given him as a present for going through chemo. I so wanted to kill him when I found out that he'd done it. Of course, by then, everyone believed my step-dad lost it, and that was it. No proof.

Glaring at him, although I knew he wasn't paying attention, I walked passed him and to my locker.

He was probably too busy thinking about which girl he was going to cheat on Ellie with. Yeah, I knew they were going out. Did she really think that he'd change himself that much for her? He's a regular asshole, and always will be.

Poor Ellie, I thought as a slammed my locker closed and start for my first class. My step-dad's first class in a while.

Walking in the door, I quickly took an empty seat next to a girl I'd never met before. I didn't really care and just sat there, staring blankly at the black computer screen.

"Hey, I'm Sean Cameron."

Tensing, I looked around for the owner of that name. On the other side of the new girl was where he was sitting. I glared at him for a minute and completely missed her introduction of herself.

"Welcome to Da-Grassy-Hell," he said in a very fake southern accent.

As the girl laughed, I realized what he was doing. He was flirting with her so he could use her and break both her, and Ellie's, hearts.

I had to stop it.

"Beware of him. He steals laptops," I said coldly.

Insantly both the girl and Sean look at me. Sean looks angry and wary, while the girl looks confused.

"What?" she asked, tilting her head a little.

"He steals laptops," I repeated, shrugging. "He stole my step-dad's laptop."

"Emma…" he growled in warning.

Suddenly to my surprise, and Sean's too, apparently, the girl started to laugh.

"You two went out," she said nodding a little. "It's obvious."

I watched as her eyes widened in horror and frowned a little. There was something seriously wrong with her; it was as if she was afraid to be caught laughing. I saw Sean raise an eyebrow.

"Emma, Sean, and…?" a voice interrupted.

We all looked up. My step-dad was staring at us, frowning a little.

"Crevan," the girl offered moodily.

I blinked at the sudden change in her tone. It had gone from being care-free and happy to sullen, cold, and indifferent.

"Alright, Crevan. You're obviously new here, but you two aren't." He looked pointedly from Sean, to me. I sighed a little. "Now, I know I haven't been here for a while, but I am here now and I'm trying to teach. So if all of you…"

I tuned him out and stared at the screen again. So far my day had gone from annoying, to bad. Who knows how far it would sink before I got home and it went to pitiful when I'll be forced to baby-sit my little brother. I sighed and slouched in my chair.

--

A/N: I promise, Emma's the last POV for the morning. The next person's will come from a different part of the day, seriously…

I had to put her in there since she was already tied in with Sean and Crevan. Right. I'm done talking now.

sighs