Chapter 2-

4:30 p.m Tanner House- Courtney's room

The girls all sat around Courtney's bedroom. Courtney on the bed, Britney at the desk, and Lauren on the floor next to the bed. It was the same room Courtney's older sisters had shared. It was like a hand-me-down bedroom. All the girls lied in it at one point or another. Courtney's sisters were actually her half sisters, though. Their mom died when the littlest, Michelle, was born. When Michelle was 10 their dad, Danny, married his girlfriend Vicky. The next year Courtney was born. Courtney didn't look anything like her half sisters, either. They all had blond hair, and blue eyes. Courtney had brown hair, and green eyes. Danny would always say "You're so different from how your sisters were at your age," and it made Courtney want to punch something really hard. It was like she was continually being compared to them. Which made her completley happy being around Britney, and Lauren. They didn't know DJ, Steph, and Michelle when they were Courtney's age so they didn't compare. They were actually more like her sisters then her real sisters were.

They all knew each other since they were born because of their fathers. Danny and Joey, Lauren's dad, were best friends since elementary school. Danny and Jesse were brother's-in-law and Jesse and Joey were partners in business. Although, now Joey was coach of a professional hockey team. Jesse and his wife Becky started out living in Danny's attic which they turned into an apartment. Becky got pregnant and had twins, Nicky and Alex and they didn't move out until the boys were 6 and Becky got pregnant with Britney.

Joey also lived with Danny after his, Danny's, wife Pam died. He lived there for 10 years before getting married and moving out. He and his wife had three kids soon after they got married, Lauren being the first. Then there was Brian, and finally Kaitlin. Lauren had to take care of her little brother and sister because Joey and Kristin were always working. And Lauren resented it. Britney and Courtney knew that, too. But lately she was showing more anger and bitterness. She wasn't her usual perky self.

As Courtney was thinking this her mom walked in, "Hi, girls. Dinner's going to be ready in 5 minutes, are you two staying?"

"Don't we always?" Britney asked. Vicki laughed and headed out the door again, "Okay, so I was thinking during English today . . ."

Courtney jumped in with her usual joke, "Good for you! I'm proud of you."

Britney grabbed a pillow and said, "Shut up, I'm trying to tell you something." she smacked Courtney on the head with the pillow. Courtney grabbed another pillow and they started a small pillow fight. Britney wanted Lauren to join in so she hit her over the head with a pillow.

"Hey!" Lauren yelled, "I'm trying to do my homework here!"

"Sorry," Britney said, "I just wanted you to have fun, too. You seem seriously depressed."

Lauren slammed her book shut and stood up, "Well I'm not, okay?" She stood up, "Just get off my back!" She grabbed her stuff and left the room. The girls were left in shock. Lauren never acted like that.

"Something's up with her." Britney said.

Courtney rolled her eyes and said sarcastically, "Really? I couldn't tell."

"What do you think it is?"

"I don't know," Courtney shurgged, "Probably just PMS or something. It can't be anything serious or she would have told us."

Britney nodded in agreement, "Yeah, I guess your right." She wacked Courtney in the head with the pillow again, "Come on, let's go eat. I'm hungry."

5:30 p.m Gladstone House- Living room

Lauren was sitting in her living doing her math review sheet when she heard the door slam in the kitchen. She groaned to herself and prepared herself for a battle. She slid deep into the couch. Soon the shouting was audible. Her parents were home from work. Brian and Kaitlin came into the living room and sat down next to Lauren. It was something they went through every night. At 5:30 sharp her parents would come home mad at each other for some new reason that really had no point. Lauren's little siblings would always find her no matter where she was in the house and curl up next to her. She would always hug them each and tell them it would be okay. But by the third week of incessant fighting Lauren knew it wasn't going to be alright.

15 minutes later their mom, Casey, came out of the kitchen, "Dinner will be ready in half an hour." And she went upstairs to change out of her work clothes. In a wierd sort of way the fighting was starting to become part of their lives. It hardly kept Lauren awake at night when she heard her parents whisper-yelling at each other late at night. Lauren knew her parents didn;t love each other anymore. Now she was just waiting for them to figure it out.