A/N: Hey reviews were great. Thank you for being so understanding!

Dreamless-Mermaid- I got the social butterfly thing from one of my best friends. She keeps telling "Be a butterfly not a water buffalo…." I've been moved up to Bison though for being nice to Doogie Howser kid. Apparently I have a glaring problem, and people (guys especially) are afraid of me. My take on it? They'll get over it. Great to know I'm not the only socially inept person out there. I'm on a club swim team, but my school does have a team, there's just no way I'd be able to do two teams, one is tough enough as it is! Swimming rocks! Glad you like the story!

Gamble 7- yeah, school can really suck. Homework….mean teachers who give you too much homework, oh and I almost forgot, falling over because your homework weighs 50billion pounds! Weekends are the best, except for when I'm rushing around Sunday night finishing homework. That is not fun.

The Third Fate- no Skittery in the last chapter but he'll be in this one! I really like writing him. I actually find it easier to write when I use the Newsies. With just Anna I'm fine but add her family, it was a little bit of a pain……

12:30 sharp and I was standing with Mom, Dad and Tom on the front porch of that yellow house next-door. I knew that this was going to be hell. Mom would go around being Mrs. Butterfly dragging Dad behind her, Tom will end up talking to someone, somehow, I'm not sure why, but people actually strike up conversation easily with him, it must have something to do with the fact that he is a complete suck up, and then, me. I will be sitting by myself in some deserted corner thinking of all the places I'd rather be while I glared at the other guests. I don't mean to glare, not really, I just can't sit there smiling at nothing. It pisses me off.

Dad rang the bell and we all stood there shifting our feet, well I did anyway, I knew that when the door opened, we'd be dragged around and introduced to everyone, then I'd be ditched with some kid that I was told "I'd just love' who I really end up not being able to stand. Then finally when I managed to ditch the kid, I'd find a nice secluded spot to hide out. Yeah, hard to tell, but I've had some experience in this area. While I've never moved before or switched schools, I had been dragged to barbeques and such with complete strangers, usually people my mother somehow knew. I have yet to encounter one I enjoyed, several though I flat out hated.

So, now that I have officially gotten myself all worked up and have excepted that this will be hell I'm about to scream and laugh in complete and utter joy.

The door just opened to reveal my savior, "Jack Kelly!"

Jack blinked at me, then, "Anna! What are you doing here?"

I laughed, "I moved in next door. You live here?"

Mom chose to break in, "You know each other?"

"Yeah," I couldn't help but gush, I was really excited, if Jack was here, that meant that the rest of them would be here! I'd actually moved into the same neighborhood. Life was looking good. "We're in the same homeroom at school."

"Oh." Was all Mom seemed able to say.

Tom on the other hand, "Anna actually has friends?"

Jack raised an eyebrow at him, "Your brother?"

"Yeah, ignore him."

Jack shrugged; he opened the door wide, "Come in. I'll try to find Aunt Rachel."

As we stepped in I looked around, there were two hallways and a stair case. My hopes fell; this was Jack's aunt's place. Everyone else may not be here after all.

"So," I asked slowly, "This isn't your home?"

Jack looked at me funny, "No it is. Oh! Wait! We never told you! I live with my Aunt and Uncle. Skittery's my cousin that's why we always go home together. We share that car."

I blinked at him. Skittery and Jack were cousins? I'd never have guessed. Wow.

David came from one of the hallways, "hey, Jack, where are Ian's arm float things?"

I stared at David, what the hell was he talking about?

Jack knew though, "In the green box in the shed."

David left nodded at me and was half way down the hall before he abruptly stopped and come back, "Anna?"

"Hey David. I live next door."

"In Spot's old house?"

I shrugged and Jack nodded, "Yeah, that place has been empty for three years."

I was ecstatic, for once in my life, I was at a barbeque and it was the rest of my family that was standing in awkward silence instead of me. It was great.

There was suddenly very loud thumping on the stairs and we all looked up.

"Where is my swimsuit!" came the yell.

Jack rolled his eyes and shouted "I don't know!"

"Is that you Jack?"

"Yes, Skitt."

Skittery came sprinting down the stairs, and came to the bottom facing Jack with his back to us. I turned bright red and my mother gave a little gasp of shook. Tom smirked and Dad looked embarrassed for Skittery. Skittery it would appear hadn't noticed that we were down here and was dressed in nothing except plaid boxers.

"I can't find my suit. The blue and red one." He said looking at Jack and David.

"How am I supposed to know where it is?" Jack asked.

"We share a room dumbass."

"Look Skitt, does it look like I'm wearing your swim suit? Maybe it's in the wash."

Skittery looked at Jack in his blue and white Hawaiian print swim trunks, "It's not in the wash! I had it earlier this morning!"

"Just go put on another one Skitt." David said, always the voice of reason.

It was at this point that I started to worry, I didn't have a suit, all of mine were in storage, would we need them?

"It's my only suit!" Skittery yelled at him, "My other ones are all to short! Mom wouldn't buy new ones this summer!"

"Jacks still fit him from last summer." David tried.

"Yeah well, Jack didn't grow like five inches did he!"

Jack sighed, "Look Skitt, just use one of mine for now."

Skittery turned around and started to head upstairs when he noticed us standing there.

"Anna? Jack! Why didn't you say anything!"

Jack was laughing hysterically at poor Skittery standing there in his boxers beat red.

Skittery started apologizing profusely, "I'm so sorry; I thought it was just Jack down here. Ok, um. I'm so sorry."

Skittery shoved his cousin into a corner table and sprinted like mad up the stairs. Jack regained his composure and smiled sweetly at us, "I'll get Aunt Rachel."

He left and Dad shook his head, "Poor guy, we should have said something to spare him the embarrassment."

Tom shook his head, "Nah, It was funny."

I socked him in the arm, "It is not funny!" In all honesty my opinion was we were going to see him a swimsuit, what's it really matter, but then again, I guess Boxers are considerably shorter.

Jack returned with his aunt in tow. Rachel was holding a boy in swimming trunks on her hip and was being followed by Snitch and Nicole.

"Hi" she said holding out her free hand to Mom. "I'm so glad you could make it."

Mom smiled and shook her hand.

Rachel looked around at her children, "Where is Henry."

As if on cue Skittery came down the stairs wearing swim trunks like Jack's but green with a white t-shirt.

Rachel eyed her son, "Those swim trunks are not yours."

"I know Mom, I can't find mine…" he drifted off and I followed his gaze to Snitch. Snitch was wet, attempting to hide behind Jack and dressed in blue and red swimming shorts.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING WEARING MY SHORTS!" Skittery yelled.

Snitch shrugged, "Didn't know they were yours."

Skittery was bristling with anger and his mother looked stressed, "How could you not! They were on my bed!"

Skittery's mom stepped in between them, "Henry, calm down, you can just wear Francis's. Harry, you shouldn't take your brother's clothes. You have your own."

"His are better though." Snitch mumbled.

Skittery tried to step around his mother, "what d'ya mean? At least you have more than one pair!"

"BOYS" she hollered, "We have guests!"

I raised my eyebrows quickly at them and my mother gave a small smile. Tom stared and Dad was trying not to laugh.

Rachel sighed, "Sorry." She pointed to Jack, "This is Francis, he's my nephew, but he's been legally adopted."

"Jack." He mumbled and his Aunt moaned.

"Please Boys, can we not do the nickname thing for once!"

Jack said nothing and she moved on, "Francis is almost 17. This is Henry, he's 16 they both are juniors. Nicole is my only girl. She's 15. This is Harry. He just started high school."

"Mom" Snitch muttered as Jack and Skittery started pretending to cuddle him.

"And this," she smiled at the boy in her arms, "Is Ian. He's in first grade now."

Then Mom decided she had to introduce us as well. "My husband, Dave. Tom, my eldest, he's in his second year at NYU. And Anna is a junior, apparently with your boys."

"Oh, really, you go to the same school?' she asked looking at Jack and Skittery for conformation. They nodded. "Ok, well, why don't I show you around?"

"We got Anna." Jack said quickly. Rachel nodded and left with my parents and brother in tow. Nicole and Snitch soon followed. David, it would seem had slipped out around the same time Rachel began introductions. In the new silence I could hear music from the backyard and the splashes of a pool.

The two boys grinned at me, "You got a suit on?" Skittery asked.

I shifted uncomfortably, "I didn't know I'd need one. They're all in storage."

"Oh." Jack said slowly.

"Do I really need one?"

"Well, we do end up spending a lot of time in the pool. You're going to want one." Jack said.

"Maybe she could use one of Nicole's?" Skittery suggested.

"Yeah. Ok. Go and tell her so Aunt Rachel doesn't kill us."

Skittery ran off and was back within one minute, "she didn't really want to but Mom was right there so she has to."

I blinked uncomfortably, "If she doesn't want me to I don't have to. It's not a big deal."

"Nah, it's not you. She doesn't want me and Jack in her room is all."

The two boys dragged me upstairs and into a fairly small bedroom. After rummaging through the top drawer of a dresser, Jack came up with two bikinis. One was a halter top, the other rather skimpy. I grabbed the halter top quickly. No way I was showing more skin than I had to. In fact I hate wearing bikinis all together. Skittery showed me the bathroom and they volunteered to wait for me outside the door, despite my protests that they could go.

I closed the bathroom door and looking at the bathing suit moaned. I checked the size and moaned again. It was a goddamn size 2! I was not going to fit into that! I wore a 5 for most swimsuits! I sighed and pulled it on anyway. The top, expectantly fit fine, I don't fill things out well. But the bottoms were too tight. I guess they could be wearable, but I was not going out like this. My legs just aren't meant for a bikini, never mind a tight bikini. At the beach I always wore board shorts. I had no choice and I became glad that Skittery and Jack decided to wait.

"Hey guys?" I stuck my head out the door. "The bottoms are too small."

Jack stared at me for a second, "But the top's fine?"

"Yeah."

They looked at each other then Skittery spoke up, "Do you mind wearing men's bottoms?"

Yes! Exactly what I'd been hoping for. "No."

"Ok, maybe some of mine from last year might be alright on you."

He disappeared into a room across the hall and came out shoving a pair of trunks at me. I grinned and pulled my head back into the bathroom. I pulled on the black and white trunks on over the bikini and tied the drawstring happily. I was ready to go out, well not really, I hate being scantly clad, but I had big shorts on, that would get me through. I walked out and they smiled at me, dragging me out to the backyard.