Disclaimer: I own nothing except charecters I made up such as Patrick, Fancy, Shawn, etc.

A/N: Well here's chapter 3. Wish finally comes into the picture as do Wes and Delia.

Chapter 3: Remember

As I knocked on the door I suddenly remembered the first time I ever met Wish. It was the week after my tenth birthday. And I was at Stella's while my mom and Kristy were at a doctor's appointment because Kristy wasn't feeling well. I was sitting in the garden when Stella decided she wanted to visit her neighbor Wish.

"Nic, sweaty do you want to come with me to visit a neighbor of mine for a little while?" she asked me.

"Do I have a choice?" I didn't really want to go. I've always been very hesitant about meeting new people I'm not really sure why though.

"No. Come on. I promise if you get bored we won't stay too long. You should be pretty entertained though. She had two sons. Wes, he's about twelve now and Bert, he's seven." She said trying to make the thought of spending my afternoon with two boys one almost a teenager who probably won't want to spend his precious afternoon with a little ten year old girl and another who's probably still playing with action figures.

"Uh-huh" I said.

Two minutes later we were outside a cabin-like house. It looked very cozy and welcoming. 'I guess it might not be too bad' I thought to myself.

Stella knocked on the door and sure enough a minute later a woman appeared at the front door. She had dark curly hair like mine, only difference was that her hair was black whereas mine was dark brown.

"Hello, Stella, you're late again," she said with a teasing smile on her face.

"Yes, I know. I'm sorry about that really. My granddaughter is visiting today so I was a little busy." It was then the woman noticed me.

"Oh, hello. I'm sorry I didn't see you there. I'm Melissa, but you can call me Wish everyone does." She said her smile seemed infectious because as I looked at her I wanted nothing more than to smile as well. I already like her and I'd know her for less than a minute.

"Hi, I'm Monica, but you can call Nic." I told her.

"Wow. That's a sign of acceptance, Wish. She doesn't usually let strangers call her Nic." Said Stella with a smile on her face.

"Well I'm flattered. Please come in you two." Said Wish welcoming us into her home.

"My husband it out at the moment so you won't get to meet him today, Nic." She said looking a little tense. "My boys are home though. Wes. Bert. Can you two please some out here for a minute?"

"Yeah Mom?" said a tall boy with the same curly dark hair as his mother. I couldn't help but think he was really cute. He was wearing sweats and was sweating. He looked as though he'd just been exercising or something. I was assuming this was Wes, Wish's oldest son by what Stella had said earlier. A second later another smaller boy appeared. He had the same curly hair as his mom and brother and the same dark eyes as well.

"Wes, Bert, this is Stella's granddaughter, Monica" then she turned to me. "Nic, these are my sons Wesley" she said indicating the taller boy "and Robert." She nodded at the smaller boy. "Boys why don't you show Monica around?" she asked them.

"Yeah,alright, Mom. Come on, Monica" said Bert pulling me by the arm. He pulled me into a small hallway and into the first room.

"This is my parents' room, so there's not much to see here. And this is my room." He said pulling me into another room. There were posters on every wall. It was a lot to take. All the posters had something or other to do with how the world will end.

"Do you like it?" he asked seeming very interested in my opinion.

"Um…yeah it's really cool" I said not entirely lying. I did think it was somewhat interesting. "So, I take it you're really interested in how the world will end." I said.

"Oh yeah. That's really interesting stuff. Want me to tell you more about it? Most people get really freaked out when they find out but I can tell you're different." He said looking really excited. I found myself suddenly fond of this little boy who reminded me of my little brother.

"Maybe some other time, Bert. Mom says lunch is ready." Said Wes and as soon as Bert heard that he ran out the room. "Sorry about him he can get pretty intense sometimes."

"It's o.k. I don't mind. I was actually kind of interested."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I take it you don't really share the same feelings as you're brother on the matter."

"Well, not really, no. I don't really care about how the world ends. Why think about the then when we don't even know when then is? I'd rather focus on the now."

"No day but today" he stopped and looked at me. "What?"

"You're a renthead?" he asked looking at me incredulously.

"Yeah" I admitted sheepishly. "You?"

"Yeah, we saw that musical when we went to New York last year!"

"I've never seen the musical, I've always wanted too but we can't really afford to go to the theatre." I told him. "I just own the c.d. and I know the basic story line, but that's all."

"Really? Well you have to see the musical some day it's great…"

And soon the day was. Stella and I (somewhat hesitantly) left.

Of course we went back though and I soon became fast friends with Bert and Wes. Wish and I got really close too. My mother was never really there for me and whenever I need some motherly advice or needed someone to comfort me, I knew I could always got to her no matter what.

A minute later Wes opened the door.

"Hey, how are you?" I asked. He looked thinner than the last time I saw him. He also looked worn out. But then again, he had a right to be. About four months ago we'd learned Wish had breast cancer. It affected all of us greatly, but Wes most of all. You see about five months ago Wes was arrested for breaking and entering. He's not a bad guy really, he just had some bad friends. He was at a reform school called Myers when Wish found out about the cancer. He was so mad at himself for being so stupid and not being able to be there for Bert and Wish. When he got back about a month ago, he was suddenly very protective of his family, Bert especially. I expected that. What I didn't expect was how protective he was of me. I guess he was just scared something bad would happen to someone else he loved.

"I'm o.k. Mom's getting worse." He sounded scared. "Come in"

------------------------------------------------------

"I thought you were going back to school today." He said ten minutes later when we were in the kitchen having a snack.

"I was but…"

"Yeah…" he urged.

"Mom and Kristy were in a car accident yesterday."

"What? Why didn't you say so earlier? Are they o.k.?"

"They're fine. That's kind of why I came though. I wanted to talk to wish but I don't want to bother her if she's getting worse. She has enough problems without me adding to them."

"Hey, you know you can talk to me. I'm always here for you, Shorty." He said using the nickname only he and Patrick could use without getting hurt.

"I know…I was really scared, Wes. When Stella told me what happened I…I just couldn't believe it. All I kept thinking was 'I can't lose Kristy'. She's my little sister, I love her. She really is a good sister no matter how much we argue…I'd rather have her in my life and be a pain than not have her in my life at all." I said, tears now running down my cheeks.

"I know, Shorty, I know." He said soothingly as he took me in his arms. I couldn't help but feel safe as he held me. When I was in his arms I just somehow knew that Kristy and I would survive no matter what may come.

We'd talked for about thirty minutes when I realized the time.

"I'd better go. Patrick, Stella, and I are going to the hospital to visit Mom and Kristy. Tell Wish I said 'Hi'" I told him heading toward the door.

"I will. Hey I'll come over later to check up on you."

"That's o.k. you don't have to Fancy's coming over after school and Patrick's here now so I'll be fine. I'm sure you'd rather stay here with you're mom."

"Really I don't mind." He said sounding very insistent. "Delia's coming over later so I can get out of the house for a little while. Really Shorty, I want to." As he said this he put on his best puppy dog face.

"Well, how can I say no to that? Alright come over around 4:00 Fancy should be there by then too."

"Great see you then."

"Yeah, see you then." I said walking out the door.