Hey guys, guess what? This time, it's Josh's POV.

8 years later…..

RRRRRRIIIIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGGG!

"Ok class, remember to read chapter 1 we will discuss the exercise questions at the next class, ok? Have a good day everyone!"

I packed my books into my bag and chuckled to myself as the whole class groaned at my History teacher, Mrs. Winfield, who actually gave us homework on the first day of middle school. But I, for one, didn't mind. The sooner you start, the better, I thought to myself. As I walked out the classroom door with my bag slung over my shoulder, I heard a high, squeaky voice go, "Hey Josh! Wait up!"

I shook my head after that brief moment of temporary deafness and turned to see Leana Johnson-Jefferson, my childhood friend and classmate, run up beside me. "Hey Lea. Enjoy your first day?"

"Enjoy? Helloooo? We just got homework on the first day of school! Isn't that like, illegal?" she whined as she flipped her brown fringe over her forehead and touched up her pink lip gloss. Gosh, she is such a beauty queen and a drama queen. Guess she gets it from Aunt Maureen. She wore ¾ length blue jeans, white shoes with pink sequins all over them; pink star earrings, a sugar-pink singlet and a short, white bolero jacket on it. Her walnut hair was perfectly blow dried and her thick fringe constantly kept falling on her face and she was constantly brushing it off. She yelled a quick "Seeya!" to her new friends, Heather and Mandy, and followed me to the bus stop. Wow, the first day and she's already made friends. I shook my head in disbelief. I wish I could do that, but I'm too much of a wallflower. Everyone says I get that from my Aba, who is constantly plastered behind his beloved camera.

We waited by the bus stop outside the school, when Lea asked me, "Hey, Heather's throwing a party at her house this Saturday, just like a welcome thing for the start of high school. You coming?"

I looked at her with one eyebrow raised, "Gee I'd love to, but I gotta read History and Science. Besides, I don't think they're my kinda clique."

"Oh come on, Josh! That's why I'm inviting you, so you can be part of a clique! And not just any clique; the cool and popular clique," she added with a grin and a toss of her hair, obviously referring to herself.

I chuckled at her. "I dunno. I'll have to think about it." Just then, I was interrupted by a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and saw a boy, who I recognised from my History class. He had brown hair and eyes and he looked a bit lost. "Um hi. Do you know which bus goes to Alphabet City?"

"Oh that's the one coming in 5 minutes. That's where we're headed anyway, so we'll show you," I said to him, sensing that he was new to this place. "Oh by the way, I'm Josh Cohen-Davis and this is my friend, Leana Johnson-Jefferson." I gestured to myself and Lea respectively.

"Hey" said Lea distractedly as she checked her reflection in her compact mirror.

"Hey, I'm Sean Taylor" said the boy, with a little wave. "I know we're in History together. You know, it's my favourite subject."

"Really? Mine too," I said to him. Sean smiled. Obviously, he seemed like the wallflower type too and was happy to have found a friend. I smiled back.

Just then our bus came, and we all got on. While on the bus, Lea sat behind me chatting to another girl that she met today. Sean and I sat together and talked about ourselves.

"Well, my parents and I are originally from Westport, which is like a really rich area, but my dad went bankrupt after he made some really bad financial choices, so we were forced to move to Alphabet City. My parents don't like it too much, and neither does my little brother, but I don't mind. It's kinda cool. I get really intrigued by all the artists that live there," Sean told me. "So, what about you? Your folks been here long?"

I took a deep breath, and said, "Yeah, my parents knew each other in high school, and they left home and came here together to live. So they've been here since before I was born, and so I just grew up here."

"Hmm, interesting," said Sean. I almost knew what he was gonna ask next, and I was dreading it. But I braced myself. "So what do your parents do?"

"Well….." I hesitantly began. "My dad sings and plays guitar for a local band called the Well Hungarians."

"Whoa, a rock star dad? That's way cool!" his eyes lit up with excitement as he spoke. "And your mom?"

Oh crap. Well, here goes. "I, uh…..I….don't have a mom. I have another dad, whom I call Aba, because he's Jewish. He's an amateur filmmaker and an on-site cameraman for Buzzline." There, I said it. I chewed my lip, preparing for his look of disgust.

But no, instead what I saw on his face was more of a look of curiosity and intrigue. Not that I'm ashamed of them or anything. I always knew I was a little different from other kids because they had a mom and a dad and I had two dads, but deep down, I never felt that different. I mean, Dad is the one who pays the bills and provides for us, and Aba is the one who cooks and cleans and goes all motherly on us every time either of us does something stupid or unpleasant. So in a way, they're really not very different to the other parents that I've seen. And I do love them both very much. If they hadn't taken me in and adopted me, I probably would've rotted in that orphanage until I became a juvenile delinquent, for all I know. But they've looked after me and loved me so well, I just don't care whether they're normal or not. We're a family, and I guess that's the most important thing. Plus, they have the quirkiest but coolest bunch of friends, which included Aunty Maureen and Aunty Joanne a.k.a Lea's parents.

"Really?" asked Sean, in a genuinely interested tone. "I've never met anyone with same-sex parents before. What're they like?"

"Well believe it or not, they're no different to the regular parents that you or any other kid may have. Once you meet them, you'll understand."

"I hope I get to meet them," said he, clutching his bag in his arms and the bus came to a halt. "Well uh, this looks like my stop." Which was one stop before Lea's and my stop. "Hey it was great meeting you. See you in class tomorrow?"

"Sure thing!" I said as he slid himself out of his seat. "Bye Josh. Bye Lea!"

"Bye!" said Lea, as Sean gave a small wave and descended the bus steps. I smiled as Lea sat next to me.

"Well, somebody's found a little friend," she said, grinning at me.

"He seems like a cool kid," I said, slinging my bag over my shoulder. Lea and I got up when we the bus was approaching our stop, and we got off, where I was greeted by Dad waiting at the stop for me. He smiled widely at me and I walked toward him.

"Hey there, Joshman!" said Dad as he gave me a big hug. I hugged him back and smiled. "Hey Dad."

"Had a good first day?" he asked me. I nodded, smiling. "Hey Leana!"

"Hi Uncle Rog" said Lea and she tossed her fringe again and adjusted her bag-pack over her shoulder. "How you doin?"

"Not bad. You wanna ride home?" Dad gestured to our car, a second-generation blue Taurus, which was parked on the little side street.

"No thanks, I'm cool. I can walk home," she said and she turned and walked down the street. "Seeya later!" She waved at us.

We both said goodbye to her, then turned to face each other.

"So," said Dad, his olive-green eyes gazing at me. "Wanna grab some ice cream before heading home?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't Aba object to that?"

Dad giggled mischievously. "Don't worry, son. Aba's at work. Won't be home for a couple of hours at least."

I giggled back, amused at how much of an inner child he had. "Ok let's go then!" I said to him as we got into the car and headed for the Life Café.

Ok guys, as you can see, I'm skipping years, but only to make it more interesting. Whatever happens in between, I will leave to your imagination. And before anyone asks me again, Aba is the Hebrew word for Dad, and cince Mark's Jewish I thought that would work. So hopefully ya'll gonna stop asking me now. -chuckles-