Chapter 1

By Pippie

(Dusti's POV)

I had been sitting at the dining room table doing some homework for a while. I was working on some dumbass book report on my laptop, or at least trying to. I kept getting distracted from it. I didn't really feel like typing it for one thing but it was due the next day. And then I got a phone call from Aila. Even though she's mainly in Finland she's one of my best friends. Our phone conversation lasted about an hour and then I went back to working on my book report. Well I tried to get back to work on it. Jack and Jordan decided to come into the room and sit across from me. They were annoying the hell out of me because they were half talking and half signing to each other. I forgot to mention before that Jordan has a little over 50 hearing loss so we communicate with him partially through sign language. He and Jack tend to sign partly in signs that they made up. They refuse to tell any one else what they're signing. It's "a twin thing" they say.

I looked up from my computer and glared at them when they started laughing. They signed to each other, of course saying something that I didn't know. I knew it had to be something about me because Jack motioned towards me.

"Shut the fuck up!" I shouted and signed at the same time (I didn't really need to sign since I was plenty loud enough for both of them). This only caused them to laugh some more "Dad!" I called out

"What?" Bam answered

"I'm trying to work and these nidiots are in here just to annoy the shit out of me!"

"What do you want me to do about it?"

"I don't know!" I huffed "Tell them to cut it out?"

Dad laughed "Jack! Jordan! Cut it out!" They just laughed. Dad laughed again "Sorry, Dust, I did all I could. You're on your own."

I groaned, ready to strangle someone or throw my computer at them. The twins continued to talk and sign, knowing it was annoying me. I rolled my eyes and tried to type. Jack came up to me and stood as close as he possibly could without actually standing on me. He leaned in close, staring at my computer screen.

"Whatchu doing?" I shoved him away "Well that's not very nice, sis. I only asked you a question." He looked at Jordan "Did you see that?"

"She's a bitch." He half signed

I groaned "Fuck off!"

"Ooh… testy." Said Jack

"Must be the time of the month." Added Jordan in sign language

"Jordan I know what you just said you dumbass. And for your information it won't be my time of the month for two more weeks."

"Ew! I didn't need to know!" Jack shrieked with his ears covered. Jordan just laughed

"Would you two leave already?"

They gave me a Nazi salute and left the room in giggles. I sighed and rubbed my eyes before staring at the computer screen. I was getting a headache from the twins and my report.

"I hate little brothers." I grumbled to myself "I especially hate book reports."

I continued to stare at the screen half hoping that the report would type itself if I stared long enough. I gave up and decided to actually try typing. I only got three letters typed when my cell rang. It was Chris so I answered it.

"Hey Chris, what's up?"

"Am I bothering you right now?"

"Nah. Just trying to finish a gay book report for tomorrow. Why?"

"I have to talk to you."

"About what? And please make it short because I'm low on minutes thanks to Aila."

"It's about Corey."

I sighed having a feeling what it was "He started again didn't he?"

"Yeah… He promised Cole he wasn't going to do it any more. He even got rid of his needles and everything."

"Shit…" I felt like I was going to cry and I could tell by the sound of Chris's voice that he felt the same way "Did… did you see him doing it?"

"No but Jacey did. We had him tell mom and dad. Dad got so pissed that he hit him."

"Oh fuck… What's going to happen now?"

"I'm not sure. Mom and dad are talking to him about it right now. I heard them mention rehab."

I sighed and rubbed my eyes. I could not stand the thought of my cousin in rehab. There was no way I was going to be able to tell my dads about this.

"Listen, Chris, I'd really love to talk to you longer about this, but I really have to go."

"Yeah of course. I'll call you later."

We hung up and I sat there motionless just thinking about everything. Tears began to roll down my face as I thought about Corey. I quickly wiped them away in case someone came into the room and then I tried to work on my report some more.

(Andy's POV)

I opened my eyes after a short nap and two little eyes were looking directly into mine.

"Diablo!"

I shoved him off of my chest and sat up. Who needs an alarm clock when you have a pet monkey? I glanced at my clock and groaned softly before getting out of bed. I brushed Diablo's hair off of my shirt as I walked out of my room. I hate it when Diablo sheds. His hair gets everywhere. Worse than a dog or a cat. As I reached the living room I looked up and saw my dads fondling each other on the couch. I covered my eyes and groaned.

"Jesus Christ! No one needs to see that!"

They pulled apart and looked at me.

"Oh sorry Andy." My dad, Chris, said

"We didn't know you were up." Ryan added

"Well I am now." I took off my shirt and tried to shake the rest of the stubborn monkey hair off and then put it back on "Great. I have to go to work and I smell like monkey and have Diablo hair all over me. Whose bright idea was it to get a pet monkey?"

"Hey it was either a monkey or an elephant. And no one wants to carry a shovel around when they're taking an elephant out for a walk." Chris said

I rolled my eyes "Yeah whatever. If one of you is going to give me a ride to the skate shop, I hope you'll at least put pants on this time. The lat time I was dropped off at work was embarrassing."

My dads laughed and simply said "sorry". Ryan stood up and started to go into his and Chris's bedroom.

"Don't worry, I'll put pants on. I might just throw on a shirt as well just for the hell of it. How does that sound?"

"Great. Whatever. I don't care. Just as long as you have pants on I'll be happy."

Lord knows I love my dads. But sometimes I wish they didn't choose to be nudists. It wouldn't be so bad if they stopped forgetting to put something on before they go out in public. Thank God they stay in the car when they do; but it's still really humiliating if we happen to be around my friends or people from school. But what can I do about it?

After my dad, Ryan, dropped me off at the skate shop I started to get to work on a couple displays. Sometimes I wonder why I still bother to show up for work since I'm lucky if I get paid. But it gives me something to do. I stood behind the counter after setting up the displays and realized that besides my boss and one customer, I was alone in the store with nothing to do. Sundays are so slow that I have no idea why the store even opens. I stood there behind the counter spinning a wheel with my fingers and sliding it across the top of the counter. The bell above the door chimed when someone walked in which caught my attention.

"Well look at what the cat dragged in." I smirked "Long time no see, Cole Novak." We laughed over that statement. It was a sort of running joke among me, Cole, and other people in the store since Cole was always there "What do you need today, Cole?"

"Are any new decks in?" He asked, coming up to the counter

"Uh… no sorry. We should be getting some on Tuesday though."

"Oh ok."

"Is there something else you need?"

"Actually I could use some wheels."

I turned to the shelves behind me and reached for a box of loose wheels. I sat the box on the counter in front of Cole.

"How about those? Those good?"

He began to rummage through the box and picked up a couple wheels to examine them.

"What else you got?"

I looked at the shelves again and then pulled down another box. Cole began to look through them and picked out some.

"Great thanks."

"Want me to ring them up for you?"

"Just keep 'em by the register. I have to look around a bit."

I grinned and took the wheels from him "Alright. Anything in particular?"

"No. I'll find something when I see it."

He walked away and began going through the store. He could go through the store blindfolded and know exactly where everything was. I pulled up my stool to the counter and started flipping through a skate mag. After a little bit I lifted my head when I heard a strange sound. I heard it again and looked toward Cole's direction and realized that the sound was Cole quietly whimpering. He was shaking like he was trying not to cry as he stood in front of the display. I stood up and slowly went over to him. Trying not to startle him I called his name before genially placing a hand on his shoulder. He jerked away from me.

"Don't touch me, Andy."

"Sorry…" I stepped back "What's the matter?"

"Nothing. It's nothing. I uh… I gotta go."

He turned around and hurried over to the door with his head down.

"What about the wheels?" I called out

"I'll get them later!" After that he was out the door as is someone o something was chasing him.

I was left stunned, looking at the door. I never knew Cole to be like this and it worried me. I usually feel out of the loop over things like this. Because if something is bothering Cole then he'll let his brothers and sister know and then they'll let Dusti know and she'll probably pass it along to Hanna and Aila. Those two usually know about things before me and they're in a whole nother country. I've gotten used to being the last to know about things that happen in my friends' lives.

I knew that I would eventually hear about whatever was bothering Cole, plus I was in the middle of a shift. So I wasn't about to go after him. I walked over to the counter and picked up the wheels that Cole was going to buy. I set them aside and put masking tape over them. On the tape I wrote in marker "Reserved for Cole" and then sat on my stool and went back to my magazine.