"Hey Tanner, nice essay!"

DJ turned around and winced when she saw Robert standing across the hall. She turned her back on him, willing Kimmy to hurry up. But everyone knew that

girls their ages took a long time in the bathroom.

"Thanks." DJ said, trying to sound as calm as possible.

"It wasn't a compliment." Robert said. "What kind of freak has a Joey, anyway? You never told me what one was!"

His laughter cut through DJ's heart as she thought of Joey and his ability to make her laugh no matter what.

"And who in the heck lives with their Uncle? That's totally lame."

"It's not lame." DJ shot back. "It's just… different."

"Yeah, no kidding. So what is a Joey?"

DJ sighed. "Joey is my dad's best friend, okay? I've known him since I was born, but he moved in when my Uncle Jessie moved in."

"Well, it's totally weird. You're the only weirdo who doesn't have two parents and brothers and sisters. You know that, right?"

DJ turned around, suddenly unable to stop the threatening tears from falling. "Look, if you see Kimmy, tell her I had to go home, okay? Tell her I'll call her later."

"You mean home to your freak family?" Robert laughed.

DJ couldn't take anymore. She grabbed her backpack and stuffed her books inside and then slammed her locker door shut. And then she ran as fast as she could

out of the building, determined not to stop until she got home.

When she arrived home she was hot and tired and felt as though she'd run a marathon. She prayed that no one was home, but that was a prayer that would

never come true. As soon as she walked in the back door, Uncle Jessie smiled at her. "Hey Deej, how was school?"

"Fine."

"Want a snack? I was going to make a peanut butter and banana sandwich, just the way Elvis used to eat them, but you can have-."

"I'm not hungry."

"Oh okay. Did you want something to drink?"

"I have a lot of homework, okay?"

"DJ, what's wrong?"

But DJ scrambled through the house and hurried to her room, grateful that Stephanie was not yet home. She closed the door and flopped onto her bed, crying

into her pillow.

Shortly after, the door opened and she heard Stephanie's voice. "DJ, Kimmy was looking for you. She wanted to know why you ran away from her at school. I

said 'Can you blame her?' but she didn't think it was very funny."

"It's not." DJ said.

"She said she'll come over later to listen to that Madonna thing on the radio. Can I listen to it with you?"

"No, you little nerd bomber! Now get out of here and leave me alone!"

"It's my room too! You're not going to move out again, are you?"

DJ got off the bed and walked over to where Stephanie was standing at the door. "No, but I'm going to push you out."

"How…"

"RUDE!" DJ finished as she pushed Stephanie into the hallway and slammed the door.

"I'm telling!" Stephanie yelled.

"Good!" DJ walked back to her bed and flopped on it, burying her tear streaked face in her pillow. Sure enough there was another knock on the door.

"Go away, you nerd bomber!"

"It's your father!"

"Go away!"

The door opened and she looked up to see Danny, Uncle Jessie, Joey and Stephanie standing in her room. This was a nightmare.

"I want to be alone!"

"Well, we want to talk to you." Danny said. "Apologize to your sister, please."

"Michelle's not here."

"DJ, you know what I mean."

DJ sighed and sat up. "Sorry, Steph."

"That wasn't very sincere." Danny said.

"What do want from me?" DJ yelled. "I said I was sorry!"

"DJ what's going on? Kimmy said you ran away from her at school. That's not like you." Joey said.

"I wasn't running away from Kimmy. I just wanted to leave."

"But she asked you to wait for her."

"I know, but I had to leave! Don't you understand that?"

"I'm trying to, but-."

"Something bothering you?"

"I'm fine, Uncle Jessie."

"You don't seem fine. You and Kimmy usually spend every hour together. Did you have a fight?"

"No! We didn't! I just-."

"DJ, we're trying to help you." Joey said.

DJ thought about Robert and his annoying comments about Joey and about her family. And that's when the dam broke. Tears slid down her cheeks and she

looked at the blurry faces before her.

"It's just not fair!" She cried. "Why can't I have a real family like everyone else?"

"DJ you have a family. What are you talking about?"

"No I don't, Dad. Not a real one!"

"Of course you do. You have me, and Stephanie and Michelle and your Uncle Jessie and Joey."

"That's what I mean! That's not a real family! Everyone else has a mom and a dad and brothers or sisters!"

"I don't know where this is coming from but anyone can be in a family." Joey said.

"No they can't!"

"DJ, what's going on?" Jessie asked.

She was quiet for a long time and when she began to cry harder, Danny, Joey and Jessie did their best to comfort her.

"Mrs. Cornell made us write essays about our families and read them out loud in front of the class."

"You're missing your mom, aren't you?" Danny asked. "I bet that was hard."

"They laughed at me, Dad!"

"Who did?"

"Everyone."

"Now DJ I'm sure the whole class didn't laugh at you." Joey said.

"No… Just one."

"Just because one kid laughs, doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with you."

"He wanted to know what a Joey was and when I tried to explain that you're Dad's best friend, he laughed at me, even after class in the hallway."

Danny hugged her. "DJ, we're a family and we're always going to be a family. Nothing is going to change that. Just because someone in your class was

disrespectful doesn't make your family any less special."

"I know. I just…"

"Tell him that Joey is a master of Bullwinkle voices." Joey said, doing his best impression of the famous Moose which made everyone laugh.

"I'm glad I'm your family, DJ." Stephanie said quietly.

DJ smiled and hugged her little sister. "I'm glad you are, too. I'm sorry I slammed the door in your face and told you to leave."

"Okay, time for family hugs." Danny said.

The Tanner family hugging ritual was underway.