Okay, so, if all of you who have read the first chapter, haven't realized, I tend to slack off a bit. Yes, I know, great quality, right? Not really. Sooo, here's the second chapter. Please, please, please be dead honest with me (though self-esteem killers tend to cause me to slack off a bit more sooo...you're call) because this is my first free-handed chapter, and if you don't point out any flaws in personalities or qualities or anything, then I'll have no idea to change them in later chapters. Thank you readers and aaaall reviewers!! And thank you, RaeTyphlosion, for pointing out my Kristy mistake in the first chapter. I might not change that anytime soon...rebellion feels good...I know, I'm so badass. Anyways, here's the second chapter:

Delia was, in short, a rarity in the world. First of all, she worked herself senseless, but managed to maintain a positive, healthy composure that was far from robotic. She also juggled three children and a heavy stomach that promised a fourth soon to come. Not only did she juggle these children, but they actually turned out okay. Amazing, right? But no, that's not what truly set her so far apart from the other individuals. She had this quirky theory in her head that obstacles were placed in the road of life for a reason, and that it was better to just work around them.

Which is how I ended up pulling dear Delia's car out of the hole, again, the next day.

"Next time," I said to her, getting out of my truck. "You're on your own. If your hole's so brilliant it'll push you out itself."

"Who says there'll be a next time?" she asked me, handing me a plastic bag full of groceries. She grabbed the other bags and shut the trunk, keys jangling in her hand.

"Fate," I said. "Or your apparent lack of learning from mistakes."

"Oh, that was the first time in weeks I've hit that hole," she argued defensively.

"Keyword: you. Not the mailman, not the UPS man, not even a landscaper with the wrong address...We could get sued," I pointed out, opening the door.

"Don't be so negative, Wes," she scolded me, setting the bags on the counter. I rolled my eyes. Of course I was being negative. Negativity, in Delia's mind, was anything realistic. But shame on me for looking after our financial concerns.

"And," she continued, giving me a stern look. "If I catch you or Bert-or you and Bert-trying to fill in that hole again..."

I waited expectantly.

"Don't give me that look, Wesley, you know it'll be bad!" she said, exasperated. I laughed.

"Alright," I told her. I looked around the empty, and quiet, kitchen. "Where's Lucy?"

Delia had to think about this one for a moment, then she narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips, in an did-I-seriously-just kind of expression.

"In the...car?" It wasn't a statement.

I looked at her. "Are you asking me or telling me?"

"Aw, Wes, will you go get her?" she pleaded. "She always gets mad at me when I do that!"

"Can't imagine why," I muttered, going outside.

"Thank you!" she yelled from the house.

Sure enough, Lucy was sitting in her car seat in the back, her arms folded and her lower lip sticking out as far as it would go.

"Don't trip on that lip," I told her, opening the door.

"I'm not getting out," she said defiantly, looking at the headrest of the seat in front of her. "I'm angry."

"You know," I said, ducking my head near hers conspiratorially. "This isn't bad."

She gave me a look that no normal girl her age could produce. "She left me in the car, Wes."

"But see, I'll bet you could make her feel so bad, that you'd be able to get that little dollhouse you've been wanting out of her."

Her eyes got as big as saucers. "Really?"

I nodded, my face completely somber. "It worked last time, didn't it?"

She beamed, and held out her arms for me to hoist her up. I laughed, undid the seat, and picked her up.

I used part of the day to get a few things done around the house and yard. With so many of us, one might think our home was completely unkempt and disorderly. With our particular family, however, it was the opposite. We used our numbers to keep it neat and tidy. Not obsessive-compulsive, or anything, just clean. If each of us took a small amount of time to do one small thing, we learned, then it made it that much easier to have our own free time. Well, this didn't exactly apply to Delia. She was always finding, setting up, preparing, doing, or cleaning up for her job. For more than half of those listed my brother and I were usually included.

Though time-consuming and completely nerve-wracking, Bert and I never truly complained about our job, working for Wish Catering. Maybe it was the fact that it was our mother's old business, but that was only part of it for me. The thing is, catering wasn't routine, if that makes sense. I mean sure, you did the same thing every time, in a sense. But there was always something that threw us off completely, that got our hearts pounding. It was probably the same reason Gotcha! was so appealing to me. There's always, always, that moment where you're scared shitless. And that moment is amazing. But that's just me.

I was working on a sculpture, just a random one that I'd probably break back down to salvage for parts, when Delia came into view, holding Lucy and her purse.

"Just to let you know," said Delia. "I hate you."

"Aww," I said, pulling off my torch mask. "I love you, too. Where're you going?"

"Toy store," she said curtly. "To get Lucy a dollhouse she guilt-tripped me into buying for her, thank you very much."

"Wow, clever little thing," I noted innocently.

"Oh, don't give me that!" she snapped. "I know it was you who put that idea into her head."

"Well," I said, smiling. "Maybe that will remind you not to leave your child in a car."

She pointed at me, opened her mouth to say something, then shut it. She let out an exasperated groan and turned on her heel, stalking away. Lucy waved at me, grinning.

"Love you, Delia!" I shouted. She acknowledged me with a sharp flick of her wrist as she stalked to her car.

I smiled as I continued my work.

One more thing: I understand that this chapter may seem completely random to some, or all, and I apologize. It's just kind of my way of feeling around, you know? Testing the waters, if that makes sense. I want to make sure I've got the characters down well enough to actually delve into the book. Thanks for reading! Remember to review!