I'm sorry for taking so long to update. Read and review :)

The tutoring went better than Mike had expected. El seemed to understand most of what he taught her and she didn't annoy him too much. Mike found it irritation how whenever he'd confront her about misspelled word's she'd simply say that she liked to use dialogue. He tried telling her that isn't an excuse but El didn't understand why famous poets could write like that but she couldn't which led to minor bickering until-

"Ok I think that's enough for today" Mike said closing his book.

"But you didn't answer my question" El replied.

"Because it's a stupid question" Mike rolled his eyes, continuing to tidy up the desk and load his stationary back into his school bag. El just sighed in defeat, it was quite evident that Mike was stubborn and unwilling to continue their small debate.

"I have to do these sessions three times a week. Can we meet same place after school tomorrow?" Mike asked her.

"Um, could we maybe do it during our lunch hour instead?" El asked anxiously.

"No" Mike said blandly then walking out of the library to meet him mom in the parking lot who was giving a ride home. El also exited the library and made her way outside feeling quite excited that she had the house to herself for the night. Karen then pulled up outside of the main door.

"HI mom" Mike greeted grumpily.

"Hi sweetie and El is it?" Karen asked.

"Yes, Mrs Wheeler, how are you?" El smiled.

"Very well thank you, can I offer you a ride home?" Karen asked.

"Umm, actually-"

"Oh, come on, I insist" Karen told her.

"Ok then" El climbed into the back seat of the car. Mike groaned and rolled his eyes, sat in the passenger seat. El just looked down upset. She didn't understand why Mike was unhappy with her, she had tried her best to understand everything he taught and stopped questioning him about his younger sister when he made it obvious that he didn't want to talk about it. Some people are so hard to please.

"Where do you live honey?" Karen asked her. El cringed with embarrassment before answering

"twenty-three Ethen Road" She replied.

"Oh- that's... eh. Nice area" Karen lied politely. El knew for a fact that is wasn't. She lived in a very rough part of town that was decorated with badly done graphite and garbage scattered over the majority of the primases. Driving down the gnarly street she saw several kids pushing each other along in stolen shopping trollies. Karen's car almost hit a feisty dog whom was wildly off its leach and chasing the kids down the road. Once Karen pulled up outside of El's house she asked-

"Do your parents not drive?"

"Um yes they do, my parents are out of town for the night." El hesitated.

"oh... are those people here to take care of you?" Karen pointed to her sitting room widow where through it you could see a herd of men watching the football with cans of beer. El knew these men and she didn't like them at all. They're Martins friends.

"Y-Yeah" El said nervously and bit her lip as she reached for the car door. Mike noticed that she seemed anxious as she exited the vehicle. He grew concerned but quickly brushed it off.

"t-thank you for the ride" El put on a fake smile.

"You're welcome dear, anytime. Bye" Then Karen drove away.

Right then El was considering running off and possibly spending the night at the park to avoid these people but decided against it. She hoped that they'd leave her be and leave her to spend her night locked in her bedroom. She entered the building with trembling figures and tiptoed her way to the staircase being careful not to draw any attention to herself.

"Hello beautiful" Martins friend Kevin greeted creepily, startling El.

"H-hi Kevin" Being called beautiful by a man triple her age made her feel uneasy.

"Come join us shorty, you'll miss the football" He then took her hand and led her into the sitting room. He then took a seat on the sofa and pulled El into his lap and grabbed himself another can of beer. El sat uncomfortably and tried to just focus on the football.

Once Mike and Karen got home Mike headed straight to his room to avoid his parents fighting.

"Are you fucking serious?!" Karen yelled as she saw the state of the sitting room.

"I have had a long day of work" Ted answered without taking his eyes off of his newspaper.

"That is hardly an excuse not to tidy up after yourself" Karen said frustratedly as she picked up his dirty sock that he had taken off and carelessly thrown onto the floor.

"I can't leave my socks on the floor but its fine for you to go kissing other men, Jesus" Ted mumbled under his breath.

"What was that?!" Karen yelled.

"I said, how come you can go running off with every damn man in this town then have the cheek to come home and complain about a little mess!" Ted raised his voice, throwing his newspaper onto the floor.

"It was a kiss! One drunken kiss!" Karen yelled.

"Is that all it was you whore? I have friends who tell me things and you seem to have quite the reputation!" Ted snapped. Holly began to cry from all of the shouting but Karen angrily slammed the door to block her out so that she and Ted could continue to quarrel.

"Shhh Holly its ok" Mike rushed to her comfort as Holly sobbed uncontrollably. He picked her up and swayed he a little to try and bring her to ease.

"I'm scared Mikey" Holly told him, looking up with her wide, teary eyes.

"I know, I know" Mike cooed, "Let me read you a story then we can go out and buy some dinner, just me and you" Mike said holding her close and wiping away her tears.

"Ok" Holly sniffled and Mike put her down "Can you read me the twelve dancing princesses?" She asked.

"Again?!" Mike exclaimed with fake annoyance. Holly giggled.

"Yes, again and again and again!" She hopped excitedly.

"Fine" He gave in, picked up his baby sister and playfully threw her onto the bed and began reading to her. He was always sweet with Holly, she had him wrapped around her little finger.

"I- I think I'm going to go to my room and finish my homework" El tried climbing off of Kevin's lap only for him to pull her back.

"Just relax beautiful" He ordered bluntly, taking a smoke of his hand rolled cigarette. El quickly thought of an excuse.

"I-I need to use the bathroom" El told him, once again trying to excuse herself. Roy, another one of Martin's friends interfered.

"Can't you hold it in?" He said with a sly grin.

"N-not really"

"Fine!" Kevin yelled angrily making El tremble. "But be right back" He ordered.

"That girl is impossible" Roy shook his head.

"Oh, she's something alright" Kevin said, watching her behind with hungry eyes as she exited the room. Once El reached the bathroom she began to cry in fear. She dreaded these days that she'd be left alone with those creeps. She knew that she had to get out of the house before they hurt her bad but she knew that there is no way she'd be able to sneak out of the front door. She wished she knew Max's address as it would give her a place to crash but she didn't and figured that she'd have to settle for the park bench for tonight. She washed away her tears and made a break for her bedroom window. She climbed out easily as she was no stranger to her escape route.

"The end" Mike closed the book of fairy tales.

"Another story, pleaseeeeeee!" Holy begged with puppy dog eyes.

"Don't you want to get something to eat?" Mike asked his younger sister.

"Yes!" Holly said excitedly.

"Ok then, lets go." Mike said with a light chuckle. Once he and Holly reached down stairs, he saw that the hall had been turned upside down. His parent was still arguing, Ted had thrown a few things at Karen and Karen had smashed a few things in rage. He quickly put on his shoes then tied his and Hollys laces before leaving the house.

"What should we get to eat?" Mike asked.

"Pizza!" Holly yelled hyper.

"Ok, ok" Mike told her amused. He took Holly to a take out and bough a large pizza and two cans of Pepsi.

"Can we eat this at the park?" Holly asked, pointing to across the road.

"Do I even say no to you?" Mike smiled. Holly giggled as they exited the take-out building. As Holy went to cross the road-

"No!" Mike shouted as he yanked Holly back onto the pavement by her hand so that she didn't get ran over. "Don't ever do that again!" Mike yelled at her. Holly quickly began to tear up.

"No, no, no. Come on, don't cry. I didn't mean to shout" Mike told her, picking her up. "You just need to be more careful Hol, you almost got ran over" Mike hugged her close protectively.

"Im sowwy Mikey" Holly cried into his shoulder.

"Shhh its ok" He carried her across the road and led her over to the park bench. "its pizza time!" Mike attempted to yell in an Italian voice which made Holly giggle.

"H-hi" El greeted, coming up behind Mike and his sister.

"umm, hey" Mike said. "Why are you at the park at this time?" He asked confused.

"Why are you?" she asked back, Mike just rolled his eyes.

"Hi, I'm Holly! What's your name" Holly asked El happily.

"Oh, you must be Mike's little sister, I'm El" El smiled.

"You're pretty, lets play hide and seek!" Holly said excitedly. El giggled.

"Why not?"

Mike sat bored and watched the girls play for about an hour. 'What is El doing here?' he wondered. El soon got tired and took a seat beside Mike to cool down.

"So… you seem to be good with kids" Mike told her.

"Yeah, I have two younger siblings" El told him happily.

"Oh… I always assumed you were an only child" Mike muttered.

"Why?" El asked.

"I don't know… so you help take care of your siblings?" Mike asked.

"All the time" El smiled.

"I wouldn't have guessed, Holly come here!" Mike shouted.

"Why not?" El asked feeling slightly insulted.

"Well it's a lot of work taking care of little kids and you're so… you" Mike tried hard not to sound condescending but it didn't work.

"And what do you mean by that?" El crossed her arms offended.

"I don't know El, you not exactly mature, you struggle to brush your own hair never mind taking care of a child." Mike exclaimed, it came out harsher than he intended it too. El took a deep breath.

"My hair is curly, I can't help that it looks messy but I always brush it and I always take care of my siblings!" El shouted.

"Ok, ok. Calm down" Mike said raising a brow.

"God! You are so patronising!" El yelled and Holly gripped onto Mike.

"El please. Your scaring my sister. We're going home now so come on" He demanded.

"excuse me?" El asked.

"Well I'm no letting you walk home by yourself, its dark"

"I'm not going home yet" El mumbled, crossing her arms.

"El please?"

"No"

"Fine! Holly and I are leaving!" Mike picked up Holly and angrily started making his was back home. 'God, why does she have to be so damn stubborn?' Mike thought to himself.