Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

"Mmm..."

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

"Ugh... mmm..."

Beep! Beep! Beep! BEEP!

"Shut up!" The 18 year old abruptly sat up, like a zombie coming back to life, and slammed his fist on his alarm clock. He grabbed it and squinted his eyes. 4:36 AM... Why do I wake up so early? He sighed and dropped the clock on the carpeted floor.

The teenager turned his body to the edge of the bed and placed his flat feet on the floor. He yawned. What to do? He hesitantly got up on his tired feet and pulled back his brown curtains. His yanked on the window shade string, opening the off-white flexible little boards. He looked at the damp street that was lit by dim street lights. No motion. No noise. Everything was calm.

The tall teen shrugged his shoulders and made his way to the bathroom. He flicked on the florescent lights and looked at himself in the mirrors. His face was always round in the morning, his lips slightly puffy, his eyes half lidded. He groaned, dipping his head in the sink. His sunset orange hair brushed against the plug. He stayed like that for at least 5 minutes, letting the plans for the day ahead to soak into his brain. Call Jacob... Text Emmett... Make Mom pissed... Beat up little brother... Email older brother... To much shit. The teenager looked at himself in the mirror once more then crept downstairs careful not to disturb his snoring mother.

Once he got to the bottom of the stairwell, he turned on all the living room lights. He plopped himself down on the hazel colored couch. Food... Too goddamn lazy. He rolled his eyes and got himself up with an annoyed groan.

The kitchen floor was cold as he stepped into it, searching the air for the other side of the room. He bumped into the wall and growled. Who put that damn wall there/ Right in front of me?! He angrily turned on the kitchen lights and went straight for the fridge.

He dumped a carton of milk, a spoon, a black bowl, and a box of Frosted Flakes on the counter. After he made himself his bowl of cereal, he ate it slowly while staring at his father's recently published book. Why are you such a piece of shit, Dad?

The boy effortlessly placed his bowl and spoon in the sink. He put away the cereal box and the milk carton and then traveled to the computer table. He unplugged his iPhone and sat himself down in the computer chair, the sea green paint chipping away.

What should I do now? Kevin though as he unlocked his screen and went for his photos. He scrolled through them with his thumb, pausing at the amusing ones of him and friends the summer before. He chuckled. "Oh, you guys are all a bunch of bitches, aren't you?" He drifted away from his photos and went straight to his messages.

Parker, Sister Missionaries, Jacob, Nat, Richie, Mom, Laurie... Emmett. The teenager tapped a certain conversation with his thumb and watched the green and white bubbles emerge on the screen. Emmett Nickles had been the 18 year old's 2nd best friend since 3 grade when he moved from London, England. Emmett's accent still hadn't worn off. Instead on "call" as in "call on the phone", it was rang. Instead of "mom" it was "mum". Oh, England...

The redhead decided to text Emmett.

Yo. What up

10 minutes later, the teenager's phone dinged.

Dude. Kevin it's like 5 in the morning wtf

The time had slipped the teenager's mind.

Oops. Sorry man

No reply – that is until 5 minutes later.

Go back to sleep why the hell r u always up at like 2 bro?

Kevin blushed.

Idk...

Emmett's reply was stern.

Well shut the hell up. Try txting again in like 2 hrs or somethin. We can talk about your sissy shit then. Gnite

Kevin made a half smile.

Good morning.

Kevin leaned back in his chair, realizing that Emmett was done with the conversation. He got up and paced the room. His eyes caught his father's book that was still sitting on the kitchen counter untouched. The paperback cover was half open almost as in a greeting saying "Hey! Come check out my lies!" Kevin frowned. Why was his father such a prick?

Kevin ran his fingers through his fiery hair. He decided to skim through it. His mother had not wanted him to read it mostly because it included lots of "erotica" as she called it. Mom, I'm 18. I've seen "erotica" before. And plus: in this book, erotica is another name for gay porn.

Kevin leafed through the pages, stopping when he saw pink highlighter. His mother had highlighted the parts in the book which talked about her sons, or, the horrible divorce. But most importantly, she had highlighted all the lies.

"Dad, why the hell did you turn gay and abandon us?" Kevin said to himself as he continued to scan the book. It had been 2 years since his dad had moved out and left his mother in poverty and stress. Kevin and his family had almost lost their house because of his dad's leaving. Kevin knew all of the secrets about why his father left. He knew everything. But the question still ran through his mind: Why did he leave?

Kevin liked his father's boyfriend, William. He was nice and earthy and more importantly, he was fatherly. He was a MUCH better father than Kevin's real dad who cheated people and threw everyone he had ever known behind his humor and jokes so he could've gotten what he wanted. Kevin couldn't believe his eyes when his father tossed Kevin aside in his book and said things like "Kevin's most attractive when asleep" or "I wish Kevin would leave me and Will alone so we could make love" or "Kevin's always been the jealous type, ready to throw an argument in your face like a rubber ball". Did his father really think of him like that? Was the niceness just a cover up for how his father really felt about his second oldest son? Kevin would never know.

Kevin was definitely angry at how his father had depicted his younger brother, Alex. "Alex is most adorable when laughing or making a mess. One time her and William were baking when a carton of eggs spilled on the floor. 'I used my sleeve', Alex retorted." How DARE Kevin's father picture Alex as the angle child! Kevin was supposed to be the favorite! At least he was, until his little brother was born.

And Kevin's older brother, Ethan? His father talks about him like he's some stranger who forcibly was pushed into his life. Ethan was in the Navy sure, but he did get to see his family for holidays. Kevin was disgusted by the way he shoved Ethan down the drain in his book.

Kevin was very hurt by how his father had described his half-sister who happened to be Kevin's favorite aunt. Kevin's father had stated that Susie's wedding was "uninspiring", "too expensive", and "a waste of time". Kevin's face literally grew red as a tomato the first time he read those words.

Kevin's father even dissed his own dad, calling him "dirty and scary" when he was a child. Thank God Kevin's father didn't say anything about Kevin's step-grandmother... that would've been a nightmare. Kevin's dad looked upon Kevin's biological grandmother as a holy goddess. Kevin was surprised that his dad had the guts to say that he had ripped off his mother financially and economically. "We're survivors, mum and I." Since when was Kevin's dad British?

Kevin had a lot of anger for his dad. But he also had a lot of love. Kevin was a smart guy. Even though he denied it most of the time, he could have been a Valedictorian all through high school. He still had the chance. Come September it would be the start of senior year. 12th grade. Kevin was astonished that he had come this far without being held back at least once. He owed credit for his passing to his mother. His hard working disabled mother who, purposely, Kevin disrespected. Kevin loved his mother but... family is family, whether we like it or not.

Kevin sighed and neatly put the book back on the living room bookshelf where it belonged. Why did Mom even buy the freakin' book? Probably just to see how stupid it was. Kevin and his mother could talk about his father's lies for hours on end. That was the good side to their relationship.

Kevin gloomily stalked back upstairs to his bedroom. He closed the door behind him and breathed. In, out. In, out. In, out. That's what his therapist told him anyway.

And another thing. Kevin's father hated Kevin's therapist. He thought that just because Kevin's therapist used to work alongside of Kevin's church, he was automatically a homophobic. Kevin's father defined the therapist as a "gender identity" therapist who's specialty was curing kids of "gayness". Number one, Kevin wasn't gay, number two, the therapist wasn't homophobic, and number three, Kevin's mother wasn't homophobic either. Ian's not gay... neither is Mom... Oh well. Dad can't stop me from seeing Ian no matter what. It says in the legal papers.

Kevin's thoughts about his father were thrown aside when he heard his phone ding. Thinking it was Emmett he raced downstairs, not really caring if his loudness woke up his mom. He grabbed his phone and eagerly peered at his new message.

Instead of Emmett, it was the local girl he knew, Nazz.

Hey, Kevin! Sorry I'm messaging you at this hour, when I wake up I have to do the important things first so, please excuse me! I just want to know if the tutoring on Tuesday is alright. You'll be leaving in a week or so... I want to help you best I can. If it can't work out that's OK! Just tell me when it can! Thanks, Nazz :)

Kevin rolled his eyes. This junior totally had a crush on him.

It's fine. Tuesday's ok. Soooo where r we gonna meet again

Kevin chuckled while sending the message. "Cute nerd..."

About 0.678 seconds later, Nazz replied.

I was thinking the library. If you want to do it at my house or somewhere else that's OK too.

Kevin didn't think it would be appropriate if a guy like him went into a nice house like Nazz's.

No the librarys fine. What time

Nazz really did have a crush on him. Kevin figured it out by the time Nazz offered.

Maybe 10 AM. We could stay there for a couple hours...?

Kevin couldn't help but laugh out loud. Nazz must be pretty serious! Kevin thought to himself.

Kk c ya tuesday

Nazz replied not a second later.

OK. See ya. :D

Kevin closed his messages and looked at the time on his mother's Bose radio. It was 5:58 AM. Had time flown that fast already? Kevin placed his phone back on his phone charger and marched upstairs. He was greeted by his blue haired mother.

"Kevin, what are you doing up?" Kevin's mother was leaning up against her bedroom doorway's wall with her arms crossed.

Kevin froze. Oh, shit. "Uh... I dunno."

"I want you back in bed for at least another hour. This waking up at 2 in the morning has got to stop. You don't even do anything. You just go downstairs and fall asleep on the couch. When did you wake up and I want the truth." The older woman began to drum her fingers on her elbow.

Kevin inhaled nervously. She's not gonna like this... "Uh... 4... 30?"

"4:30 AM, huh? Kevin, that's enough. Now I want you-"

"Mama?" Two royal blue slippers shuffled in front of Kevin's mother. The child rubbed his eyes and tightly gripped his velvet colored stuffed rabbit.

"Now you've woken you're brother up. Go in your room please." Kevin's mother started to take Alex back into his room, coaxing him with her honey voice.

"OK, Caroline." Kevin stomped into his room and slammed his door.

"Kevin!" The mother's voice boomed from the other room.

"Sor-ry!"Kevin yelled back. He sat on his bed and pulled out his charcoal covered laptop. He grabbed his grey headphones from his dresser and shoved them in his ears. I need some Tyga to cool me down...

Sure enough, YouTube was open and the bass could be heard from Kevin's headphones.

"Rack city, bitch, rack, rack city, bitch. 10, 10, 10 20s on your titties, bitch..."

"OK, Mom, I'm going." Kevin shoved his hands in his sweatshirt pockets.

"Do you have your phone?" Caroline asked, preparing Alex's toast.

"Yeah." Kevin answered jiggling his iPhone in his hand.

"Alright. Don't be gone too long." Caroline eyed her son.

"Can Jacob and Emmett come over later?"

"I'll think about it. Call me. And check your darn phone for my calls, wouldn't you?" Caroline laughed and played with her short hair.

Kevin rolled his golden brown eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah..." He slipped on his green converse and headed out the back door.

The air was warm and the sun was shining on the grassy yards of the surrounding houses. A few of Kevin's neighbors were outside gardening or getting in their cars. Kevin waved to Mrs. Sanchez who was watering her petunias.

"Hi, Mrs. Sanchez!" Kevin called out with a smile.

The Latino woman looked at him and waved with a yellow gloved hand. "Good morning, Kevin!" Her Spanish accent matched her looks perfectly.

Kevin grinned and continued to walk down the well-known street. He gazed at the houses that were were perfectly alined with the grand oak trees in the back and front yards. He admired the careful landscaping of each yard and thought of his mother's amazing gardening skills. He kicked a pebble that was loosely sitting in between two bars of the drainage cage that led to the sewer. He kept on kicking it and smiling when its rocky bounce echoed through the street. He looked in front of him to see 4 kids riding bikes in the streets giggling as they passed each other.

"Look! It's Kevin!" One of the kids, a girl with brown hair and purple rimmed glasses, pointed a the approaching teenager.

As if it were a script, all of the children dropped their bikes and ran up to Kevin. They circled around him like vultures, touching him and hopping up and down.

"You're so cool, Kevin!"

"I wanna grow up to be you, Kevin!"

"Can we switch bodies, Kevin?"

Kevin laughed and patted each of the kids' heads. "Now, now, now, there's plenty of me to go around."

A boy with a pink Mohawk showed his gap toothed smile. "My sister calls you a 'sexy beast'."

Kevin snickered. "Yeah I know, Jarrett."

The girl with the purple glasses giggled. "Can I wear your hat? Kev, can I?"

Kevin touched his cherry red hat that was worn backwards with the black rim sticking out. "Um, sure." He took it off and shook his hair, giving it to the girl.

She put it on. "Ooo, your hair is pretty, Kevin." She laughed.

The hat covered one of her eyes. "I think that's a little too big for you." Kevin chuckled.

"Come and get it!" The girl started running around in circles on the street. She started to puff her air when she ran down the sidewalk.

"Hey, come back!" Kevin sprinted after her and quickly caught up with the speeding girl.

As the other children followed him on their wheels, Kevin wrapped his arms around the small girl and grinned when she squealed.

"Ack! Put me down! Ahhh!" The girl giggled with glee as Kevin spun her around.

Kevin finally flopped her on the ground. "Whew! Hat, please!" He held out his hand and stared at the girl with a silly expression.

"Haha! Here, Kevin!" The girl grunted as she threw the hat in the air.

Kevin dipped his head and smiled as his hat landed backwards, exactly the way he wore it. "Thank you," he said while pressing his hat on his head so it wouldn't slip off.

The girl decided that it would be unwise to keep Kevin for too long. She looked back at her friends who were motioning her to come back over to their circle. She nodded at Kevin. "Bye, Kevin!" She waved and ran over to her mermaid printed bike.

Kevin started to walk off. "Bye!" Suddenly, he thudded into someone walking towards him.

"Oh!" The woman clung to Kevin's letterman jacket and looked him up and down. "Kevin! Since when do you bump into old ladies?!"

Kevin stepped back. "Oh, sorry, Windy. I didn't mean to."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." The black woman started to walk off with her cane clacking on the smooth pavement. "Where you goin'?"

Kevin shrugged and placed his hands in his pockets. "I dunno. Where are you going?"

Windy shook her head. "That's a teenager's favorite sentence, now ain't it?"

Kevin laughed. "Ha... I guess it's mine at least."

Windy zipped up her green rain jacket. "I'm gonna go help a family move in. Wanna help out a poor lady like myself? Charlie's gonna bring his pick up truck. Maybe y'all can hang out after we move a few boxes around."

Kevin tilted his head. "New family?"

Windy turned around to face him, still walking. "Yeah! The Palmers. I met the mama last night. Real nice girl. A little dumb on America I think."

"Dumb on America...?" Kevin wasn't following Windy's words.

"Yeah! They moved from France or somethin'. You comin' or not?" Windy brushed off the lint on her navy blue sweat pants.

Kevin nodded. "Sure."

"Easy now! That had fine china in it, lad!" Shiloh looked at the black teenager who was carelessly carrying a big cardboard box up the wide driveway.

The teenager protectively put the box on the ground. He scratched the back of his thick neck. "Sorry, ma'am."

"What's your name again?" Shiloh leaned forward.

"Charlie. Windy's boy?" The teen resumed his walking with the box.

"Oh yes..." Shiloh trailed off as she saw Windy walking up the driveway with a redhead following close behind her.

"Shiloh, baby! I'd like you to meet a certain fella from the neighborhood!" Windy grabbed Kevin's hand and dragged him over to the Scottish woman.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow," Kevin muttered as Windy dug her claws into his skin.

"Oh, quit your whining boy!" Windy lunged Kevin forward.

Kevin stumbled. "Jesus, Windy," he growled under his breath.

Windy slapped his arm and turned to Shiloh with a motherly grin. "This is Kevin Deangle, this towns' little bitty celebrity."

Kevin held out his tan hand. "Nice to meet you."

Shiloh took his hand. "I'm Shiloh Palmer. Me and my kin just moved here."

Kevin was surprised by how fragile Shiloh's hand was. "Kin?"

Shiloh shook her head. "Sorry, I forgot that I'm in America. Children. A daughter and son."

Kevin nodded as his cheeks grew red. "Oh... s-sorry."

"It's mighty fine, lad," Shiloh answered.

Windy raised her finger, a big diamond ring perched loudly. "I'm gonna help my son with the livin' room. I'll be back."

"Yeah, the living room's got all its boxes in it already. Start on the kitchen," Shiloh called after her. She smiled and folded her thin arms across her model-like chest.

Damn, she's got a body. Fuck, I'm hitting on a 45 year old. Kevin blushed hard and looked away. "So, you're from...?"

"Scotland. I miss it but, this will have to do." Shiloh chuckled. "Where do you reside?"

Kevin pointed down the street. "Like 10 houses down."

"Oh, great. Maybe my son can..." She looked up at a window on the second floor of her house.

"Son?" Kevin looked up with her.

"Yeah. He's 16. How old are you?"

"Um, 18." Kevin pursed his lips.

"Oh. Are you still in high school?" Shiloh ran her finger along her cheek.

Kevin nodded. "Yup. This year will be my last."

"My son will be a senior too."

Kevin's eyes widened. "A senior? He's only 16."

"He skipped a grade. He's very intelligent." Shiloh smiled. "Not boasting or anything, I'm not."

"No, it's fine I-" Kevin stopped when he felt a buzz in his pocket. He pulled out his phone. "Hold on a sec..."

Dude where the fuck are you it's like 10:45! Hurry your a$$ up

Kevin rolled his eyes. Freakin' Jacob...

I'll be right there hold the F up

Kevin shoved his phone in his back jean pocket. "Um, sorry I gotta go. Maybe I can help you move in or something. Nice meeting you. I'll bring my mother by some time."

Shiloh blinked her long eyelashes. "Oh. OK. Nice meeting you too, lad."

Kevin nodded and ran down the driveway. He stopped himself and turned to get one last look at Shiloh and the house. He narrowed his eyes. Was someone in the window? A silhouette of a person standing in the second story window seemed to be looking at Kevin. Then, like a racing shadow of a speeding car, it disappeared.

"Huh..." Kevin turned and started to walk down the street on his way to the Family Video store downtown... him and his friend's best meeting spot.

New family right down the street... 16 year old in senior year at... my high school.

Was that him in the window?