Hey guys. Sorry it's been a while. School's had me stressed out. - So, this the first of sixth grade, also where the plot starts coming in. And this is also one of my favorite parts of the story, cause it's fun to write. Btw, Kate's past is the same from +Anima if anyone here reads that. But I thought it was really fitting. So enjoy anyways.

Max (Aug. 15)

It's Sunday, the day before the first day of sixth grade. Nudge, Ella, Maya and I were looking through our old year books.

Ella pointed to a guy who apparently was in our kindergarten class. "He was in our grade?" The kid, Xavier, has been a grade below us since second grade.

I frowned. "I don't remember him, but I guess."

"That's a little sad," Nudge started. "How there's a whole handful of kids we used to hang out with but don't really remember."

"That's why he always waves to me in the halls!" Maya blustered out in her fashion.

"And he probably gloats to his friends that he knows us, too." Ella laughed.

We stared as she continued laughing. She stopped and looked at us. "Do I have to explain this to you guys?" We nodded.

Ella sighed and walked over to the white board that mom had let me nail to my dark grey walls. She erased what was on there and started to write. We waited as she wrote names on it, each in an order. Our names to exact. When Ella finished, it looked like this:

1. Max

2. Fang

3. Maya

4. Dylan

5. Angel

6. Iggy

7. Nudge

8. Gazzy

9. Ella

10. Ratchet

11. Kate

12. Star

13. Holden

"This," Ella explained. "Is the list of the most popular people in the school. None of us unpopular, just some more than others. But really, we're the 'popular' group. This is the order of the popularity in it."

Nudge grinned and nudged me. "Most popular, go Max!"

I blinked. "Um…okay."

I heard Maya gasp. We turned to her. She was looking at the yearbooks again. "What?" I asked her.

She made a face and shoved the yearbook from third grade in my face. "It's Daniel."

I laughed. "Oh yeah. He was weird. Remember, on the last day of school, when he got so mad at the teacher for giving him a F on his report card, he threw his desk at her?" The others laughed along with me.

"Don't forget when he tried to call the cops on her for taking his bracelet." Ella added. Our laughing fit was cut short, though, when we heard the front door slam. We all stopped and flinched as my parents could be heard arguing with each other again. I had no idea what they were talking about, but it didn't sound good.

As it got louder and louder, Maya and Nudge looked at Ella and I in sympathy. Ari slinked into my room quietly and sat down on my bed next to me, holding his knees to his chest. He hated to be alone when our parents fought. I put me arm around him comfortingly.

Nudge bit her lip and shared a glance with Maya. Maya looked over at me, and our eyes met. I knew what she was thinking. Should we leave?

I simply nodded in return. Maya led Nudge out and they waved.

"See you tomorrow." Nudge said simply. Maya waved. Then they closed my bedroom door behind them.

As our parents continued to argue, Ella laid her head on my shoulder. I stroked her hair. Ari was all curled up on my other side. I'm the oldest. I protect them, comfort them, and take care of them. I do it without a second thought.

But…what if I need comforting?

Fang

It's the day before my first day of sixth grade. And guess what?

I get to spend it with my douche bag of a father. Really, I don't consider him my dad. He's done nothing for me, just ruin my life and try to take away my sister.

My baby sister, Sophie, she means the world to me and my mom. She's only two years younger than me (which she constantly points out when I baby her) but she's always going to be my little sister.

A few years back, when my mom realized how terrible my dad is and how much better she could do without him, they divorced. He didn't like the idea of my mom getting to keep me and Sophie. But he didn't want me, because I stand up for myself and don't let him push me around. But Sophie doesn't. She feels like since he's her dad she has to do what he says. So, there was this huge custody battle and he ended up sharing custody of me and Sophie.

The weekend before the first day of school just has to be his weekend. I sat on my crappy bed in the completely revolting room that my dad 'generously' let me use when we stayed here, listening to music on the laptop I got for Christmas two years ago.

Then my dad burst in the room, ruining my few moments of bliss. I paused Breaking Benjamin. His bloodshot eyes searched the room, then me, and glared at me. The smell of smoke started to come into my room. I glared back with my own death glare, clenching my fists. I wish we would just get out.

"What are you doing," his gruff voice asked me. It was raspy from smoking and yelling all time.

"What does it look like," I snapped. "I'm listening to music." When is my mom going to get here?

His black eyes narrowed. Sadly, the same eyes I had. "That damn music you always listen to. No wonder you're so messed up."

"How would you know if I was messed up? You don't pay attention to me." I snarled at him.

In an instant my dad was at my bedside, yanking back my overly long black hair.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that. I am your father," he growled in my ear.

I gritted my teeth. "Don't act like it." He released my hair and smacked me across the face.

My dad stormed out of my room. When he was gone I started to rub my wound. I hope it doesn't cause a welt to appear. That would be just my luck.

A few minutes later, Sophie peeked in my room. She stared at me for a second, then ran up and gave me a big hug. My mom followed in behind her, shaking out her wet, black hair and closing her umbrella. Was it raining? I hadn't noticed. As she smiled at me her dark green eyes sparkled. I wish me or Sophie had looked more like her than my dad. I had the same black hair, eyes, and olive skin tone as him. Sophie was lucky enough to at least get different hair, black with auburn underneath.

My mom walked over and kissed me right where I had been hit. I did my best not to wince.

"Ready to go?" She asked.

I jumped up. She threw her head back and laughed. Sophie grabbed her hand and she led us out of dad's house. We didn't bother saying bye. He wouldn't care enough to say anything back. We climbed in her black Volvo and drove off. I turned on the radio just as Green Day came on. My mom nearly squealed.

"Turn it up!" She demanded. I chuckled and blasted it. She and Sophie sang along loudly to everything that came on for the rest of the ride. I just smiled and stared out the window.

A few minutes before we got to the house Sophie yelled, "Look McDonalds!"

My mom grinned. "Let's go." She turned sharply into McDonald's parking lot with screeching tires.

I had to laugh. "How have you never gotten pulled over?" She just shrugged. I sighed.

My mom's the best.

Maya

"That is so unfair!"

My mom glared at me. "It is not. You can't go."

"Why?"

"Because I said so. And it's only the first week of school. You can't just be going off."

"It's only Max's house!"

"No. Now go to your room before you get me too angry."

I groaned loudly and stomped off to my room. My mom is so unfair! Ever since the beginning of the summer she's been making up random rules that have never applied to me before. Like she doesn't want me wearing shorts to school. What the hell? I always wear shorts to school.

Nothing annoys me as much as when she said, 'Why can't you be like your brother?' I felt like screaming. She's always comparing me to him. 'Jason never did this.' 'Jason was okay with that.' 'I wish you would learn from Jason.' God, it's so annoying! I thought I wasn't supposed to have to deal with this until I was a teenager? I'm still twelve!

But I have to go to Max's Friday the 13th sleepover this week. I don't care what my mom says. I bet my dad would say yes. Thinking about this, I decided to call him. It might be babyish, but oh well. I took out my cell phone and dialed his number with out a second thought.

Worst. Idea. Ever.

Kate

First day of sixth grade tomorrow. So why am I not happy? In sixth grade we get to rule the school and the younger kids give us more respect. It might have something to do with the fact my dad just had to remind me that ten years ago today they adopted me.

That means that ten years ago today is the day I ran away from my first home. I have been doing my best to forget about it. But it's still in my nightmares, and now my dad unknowingly sparked the memory.

Flashback time!

I was only about two or three. I was born with amazing super strength, which thankfully is now gone. My dad hated me for it. My mom loved it.

One night my dad came home drunk, like always. My mom got onto him for it, like every night. I was cutting tomatoes for dinner, trying to stay out of it. Then out of the corner of my eye, I saw him about to hit her.

"No daddy!" I screamed and ran up to him, the knife still in my hand. I tried to grab his wrist, and ended up stabbing him in the arm.

He screamed. My mom screamed. I just stared. He ripped the knife out and threw it somewhere, making his blood fly all across the house.

My dad stared at me for a second, and then grabbed for me. I screamed and ran out of the house. I made the mistake of running into the backyard, which was a thick forest. By now it was nearly pitch black outside.

My mom was screaming for me. I could hear my dad chasing after me, shouting at me. I didn't stop. I knew he'd hurt me. Maybe worse.

After a while and I was exhausted. But he was still behind me, I didn't turn around to check how far. Chancing it, I looked behind me. It was just my luck that I tripped on a tree root. Tired and scared to death, I ran behind a large oak tree. My dad kept running. I stayed there for a long time, sobbing silently, praying that he wouldn't find me.

I cried myself to sleep that night. The next day, I risked going out to the road. I was found by a passing car, and they took me to the nearest foster home. I told them what happened. They checked my house.

They found my mom dead. My dad was gone.

I stayed at the foster home The kids there didn't really like me. Why would they? I was a messed up mutant three year old. A few months later, my new parents adopted me.

I try to forget it. But now, I think it's impossible.

There we go. Finally finished! Hope you guys like it. It's mostly just foreshadowing for later on in the story, but it was necessary. R&R please