Well... I decided to just upload another chapter...
What can I say, I hate when there is only one chapter in fanfics :P

Anyways... This one is a bit longer :P
ENJOY :)


Chapter 2 – A perfectly normal family… Or not!

Next morning when Abby woke up, Eric was already up and had his bed made. Yawning, she slipped out of bed and grabbed some clothes on her way to the bathroom. Putting her things on the closed toilet lid, she carefully slipped into the shower, letting the water run down her body for a few minutes, trying to wake up a little bit more.

Stepping out of the cold shower, she looked at herself in the mirror. She bit her lower lip, seeing her own reflection in the glass. She hated her body. She wasn't very tall and she was way too skinny. And all the bruises and cuts didn't help very much either.

She quickly put on some old jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt to hide up the blue marks, before putting her wet hair in a ponytail and going to the kitchen.

Eric was sitting at the table, eating a cereal bar, when Abby joined him.

"Mom's home. She locked herself in her room." Abby gave her brother a sad smile.

"It'll be alright." She started eating her own breakfast while she kept starring at the table. She knew it wasn't going to be okay. She knew what was going to happen. Either their mom would run away or try to commit suicide or something crazy like that. It always ended up that way whenever she got depressed.

Getting up, she threw her trash away and went to get ready for school.


When the bell rang, Abby quickly picked up her algebra book and hurried out of the room, getting away from all the stares and the whispering as fast as possible. She stuffed her things into her locker and took out her lunch. As usual, she went to the big tree behind the school, but today someone was already there, leaning up against it.

"Hey." Luka smiled at Abby, but she just gave him a confused look.

"Hi?" She wasn't exactly sure what to do or say. This guy was cute, and it seemed like he liked her. But Abby didn't feel comfortable being around other people, and least of all boys. And besides, why would anyone want to be friends with her? "Aren't you gonna go to lunch?"

Luka shrugged his shoulders and held up a sandwich. "Brought it with me." Abby couldn't help but give him a little smile.

"So was yesterday your first day?" She crossed her arms as if to protect herself, while watching him unwrap his sandwich.

"Yep. My very first day in an American high school." He took a huge bite and smiled at Abby.

"You know, I'm pretty sure all the kids in there will think it's really exciting to speak with a foreigner. You can probably get a lot of friends in no time." It wasn't that Abby didn't want to talk to him, she just knew that he would get a bad reputation if he did, and she didn't want that for him.

"I know. I'm going with my brother and some of his friends tomorrow." Abby nodded and looked down. This was one of those awkward moments.

"Aren't you gonna eat anything?" Surprised, Abby looked up. She had totally forgotten all about her own lunch.

"Nah," She said shrugging her shoulders. "I'm not really hungry. Had a huge breakfast." She lied. It was far from a big breakfast, but it beat nothing at all. And she could always eat her lunch on the way home, or save it for later.

Luka just nodded. "Your boss didn't look too happy yesterday." She looked away as she began blushing. It was so embarrassing that he had seen her there.

"She's always like that. Yesterday was actually one of her good days."

Luka made a funny face. "That sucks. I would hate working with someone like her."

Abby gave him a faint smile. "I know, but I'll survive. Have to get money somehow, you know?" Luka just nodded as he finished his sandwich.

"Well, I better go. See you around." Abby gave him a shy smile and walked away before Luka could say anything.


After school, Abby had to go watch Eric's soccer game. She had promised him she would come.

It was really hot outside. Especially for Chicago. Heat waves weren't exactly normal here in January. Abby could feel the sweat on her forehead and her body. If she could just wear skirts and normal short sleeved shirts like everyone else. But it wasn't just the heat making her sweat. Luka had moved to her P.E. class. They hadn't talked during class, only exchanged looks. And smiles.

She liked him. She liked him a lot. But he was so hot. She had already heard a lot of girls talking about how they were already in love with him.

She'd never even been into boys, so why does the first one she likes have to be the one guy totally out of her league. She'll never have a chance when all of the 1000 other girls in the school are all over him as well.


"And did you see that one time, when Josh kicked the ball to me, and the person from the other team almost got it?"

"Mhm." Eric kept going on about the game. He was so excited because they had won and he had scored the winning goal.

"I can't wait to tell mom about it."

Abby gave her brother a fake smile. "I think she'll be so proud of you." But Abby knew that just the chances of her being out of bed were very small.

They were on the way up the stairs to their apartment on the 4th floor, and they were talking about their day. Or well, Eric did all the talking.

"And I got a B+ for my math test. Only 2 people got a better grade than me."

"That's good." Abby got out her key while Eric continued to talk. They walked in, and when they closed the door, their mother came out of the kitchen wearing an apron.

"Abby, Eric, where have you been? I've been so worried. School ended over 3 hours ago" Tears started falling down her cheeks. Abby just rolled her eyes and threw her bag in her room.

"Relax, Maggie. Eric had a soccer game." Immediately the tears stopped, and she looked at Eric who still hadn't moved.

"Oh baby, I'm so sorry I wasn't there." The tears had reappeared, and she hurried over to Eric and began hugging him.

"It's okay, mom. Really." He might only be 9, but he still knew that his mom was sick, and was embarrassed to bring her places.

Maggie quickly pulled back and looked at her two kids. "I was gonna make some dinner, but I was too worried. I couldn't concentrate."

"Can you make spaghetti? Please, mom!"

"Of course, sweetie. Anything for my lovely boy." She hurried back to the kitchen, but then turned around and looked at Abby. "Is that okay with you, honey?"

Abby wanted to tell her that she didn't care and wasn't hungry, but she knew it would just cause a huge scene. And besides, she was pretty hungry. "Sure, Maggie." She knew her mom hated when she called her Maggie, but she just couldn't get herself to call her 'mom'. She had never been a mom for her.