[CryCandice]

I sat perfectly still. It was the best attempt at nonchalance that any thirteen year old could pull. I waited, tapping my foot as my patience ran thin. My mother was jogging throughout the house, preparing for the first date that she'd had in months. I didn't like the idea of mom dating this random guy. I didn't even know his name. Maybe it was because I wasn't and never would be ready for a new dad. It was probably because I just didn't want a dad at all. What are dads even for? Mine never taught me anything. Mom did that. He never helped me with anything. Mom did that. He never did anything.

He yelled at Mom all of the time. Anything and everything she did was wrong. She didn't iron his shirt right; there was a wrinkle. She didn't wash the dishes right; a single plate had a spot on it. She didn't mop the floors right; there was a yellow spot on the white linoleum. He used every excuse he could to fight with her. I hated him. I hated fathers. The only thing that they were good for was prematurely inducing mental breakdowns. Nothing more.

Mom was still running around, looking for the other heel that matched her dress. Her black hair was curled into perfect spirals and she looked better than I'd ever seen her look before.

Wow. I thought, She must really like this loser if she's trying this hard.

"Hey," I leaned over and whispered at Mary Jane, "Ten bucks she brings him home. Twenty, they don't get any sleep."

"Gross! Do you have to be such a pervert?" She winced as she pictured what I'd just said, "Fine. Make it fifty though. If I'm going to take your money, it might as well put a dent in your piggy bank."

"Dude, no way! You know I'm saving up for a bike. It'd take forever to get that money back! Besides, it's like a coin flip with her. Takes luck to call the side right," I grinned, watching her annoyed face, " Who bets fifty bucks on a coin flip, anyway?"

"Fine. Twenty," She looked down at her closed hand, smiling to herself, "and chores for a month."

"Getting crafty are we? Deal." I shook hands with her and started quivering as soon as we let each others' hands go.

"What?" She got off the couch and stood over me.

"Haven't you ever noticed that whenever she gets all dolled up like that that she takes the guy home?" I was about to burst from the laughter that I was holding back.

"What?! You knew this and you didn't tell me?!" She jumped on top of me and started pinching my sides.

"St— ah! St— stop," I half-wheezed, half-snorted. "stop, stop, stop!" Now, I was in hysterics. I drew my legs up into my chest and rolled onto my side.

She finally stopped tickling me when I managed to roll over onto one of her hands and crushed it. "Alright, alright. I'll quit," She sat down next to me. "So when did you start keeping secrets from me?"

"I'm a guy. I don't have to tell my big sis everything," I sat up, crossed my arms, and looked out the window. I wasn't quick enough to miss the look on her face. Disappointment. "but, since you're definitely my best friend, I'll tell you a few things." She brightened up.

"Like wh—" the doorbell interrupted her.

From my mom's room I could hear her cuss. I looked over in her direction.

She was hopping up and down, trying to slip her heel over her lifted foot. "Can you get that, honey?"

Mary Jane rose and walked to the door. She opened it just after the second ring. "Hey, come on in. She's almost ready." She said to the invisible man behind the door.

"Alright." A fairly normal voice, nothing special about it. It sounded young though; never a good sign.

He walked through the door and I caught a first glimpse of him. Tall, blonde, and all business. Looked like a good guy, I guess. I just couldn't figure out why this guy, who looked about twenty years old, would be interested in my thirty-five year old mother.

He came into the living room and sat on the big chair and propped his feet up on the ottoman. Right at home, aren't you, prick? I thought.

Mary Jane walked over and sat next to me. His eyes followed her. I didn't like the look in his eyes. He looked at her like a starving man would look at a plate of food. It was lust. I did not like this guy.

I got up and walked over to him. As much as I didn't want to, I thrust my open hand at him. He tore his gaze from her and looked at my hand. He shook it.

"I'm—" I started.

"Jake, right? I've heard a lot about you." He interrupted.

"Jack," I corrected.

"Oh, sorry."

"And that," I said, pointing to Mary Jane. "is my sister, you know, Liz's daughter." A light bulb flickered on as he realized why I'd introduced myself.

"Mary Jane, right?"

"Right," I said as my mom walked into the room and stopped at the door to grab her coat. I turned around as he stood up to leave. I raised my hand and granted him the slightest twitch. "Later."

I started to take Mary Jane out of the room, but a loud buzzing sound distracted me.

I continued to walk, but now I was drifting away from the room.

[dearest]

Now I really will have to go back and read Chapter 1...I love this! Descriptions are great, the dialogue is believable, and the characterization is excellent. Very, very good.

[CryCandice]

Aw, thanks. I try my hardest. ^-^

I'm going to have to start on Chapter 3 soon, though... ah, the agony. xD