Alexander's POV:

Next morning, Lexi and I were woken up by Mike.

"Come on. You both have school." He said after he saw us awake.

He drove us home first for us to get ready and not smell like antiseptic as he put it.

I was ready by the time Lexi came to do her hair.

"You should just leave it like as it is." I suggested as I picked up my school bag and put it on one shoulder.

"There are tangles in this thing and I definitely don't like them." She said and went back to brushing her hair.

"Whatever. Anyway, I'm going down. Don't be late." I said and went out of our room.

Behind me I heard her yell, "I'm never late!"

I shook my head and opened the front door and descended the stairs where Mike's car was.

"Can't you just get us a car or a bike or something?" I asked him as I sat in the passenger seat of his car.

"Can you afford it?" He asked.

I thought about it. "No."

"My thoughts exactly."

"But really. Can we get one or no?"

"You can if you save up enough money. And not spend it on stupid stuff."

"Oh come on! I thought it was cool."

"The thing barely lasted a week."

Let me explain, when I was 10, I spend all my savings on a remote control car that looked cool. Turns out, it broke in just a week.

"Where's your sister?" Mike asked.

"She should be here soon." I answered looking out the window to the door of the apartment.

True to my word, she came out five minutes later.

She sat in the backseat of the car.

"Can't we skip this torture?" She asked when she shut the door.

"No." Mike answered.

"Why not?"

"Because this is school and school is important."

Lexi grumbled something under her breath then shut up.

||◻️||◻️||

At school, Lexi and I got out of Mike's car and bid him bye before walking into the school.

I was at my locker when my best friend, Chris, approached me.

"Hey man!" He greeted.

"Hey."

"You don't look so good. You okay?"

"Spend the night at the hospital. What do you expect?" I said as I slammed locker shut and started to walked towards where Lexi's locker is.

"For you to smell like alcohol and what were you doing at a hospital, anyway?" He asked.

I then proceed to tell him about my mom's health, our visit to our father's house ending with the present.

"Dude, that's bad." He said after I finished. "How did it go with your father by the way?"

"His family is.....too smiley. Like the smiles are permanently etched on their faces. So you can guess how it went." I said as we both reached Lexi and her friend, Charlotte or Char.

"Hey girls." Chris greeted.

"Hey." Lexi grumbled.

"Not so happy today. What's the catch?" Chris asked.

She scowled at him and punched him on his arm. Chris played it dramatically and held his upper arm while crying out in pain.

"Ow! That's so gonna leave a bruise." He exclaimed.

"Really now, drama queen? Lift up your sleeve and see for yourself." Lexi said.

Chris obliged and lifted his sleeve to reveal a perfectly normal arm with no bruises.

"Oh look! It's a miracle." He said after seeing it.

"Shut up, you idiot." Char said to him.

"Forgive me for trying to make people laugh." Chris grumbled under his breath. "Anyway, I'm off to class. See you guys at lunch." He waved and walked away.

"How are you friends with him?" Char asked me as soon as he was out of ear shot.

I shrugged in response. "He was not this annoying in middle school."

"He's always been annoying." Char said.

"Charlotte, when are you gonna realize that the guy likes you? And that is why he annoys you?" Lexi asked her.

"Like that will ever happen." She said and walked off to class after bidding us goodbye.

||◻️||◻️||

"Alexander!" Someone yelled.

I shot up from my uncomfortable sleeping position on my desk to look at the teacher who was standing beside me.

"Uhh... Yes?" I asked.

The teacher rolled his eyes and asked, "Care to tell what I was talking about?"

I looked at the board then back at him. I suck at history.

"Umm-" I started to stutter but the bell rang at that moment.

"Would you look at that? The bell rang and my mom is waiting for me at the hospital. Lex and I have to go. Bye!" I said as I picked up my bag and ran out the door ignoring the teacher calling behind me.

Soon, Lexi and I were out of the building where we were greeted by Mike.

"What is he doing here?" I asked Lexi.

"Like I'd know." She retorted back.

I looked at her with a scowl. "A simple 'I don't know' would've been enough."

"Do you really think I would answer your question simply?"

I shrugged. "You can try." I walked to where Mike was standing beside his car, checking his watch every minute, with Lexi behind me.

"Mike." I called.

He looked up at his name being called.

"Oh good you guys are here. I have something to tell you." He said completely serious.

"What is it?" Lexi asked.

Mike sighed and was silent for a few seconds then said, "So, I know that it didn't go well with your father and all bu-" He was cut off by a groan coming from Lexi.

"No I don't want to." She whined.

"But you have no choice and neither do I. So it's best if you go to your apartment now, pack up and move in with your father."

"They're moving in with their father?!" A surprise yell came from behind.

The three of us turned back to look at Chris and Char standing behind us with their jaws to the floor.

"Close your mouth. You might catch a fly." Lexi said.

The immediately closed their mouths.

"But you told me that you don't plan on moving in anytime soon." Chris said.

"I said that. Not my mom." I said.

"And they have no choice in the matter too. Because I'm taking my family out on vacation this summer. So Anna decided to let them stay with their father."

"Which is a terrible idea." Lexi said.

"Oh c'mon! It's not that bad." Mike said. "I mean, you get to have four more brothers in your life. And you get to spend time with someone who thinks like you." He looked at me when he said the last part.

Hmm. That is true. What would it be like if I had a brother?

"Hello!" Lexi waved her hands in front of Mike's face. "I can't tolerate one. How do you expect me to tolerate four more?" She asked.

Mike sighed. "By tolerating them." He went to sit in the driver's seat but paused and looked at her again to say, "And with patience. Now get in. We need to pack all your stuff."