Chapter 1: Introduction

On the corner of Elmwood Avenue, stood a tall, light brick house standing below the sun, the garden of beautiful flowers just outside, thriving in the sunlight. If someone were to come across this house, they would assume it was beautiful, extravagant, and filled with good energy.

But if they looked just a little bit deeper, they'd see the flowers slowly withering away in the toxic soil, and the light bricks darkening by the hour, along with the cherry blossom tree that stood planted on the corner of the house that seemed to be dying.

One of its fragile branches extended towards a window sill which was covered in a light layer of morning frost due to the cold weather. The clear glass showed a small room painted beige, with small cut outs of black, musical notes hung along the walls.

There, laying in the bed, was Allison Pierce, the middle child. Her brown hair was displayed messily on her white pillow, and her pale skin was highlighted in the reflection of the sun.

She looked so peaceful, and fragile; as though absolutely nothing could go wrong in the world. She was just a kid, after all, but her life had been far from normal. But in that moment, in that very small moment, she looked fine.

That was, of course, when the door flew wide open, revealing her older brother Jackson, his short black locks bouncing messily around his head. His dark brown eyes were huge, and his shirt was hanging loosely around his neck.

Allison's eyes flew open, as the first thing she saw was a childhood picture of her brother and her at a baseball game, standing upright on her bedside table. She then noticed Jackson who stood in front of her bedroom door, shirtless, looking around frantically.

She gathered up the strength to sit upright onto her bed, her legs dangling off the edge, and gave her brother a confused look.

"Garbage day," was all he said, as Allison scrunched her eyebrows. "Today is garbage day. I totally forgot," he went on further. "Now we're going to have to wait until next week! How crazy is that? The garbage is going to keep on piling up, and we are going to have a rat problem!"

These random outbursts were routine. Jackson always stressed out about the littlest of things. This was usually a result of bottling his emotions up, so when the time came, he would have an outburst at the most silliest of things.

The corner of Allison's mouth curved slightly upwards, as she stood up, hugging her body due to the chill that was released through the open window.

"I think we'll live," she said, and walked past Jackson to close her window. As soon as she closed it, her eyes widened in worry, noticing her clock which read 8:35 am. "The twins!"

She shrieked, turning around abruptly, to face Jackson who gave her an assuring look.

"They're fine. I already fed them and got them dressed. Now they're just downstairs waiting for the school bus," he explained, as Allison let out a small breath of relief, and then crossed her arms, a reserved look on her face.

"And mother..." she trailed off, already knowing the answer, but it was her hope that kept her asking the same question every morning.

"She didn't come home last night," Jackson stated lowly, his eyes trailing towards the ground after adjusting his shirt around his waist, as Allison turned her back towards him, now beginning to search her closet for a pair of jeans to wear to school. "The twins' parent teacher interview is tonight. She has to show up for that, and if she doesn't, we both must go as their guardians."

Allison only nodded in response, her glossy eyes blurring her vision which was gazed upon her closet, as Jackson leaned against the door, on his way out.

"Oh, and uh, happy birthday, little sister."

A small teardrop rolled down her cheek, falling onto the ground. Despite the window now being closed, she shivered, for the coldness followed her everywhere.

Happy Birthday to Me

-

After getting dressed for school, Allison crept down the stairs so gracefully, and wandered into the kitchen where her brother Jackson was making fresh pancakes for the birthday girl.

"Look who has so much energy," she teased, making her way to the fridge to pour herself a glass of orange juice.

Jackson flipped the pancake into the plate, and made his way around Allison's body to reach into the fridge as well, to grab whip cream. He pulled back, close enough to give his sister a small grin, and then started drawing on the pancake with whip cream. Allison pulled out the carton of juice, and grabbed a nearby glass, pouring it slowly, making sure none of it spilled.

She then made her way to a barstool, and sat down after checking the time on her phone. Jackson made his way towards her, and placed the plate of pancakes on the counter in front of her. The pancake on top had a big smiley face, as if everything was right and just.

"Pancakes for the birthday girl," he sang with a sewed on wide smile, as Allison politely pushed the plate backwards, not showing an appetite.

"Sorry Jack, I'm not really hungry," she responded lowly, a thin line across her face where her lips were pressed tightly.

There she was again, the sadness consuming her in every possibly way. Today, she just couldn't accept the good little things that came once in awhile, but her brother was determined to see her smile.

"But it's your birthday," he whined, urging her to eat them, but she just shook her head. "Fine, I guess I will just have to eat them," he gave up grumpily, and stuck a fork into the smiley face, then completely devoured it.

Allison gave him a weak smile, as the twins came running into the kitchen, Jocelyn with her two dirty blonde pigtails, and Alex with his dirty blonde hair slicked back neatly- all thanks to his older brother who had a thing for styling hair.

"Alli!" Jocelyn cried in her high pitched voice, going over to hug her older sister. "Happy birthday."

Allison let a soft laugh escape her lips, and embraced her little sister, whilst Alex stood there shyly, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet.

"Go on," Jackson urged, lightly pushing him in Allison's direction, just as Jocelyn pulled away from her big sister.

"Happy birthday, Alli," he spoke gently, with a small blush on his face, as Allison smiled brightly, and pulled him into a warm hug.

"Why thank you, Alex," she responded enthusiastically, as Jackson leaned against the kitchen counter, his lips curved upwards in adoration.

"You're welcome!" He exclaimed energetically in response, planting a wet kiss on Allison's cheek, and then pulled away.

Allison smiled at the twins, and then glanced at Jackson who had on a small grin. Just then, the sound of a loud engine emerged from outside. Jackson propped himself off of the counter, and rushed to get the twins' backpacks from the living room. He returned shortly, and slipped their two lunch boxes inside their bags, and swung them over their shoulders one at a time.

"It's time for school," he sang sweetly, pecking Jocelyn's forehead. "I want you to have a fun and safe day, and Alex-" he shared eye contact with him, "no more pranks on the teacher."

"No promises!" He snickered cutely, and dashed out of the house, towards the bus.

Allison rolled her eyes playfully, and then looked at Jocelyn who stared up at Jackson with enlarged eyes.

"Is mommy coming to the interview tonight?" Her eyes were filled with sparks of hope, not noticing the knowing look that the two elder siblings shared with each other.

Jackson let out a soft sigh, and crouched down to Jocelyn's height.

"She wouldn't miss it for the world," he replied, conjuring up his best believable smile to convince his baby sister everything was going to be alright, as much as it never was.

Jocelyn swung her arms around his neck brightly, and then followed her twin's trail to the school bus patiently waiting outside. Instantly, Jackson's smile disappeared abruptly, meeting Allison's gaze who held on the same expression.

"Sooner or later they won't believe our lies," she said, getting up from her seat, and made her way outside, where Jackson followed.

"It's not a lie," he said, quick to defend his unreliable mother- as he always did, for the sake of his siblings. "She promised."

Allison scoffed, as both of them waved goodbye to the twins on the bus, before it drove off. "And when has she ever kept her promises?" She now turned to Jackson, a disappointed look on her face, and then walked back inside the house to gather her school supplies.

Jackson sighed once more, and went inside the house as well, not bothering to shut the front door behind him.

"Alls," he spoke, but his sister was too stubborn and heartbroken to listen. "Alli." She kept ignoring him, clutching her notebook tightly against her chest, and swung her bag over her right shoulder. "Allison-!"

"What?!" She snapped, dramatically turning around, anger rushing through her veins.

Jackson stayed silent, taken aback at her sudden outburst. She realized her wrongdoing, and immediately relaxed her eyebrows, then loosened her grip on her notebook. There was no point getting mad at him. He was only trying to help; but he couldn't help, no one could. Instead he could only go through the same thing with her, and comfort her, when everyone else failed to do so.

"I'm sorry," she apologized in her delicate voice, as Jackson took in a deep breath, and nodded in understanding, approaching her slowly, but Allison backed away. "I'm sorry..."

This one, she barely let out below a whisper, and scurried out of the house, making her way down the street, to school. Jackson stood there for awhile, bewildered, confused, and sympathetic. He was the only one who knew what she was going through. He was the only one that could make the pain more bearable. But how ironic was it that he was the one she pushed away?

-

Being it only a quarter to eight, Allison reached her school; Ridge High, and started making her way to her locker, which was located on the second floor. With earbuds on, and listening to her favorite Frank Sinatra song, she climbed up the first flight of stairs, avoiding all sort of human contact, and walked all the way towards the east wing, where locker 2257 was pinpointed. She spun her combination two times to the right, one time to the left, and one more time to the right, and the locker opened, revealing colorful confetti that flung at her. A few students noticed, as Allison blushed in crimson red, and stuffed her bag inside, avoiding all eye contact.

"Happy birthday Miss Allison Pierce!" Came an extremely high pitched voice, as Allison mentally face palmed herself, and blushed even more, in embarrassment, as she obtained a few weird looks from people.

It was Rebecca, her best friend- her only friend. Her vibrant, ginger hair swayed left and right, as she ran up to the eldest Pierce daughter to give her a bone crushing hug. Allison stumbled backwards, holding her breath, as Rebecca pulled away with a big smile plastered on her face.

"So, how does it feel to finally be seventeen?" She asked, pretending to impersonate an interviewer, with her dimples evidently showing. "I bet it feels a-mazing!"

Allison laughed nervously, not liking all the attention she was receiving from her fellow schoolmates. The thing about Rebecca was, she was loud, very loud, and wherever she went, attention and weird looks followed- much to Allison's dismay.

"I feel the same," the brunette replied emotionlessly, shutting her locker, only after grabbing her chemistry textbook for her first class.

"That's because you need to throw yourself a party...or, crash one. James- as in a senior- as in the captain of the football team is throwing one tonight!" She wiggled her eyebrows, with a smirk on her face. "Alcohol, music, boys- oh it's perfect!"

"No," Allison declined, as Rebecca rolled her eyes at her usual, disciplined, and boring behavior.

"And why the hell not?" She crossed her arms, demanding for a reasonable answer, but Allison only shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm busy."

"Busy doing what? Hiding in your shell where no cute boys can find you? 'Cause trust me sister, that ain't treating you good." She snapped her fingers sassily, as Allison pressed her textbook against her chest, and sighed.

"I'm sorry, but, today's just a regular day," she stated, making her way around the halls. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get to class for my chemistry quiz."

Rebecca frowned, and then stomped away in the other direction. There, standing in the middle of the hallway stood Jackson, witnessing the whole encounter. He held on an emotionless face, and made his way to his locker, ready to take on another day in the life of the Pierce's.

-

It was lunchtime. Jackson sat at a table full of a bunch of guys who were having a competitive argument about who slept with the most girls. But he was too distracted to focus on the stupid and pointless conversation they were having, and stared ahead into blank space.

He wondered why boys found this topic actually worth talking about, and why they felt so proud of who had the highest number. It was all very foolish to him.

"Hey Pierce," came a tough voice, snapping him out of his thoughts. "What about you? How many girls have you slept with?"

He didn't fully comprehend the precise definition of sleeping. What did they mean? He'd slept with his sister when they were younger and shared a room. Whenever she had a bad dream, he would slip into her bed, and hold her until she fell asleep. But Jackson had a feeling that they had meant a whole different term.

"Um, uh..." he stuttered, still staring ahead, and noticed a familiar mop of brown hair walk by.

He immediately got up, and dashed towards his sister who was looking for a lunch table to sit down at.

"Hey," he said, as Allison raised an eyebrow, and murmured a small "hey," in response, right before walking away in search for a table.

Jackson trailed after her, and planted his body right in front of her, restricting her from walking away any further.

"What do you want?" Allison groaned, an exhausted look on her face.

"I overheard Rebecca talking about a party. You should go," he explained, as Allison gave him an 'are you serious' look, and then stepped to the right in attempts to get away from her brother's presence, but he slid in front of her again. "I'm serious Allison, you should go."

"And abandon the twins' parent teacher interview? No thanks," she replied, as Jackson rolled his eyes at his sister. "We both know mom isn't going to show up, so again, we're held responsible for them."

"I'll take them," he replied casually, as Allison narrowed her eyes at him. "I really think you should go to that party. It's your birthday, and I don't think I can remember the last time you did something a normal teenager would do."

"I could say the same thing to you," she crossed her arms, as Jackson squinted his eyes at his sister who always seemed to counter his arguments in some way. "And since we both can't take a break and do what normal teenagers do, then I suggest we both do the mature thing, and go to the twins' interview."

Jackson stood there, defeated, as Allison smiled cunningly, finally making her way past him. He knew whatever he said, Allison would definitely do the opposite. She was extremely stubborn, but he couldn't help but try and attempt to get his sister to finally enjoy a normal life.

-

It was the end of the school day; the time all students used as motivation to get through the extremely slow day. Allison had slipped out of music class not a second after the dismissal bell rung, and made her way down the stairs.

She wasn't heading out of the school, rather heading to the student services department. She scurried along the halls which seemed to be flocking hundreds of teenagers in by the second, and rushed inside the department where there were many other doors.

Without knocking, she entered into a small office with her notebook against her chest, and her hips swayed left and right, causing her long straight hair to move side to side as she skidded into her long term friend's office.

She had befriended Mr. Fairchild, -a social and youth worker- freshman year, and from then on, he had been a great support to her. He talked to her about things Allison would never dream about talking with people other than her siblings, and he encouraged her to pursue her passion for music. Although Fairchild wasn't aware of her dysfunctional family, he was there for her always, in his own way.

"And how are you today, Miss Pierce?" He greeted her warmly, stashing his important files into the top right drawer of his desk.

In a swift motion, he gathered his fourth coffee of the day into his right hand, and took a huge sip.

"It's my birthday," the brown eyed girl replied, plopping down on the chair across from him.

"Well in that case, happy birthday-"

The friendly man was interrupted by Allison herself, as her face showed a bored expression.

"We don't celebrate my birthday," she stated briefly, as Mr. Fairchild mentally noted down her sensitivity to this specific topic.

"Any reason why you refer from discussing birthday details?" He inquired, folding his hands neatly above his desktop, with raised eyebrows, as Allison rolled her eyes teasingly.

"No reason, Alaric," she responded, addressing him by his first name. It was a regular. "Just means I'm one year closer to death, although that would be the highlight of my life-" he raised a stern eyebrow at her precarious statement, as Allison chuckled slightly, with raised hands. "Only kidding."

"How are the twins?" He changed the topic, noticing Allison's discomfort about the lingering discussion, as she shrugged casually.

"Still innocent and curious...and causing trouble," she explained, as Alaric chuckled slightly, then eased back into his chair comfortably.

"And Jackson?"

"He's fine," Allison said, her lighthearted expression changing. "You know him, he's always so uptight, and stubborn-"

"I can only imagine, from the way you always describe him," he agreed. "So, any plans for today?"

"Actually, yes," Allison beamed, whilst Alaric held on a surprised and impressed look. "I have a parent teacher interview to attend to. Really looking forward to it."

Her voice dripped in every ounce of sarcasm she could conjure up, as the social and youth worker gave the student an unamused look.

"Aren't your parents responsible for that? You're only sixteen-oh, seventeen now I presume."

Allison still held on her plastic smile, noticing that she had gone too far in her hysterical revelation and then drifted her gaze to Alaric's phone which read the time.

"You know my parents, they're always busy working hard to put food on our plates," she lied, avoiding eye contact, and stood up abruptly. "Well would you look at the time, I really gotta get home and finish my homework."

Alaric gave her a faint smile, and then opened his bottom drawer to reveal a small gift box elegantly wrapped in red ribbon, equipped with a small bow on the top. Allison faked a gasp, and gently took it from his grasp.

"You remembered my birthday," she spoke teasingly, as Alaric gave her a knowing look. "Why thank you."

"Now get out of here," he spoke in his firm voice, a slight grin on his face. "And please, try to at least have a little fun today."

Allison pretended to think about his statement, and scrunched her nose cutely.

"No promises," she winked, and bolted out of Alaric's office, already trying to stuff the gift into her backpack.

Midway out, she managed to stuff the small box inside her backpack without taking it off of her shoulder, and exited the student services department. The hallways were now next-to-near empty, with no student in eyesight. Allison mentally let out a breath of relief when she didn't see a certain redhead standing at her locker. Unfortunately, someone worse was waiting for her.

"Why are you so late? We have to pick the twins up from school, remember?" Her brother stood there, leaned against the lockers with arms crossed and a serious look plastered on his face that never seemed to leave.

Allison rolled her eyes, and opened her locker, stuffing all of her textbooks inside her bag, and replied in annoyance. "Relax, we have so much time." She glanced at her hypersensitive older brother. "Plus, I was just in student services talking to Mr. Fairchild about our alcoholic father who left us 8 years ago, our drug addict of a mother who's never around, and how we have no legal guardian to take care of us, or supply us of our basic needs." She went on a rampage, shutting her locker in conclusion, pissing him off even more.

Jackson looked around cautiously in search for any eyes and ears, and then led Allison into a corner, with his tight grip around her wrist.

"Do not joke about that," he warned sternly, looking into his sister's eyes. "You know very well if someone found out about our situation, we would all be separated, and never be able to see each other," he reminded, as Allison's playful smirk disappeared. "I would never see you again." They both shared a strong gaze. "I'm eighteen, but there's no way authorities would allow me to be a legal guardian of both you and the twins. You'd be sent to foster homes."

Allison gulped, her eyes getting glossy, as Jackson's face softened, and his grip on her loosened, until the warmth of his touch only lingered momentarily. He took a step back, and remained quiet.

"I'm sorry-"

"It's alright," Allison cut him off, giving him a sympathetic look. "You're right. I couldn't bear the thought of losing the twins..." she trailed off, briefly glancing at him." And you."

"Well you're not going to lose them, or me," he assured confidently. "All we have are each other, and each other are all we have."

-

The walk from Ridge High to the twins' elementary school was completely silent and lengthy. But in no time, the two siblings had reached, and waited patiently outside for the twins to run into their arms. Jackson kept on checking his phone every 30 seconds, making Allison annoyed.

"Would you give it a break?" She huffed, crossing her arms bitterly. "You know mom is not going to call you back. She's probably out getting high with some crackhead."

Jackson sighed, and slipped his phone back inside his front pocket, and muttered lowly. "Expect the unexpected."

Allison groaned at her optimistic brother, and mentally sighed in relief when the school bell rang for dismissal. A bunch of kids ran out, and gave their parents a huge hug, and the laughter drowned out all signs of hopelessness. Allison watched as a little boy ran into his mother's arms, with his very sober father standing beside his mother lovingly. She envied such perfectness time to time; all the Pierce's did.

Snapping her out of her fictitious fantasies, Jocelyn and Alex came running up to her and Jackson.

"Look what I made!" Jocelyn exclaimed brightly, holding up a pot with a small plant growing inside of it.

"You didn't make that, silly. It's called, photosynthesis," Alex scoffed, mocking his twin sister, as Jocelyn frowned, and put on a pout.

"Alex," Allison scolded, with raised eyebrows, as the twin boy shrugged innocently with his dinosaur backpack on.

Jackson and Allison made eye contact for a split second, and then the eldest son knelt down to his little sister's height.

"He's right, photosynthesis definitely played a big role in its growth," he started, as Jocelyn stared at the ground. "But, the love and care that you gave it, made it grow nice and healthy, and happy."

Jackson lightly jabbed Jocelyn in the stomach, and watched as his baby sister's lips curved upwards into a wide grin. Allison couldn't help but smile at her brother who always seemed to know just what to say in just about every situation. She loved that about him.

"So you're saying that we didn't grow healthy and happy?" Came Alex's voice that unveiled any happiness that they faked. "You said we need love and care. But we never got that from the people who created us."

Immediately, Jackson and Allison's eyes directed to Alex who had on an angry look on his face, while Jocelyn attempted to comprehend what her brother had just said and meant.

"Alex that's enough," Jack warned, eyeing him sternly, as he rolled his eyes, and started his way back home.

"What did he mean?" Came Jocelyn's sweet and fragile voice, as she looked up at her older brother with big brown, sparkly eyes.

"Nothing, princess," Jackson replied sweetly, faking yet another smile. "Now let's head home, so you can get dressed for tonight."

Jocelyn nodded eagerly, and skipped ahead, following Alex's trail, while Jackson and Allison shared another look with each other.

"I told you," was all she said. "We can't keep on lying to them."

Jackson never wanted to admit it, but she was right. The twins deserved to hear the truth about their parents. No sugar-coating it. The complete truth. But he just couldn't bring himself up for it.

-

The Pierce's arrived back home, and instantly, Jocelyn raced upstairs into her bedroom, to find something to wear for the interview tonight. Allison laughed at her sister's excitement for something most children dreaded, and set her backpack down on a nearby bar stool. Alex, however, rushed to turn the TV on, and dived into the couch, ready to start the new season of his favorite show.

Jackson rolled his eyes at his brother who was too obsessed with cartoons, and stomped over to him to snatch the remote out of his hands.

"Wha- hey!" Alex whined, watching his older brother turn off the TV with his eyebrows raised.

"No television until homework is completed, those are the rules," he recited perfectly, as Allison shook her head at her older brother who seemed to undeniably enjoy following the rules.

Alex huffed in annoyance, and then rushed up the stairs in anger, dragging his school bag along with him. The black haired boy smiled at himself proudly, and set the remote down, gaining a weird look from Allison.

"Cut him some slack, he's an eight year old boy who loves his anime," Ally teased, while Jackson only rolled his eyes playfully, and headed into the kitchen.

"I'm going to get started on dinner," he announced briefly, already digging into the fridge to fetch some ingredients to make spaghetti and meatballs.

"Great, I'll help you." But before Allison even got the chance to enter the kitchen, Jackson stopped her in her tracks.

"No thanks," he disagreed. "What you need to do, is go upstairs and start getting ready for the interview. And while you're at it, help Alex find something...appropriate to wear, will you?" Allison tilted her head with an incredulous look, as Jackson smiled wide, with good intentions. "It's your day off, birthday girl benefits and all."

A small smile played on Allison's lips as she grabbed her backpack and climbed upstairs, on her way to her room, when she heard a few giggles emerging from mother and father's vacant room. She stopped mid-walk, and scrunched her eyebrows, hearing more laughter. She then placed her bag gently on the hardwood floor, and slowly made her way into her parents' old room that hadn't been touched in months. With cobwebs stuck to the hinges of doors and in every nook and cranny, Allison carefully made her way closer to the sound of the twins who were fooling around. Jocelyn had put on bright red lipstick all over her soft face, and was wearing mother's wedding ring, while Alex had made a mess of dad's leftover hair gel, attempting to master his older brother's obsession of styling hair.

"What in the world-?" Allison shrieked, unable to process the image in front of her.

"I told her not to do it," Alex was quick to say, dropping the comb that he was holding, and stepped away from the mess.

"Joce, take off mother's wedding ring, right now," Allison ordered sternly, as Jocelyn frowned, and gently placed it back into its original place. "You two have made a mess! You're supposed to be getting ready for the parent teacher interview," she freaked, attempting to clean up all the spilled makeup off of the dresser.

"I was just having fun," Jocelyn pouted, standing still in her spot, as Allison sighed, and stopped what she was doing.

"I know," she responded sympathetically, giving her a soft smile. "Just, don't play with mother's things."

Jocelyn nodded in understanding, and then shyly went to her mother's closet to pull out a black sophisticated dress that reached just below the knees.

"I think you should wear this," she suggested, smiling up at her older sister with sparkling eyes.

Allison softly grinned, and took the dress from her little sister, then placed it on the bed that hadn't been slept in for weeks. Without another word, she guided the twins towards their bedroom, in attempts to help them pick out an outfit.

-

After the hassle of finding the twins something decent to wear, the eldest sister decided upon a navy blue floral dress for little Jocelyn, and a black and blue button up shirt for young Alex. Now Allison was in her room, trying on her mother's dress that Jocelyn suggested to wear.

The dress hugged her curves perfectly, and ended right above her ankles, with long, slim sleeves to match her body. She stood in front of her body-sized mirror, and stared at herself for a good few seconds, before deciding to open the gift Alaric had so kindly wrapped specially for her. She dug through her backpack, and delicately opened the tiny box, revealing a silver-chained necklace with a black musical note as the pendant. Allison stared at it in awe, and carefully placed it around her collarbone, sending a chill down her spine once the coldness of the metal touched her skin. She studied herself in the mirror thoroughly, flashbacks of her mother wearing this dress years ago to one of dad's business parties. Allison's brown hair hung loosely behind her shoulders, a few strands finding their way to the front, falling straight.

Before she could make up her decision as to whether or not she wanted to wear it, Jackson popped up at her door frame, uttering fast words that no one could understand. He was stressed, and seemed to focus on the carpet ground.

"Allison, dinner is-" his eyes reached his sister's body, and he couldn't help but let a long pause come in between his sentence. "Ready."

Allison quickly turned away from the clear mirror that seemed to highlight her beauty she hardly ever revealed, completely embarrassed, with rosy red cheeks. Insecurity rushed through her veins, as Jackson stood there, astonished by how much his sister resembled their mother. The tall boy slowly entered the room, making gradual steps towards his younger sister.

"Is that, mother's dress?" Jackson seemed to remain completely speechless, but managed to choke out a question.

"Yes," Allison replied in embarrassment. "I caught the twins in mother's room, and Jocelyn proposed I should wear it. I just tried it on- I know, it's absolutely ridiculous-"

"No, no not at all," Jackson interrupted her, admiring her natural beauty. "You look beautiful. I really think you should wear it to the interview," he said sincerely, eyeing her necklace which seemed to attract his gaze.

The two siblings held eye contact for awhile, until Alex and Jocelyn came trudging through the halls, into the room.

"Is dinner ready?" Alex whined hungrily, glancing at Allison and Jackson.

Jocelyn's eyes widened at her sister's appearance, the loose strand of hair from her held back braid Allison had done, dangling on her left cheek.

"You look pretty," she complimented, as Allison smiled genuinely.

"Thank you."

"Where's mom?" Alex asked again, as Jackson cleared his throat, playing around with the loose button on his black shirt.

"Dinner's ready. Let's eat before it gets cold."

-

The four siblings sat at their dinner table, occupying four chairs, whilst two of them were left empty, not sat in for quite awhile. They all looked so elegant in their dresses and suits, that they had almost forgotten how dysfunctional their family really was, or what exactly was left of it.

"So," Jackson trailed off, breaking the awkward silence that filled the atmosphere. "How's everyone feeling about the interview tonight? Scared? Anxious? Fearful- of what the teachers might have to say?" He eyed Alex, who had marinara sauce blended into the corners of his mouth.

In a moment's notice, Alex froze in his place, and dropped his fork, making a loud crashing sound, frightening poor Jocelyn. As per usual, Jackson's attempts to make a convincing conversation as a form of distraction, resulted in failure.

"When's mom coming?"

The twin brother eyed his elder siblings simultaneously, causing Jocelyn to take his lead as well.

"Yeah, where's mommy?" She pouted in her tiny voice, while Jackson struggled mentally, to conjure up another convincing lie in the matter of seconds, but his mind was blank.

Finally, Allison could not take it anymore, and she set her glass of water down, looking at her younger siblings.

"She's not coming," was all she said, in the softest tone she could possibly use.

Immediately, the twins' faces altered into a frown, and disappointment, because yet another time, their mother had bailed on them.

"But she promised," Jocelyn cried, on the verge of tears, as Jackson -once again- stepped in to save the day, or at least attempted to.

"Joce, mom has to work," he told a fib, to protect his little siblings from the sad reality of substance abuse. "So we can have food on our plates and a home to live in."

"Surely money is more important than us," Alex spat harshly, excusing himself from the dinner table to go wait outside the front lawn, officially ready to postpone the conversation once and for all.

While Jackson and Allison both sighed drearily, little Jocelyn slowly slid back the chair she sat in, and placed her half empty plate on the kitchen counter, getting on her tippy toes.

She then looked at her older brother, and gave him a comforting smile.

"I'll cheer him up," she said weakly, and walked out the front door, the certain bounce in her steps, now gone.

Allison stood up, and gathered her plate, along with Alex's, and rinsed them both off in the sink, Jackson hot on her trail with his plate.

"Here, let me do that-" he offered, trying to cut in politely, but Allison quickly dropped the plates in the sink, causing a loud ruckus, and turned around to face her brother.

"Why? Because it's my birthday?" She pounced on him like a ruthless lion. "Because it certainly doesn't feel like it."

Jackson watched as she grabbed her purse, and strolled out of the house to join the twins. He twitched at his sister's harsh words, and gazed upon an old portrait hung up on the wall of him and Allison, along with their then sober mother and father.

Silently, he scoffed, and angrily ripped the frame off of the wall, causing the screws behind them to fall violently on the hardwood floor. He then shoved the glass frame into the trash, not bothering to look at the many shards of glass that gathered up in the black bag.

Then, he marched out of the house, making sure to lock the door, eyeing his siblings. His family. They were all he got. He could not let this family -whatever was left of it- fall apart. He just couldn't.

-

The walk to the school was silent. Jocelyn and Alex were a little bit ahead of Jackson and Allison. Jocelyn was trying to make conversation with her twin brother in attempts to cheer him up, but he wasn't having it, while Jackson kept a close eye on Allison, who walked fragilely alongside him, hugging her curves insecurely in her tight dress.

"Hey," Jack whispered, catching up to her on the sidewalk, as he noticed her uncomfortable state. "What's wrong?"

"I look like I'm going to a funeral," she muttered bitterly, as Jackson let a small chuckle escape his lips, soon drowned out by the twins' contained argument about which toy was better; barbies or cars.

"You look beautiful, how many times do I have to say it for you to believe it?" He spoke gently, as Allison rolled her eyes.

"You're my brother, aren't you like, programmed to say that?"

"On the contrary," he chimed in. "Normal brothers would pull your hair, tell you that you look absolutely terrible, and...say that that dress makes your butt look fat-"

"Wha-hey!" Allison exclaimed, smacking his arm, as Jackson noticed the smile he put on her face. The one that only ever showed with him and the twins.

"So you see, when I say you look beautiful, I mean it," he concluded, meeting her eyes on the last word, as Allison raised her lips genuinely.

"We're here," Alex stated miserably, as Jocelyn raced to the front doors excitedly.

Jackson and Allison both approached the doors, waiting for Alex to march in along with his twin sister, but he seemed hesitant.

"Do we have to?" He whined, as Jackson nodded authoritatively, and the four siblings all entered, immediately being grasped by the parental atmosphere.

There were kids, there were mothers, and there were fathers. Suddenly, the Pierce's were trapped in their dysfunctional bubble that seemed to follow them around wherever they went.

Allison went numb, taking in all the little kids who held onto their mother's hands, clutching tightly onto their childhood. She reminisced when she was only nine years old, the intense start to her parent's ongoing feud. Mother used to always hold her hand as they walked to the bus stop, but during those conflicting days, mother had stopped walking her to the bus stop altogether. Jackson would always come to her rescue, and hold her small hands into his own. Even during winter times, the pair's gloved hands were always intertwined, until they both boarded the bus to school.

"You must be the Pierce's." A comforting voice snapped Allison out of her thoughts, as she faced a tall and skinny woman with bright blonde hair, her eyes shining underneath the fluorescent school lights.

"Yes, we're uh, here for the parent teacher interviews," Jackson explained maturely, holding onto Jocelyn's little hand.

Allison smiled politely at the woman, and gripped onto Alex tightly after he attempted to escape. The teacher took notice, and gave a weak grin at the twins.

"Our mother couldn't make it, so we thought it would be okay to come instead..." Allison trailed off, as the teacher smiled brightly once again.

"Well that is quite alright!" She exclaimed enthusiastically. "My name is Mrs. Appleby, and I am Alex and Jocelyn's teacher," she introduced herself formally, shaking both Jackson and Allison's hand.

"I'm Jackson, that's my sister Allison, and I'm sure you know Alex and Jocelyn by now." The eldest Pierce son threw in a little sense of humour, while Mrs. Appleby glanced briefly at the twins who had on the opposite expressions.

"Well why don't we head into the classroom to discuss about the behaviours of the twins?" She suggested, as Alex tried to escape his older sister's grip, but she held onto him firmly, and guided him into the classroom along with the rest of them.

Mrs. Appleby pulled up four chairs for them each, and sat down behind her desk, folding her arms neatly on the wooden desktop.

"Well I can tell you now that Jocelyn is an exceptional listener! She is always able to listen to instructions compliantly, and always fulfills them," she started, smiling at little Joce, who sat happily beside her twin brother. "And not to mention, she is extremely passionate about animals! She was completely devastated when our class hamster passed on, and she is absolutely just a sweetheart!" She continued admirably on, about Jocelyn, who earned a small nudge from Jackson, as he winked, and mouthed 'you go girl' to her.

"And, Alex?" Allison started, fearing the outcome.

There was a lingering silence when the attention fell on Alex, and then Mrs. Appleby finally began.

"Well, Alex is definitely the class clown, and the prankster..." Jackson eyed Alex, who seemed to look down at the tiled floors in disinterest. "Just last week he emptied all of the hand wash and replaced it with liquid glue, and there are many more pranks where that came from. He's encouraged to attend a behavioural class, as he often disrupts the class multiple times, and he is also encouraged to complete homework, because his marks aren't the highest," she went on, after taking a deep breath. "But other than that, he is extremely participative in outside activities. He's one of the best basketball players in the class."

"Well, we will certainly help him improve on his weak spots," Jackson said, assuring the distressed teacher, as Alex crossed his arms with a pout on his lips.

"Well, thanks for your time, it was really nice to meet you," Allison tried concluding, growing uncomfortable in her dress that seemed to rise up her thighs every time she shifted in her seat.

"Actually, there is just one more thing," she stopped her in her tracks, pulling out the twins' attendance record. "It is ongoing. I've noticed the twins' attendance record hasn't been quite...stable. There are many days they were away for unexplained reasons-''

She was cut off by Jackson who reflexed himself into another lie. "Our mother is a very busy business woman, and she hardly has time to phone in for every single absence, as you can only imagine by her lack of presence for this interview- and we were actually on a family vacation just the other month, so I believe our mother probably forgot to phone about that. I apologize for any inconvenience."

Mrs. Appleby stopped in her tracks, and looked up at Jackson who gave a casual smile, silently cursing at himself for nervously rambling.

"How are things at home?" She suddenly asked out of the blue, as Jackson cleared his throat, growing agitated by her never-ending questions. "I imagine your mother's busy work schedule has quite an impact on the twins-"

"The twins are fine," Allison was now the one to intervene. "Our mother come home often, and gets to spend enough time with them. Like I said, thanks for your time."

She stood up abruptly, and took Alex by the hand, while Jackson took Jocelyn's.

The four siblings walked out of the school, and back on the sidewalk to home. She had no right to ask such a personal question, and to potentially expose the Pierce's, resulting in their separation. Allison and Jackson just couldn't risk it.

So together, they walked back home in complete and utter silence.

-

The sky was pitch black when they arrived home, and the moon hung freely, shimmering in the reflection of their eyes.

As soon as they entered, Allison spoke authoritatively. "Alright guys, go change your clothes and start getting ready for bed. Jackson and I will be up in a minute."

Jocelyn and Alex listened obediently, and trudged upstairs, taking notice of their older siblings' concerned behaviour that seemed to originate from the discussion with their teacher.

As soon as Jackson and Allison heard their bedroom door close upstairs, they let out a breath of relief, and then shared a knowing look.

"That was..." Jackson trailed off, as Allison walked over towards the couch.

"Close," she completed his sentence, while Jackson held a rigid hand to his forehead. "How much longer can we keep this up, Jackson?"

She glanced at her brother, wanting to know how much longer they had to put up this facade, but also subsequently wondering how much longer did they have to suffer.

"As long as we can," he replied all too quickly. "As long as the twins can grow up having a normal life, and be able to support themselves."

She nodded slowly, mentally reminding herself of the grave effects it would have on the twins' mental health if they were all ever to be separated. She couldn't think of such an improper childhood for them.

"Are you okay?" Jackson asked delicately, after noticing Allison stay quiet for more than a minute, deep in thought.

Her gaze was broken, and she snapped out of her thoughts to give a wide eyed stare to her older brother.

"Yeah- yes...I'm just going to take out the garbage, I guess..." she changed the subject, and rampaged into the kitchen, obliviously reaching for the black garbage bag, as Jackson raced to her aid.

"Wait, be careful, there's gla-"

He abruptly stopped his sentence when Allison juggled the bag in her hand, hearing pieces of shattered glass jingle inside the black bag. Jackson took a deep breath, and watched as she opened the garbage bag in curiosity, and saw the broken frame of the broken family.

"Did you do this?" She questioned, meeting her brother's gaze, as he nodded guiltily, trying to avoid eye contact. "Why?"

Jackson stayed quiet for a moment, finally able to meet his sister's eyes, as he took the garbage bag from her, and tied it up carefully.

"Because you were right," he simply admitted, catching Allison by surprise. "It doesn't feel like your birthday," he continued. "Because it also doesn't feel like a family."

Allison's facial expressions softened, as she shared a sympathetic look, watching her brother mentally crumble.

"Jack-" she spoke, but was interrupted by Jocelyn hollering from the top of the stairs.

"Can someone read us a bedtime story?" Her frail voice echoed through the whole house stocked with nothing but old furniture, and the smell of hardwood.

This broke Jackson and Allison's gaze, as the eldest Pierce son exclaimed back. "I'll be there in a minute!"

He guided himself away from Allison, and placed the garbage back in front of the back door, and then faced his sister once more, beginning to climb the stairs.

"I'll go read them something. You should go change into some comfortable clothes, and start heading to bed," he suggested softly, as Allison folded her arms over her chest, still feeling uncomfortable and insecure in her dress.

She nodded silently, not able to produce a single word, and watched her brother head upstairs tirelessly.

-

"And they all lived happily ever after. The end," concluded Jackson, sitting at the side of Jocelyn's bed, where she was fast asleep.

He smiled down at her lovingly, and gave her a small kiss on the forehead, before glancing at Alex who was still wide awake, staring up at the ceiling. He closed the book, and turned around to look at Alex.

"Not sleepy?" He spoke in a hushed tone, making sure not to wake Jocelyn up.

Alex sighed, and slowly tilted his head to meet his older brother's eyes.

"Are you mad at me?" Was his reply, making Jackson scrunch his eyebrows in confusion.

"What for?" He further inquired. "Did you not do your homework tonight?"

"For what Mrs. Appleby said about me. Are you angry?"

"No," Jackson simply replied, catching Alex by surprise.

"Why not?" He wondered curiously, as Jackson got up slowly from Jocelyn's bed, and stood above Alex.

"Because you're my little brother, and I will always love you no matter what you do." He placed the book gently on the night stand, and went on further. "And, I realize you're still a kid, and apparently amateur pranks entertain you." He nudged him, as Alex chuckled softly." So no, I'm not mad at you- but, if I hear one more complaint from your teacher, I will take away your television and video game privileges, you hear?"

Jackson's voice was stern, but had a tinge of playfulness added subtly, making Alex nod quickly in comprehension.

"Now get some sleep." He leaned over and kissed Alex on the forehead, and started making his way out of the room.

"Jack?" Called out his tiny voice, stopping Jackson in his tracks. He stopped and waited for him to say something. "I love you too."

Jackson smiled warmly, and turned off the lights, seeing Alex roll onto his other side, and into the covers. With that, he closed the door, and walked into the hallway, on his way to his room, when he saw Allison's light still on.

Right across from his room, Allison's bedroom was easily visible. The door hung wide open, and a dim night light was on. He saw his sister looking at herself in the mirror, with her hands laced graciously around her necklace, gripping onto the beautiful pendant that resembled a musical note.

"Hey birthday girl," he nearly startled her to death, as she turned around quickly, relaxing once she saw his face.

"Are the twins?-''

"Fast asleep," he assured, as she nodded, and gave him a thankful look. He stepped into her room, and held one hand behind his back secretively. "I have something for you."

Allison tilted her head in puzzlement, and stood there, confused as to what he meant. He chuckled at her obliviousness, and pulled out a silver charm bracelet from behind his back.

"Jackson..." she hindered off with a warning, as a playful grin held still on his lips. "You didn't have to -oh my gosh, how much was that? There's no way we can afford-"

"Allison," he cut her off firmly, as she stopped, staring at him wide eyed, while he shook his head with a smile at his sister's behaviour. "I got this for you." He reached for her fragile hand, and placed it around her wrist, the cold metal feeling sensational on her warm skin. "And you will keep it."

She finally gave in, and smiled sweetly at her older brother, who always looked out for everyone. He was so selfless and giving. She didn't know how she deserved him, but she was so lucky to have him as her family.

"Thank you, Jackson," she spoke sincerely, as he smiled in return, pointing out the different charms.

"There's a little basketball for Alex, a dolphin for Jocelyn," he laughed softly. "A music note for you, and a paintbrush for me. This way, whenever you miss one of us, you can just look at your arm, and know that we're with you every step of the way."

Allison stared down at her charm bracelet admiringly, and then drifted her eyes back up at her brother.

"It's perfect," came out an emotional whisper, and she swung her arms around his neck.

He held her tightly by the waist, catching a drift of her strawberry scented hair, and the warmth and comfort of her touch. He missed her dearly, the happy girl he once knew. Now he found her often locked up in her room, withering away along with her personal diary which never seemed to properly gather all of her damaged thoughts.

He finally pulled away, and gave one last smile to her.

"Goodnight." Allison held her bracelet in the other hand, and smiled in return, watching him depart her room, and into his.

She had expected her birthday to be dull, and disappointing, but Jackson had made it bearable, and he reminded her of the most important thing she knew she couldn't forget; each other.

Clutching her bracelet tight, her eyes closed, as she drifted off into a peaceful slumber upon her bed, ready to take on what tomorrow would bring.