- Zach -

The days passed without i even realized it. Before i knew it, it was already friday. Today I'm going to move to my father. I totally don't want it. I heard stories about the son, you don't want to know.

'Zach, are you okay?' Daniel asks to me.

'I'm fine,' I lie. 'Did you heard anything from Jamie, by the way. You guys have a thing, right?'

'We do,' Daniel says. 'Only she's quite busy. She haves a lot of tests and other things. But I'm going to see her things weekend!' I love it to see Daniel happy. He never ever finded a girl who made him so happy like this. Let's say, It is Nina's fault that he has Jamienow. This year, on her birthday, her friends came. Christel, Indy, Sabrina, Jamie and Yara. And my friends; Daniel, Jonah, Corbyn, Harvey and James. James and Yara have a relationship, just like Sabrina and Harvey. Jonah and Kim have a thing and Christel and Corbyn are boyfriend, girlfriend. When they're together Nina and I yell most of the time; 'CORBEL!'

Then the bell rings. I throw my stuff in my bag and walk with Daniel out the class.

'Are you going to the halloween party?' Daniel asks when we walk to the lockers.

'Which party?'

'On 31th of October we have a halloween party,' Daniel says. 'The school origanized a huge fairground. With a haunted house and things. Are you coming?'

'I don't know yet,' I say. 'I have to go to the hospital for a Anxiety Disorder test.'

'You have that?'

'I have to test it!'

'Oh, right,' Daniel says. I roll with my eyes.

'But i have to go now,' I say. 'See you on monday!'

'See ya bro!'

I walk over the schoolyard, to my car. I step in and drive to the hospital.
It's hard to keep my eyes open. I feel like I can fall asleep every second. I haven't slept a lot tonight. I haven't slept a lot in days.

I walk into the hospital and take a sit on one of the chairs. My legs are like jelly. My whole body is bruised and broken. I try to hide the bruises on my legs, arms, back and stomach for my mother. Especially for Nina. She is going to flip if she sees that.

My eyes are tired. I can't keep them open for long. I lean with my head on my arm and wait for Samantha. Slowly, I fall asleep.

I walk through the hallway. I finally can go home! Yes! It's already 7 o'clock. I have to pick Nina up. Really quick. She just finished her dance show and she's not allowed to walk home. That's way to far. And it's already dark. Hell no that she's gonna walk. I walk around the corner and stands still. I see Jack, Madison, Ethan and Matt. They're all laughing. Ethan and Madison have a cigarette in they're hand. And I have to go this way. Shit..

'Hey herron!' Jack yells when he sees me. 'What are you doing here so late?'

'Don't you have to go home?' Madison asks. 'To your mama!' Matthew and Jack burst out laughing. They're drunk. I quickly pass them.

'Hey wait a minute!' Jack grabs my wrist. 'Nobody said that you could go!'

'Let me go!' I say. He holds my wrist tightly.

'What are you gonna do?' Ethan laughs. 'Going to your mom?'

'She isn't always going to be their for you!' Matt laughs. Jack punches me against the lockers. 'You have to save yourself then, boy!'

'Leave me alone!' I try to run, but Matt already got me. He pushes me on the ground and begin to kick me.

'Zach, are you coming?' I look up. Samantha stands in front of me. 'Are you okay?'

'Yes, I'm fine,' I lie. 'I must have been asleep.'

'Did you slept tonight?' Samantha asks while we walk into her office.

'No,' I say. 'I had a nightmare.'

'What kind of nightmare?' Samantha asks. She pulls out a notepad to write down what I'm saying.

'I was dreaming that Nina died,' I say. I'm telling the truth. Wow, that's surprising.. 'and that is my biggest fear I've got.'

'Why Nina?' Samantha asks. 'Why not Reese, Ryan, your mother, father?'

'Ugh, my father is a jerk!' I say immediately. 'He doesn't give a damn about me, Reese, Ryan or Nina. Only about his son. Not me.' Samantha nods.

'But still, Why Nina?' She asks.

'Nina is the most important person in my life,' I say. 'She always helps me with everything, she listens, she gives me advice, she's just amazing. She's my favorite sister.' Samantha nods.

'Sounds like a superhero to you,' She laughs.

'She is!' I say immediately. 'She is!'

————————————————————

I wait for Nina's school. I'm never ever going back to Samantha for a Anxiety Disorder test. Seriously. Never. It was damn scary. Somebody opens the door. I look at it.

'Nina?' I ask surprised. 'Are you done already? I thought you had to-'

'Mom said that I can't finish the dance period,' Nina interrupts me. 'It's Friday, it was always my selection day. But yea, I can't dance anymore.' Nina puts on her seatbelt. I feel sorry for her.

When we're a home, we step out of the car and walk to our house. Reese and Ryan are already waiting, with some bags. Mom isn't home yet.

'Zach, I don't want to go,' Reese says to me.

'I don't want to go either,' I say, while I grab a bag. 'But we have to go. When mom has enough money, we always can go back.' Reese nods. She and Ryan grab some bags and walk with us to the car.
Nina locks the door and looks at the house.

'Nina, are you coming?' I ask.

'Unbelievable that I have to go back...' she sighs.

'What do you mean?' I ask.

'That boy,' Nina says, walking to me. 'Has aggression problems.'

'Oh, yay...' I sigh.

'Seriously, I hate him.' Nina says, stepping into the car. 'Be warned.'

'I think I can handle him.' I say. Except when he's just like Jack and the other bullies.

'We're here,' Nina says after a while.

'It's raining..' Reese complains.

'Well, that sucks..' I say. Nina grabs her phone and calls someone.

'Hi mom,' she says. 'We're here. Could you open the door so we can go inside, without being soaked?' I hear someone laughing. Nina is kinda impatient. 'Okay thanks.' She puts her phone away and looks to us. 'Mom is opening the door for us.' She says. 'Grab your bags, we're gonna run.'

After a couple of seconds, someone opens the door.

'Let's run!' Nina yells. She jumps out of the car and runs immediately to the door. Reese and Ryan follow her. I jump out of the car, lock him and run after them.

'I'm already soaked!' I laugh when I close the door.

'Same bro!' Nina laughs.

'Poor children,' a woman walks to me. 'Are you this wet?'

'Mom!' Nina walks to her and hugs her, with a evil smile. 'Good to see you.'

'Nina!'

'Now you're wet to, haha!' Nina laughs.

'Nina, your so annoying!' Nina's mom laughs. She pulls herself out the hug.

'Thank you,' Nina says. 'I hear that a lot.' I grin.

'I'm Kristin,' Nina's mom introduces herself. 'I will show you your rooms, follow me.' Nina never told my anything about her mom, I remind myself. She's nice.

Kristin shows Reese, Ryan and me our room. Nina still knows where her room is. I have a nice room, only my room is next to the room of my, still unknown, stepbrother.

'Shall I make tea?' Kristin asks when I come down the stairs.

'Yea!' Nina says immediately.

'That would be nice,' I say. I sit next to Nina and look on the tv. 'Shadow hunters?' I ask. 'Are you Serious?! Riverdale is much better.'

'BORING!' Nina yells.

'Both are boring,' Kristin says. 'The vampire diaries are better.' I begin to laugh.

'Honestly I never watched it,' I say.

'You have to watch them with Jack,' Kristin says. 'I think he likes them.'

'Hell no,' Nina says immediately. 'The only thing that wasn't annoying about Jack, was that he and I always watched shadow hunters.'

'Jack?' She's kidding, right?

'Your stepbrother,' Nina says.

'He's nice,' Kristin says.

'He's a jerk,' Nina says.

'Nina!'

'I'm sorry, I'm only telling the truth.' Nina laughs. Kristin shakes her head. She walks back to the kitchen. 'I'm going to get some snacks,' Nina stands up and looks at me. 'You want some? Wait, why am i asking? I'm forcing you to get some snacks.' Nina smiles and walks to the kitchen.

'Nina, we're gonna eat in about thirty minutes. You are not gonna snack!'

'Mom! I'm hungery!'

'Then you have to wait a while.'

'Mom...'

'No, Nina, you have to wait until we're going to eat.'

'Okay.. Okay.. Okay.. After i ate this!'

'Nina!'

Nina runs back to the living room. I look at her.

'Want a piece?' Nina takes her seat next to me and gives me the half of her cookie.

'I don't want it.' I say.

'But dah cookies!'

'I don't want ah cookie!'

'Fuck you, eat this cookie!' Nina stuffs the half of her cookie in my mouth.

'Nina!' I yell, with my mouth full. Nina smiles. Then the bell rings.

'Oh, Nina, could you please open the door?' Kristin yells from the kitchen.

'Sure!' She yells back. She jumps up and walks to the door. I wait a while, then i run to the trash can. I spit out the cookie and close the can. I wipe my mouth of and run back to the couch.

'Hey, Nina, where are Reese and Ryan?' I yell to Nina.

'They're in their roo-' She stops talking. 'Oh, so you're still alive to?'

'Well, it's nice to see you to.' I recognize that voice immediately. I look to the hallway.

'It's not nice to see you.' Nina says. She walks back to the living room. 'Zach,' She begins. 'Meet your asshole stepbrother. Jack Avery.' A boy steps into the room. No way.. I study him well, Hoping that i'm wrong!

Brown, curly hair. Chocolate brown eyes. Piercing in his nose. Earrings. Tattoo under his ear and on his arms. Jack Avery.

He's a bit shocked when he sees me. 'It that your boyfriend?' He asks her.

'Ew! No!' Nina says immediately. 'Do you ever listen to what I say?'

'No,' Jack says immediately. 'Do you ever listen to what I say?'

'If you never listen to what I have to say, I never listen to what you have to say!' Jack rolls his eyes. 'Jack, this is Zach. My better brother.' Jack looks at me. 'Oh my god, you seriously never listen to what i say..' Nina sighs. She shakes her head and sits next to me.

'What are you looking?' Jack asks. He throws his coat on the coat rack and slides his bag to the stairs.

'Shadow hunters,' Nina says.

'Best serie ever,' Jack says. 'Zach, move.' Nina kicks Jack. 'Zach, could you move please?'

'Yea.. Sure..' I say. I move aside and lean on the couch. Why him? Why him?! Of every person of the whole world, Why him?! Why, why, why, why my bully! Oh, no, no, no, no, no... I hate my life. I hate my life, officially. Oh god... No.. I'm so scared. If he's gonna tell the others that i'm his stepbrother..

'Jack, can you please get Reese and Ryan?' Kristin asks. 'Dinner is ready.'

'Who are Reese and Ryan?' Jack asks.

'My younger siblings, dumbass.' I say. Oh. my. god. What. did. I. do... Nina bursts out laughing.

'Good job Zach!' She laughs. To my amazement, Jack smiles to.

'I like that one.' He says. He stands up and walks to the stairs. I stand up and walk quickly to the kitchen.

'You can sit there, Zach,' Kristin says. She points at a chair. 'You sit next to Nina and your father.'

'M-m-my father?' I stutter.

'Yea, he will be on the head on the table.' Kristin says. 'We eat tomato soup, you like that?'

'I don't eat much,' I say. They doesn't know that I have anorexia. They don't know everything of my eating scheme. And I'm not gonna tell them to. I sit on the chair where Kristin pointed to and I wait.

'Why are you so tall?' I hear Reese asking. Ryan and Nina walk into the kitchen.

'Because i'm thirteen years older than you,' Jack and Reese walk into the kitchen.

'Are you seventeen?'

'No,'

'Eighteen?'

'No,'

'Twenty?'

'Kid! Learn to count!' Jack says, while he sits down in front of me. Reese smiles, like a evil kid, and sits down next to him. Nina grins. Ryan shakes his head. He sits down next to Nina. Kristin wants to sit down, but then the bell rings.

'Just, grab some soup, I'll be back in a minute.' Kristin runs to the door.

'Jack, you're a child, i'm doing it.' Nina stands up and grabs the soup spoon. Jack looks at her with a; 'Are you kidding me right now?'  face. She grins to him. 'Ryan, keep your bowl up.'

After some seconds, somebody else walks in. Josh. Josh Herron, AKA, My dad. He stands in the doorway, a little surprised when he sees, instead of One of his children, all his children.

'Hi dad..' Nina says kill.

'It's nice to see you again, Luna.' Josh says.

'That's my second name, Dad..' she says. 'My name is Nina.' She puts some soup in Reese's bowl. Dad is a little surprised when she says that, but then he sits down, next to me. I don't say a word, i don't even look at him. But, from the corner of my eye, i see that my father studies me. Really good.

'Zach, do you eat enough?' he asks then. I look at him.

'Yea, why?' I ask.

'You look so skinny,' he says.

'I take it as a compliment...' I say. Still, i'm not gonna tell him that I've anorexia.

'I had a question,' Kristin says then. 'Thank you, Nina. We want to give your Christmas presents earlier. What do you want to do on Christmas?'

'On a holiday!' Ryan and Reese yell together. 

'Absolutely not,' Dad says immediately. Nina puts the soup in his bowl, not really controlled. Some drops fall on his jeans.

'Oh, i'm sorry..' Nina says sarcastically. 'That wasn't my intention.'

'I'll grab some cloths.' I say quickly. I stand up and walk to the kitchen counter.

'Why not?' Reese asks. 'We haven't been on vacation for so long!'

'Summer break is a few months back!' dad says. 'What was the last time you went on vacation?'

'Two years ago,' I say, while i give my dad some cloths. My father looks surprised at me when i give him the cloths. I sit down and stir trough my soup.

'Nina, what do you want?' Kristin asks Nina. She shrugs her shoulders.

'She wants to dance again.' I say.

'Yea!' Nina yells. 'I want to go back to dance! Please let me go! It's the only way for me to make my dream true!'

'You are already dancing, right?' Kristin asks.

'I had to quit,' Nina says. 'Mom didn't had enough money, because somebody didn't want to help her with the bills..' she looks to her father.

'Well, that's sucks for you.' Jack laughs.

'Okay, you have to shut the fuck up!' Nina shouts immediately. 'that you are such a spoiled brat, doesn't mean that everybody can get what they want!'

'Excuse me?!' Jack shouts back. 'That your mother can't pay for your "dream job" doesn't mean that I'm a spoiled brat!'

'You always was!' Nina shouts back. 'You where always the best. Always Jack, Jack this, Jack that. Oh look at me, I'm Jack Avery. I'm so popular because I get everything form my parents.'

'Shut up!' I look at Jack. His hand hold his knife tightly.

'Why?! Im not one of your servants!' Nina shouts.

'I SAID SHUT UP!' Jack jumps up. He holds the knife tightly high above his head. He is furious. He could kill Nina every second.

'JACK AVERY!' Everyone looks at Kristin. She jumped up. 'Sit down,' she says strict. Jack drops the knife and sits down. 'Give me the knife,' Jack grabs the knife and gives it to Kristin. Reese looks scared. She slides her bowl soup a little to the right, so she has some distant between her and Jack. 'Did you took your medicines?' Kristin asks Jack.

'No, no, I didn't..' Jack says. 'I never take my medicines when I go boxing.'

'Take them,' Kristin says. Jack stands up and walks to the living room. Nina looks really annoyed after him. 'He's not like that always,' Kristin says to me, Reese and Ryan.

'He is, Nina says.

'Nina..' Josh sighs.

'What?' She asks. 'Are you going to punish me because I told the truth?! It's always Jack. It's always Jack. He has everything. Everything he wants. And then ya. Dad, why do you treat Jack like your own son, while you have me, Zach, Reese and Ryan? Jack isn't even your own son!'

'Nina!' Josh says surprised.

'Nina, i think you should stop..' Kristin says.

'What?!' Nina asks. 'It's the truth. Jack isn't dads real son, just like I am not the real daughter of Myta.'

'But you do call her mom,' Josh says.

'No,' I do not know why I'm going to interfere... 'Nina calls my mother just Myta. She calls her own mom mom.'

'But, Jack doesn't has anything he wants!' Josh says.

'But it looks like he has,' I say.

'How do you know?'

'Because I'm in his class,' Nina looks at me with a Are-you-serious face. 'He's popular. He really is.' Josh is quiet. Then Jack walks in. He walks to his seat and sits down. It's quiet a couple of seconds.

'Sorry..' he mumbles then.

'Yea.. sorry..' Nina mumbles.

'Zach, eat up your soup.' Josh says. I ate quite a lot, I have to say. Not that I like it, no, because Nina is going to force me to eat if I don't. I grab my spoon and stir trough my soup.

'Jack, eat more,' Kristin says. 'You almost didn't eat a-'

'Oh, no thanks mom.' Jack says. 'I'm on a diet.' I look to Jack.

'Are you?' Josh asks. Jack nods.

'I think I have to lose some weight,' Jack says. 'So I can be some thinner.'

'You?' Nina asks. 'Why?'

'I'm telling you,' Jack says. 'So I can lose some weight.' I look at Jacks shape. He isn't fat! No, totally not! He's just like I am. Well.. I'm skinnier. I think. Am I? I look to my body, then I look at Jack.

'How did you came on that idea?' Kristin asks.

'Because of Zach,'

'What?' I ask surprised. Why me?

'Yea, I want to be just like you.' Jack says. 'That shape I mean.'

'But your not fat,' I say. I am.

'Thanks,' Jack laughs. 'I'll take that as a compliment. But I have to eat less so I can lose weight.'

-Nina-

'Shut up, Jack..' i say. I look at Zach. 'Zach? Are you okay?' He nods and pushes him bowl away.

'Look, I just want to be like you,' Jack continues. 'Then I'm less fat then I'm now, so that would be better.' Then Zach jumps up. He runs out the kitchen, to the stairs.

'Zach!' I yell after him, but he's already gone.

'Okay, I know he was weird,' Jack laughs. 'But this-'

'This is your fault Jack!' I yell. Nah, na-ah-ah, he crossed my invisible line. I jump up and run to the stairs.

'What did I do this time?' Jack asks. I turn around and look at him.

'Zach has anorexia!' I shout. Everyone looks at me. Jack is quite surprised. 'Because of your talk with skinny and fat, He this That he's fat!' I yell. 'I swear Jack; you have to stay the hell away from my brother! You hurt I'm, I will make your death look like suicide!' I turn around and run upstairs.