"Shh... not too loud. You're gonna wake her." I hear the whispering of little brats.

I was trying to sleep but was woken up by a tinkling feeling on my face. When I open my eyes, Sarah and CJ were in front of me, looking as if they just got caught doing something they weren't supposed to.

This weekend I was staying with my mom and her twenty kids. I had to share a room with my two little sisters, Sarah and Kenzie. Sarah was seven and Little Kenzie was four.

I looked at the oldest out of them, CJ. He looked as guilty as ever and quickly put his arms around his back as if to hide something.

"What are you brats up to?" I ask, stretching since I had to sleep in a small bed that was made for a nine year old.

Plus it had my little Pony sheets.

"Nothing!" He says too quickly. He was always a bad liar.

Just like his sister.

"Yeah right, show me your hands" I said and he shakes his head.

"C'mon. Sarah? What did you two do?" I ask but the thing was Sarah was a good liar.

"Nothing, we just came to wake you. Mom needs you." She says so innocently that if I wasn't her sister, I might've even believed her.

"Alright, tell her I'm coming." They look at each other and run away giggling.

I stand up from my bed and put on my white slippers before going into the bathroom. I put my messy bed head hair into a ponytail as I turn on the sink.

I look up into the mirror and I startled myself. Those little evil brats.

On my face was a scrubbily drawing of a mustache and a half shaded unibrow. I try rubbing it off but it wouldn't come off, I apply water and it barely gets off.

This is why I like staying with my dad, he at least treats me with respect. He might forget a lot and not talk to me sometimes but at least he doesn't draw on my face.

Except for that one time, but still.

Once I managed to wash most of it off I went downstairs where the rest of the family was. My mom had three baby daddies in total so her kids all looked nothing alike except for the ones who actually had the same parents.

I was the black sheep in my family because my parents only had one child together and that was me. The only feature I had got of my mom was her hazel eyes and brown hair, although that could also be from my dad.

Her five kids and and her current husband were all surrounded by the kitchen table as breakfast was served. Sarah and Kenzie both had dirty blonde hair and blue eyes, the three boys had dark black hair with a various of different colored eyes, brown, blue and green.

Where as I had light brown hair, hazel eyes and I was short. I stopped growing since the 8th grade, Sarah was younger than me but you could already tell she was gonna be tall since her dad was like a giant.

"Mom! Kenzie took my bacon!" Mike whined to my busy mother.

She sighs before giving him another and he stops whining. It was way too noisy and much complaining going around for my liking.

"Thalia, finally you're awake. You sleep like a pig. I needed you awake four hours ago." Mom says and she shakes her head.

I mock her silently making Jack laugh, he was the youngest brother. And in my opinion, the cutest. His two front teeth were missing and he had chubby cheeks.

Plus he couldn't really understand anything because he was six which meant he couldn't bother me.

Anthony, my moms husband and Sarah and Kenzies father was actually pretty nice and cool, at least someone in this house was.

"Thalia, I need you to drop Sarah off at her friends house and Kenzie at daycare. We have the boys game to go to." I haven't even had one bite to eat before moms telling me what to do.

"Can I just get some cereal-"

"Thalia, hurry. Sarah will be late." Mom says interrupting me and ignoring my request for some cereal.

I sigh and take some toast eating it on my way upstairs. I get changed into some Jean shorts and an oversized shirt. I go down the stairs two at a time and see mom putting things into Kenzie's backpack.

"Alright be careful, I love you guys." Mom says leaning down to place a kiss on both Sarah and Kenzies head.

I stand there awkwardly as I watch their little mommy daughter moment.

"Take good care of them. I want them back without a scratch." Mom says, maybe joking.

"Okay, bye!" I said and take Kenzie's hand leading her out the door, as Sarah follows.

I start walking out of the drive way and Sarah looks up at me.

"Why can't we take the car?" She asks, looking back at the car.

"Because... I can't drive." I admit and she snickers.

"What eighteen year old can't drive? My dad taught me how to start a car." She sasses and I roll my eyes.

"What seven year old doesn't know how to count to one hundred?" I reply remembering the last time I was here she was having trouble counting.

"That was CJ!" She's quick to defend herself.

"Same thing." I said and I hear her sigh.

"Where did mom say her daycare was?" I ask Sarah suddenly forgetting what mom told me.

Sarah sighs and goes around Kenzie to pull something out of her backpack. She takes out a small paper and hands it to me.

"Mom writes out the directions to our schools and address in case we ever get lost. The back has her phone number Too." She explains.

"Huh, that's smart" I said and look at the address.

She puts it back and we start walking. I tell my sisters about a story I remember when I was with mom and Kenzie tells me she's tired.

So like the good sister I am, I carry her the rest of the way to her daycare. I might as well right? The poor kid has to go to daycare, she'll suffer enough. Daycare sucks from what I can remember.

The walk felt like forever and my arms were hurting so I ended up putting Kenzie down. We walk past s street with lots of stores or businesses and we look through the windows as we walk by. Sarah would point out at little things.

"Wait! I have to tie her shoe." She kneels down and begins tying Kenzie's shoes.

I wait for her to tie them both and she says she has to double tie them into a knot which takes even longer. I look through the window of what seems to be a tattoo shop.

A woman looked to be in the middle of getting a tattoo on her back, I squint my eyes as I look through the tinted window and gasp when I recognize someone.

"Heath!" I call out as if he could hear me.

"Why are you yelling?" Sarah asks, standing back up.

"Wait here." I reach the door knob of the tattoo shop before turning back around.

Sarah was holding little Kenzies hand, looking adorable.

"I mean, come with me." I then said remembering that if I lost them mom would kill me.

"Why are we going in here?" Sarah asks but I don't respond.

"Heath!" I call out again and this time he lifts his head up as he hears his name.

He took some time to adjust before realizing who I was. He looks up at the woman he was about to ink up before standing up and walking towards me.

He looked much different this time at least from the last time I saw him. He was wearing a black short sleeved shirt and grey pants. His dark hair looked neat this time and he smelled really good.

"What are you doing here?" He asks, looking me up and down before his eyes meet my sisters.

"Oh, these aren't my kids. They're my little sisters, even though we don't look much alike. I'm supposed to be taking them to daycare and her friends house but we made a stop and I saw you through the window." I explain and he licks his lips.

"Yeah, thats where we're supposed to be going. Why are we here?" Sarah butts in and I give her a look.

"Anyway, what are you doing here?" I ask, looking at him.

He slightly leans on the counter behind him, crossing his arms.

"I work here." He explains and my mind is in awe.

"Woah, think you could help a friend out? I'm thinking of getting a tattoo" I said.

"I thought you hated needles" Sarah blurts out and I give her a look that tells her to be quiet.

"Not anymore, well I'll let you get back to your job. Don't let me stop you. I'll see you some other time." I smile and wave goodbye before taking Kenzie's hand.

We walk out of the shop and I take a deep breath.

"Alright, let's get you to daycare." I told Kenzie and she follows me.

"Finally." Sarah mumbled.

Gosh, she is a sassy pants.

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A/N

Thanks for reading :)

7/3/22