Since MS was five years old, she knew what alcohol was.

Alcohol ruined her life. Once her father went on deployment, it ruined her mother. So, at eighteen years old, her older brother Ricky took custody of his little Sister and found an apartment far away from the woman. When the father returned, he was whisked away before he could find his children. After the second deployment, he was too depressed to return home and found happiness in European women and forgetting his children.

Ricky basically became MS's father. He taught her all the things their parents should have been teaching her, like taking a shower, how to flirt with boys, how to drive, how to treat people like human beings. People found it strange that MS was being raised by her brother, but Ricky was - is - MS's hero. And when Ricky started to get really sick, she did whatever she could to make him better; which included getting in contact with their father, who still owned their old house, and getting him to come home to help Isaac take care of MS. Their mother died of alcohol poisoning only a few months prior to Ricky's sickness, so it was still a tender subject, but their father had to now.

Time passes and MS is back in the hometown she left behind ten years ago. The one that spread rumors about her family and denied to help them. MS didn't need their help, not anymore.

She drives by the sign indicating that they've entered into North Grove. Her brother Ricky sits in the passenger seat, bundled in a blanket and looking quite fragile.

"Hey, you need to take a nap when we get home, okay? I'm sure my bed's still set up and it's closest to the front door."

MS has been taking over the big brother position since Ricky's sickness, and though Ricky hates it, he can't help himself, he's too weak. Their shared car pulls into the driveway, almost completely overgrown with weeds. There's a lot to be done to get this house back in order, especially on the inside. MS hops out the car and notices a boy across the street sitting on his porch. He looks familiar, but MS can't place a name on him. Instead, she helps Ricky get out the car and into the house, where their father will be in a few days.

Ricky is settled down for his nap when MS hears a knock at the door. Taking off her jacket and hanging by the coat rack, MS makes her way to the door cautiously. When she opens it, the boy from across the street is holding a lasagna. He is covered in paint splatter and doesn't look like he's done anything other than paint today. The boy looks familiar for sure, but MS's memory has failed her in the last few years, especially about North Grove. But he's cute, that's for sure. He has soft brown hair and young face, the one that looks eighteen even when he's twenty-two. The best thing about him, though, is the glittering pair of blue eyes. MS's a sucker for blue eyes. She realizes after that thought that she's just been staring at the boy - who is probably a man and a few years older than her - so she looks down at the floor and blushes. 

"Uh, hi. I haven't really done this whole 'neighbor brings food around' thing before, but uh… thanks, I guess. I'm MS, I used to live here quite some time ago."

MS finally talks, rubbing her neck sheepishly. Ricky is better at meeting new people and talking to neighbors. MS's used to just being 'Rick's baby sister'. She assumes now that Ricky is sick, she'll have to be that person. MS takes the lasagna from the neighbor, and smiles.

"Do you want to share it with me? I know you made it, and probably have some at home, but my brother's not up to eating right now so I'd have to eat alone."

MS is bold with her words and doesn't realize that this situation might come out in her favor. She's used to people blowing her off or not paying attention to her. She invites the boy inside regardless and sets the lasagna on the kitchen counter, which is still dust-ridden. 

MS runs the tap to find that the water is off.

"Shit," she mutters, looking back at the boy with beet red cheeks. "I guess they turned if off while we've been gone." She stutters, also finding the cabinets to be empty save for a ceramic plate also dusty to the core.

"What a time to have company over", she thinks gravely.

" Look give me a few minutes and I'll get some things.." Chris Says. He smiles and leaves the house. He runs across the street to his house. On coming back he says to MS 
" My mother says you can keep the plates, they are an old set. I can take a look at your pipes. The shut off valve is probably on. The water company turns it off after a while of not paying the bills but if you turn it on manually the company will send a letter for you to pay the bill" He said as he served a portion on a plate and gave it to MS.

Chris also tells her that they we friends when they both were kids.

"Oh, uh, right… sorry Chris, just have a bad memory, that's all. I'm sure we had fun." MS said that last part mainly to herself. North Grove was the only place she was allowed to be a child and she couldn't even remember it. Whatever was there was replaced with scrounging for food, watching her brother be pushed around and manhandled by landlord and boss alike. MS, well, MS took different methods to get money. But enough of that, especially with company over. She swears she almost remembers Chris, there's got to be something there.

"I got to New York and everything about this place just faded to fuzzy memories. But you look familiar, so that's good." MS comments, not daring to look at Chris, especially when he ran over to get plates and utensils and everything so they could eat. 

MS takes the plate of lasagna sheepishly. "Sorry again, I just… I thought it wouldn't be this desolate already. I thought my d- that Thomas would've kept it in better shape." MS confesses, compelling herself to never call that man father again and compelling herself to hate him. But she can remember her father's caring eyes and soft smiles and there's just nothing in her heart that can overcome that.

"Tell your mother I said thank you for the plates, please. And the lasagna, it's delicious. I'm sure Ricky and Thomas will love it." MS says through a mouthful of pasta. 

MS finishes only half of it, feeling her stomach ache at her to stop. Sure, she's a girl and she's so used to not eating well that this much food is too much. She can feel the richness sliding down her throat. It was good going in, but now, not so much. But it would be social suicide to throw up his mother's food. "So, uh, Chris, what have you been doing for the past ten years?" MS asks, leaning on the isle and putting her elbows on it, supporting her head with curious eyes pointed straight on Chris.

Chris looked at MS as she asked what he had been doing for the past ten years. Huffing out a breath he smiled and said

"Well where to begin...my oldest sister got married she lives in Idaho now and she's expecting her third child so that leaves just me and Athena now and mama and papa. I went to art school when I graduated and that took 2 years. But it was great I do concept art for video games as well as murals and anything people want painting." He tapped the counter top gleefully.

He sighed softly "Not much else has happened I've been to Italy a few times. Still beautiful as ever." He added. "I did have a few jobs but art is what I want to do, how about you? You flew of the radar" he smiled giving a wink.

"At least you have family dinners. That sounds so nice." MS sighs, dreaming of a time when her family was all together and she could be a kid. Family dinners were the last thing on her mind in New York, she was lucky to even see Ricky on some days, and she learned to take care of herself and steal if she had to. Thinking of people bringing her things, especially things that aren't of a necessity, those days were few and far in between. "There was a really nice guy in New York who would always save a hot dinner plate for me when I got home from work. His wife bought this unique little plate and everyone knew it was mine." MS reminisced, stabbing her lasagna disinterestedly. 

Hearing Chris talk about his life was a reality check for MS. "Wow, Chris, that's awesome!" The boy she once knew was now an artist, soon to be famous if someone really takes an interest in him. Maybe MS should keep her distance, she wouldn't want to defile a boy like that. Chris knows where he's going and being friends with a girl like MS would just be his downfall. But when Chris winked at her, MS felt a jolt in her body that could only come from physical attraction. She hadn't felt attraction towards someone in a long time, and it was nice to actually feel something good for once. 

"Me? Oh, I'm not that important. I graduated high school before I moved back here but my life in New York was pretty monotonous. Work, sleep, school, eat. Not much time for anything else. I would've applied for college considering I was in the top five of my class but I didn't have money for that." MS left out a lot of her life in New York, things that Chris surely would be disgusted by. She felt her stomach jerk at the thought, and had to hold back her food before it came out again. She was having a hard time doing that lately. "Well Chris, it was good catching up, but I, uh…" MS didn't want Chris to leave, but she couldn't get attached to this boy. They have to leave it here. "I guess I should get some boxes unpacked and clean up around here." MS finishes, looking around the dusty, empty house with a small hint of despair. This would take forever, especially with MS working alone.

Chris listened as MS spoke seemingly unmotivated about her life away from here, it's like she shut herself all of a sudden not wanting to talk about her problems. Chris wasn't one to pry, but his warm heart wanted to help as much as he could.

His heart wept as MS said that she wasn't important, no one should ever have to think that about themselves not even in the darkest of times. She closed herself off as she said she should start unpacking and cleaning up the house on her own. Chris sighed heavily

"You can't do that stuff on your own, you just got here..at least let me help you, I can get some polish and dusters and I'll have a look at your water.." He smiled as he put a hand on his chest bowing his head slightly. 

"I'll be right back..." He began brushing off his hands and he took MS's hands 

"Remember you are always important" he smiled and kissed her hands briefly before leaving to go and gather cleaning supplies. He couldn't leave her alone to tidy up.

"No Chris, really I-" when the boy kissed her hand, telling her she was important, MS felt her heart flutter in her chest. She lost the ability to speak and watched helplessly as Chris went to his house and came back with everything they would need to clean the house.

"Chris, you really didn't… but uh, thank you." MS whispered the last part, looking down to her hand as if the kiss were still there. 

Ricky, the damn prick, finally peaked his head out of his bedroom door and, when Chris's back was turned, winked at MS.

"Chris, if you could… check the water, I need to check on Ricky." MS shuffled away and closed the door when she entered Ricky's room. Ricky wasn't supposed to be standing for a long period of time, only for a walk periodically so his muscles wouldn't cramp and eventually die. The wheelchair and mattress were the only things in the room that weren't still in boxes.

"Who is that, MS?" Ricky asked, his paranoid attitude resurfacing from New York. He didn't know better, and in MS's line of work, there was never knowing when a psycho or aggressive client would come around and hurt his little brother. "Chris… Chris DeGari. Didn't you know a DeGari in high school? Anyway, he's perfect and handsome and successful and I don't want him here because I can't bring him down, Ricky, I just can't." MS lets it out in one long sentence, praying that Chris couldn't hear her. 

Ricky had forgotten how New York had changed her little sister until now. Sure, living as poorly as they did, there was going to be maturing; but the things they had to do to survive, well, MS may have a youthful face but it makes her maturity that much more perverse. At least now they were somewhere safe. "Listen to me, MS. You are safe now, and no one is going to bring down Chris but Chris himself. Especially not you. Now get out there and clean this house." Ricky pushes MS out his door and shuts it, leaving her with Chris. MS averts her eye contact as much as she can, and stays silent unless she has to.

"Where do you want to start first? Upstairs? " Chris asked.

Seeing Chris's toned body was enough for MS to lose her words. She merely nods, taking a bucket of supplies and going up to the bathroom first. She takes a breather once she's alone up there. It was peculiar to see such a large space, especially since she'd forgotten they were wealthy as kids. The plumbing is out up here too, but Chris can help with that. She cleans off the crusted handles and bath liner, the moldy shower head and dusty floor. Everything that had a trace of their life, now washed away. She put the old towels and any other washable materials in a laundry basket and left the room. 

She left Chris to the plumbing, and went over to the guest room. She stripped the bed and planned to mop and vacuum the floors the next day. The pictures of their family in the room are old and before anything happened to anyone. Ricky was still a blonde-haired little kid, with bright, happy blue eyes. MS had lost one of her teeth in a few of the pictures, and her soft brown hair was kept continually under a backwards cap. Mom looked so young, so healthy, and so beautiful. Thomas looked how Ricky does now, and it's strange to see. 

The next room she did was the hardest. Her parent's room. She pushed the door shut before Chris could come in and was bombarded by old memories. As much as she wanted to clean it out, she also wanted to reminisce. In the closet, she finds her mother's old top, and because of its largeness, she can put it on and smell her perfume along the collar, like an embrace from her. There's also some of her dad's old clothes, which she has half a mind to throw out. She slowly traced the pictures on the wall and on the vanity and dresser, and found where they kept all their old photos and scrapbooks. She places those on the bed, along with her mother's journal on the nightstand. It was all of her unadulterated thoughts, nothing she could say to any of them. She climbed on the bed and started looking through it. She started crying and didn't even notice Chris come inside.

When Chris starts thinking to her, She realizes she should stop crying and make Chris leave, but that's the hard exterior she had in New York. She's been stone cold and emotionless for too long. Without thinking, MS throws her arms around Chris's neck and goes into full-hearted sobbing. It was nice to cry, to show emotion without being punished for it. "She's gone…, she's gone!" She sobs, pressing her body hard into Chris as if all his emotions will leak into the other boy. She hasn't cried over her mother's death yet, and though she was an alcoholic, there were still good memories, and she's still her mother. 

MS was always her mother's favorite, she knew even with all the times she tried to deny it. She thought the world of her and knew she was going to do great things when she grew up. They had days where it was just the two of them, hanging out. All this stopped when her father was deployed. Alcohol became her favorite, and that MS became a faded memory in her mind. This new MS was a bastard child that never resupplied her alcohol. She would shout horrible things at MS and curse at her, even slap MS if she had to. But MS still remembered her happy, healthy mother, shown by all these photos. She still believed in that happy woman. She hoped she was looking down on her, at least trying to protect her. 

As she composes herself, she realizes how close she is to Chris. "We should… get back to…" she presses her forehead against Chris's forehead, her eyes on Chris's lips. With her legs straddling Chris's waist, MS kisses Chris slowly but deeply. Her fingers start to run through Chris's soft hair when she remembers where she is and what she's doing. She flinches back and gets off the bed quickly. It's all too soon, and she's still so sensitive. Plus, she's not supposed to get close to Chris, but the damn boy is so friendly and… warm. Stop it MS, he's too good for you, she thinks to herself. "Um, I can finish on my own, thanks." MS whispers, folding her arms on her chest anxiously and staring at her feet. When she catches Chris's eye contact, she just pleads, "Please leave."

When it finally gets dark and MS realizes how long this is going to take, she curses herself for making Chris leave. She manages to clean her parents' room, keeping her mother's journal and the photographs so that Thomas can't have them. She also keeps the sweaters from her mother, and a bottle of her perfume, so that Thomas will suffer, like he left his own children to suffer. The room was left tidy, the only thing left to do was clean the floor and mop the bathroom, and MS considered leaving that to Thomas, but she was so lonely in the house, cleaning took that off her mind. So did Chris, but MS was forbidding herself to see the boy again. The kiss was magic but she couldn't let it happen again. 

She goes to her room and hides her mother's things before waking up Ricky, and helping him to the kitchen for a meal. They eat in silence, because every time Ricky tries to start a conversation, MS scowls and gives him the evil eye. But then, when she helps Ricky to bed, the kid wanting to help everyone as much as she can comes out again, thoughtfully but determinedly helping Ricky. "MS?" The girl pops her head up, looking at her brother, "I want you to apply for college this fall, okay?" MS goes to protest, but Ricky won't let her. Ricky's always looked out for her, not just because he's like a father figure to MS, but because he genuinely cares about her and wants her to have passion and drive again. 

MS returns to her room and grabs the picture she found of her and her mother, tucking it in her pillow and pressing her head into the pillow, as if that would make her feel her mother's warmth again. Another sleepless night for MS as she successfully gains one hour of sleep. She doesn't know if it's the new surroundings, or her onset insomnia, that doesn't allow her to sleep, but she eventually gives up. She decides to go out on the front porch and watch the sunrise, even if that means Chris might possibly see her. She wraps up in her comforter and walks out on the porch, relishing the watercolor sky as it allows the sun to rise. She finds herself drifting and falls asleep on the porch, and when someone shakes her awake, she wakes up with a thick red blush on her face.

It was Chris waking her up. She yawned like a puppy and curled up in her comforter, looking over to Chris with wary eyes.

"Didn't you get told by your grandparents not to sleep outside? " Chris chuckled softly "You okay?" He added sitting down next to MS wiping the sweat off her face.

"Didn't really know my grandparents. Dad's parents didn't like my mom and Mom's parents didn't like my dad, so… yeah. Didn't really… hang out with the parents either. Just me and Ricky." MS sighs, leaning her head against the rocking chair,

"and I'm fine, I just… don't sleep well." She felt awkward sitting next to Chris after what happened last night, but decided not to make it weird by saying anything about it. Soon, she would have to wake up Ricky and help him wash for the day. Then breakfast, which she momentarily thought of inviting Chris over, but shot it down immediately. 

MS stood up, stretching and yawning once more.

"Well, I gotta go. Thanks for uh, waking me up, Chris." She grabs the comforter and slips inside. With a sudden thought, she quickly turns and opens the door again,

"Hey! Chris, could you… help me get groceries later? I'm really bad at not getting frozen food and Ricky, he needs nutritional food. And you seem good at that." MS blushes, smiling and telling Chris she'll come over to let him know she's ready. Then, she goes to start up a bath, and wakes up Ricky. The only thing she has to be jealous of Ricky is his sleeping habits, being able to sleep half the day away without a care in the world. The man has never been comfortable with having to be cleaned by his younger sister, but he can't do it until he gets stronger. 

MS makes it as short as she possibly can, wrapping his brother in a robe after ten minutes. While Ricky dries off and gets dressed, MS checks the cupboards and kitchen for anything edible, only to find them bars except for very stale chips. MS decides then that she'll get breakfast for Ricky and her on the way home from grocery shopping. "Rick I'm going out for grocery shopping… with Chris." Before MS could hear her brother's snide comment, she threw herself out the house and made her way over to Chris's house, keys in hand and a light blush powdering her face.