(#1) Roommates by Day, Enemies by Night

Chapter 31

"Trust me, she's so much better to you." I murmured, so softly he couldn't hear me. Charlotte heard me speaking, but decided it was nothing and burrowed down further into my lap. Strangely enough, Charlotte seemed dt be working like a therapy dog for me. As long as I had her in the car, my claustrophobia wasn't nearly as bad as it had been. All I had to do was focus on the dog.

After being absent for the majority of my life, my mother had decided she wanted to turn her life around, a few months too late. She had gone through this phase, where she was the perfect suburban wife, before falling back to the person she really was.

Only one thing changed. She and my father seemed determined to reconnect with their kids, and as a result I suffered weekly conversations with both of them. And she was harping on me to come to dinner this Christmas, since I already avoided Thanksgiving.

Dylan's parents, Lydia and Samuel, both were great people. They were like my secondary parents, and I fought with them just as much as I did with my real parents, but they always seemed to be more understanding. (While writing their names, I had to physically force my hand to write something other then Stiles)

"Here we are." Dylan said softly, pulling up in front of our houses. They were side-by-side, and built the same way. I got out and stared at them hopelessly. They looked so picture-perfect, so fake.

"Siena!" My mother said, rushing out and giving me a huge hug. "You're here!" She still had her lab coat on and her stethoscope around her neck, evidence that she had come home from the office and just fell asleep.

"Hey mom." I stood stiffly. I didn't like hugs too much, unless they were with- never mind. "How's Dad? Where is he?"

"Your father's trying to cook, but we all know how that goes." She smoothed down her jacket and took off her stethoscope, tucking it into her pocket. "Dylan." She gave him a hug too, but this one was reciprocated tightly. "How are you? Keeping Siena in line?"

He laughed and stepped away. "Of course." Just then, the door to the house on the right opened and a young boy, about fifteen, stepped out and rushed towards us.

"Hey Michael!" Dylan greeted his younger brother. "How's life."

"You gotta save me." He pleaded. "This town is so fake. I can't stand it."

You know how I said I was pretty much the only person in this town who wanted to get out? There was one exception. Michael, Dylan's younger brother, felt the same way I did.

"Hey Michael." I greeted, giving him a high-five. "Nice to see you."

Behind Michael walked out his mother, who was a stunning beauty. She had all of Dylan's features except his eyes, which his dad gave him.

"Lydia!" I greeted. I hugged her tightly. Lydia was really the only other person besides my sister and Dylan that I was ok hugging, and that's because she smelled like what dreams were made out of.

"Siena." She smelled like lavender and honey. "Dylan behaving?"

I smirked. "No."

"She's lying." He butted in.

"Who's this?" She asked, referring to the puppy, snoring contently in my arms.

I smiled for the first time that morning. "Dylan's Christmas present to me. Her name is Charlotte. Don't worry, she's completely house-broken."

"Oh she's adorable." Lydia cooed, stroking her hands over the lumbering puppy.

"At least you can do one thing right." Michael singgered.