Surviving the Johnsons. [✓]

Chapter one*

Author's Note: This story is curently being edited and changed. I finished this story over three years ago and I'd like to think I've grown as an author, so I'm going to be working on this until I'm happy with it. 
If you've read this before, I hope you like the revised chapters and if you're a new reader, I hope you enjoy the story anyway! The chapters marked with a * will be the chapters that are edited. 

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Chapter one.

The house was quiet, which meant only one thing: there was bad news coming.

“Mitchie?” my dad called a few seconds after my bag hit the hallway floor. My plan to sneak in and up to my room was ruined, I knew he was going to ask me to either a) do something involving his girlfriend or b) babysit my step brother on my one night off. “Can we talk to you for a few minutes?”

Taking a deep breath, I headed towards the kitchen to see my dad and Daisy sitting on the stools, their hands clasped together. He was leaning on her for support while she held a victorious smile on her face, knowing she had won another round of Mitchie vs. Daisy.  The kitchen looked like it had been through a tornado, the normally clean room had objects scattered around in pretty hazardous ways.

“What’s going on?” I asked, taking the seat in front of them after my father gestured to it.

“Honey,” my dad began slowly, his eyes flicking between his girlfriends and mine. He was a torn man, that was for sure. He often had to choose between her and myself. “Daisy and I are going away for a while. We wanted to travel when we were younger but kids stopped us and now that you’re old enough-”

“You want me to look after Josh?” I asked, astonished. “I know I can babysit him like a pro but while you’re on holiday? That’s ridiculous!”

Daisy snorted and shook her head. “Don’t be stupid. Of course, Josh will come with us. He wants to see the world as well. We need someone here to man the house.”

I stared at my dad, waiting for him to say something about her calling me stupid but when he said nothing, I rolled my eyes and straightened my spine. “So I’m forced to stay here while you take your children to other countries?”

“Are you saying you want to come with us?” My dad smiled at me. “I’m sure we can arrange-”

Daisy held her hand up and shook her head. “No. We can’t let her come with us.”

Even if I did want to go with them to travel, I wouldn’t cope with Daisy by my side for 24/7. Still, there was no need for her to be so blunt about her hatred of me being around and my dad being clueless didn’t help at all. “I don’t really fancy travelling with you,” I said before correcting myself, “with you guys, I mean. I want to finish school with the best grades to get out of this town.”

A hurt expression crossed my dad’s face before he nodded in understanding. “Okay, well. We want you to stay with the Johnson’s as much as you can but you will have your keys to come home when you want to pick things up or wash your clothes.”

The seconds ticked by as I thought over what he said. “Wait. You want me to stay with the Johnson’s?” I blinked madly at him, unsure whether I had heard him correctly. “I can’t stay with them, dad. She has too many boys! I need to have my space. I’ll be fine here on my own.”

Barely getting the last word out, my dad was already shaking his head. “No way am I letting you stay on your own, Mitchie. You can stay with them and you will be fine. It will only be for two weeks, tops.”