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It’s mid June, the fifteenth to be exact. It’s been six months since my father met Abigail aka his fiancée. Now her and her three kids (Natalie, Evan and Steven ) have moved into our house. It wouldn’t be all that bad if our house wasn’t tiny, I didn’t hate Natalie and if Julia ( Daughter of a family friend and my best friend.) wasn’t in love with Evan. I spend a lot of my time at Julia’s house now. I mean I can’t exactly relax at home with Natalie around now can I ?

“ It’s going to be a great year.“ Julia says waking me from thoughts.

“ And how’d you get that ? “ I ask.

Stacey, Julia’s mom enters the room.

“ Hey go easy on your father okay. “ She says while crossing the room to her chair.

“ Why it’s not like he even asked me if I was okay with him marrying her.” I snap.

“ What do you have against Abigail ? “ Stacey asks.

This is one of the things I love about Stacey. She actually cares about what I have to say. Most adults are just like ’ Oh suck it up ’ or pretend they didn’t hear you but not Stacey. She’s different. “ Nothing. It’s Natalie I have a problem with. “

“ Sorry dear, what do you have against Natalie. “

“ They don’t get along. “ Julia answers for me.

“ What Julia said. “ I say.

* * *

I can’t believe I am going to try to convince Marie to agree with me. To do what I know is right. To break our parents up. For anyone’s own good. Or maybe it’s just for my own good, but as far as Marie is concerned it is going to be for anyone’s own good. That way she’ll help me. She’s all about helping people.

I knock on the door. Then take a step back. I stand there until I hear a faint ‘ come in ‘ . I put my hand on the knob and turn it. Hear goes nothing.

“ Hey. “ I ask smiling my convincing smile.

“ What do you want ? “ She asks.

“ I have a plan. “

“ What kind of plan “

“ A plan to break your dad and my mom up. “

“ And what is your plan ? “

“ We prove to them it’s not going to work. “

“ And how do you expect us to do that ? “

God she’s slow. I mean I knew that she was all into helping people and that some things just don’t clicked. But still this is just sad. “ By acting like spoiled brats of course. “

* * *

I won’t lie when Natalie first came to my room to convince me to break up our parents I thought she was high. No joke. After I talked to her though it started to make sense. I’m now sitting in Julia’s room and I just finished telling her about Natalie’s plan.

“ Are you really that selfish ? “ she asked.

“ What do you mean ? “ I ask

“ You are trying to break up your father and his fiancée “

“ Yes but we are helping them. “

“ How so ? “

“ Because, it won’t work. “

“ How do you know ? “

“ Julia. Seriously four kids in one house. “

“ There are three in mine. “

“ Three is less then four. Plus your house is bigger. “

“ Your not even giving it a try. “

“ It’s best for everyone this way. “

“ What did you let Natalie talk into you ? The only people it’s better for this way is you and her. You and Natalie that’s it. “

I hate fighting with Julia. I really do. But for once she’s wrong. For once Natalie, spoiled to the bone Natalie is right. For once I’m going to need to ignore what Julia is saying and listen to someone else.


“ Marie ? “

“ Ya ? “

“ Call me when, you stop listening to Natalie. Okay. “

“ Sure. Will do. “ I say before shutting the door to Julia’s room and making my way home.

* * *

It is now the following morning. Day one of my plan. I mean our plan. This better work. It’s my last hope. I’m running out of time. We are running out of time. The wedding is in a few weeks.

“ Can you pass the milk Natalie ? “ Marie asks

“ Get it yourself. You have two hands and a heartbeat. “ I reply

“ Natalie. “ My mother yells.

“ Here. “ Steven says picking up the milk and giving it to Marie.

I send a glare in Stevens direction and turn to Marie to see her mouth ‘ my room. ‘.

Marie finishes her milk and then says “ May I be excused. “ in her ‘I’m talking to adults and want something so I better be nice’ voice.

“ Yes you may. “ Is what my mother replies.


* * *

When Natalie gets to my room I had already picked up the phone three times. About to call Julia when I remembered what she said. ‘Call me when you stop listening to Natalie’.

“ What ? “ She asks.

“ We are going to have to get your brothers in on this.”

“ Ya I noticed.”

“ How though ?”

“ We start by asking, then convincing. If that fails we buy their help.”

“ Okay sounds good.”

“ Plus Evan will help. Steven is going to be the problem.”

“ Okay you go talk to them I’ll stay here. “

“ Why do you get to stay here? Why don’t you go talk to them ? “

“ Because they are your brothers. “

* * *

Here goes nothing. Why do I keep saying that these days ?. I turn the knob without even knocking. “ Hey, you guys. I have a plan to break mom and Marie’s dad up.”

“ Why would you do that ? “ Steven asks.

Stupid, stupid Steven. Never getting anything. “ For their own good. Of course. “

“ Explain.” Evan replies.

Damn. I was really hoping that wouldn’t come up. “ Come on, four kids in one house isn’t reasonable “

“ It’s called making it work. “ Steven responds.

“ It’s called I know it won’t work. “ I snap.

“ Your not trying.” He argues.

“ He’s right. “ Evan adds.

Wait, what ? Did Evan just side with Steven ? He always sides with me. I feel, betrayed. I can’t believe this. “ Your siding with Steven ? “ I yell.

“ Yes, I am. “ Evan replies calmly.

* * *

I pick up the phone and dial the first three numbers to Julia’s phone number. Before clicking the cancel button. No, she’s not right. Not this time.

Natalie opens the door and quickly but silently closes it behind her. “ No luck. “

“ With Steven ?” I ask

“ With both of them.”

“ I thought Evan would side with us. “

“ Ya, so did I.”

“ I guess it’s just me and you then.”

“ The two of us versus the four of them.”

“ You don’t think Steven will tell them do you ?”

“ He better not.”

* * *

To be honest I never thought about Steven telling Mom or Ryan. I have to give Marie credit for that one. It’s been one week since then. I’m standing in the bathroom that Marie and I share, when an idea hits me. “ Marie how many times to I have to tell you not to touch my stuff ? “ I yell.

“ Sorry Natalie, but it was in my way. “ She says when she spots the brush in my hand.

“ I’m not talking about the brush, I’m talking about the hair dryer.”

“ Last time I checked, my dad bought it.”

“ Ya for me.”

“For both of us.”

My mother enters the room. Probably to yell at us.

“Girls. Seriously, can you stop bickering over such stupid things?” she asks.

“ Marie started it.”

“ I really don’t care who started it.”

“Still. It was Marie.” And with that I leave the room.

* * *

The walls in Natalie’s room are orange. Desert orange is what the paint can said. My father painter the walls for her last week. Why am I even thinking about walls. “ Nice one with the hair dryer. But you do realize, that he got it for us. Both of us.”

“ Oh, I know.”

“Okay just making sure. Do you think what we are doing is wrong?” There the question is out. The one that has been bothering me for days.

“ What do you mean ?”

“Well we were doing all of this so they would spilt up. Because we can’t get along but now we are_”

“ Getting along.” Natalie finishes.

“ Exactly.”

“ Does this mean we are actually going to give this a shot?” Natalie asks.

“ I guess so.” Julia was right, who am I kidding Julia is always right. She has never once been wrong about something important. Not once since I met her.

* * *


We are sitting in the living room. And by we I mean Marie and myself. “Marie?”

“Yes Natalie?”

“Do you want to go to the mall later?”

“ Ya. Sure.”

Ryan enters the living from the kitchen

“See I told you girls, that once you got use to each other you would get along” he says.

“If you want dad, we could go back to fighting twenty-four seven.” Marie smirks.

“ Don’t you dare.” He replies.

“Don’t they dare what” Mom asks.

“Oh. They are actually getting along today.” Ryan answers.

“ Really” she replies.

“Yes.”

* * *

I sit in my chair and watch as the whole conversation unfolds. And once my dad and Abigail leave I lean across the table and whisper “Did you decide you want this to work?”

“Good. Because I did too.”

“ So, it’s agreed. No more plans”

“Agreed.”

“ Okay, I’m just going to go to my room and get my bag so we can go to the mall.”

“ Ya, me too.”

“ Meet you at the front door?”

“Sure.”

* * *

“ Can you believe people would actually wear that?” I ask pointy to a rather ugly coat. Marie is a lot of things. But she isn’t unfashionable.

“No.” She says wrinkling her nose.

“There are some pretty awful things here.”

“I know. Our mall is awful.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“ There are some okay things though.”

“ Ya, I suppose.”

Marie’s friend Julia walks up to us. Probably to talk to Marie, about one thing or another.

“ Oh, look who it is. And you two are getting along.” She says smiling.

“ Hey, Julia.” Marie answers

“ So what are you two up to ? Julia asks.

“ Umm… shopping? “ I reply.

“Ya seriously Julia isn’t it obvious.” Marie says laughing.

“I meant why are you here together?” Julia replies.

“ Because soon to be stepsisters shop together.” I answer.

“ And talk about how awful these clothes are.” Marie adds.

* * *


Now I’m standing in the front of the church next to Natalie. It’s been five weeks since she first moved into my house with her brothers and mother. Three weeks since we made our plan, two since we started to get along and three days since we started acting like sisters. Today we will become sisters, or at least stepsisters.

I watch as Abigail walks down the aisle about to become my stepmother and again I start thinking about how five weeks ago I was wishing this day would never come. I bite back a laugh at the thought. This is when I realize that I may not be able to change the past but I can change the future.