The house was surprisingly quiet.

Her mom should've been home entertaining some group of business men in the dining room. Or in her room getting dolled up to attend some other type of gathering. The lack of gruff laughter accompanied by a clinking of wine glasses and the clicking of stilettos set her on edge. As soon as Maeil let go of her little brother's hand he scampered up the steps and left her to hang both of their coats on the rack.

"Noona!" 

Maeil looked up the staircase at her Yugyeom's frozen posture at the top. He shook his head in what looked like disbelief and pointed to his closed bedroom door. Maeil jogged up them and stared along with him. Nothing looked out of place.

"What's wrong, Yeommie?" Maeil reached for the doorknob, but Yugyeom pulled her arm back whining for her not to.

"My door wasn't closed this morning." He pulled on Maeil's arm.

"It was probably just mom." Maeil herself didn't believe that. But, it would get Yugyeom to ccalm down she didn't see the harm in fibbing a bit. She gently pulled his hand from her wrist and held it instead as she opened the door. She took a quick survey of the room before turning to Yugyeom with a small smile.

"See? It's alright."

"No, look." He pointed to the bed in the corner at the lump between the sheets. Maeil slid her hand from Yugyeom's and went ahead. She inched towards the bed with caution and Yugyeom trailed her from behind. She poked the lump and snatched her hand back quickly. It groaned and shifted. Causing the cover to fall and reveal a head of black hair. Yugyeom screamed and grabbed a handful his sister's shirt. The noise startled whoever it was and they seemed to be waking up. Yugyeom ran to his closet and dragged a plastic bat from it. He passed it to Maeil and she took a fighting stance.

"What the..?" The boy shook the sleep from his broad shoulders and shed the last bit of the blanket as he stood facing Maeil. The sight of a girl with a bat in her hands aiming at him didn't seem to be anything new judging by the bored look in his eyes. He sighed and walked right past her. Maeil lowered the bat in her trembling hands and hurried to fish her phone from her pocket. She rushed after the boy. Following him down the steps into the kitchen.

"If you don't leave right now..I.....I'm calling the cops." She threatened, holding her cell phone high as proof. In between his rummage through the fridge he managed to hold up his hand and wave dismissively. As if to say 'go ahead'. Instead of the police, she called her mom.

"Oh, what's wrong?" 

"There's some guy in our house and he won't leave. I'm getting Mr. Ahn."

Mr. Ahn was their next door neighbor. He was a little old, but always up for a good fight if need be. In a household with one woman and two children, having Mr. Ahn around was like a security and they were grateful.

"Honey, calm down. Don't bother that sweet man. That's Youngjae. Your foster brother."

"My what?"

"Your foster brother. Oh, while you're on the phone, I need you to dig out Jaebum's clothes and put them in Yugyeom's closet. And put Yugyeom's clothes in yours. Gotta go, baby."

"No, mom, wait-" With a loud smooching sound the line went dead and Maeil let out a groan. Jaebum was Maeil's older brother. Her and Yugyeom shared a room before Jaebum went off to college. It wasn't sharing a room that she had a problem with. It was sharing the same living space with some guy who was trying to take her older brother's place that was where her frustration lie. Either way, she had better get it done before her mom came home or she'd have an even bigger problem to deal with. Her mother's temper. With heavy limbs she passed the kitchen and walked down the hall to her mom's room. She never liked going into her mom's room. It always smelled like perfume. The kind that old women wore and it made her gag at its potency. She quickly found the plastic bin marked JB in her mom's wardrobe and began to haul it out of the door, down the hall and up the stairs.

"I want to help. Noona, let me help." Yugyeom shot up from his place in front of the tv which was blaring cartoons and ran to the bottom of the steps.

"Okay, buddy. Can you go up ahead and open the door to your room?"

Yugyeom nodded and ran up the steps. He opened the door wide and went to sit on his head. Maeil set the bin on the floor and slid open the door to Yugyeom's closet. She cleared the rack of his clothes and folded them neatly. Setting them on the bed. She then hung up Jaebum's clothes. Maeil took several trips between her room and Yugyeom's room puttng his things in her closet. They eventually spilled over into the dresser where she kept her underwear and accessories. When she was done she stored the plastic bin in the bottom of her closet and collapsed on top of her bed.

"Noona, are we sharing a room?"

Maeil sat up at the sound of her little brother's voice. He came in the room sipping on a juice box and sat in the bean bag chair that used to be his. She nodded and stood. 

"Looks like it buddy."

"Who's that guy?" He asked.

"Um, he's gonna be living with us from now on."

"Why?"

"That's what I'd like to know."

Maeil took out her cell phone and texted her mom to be home early. It was a long shot, but there was a chance that'd she'd actually be sober enough to reply to it. That chance was slim to none, though. It turned dark before the pain of her grumbling stomache became too much and she stood from her lying position. Maeil gathered a snoozing Yugyeom in her arms and placed him on the bed. After tucking him in, she left the room for the kitchen. She noticed that the door to Yugy-his room was wide open and the bed was empty. There wasn't anyone in the kitchen either. So, she could comfortably fix her some ramen without the anxiety that some stranger was walking around in the house. She watched the clock hands tick and ate in silence. It wasn't quiet for long. The sound of the front door opening peaked her interest.

"Mom?" Maeil called out hopefully. The light to the living room flashed on and Youngjae appeared in the doorway.

"Nope. Sorry." 

Her shoulders slumped as she watched him look through the fridge.  Youngjae pulled out the ingredients for an absolute spread and placed them on the island. He was intruding her home and now he was going to inhale all of their food, too. How much could this guy eat?

"Are you the cookie monster or something?" Maeil huffed. Youngjae paused for a second to stare at her. He smirked a little and turned away with a chuckle. Maeil's nostrils flared at his smug act. Was he laughing at her?

"It's not all for me." Youngjae clarified.

"Then who-"

"Man, I'm starving. How long are you going to take?" An unidentified boy walked into the kitchen and Maeil turned to him with a half curious-half irritated expression. 

"Well, hello there.." The boy addressed Maeil with a sultry tone and wagged his eyebrows at her. Her lip turned up just the slightest and disgust was written in her posture as she responded, " hi."

"I'm Jackson aka the God. But, you can just call me oppa." The strange boy -apparently Jackson- slid into the chair next to Maeil. Causing her to inch away in her seat. She turned to Youngjae with a frown.

"You've been here a few hours and you're already inviting weirdos late at night?"

"Ouch, I'm hurt." Jackson pat the fabric over his heart in mock pain and pouted. Maeil rolled her eyes and stood. She washed her bowl before heading to the doorway. A hand shot out and gripped Maeil's wrist. Jackson's brows danced with suggestion and he winked. Maeil twisted her wrist from his grasp and continued walking while muttering 'creep' under her breath all the way to her room. She didn't forget to lock her door as she slid in next to Yugyeom and embraced him from the back. She drifted to sleep.

Maeil jumped awake to the sound of shouting. She got out of bed and walked to her door. She unlocked it and opened it. Her eyes were half closed and she was still drunk on sleep. Not willing to fully awaken.

"Sweetheart, I'm going to bed. Get Yugyeom ready and take him to school on your way." The strong aroma of vodka leaking from her mom shocked Maeil awake. She nodded once and watched as the woman limped down the steps to her room. The resounding slam of her mom's bedroom door shook off any traces of sleep and she rushed to take a shower. After pulling her hair into a ponytail and arranging her unfirom tidily she woke Yugyeom. He fussed upon being disturbed from dreamland. Maeil sat on the bed, her little brother's messy hair and humming to him soothingly. He eventually rose willingly and she quickly prepared him for the day. Just as they were donning their coats and getting ready to head out a figure emerged from the kitchen. Youngjae joined them. Maeil opened to protest when her mom's shout filled the room.

"Take Youngjae with you!"

Maeil sighed and led the way. Yugyeom held tightly to Maeil's bare hand with his mittined one and skipped along side her. Youngjae followed behind from a comfortable distance for all of them. When they approached Yugyeom's school the little boy giggled at the thought of unlimited cookies and legos. Maeil bent to peck his forehead and Yugyeom sprinted giddily to the door. He waved at his sister once more before going inside. Maeil continued walking. She hesitated at the gates, sparing a glance behind her. Youngjae urged her with a nod. She went ahead. Someone slinked by her side once she reached the school's steps.

"What a lovely morning. Wouldn't you agree, princess?" Jackson trailed her like a puppy begging for a belly rub. Maeil ignored him all the way to her locker. But, when he started trying to slip his hand in hers she whirled on him with eyes like daggers.

"Go away. Mr. Too-School-For-School is back there, bother him." She slipped her bag from her back and began storing books in her locker. She swapped out some supplies and piled in her books for all of her classes before lunch into her backpack. She could feel the eyes on her spine and turned to see Jackson pouting and twirling his fingers in mock bashfulness.

"Youngjae's not a morning person. He's moody before eight am. You're so much more fun." Jackson slung his arm around Maeil's shoulders. She knocked it off and went to class. Weirdo..

A/N: I'm not sure what this is. I guess it's the making of an angsty high school drama. Enjoy anyway.  : )