"WHERE ARE YOU?" the angry voicemail from her brother Kaelyn found herself listening to at six in the morning demanded. After a moment, the voice of her distraught brother sighed, "Kae, I'm not mad anymore, okay? I just want to know that you're safe and I want you home."

She paused the voicemail and turned off her phone before it could finish. Staring at the blank screen for a moment she caved and opened her messages, sending a brief "I'm safe," to her brother but not daring to elaborate.

"Come on, kids, even refugees have to go to school," May shouted through the apartment, knocking on the guest room's doorframe to wake up Kae (even though she was already awake), "You need a change of clothes, sweetheart?"

Kaelyn shook her head, "I can have my friend bring me some, thank you, though, Ms. Parker."

"I've told you to call me May, Ms. Parker makes me feel old," the woman shook her head, "S-M-H."

"May, did you just say S-M-H out loud?" a groggy Peter asked from down the hallway.

She scoffed, "I was trying something out! Trying to relate with my cool teens! It didn't work, sue me!"

Kaelyn giggled, already feeling better about the morning. There was something alien about waking up in the Parker apartment. It felt like home yet slightly off. The girl sighed, shooting off a text to Beth in a plea for some spare clothes so she didn't have to show up looking ragged in yesterday's outfit. God knows that would only fuel the flaming rumors that she was sleeping with every boy in the school. Thankfully, Beth already responded, happily obliging.

"Sorry about her," Peter came straggling into the doorway, his hair rustled from sleep and his voice cracking, "She can be a lot in the morning. You almost ready to go?"

The redhead nodded, running her fingers through her long hair as she looked around at her surroundings. After a moment, she turned back to Peter, "Thank you for letting me stay here. And for letting me rant to you about my shitty family life." She laughed, yet it lacked humor or glee in any form, "Sorry, I hate to be a burden, I won't bug you after today."

"You don't bug me," Peter deflected, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe using his shoulder. "You're not as bad as you think, Kae, I actually kind of like having you around."

"I kind of like having you around, too," the girl said with a real laugh, trying to hide her smile, "But don't tell anyone I said that or I'll cut you."

"Sure thing," Peter held up his hands in surrender. Just as he was about to leave, he turned and said one last thing, "Oh, and by the way, you might wanna brush your hair. Not even you can rock bedhead, Kae."

The girl gasped, mocking offense and shouting down the hallway, "Rude!"

Although, as she groggily stumbled into the bathroom and eyed her appearance, the boy might have a point. She sighed as her eyes met her own in the reflection of a mirror that wasn't hers. Kaelyn wondered when this became her life: hiding away from her brother, staying the night in Peter Parker's apartment, crying into his shoulder instead of Beth's. This was a horrifying wake-up call that maybe her life wasn't as great as she liked to pretend it was. Everyone at school thought she had it all, that she was living the dream and was going to do great things. Somewhere along the line, she must have started believing those twisting lies and facades she projected. Fake it 'till you make it, right? Too bad she was never going to make it. She was beginning to realize there was a point where she couldn't fake it anymore and it was coming up quicker than she'd like. Oh, to dwell on the misfortune. What a past time.

Sighing as she made herself look somewhat presentable, she grabbed her phone and realized she was about to head to school without her backpack or her cheer uniform.

"Shit," Kaelyn muttered, shooting off a quick text to Beth to see if she could face Caden for her. She was a coward, but there was no telling what was facing her if she went back to that apartment. Within seconds, Beth said that Will could do it and drop it off at school. That struck Kaelyn as odd. Since when was Will back in town? She shrugged it off, texting back a quick "Thanks, tell him I owe him my life" as one does. Beth sent "lmao." Ah, modern friendship.

"You kids ready to rock n' roll?" May asked, handing Kaelyn a brown bag with the top folded over and a sharpie-drawn heart on the front. The redhead hesitated, not knowing what to do with the gesture. Tenderly, her fingertips met the brown paper, grasping it. "I make them every day to embarrass Peter, I figured I'd give you equal treatment while you're under this roof."

"May, really?" Peter groaned, his brown bag already being shoved into his backpack, "I'm sixteen, I don't each Lunchables anymore, I just buy lunch."

Kaelyn shook her head, "Ungrateful. I never had anyone to make me lunches. Thank you, May."

"Stop being so nice to her! You make me look bad!" the boy chastised, a small smile teasing his lips. His and Kaelyn's eyes met briefly, a small glint of joy escaping her gaze. The girl snickered before her eyes flicked back to the older woman.

"Thanks again, May, I hope I won't have to crash here again for your sake," Kaelyn joked with a surprisingly easy chuckle. "Dealing with one asshole teenager is probably hard enough."

May mock-groaned, "Baby, you've got no idea! You two have fun at school! Don't forget you're welcome here any time, Kaelyn, no matter the circumstances."

This was odd for the girl to experience. Never had she felt so welcomed. Even in Beth's household where she had been practically considered family from the moment she stepped over the threshold, it didn't hold the same warmth May Parker simply radiated. It was (she hesitated to use the word nice, it was deeper than that) comforting. She hadn't felt warmth in a long time. Her own brother's presence was cold, borne out of necessity more than anything. Shaking off the alien feeling, Kaelyn followed Peter down to the sidewalk and to the subsequent bus stop where they waited. Peter was texting, probably Ned since that was his only close friend, while Kaelyn just waited there with her phone and a brown lunch bag in her finger tips. Something about that bag was so odd to her, she hadn't had someone pack her lunch since she was still in grade school.

After a moment, Peter seemed to notice her stark silence, nudging her in the shoulder and asking, "Everything all right, Kae? I know it's been a rough couple days, you good?"

She nodded, a minuscule, disingenuous smile gracing her expression, "Yeah, everything's good, I'm just tired."

He could see right through her and she knew it. Nonetheless, the bus came to a screeching halt in front of them. They stepped on, sitting in different seats because they weren't friends. Nope, they were just strangers in odd circumstances. That's all.

whewie it's been a hot minute since i updated this! or updated anything to be honest. Life is kinda catching up with me, but I'm no quitter so I'm gonna keep trying to get updates out for you guys even if it means months in between them. Please bear with me and I hope you guys keep reading :)