the gilinsky household has basically become my second home.

i spend most of my nights there and i'm always welcome to stay for meals too.

i'd say it's all down to being kenzie's best friend and growing a motherly bond with natalia, but it's also because jack and i haven't been able to leave each other's side.

we've gotten to know one another so well and to be honest, being around him is annoyingly one of the main things i look forward to everyday. but i'd never tell him that.

we still hook up regularly but he's never really an cocky asshole anymore. and even though she hasn't said much, kenzie definitely suspects something.

"hey, do you guys wanna head to the underground after school today?" i suggested.

i settled down on the free dining chair between them with my breakfast.

"unfortunately, jack can't" natalia answered for them. "he has an assignment due tomorrow that he hasn't started and he knows that he has to get it done if he wants to actually graduate".

jack groaned a loud and slouched down in his chair, messing with the lighter in his hand.

"i can still go" kenzie chimed in. "because thankfully, i don't leave my work to the last minute like he does".

before i could respond, jack stared at me with pleading eyes. it didn't take much for me to give in and then show my best puppy dog eyes to kenzie.

she rolled my eyes, "fine, whatever. we won't go, stay and help him".

natalia gave jack and i a worrying look as she continued to prepare today's school lunches. she's smart enough to understand that there's something going on between her son and i.

"don't worry natalia" i assured her. "i'll make sure he gets it done. i've done mine already so he can read through my notes".

she smiled at my words and nodded as jack leant towards my ear.

"we're not actually going to do homework, are we?" he asked in a whisper.

he slid his hand up my thigh underneath the table, making me jolt and slap it away before anyone noticed.

"yes, we are" i corrected. i flashed him a grin in contrast to his defeated look.

"okay, tv off you two" natalia said to ayden and jasmine in the living room. "time for school".

i finished the last bite of my eggs as we all started to grab our backpacks. i handed jack his as he held a piece of toast in his mouth and placed an unlit cigarette behind his ear.

"mark's here!" ayden loudly announced from the doorway.

"fuck sake" jack complained. "why is he here again?".

"jack, be nice" his mother warned, adding sandwiches to the paper bags lined up in front of her.

"what's the problem?" kenzie zipped up her backpack. "he brings us free food everytime he's here".

"he forgot the doughnuts this time" jasmine walked in to say.

"okay nevermind, why is he here again?" kenzie switched.

natalia shook her head at the twins, "if you must know, since i'm off work this morning, mrs rothseed is babysitting gabriel and we're spending the day together".

"so is this one actually going to stick around?" kenzie muttered, walking out of the kitchen with her lunch bag.

"yeah right, they never stick around" jack scoffed in response and did the same.

i mouthed a thank you to natalia as she handed me the last lunch bag that she kindly prepared for me too. i pulled on my denim jacket and followed everyone through the living room to leave.

"morning all" mark greeted.

jack paused before the older man in a glossy leather jacket, glancing at him up and down.

"you have any condoms?" jack questioned.

"um—".

"know how to put them on?".

mark awkwardly scratched his neck at the third degree, "i mean yeah but—".

"okay well use one. my mom doesn't need any more kids running around especially if you're not planning on being here for more than two months".

"jack" his mom interjected, picking up gabriel onto her hip.

"i'm not kidding" jack left an apprehensive look on mark's face as the rest of us snickered.

"kids, just go, you're going to be late" natalia rushed us out of the front door.

"um, i can give them a ride if you want" mark offered to her. "then when i come back, i can take you out for coffee".

"that would be great" she warmly smiled. "okay, mark is going to take you all instead".

"fuck yes!" kenzie happily threw her head back. "i hate walking".

we all followed mark towards his fresh, black bmw car, whilst giving him the names of the elementary school and our high school.

"jack?" i called as he decided to stay put on the sidewalk.

he shook his head, "nah, i'm good. i'll just walk".

"come on, jack" mark patted the top of his car. "it's a free ride".

"i said i'll walk" jack harshly retorted.

kenzie lightly tugged on my arm as i watched a bitter look remain on jack's face.

"forget him" she told me.

i bit down my lip as i began to feel hesitant for leaving him like this, "see you at school?".

he shrugged in response before i came forward and reached up to kiss his cheek. i got into the car alongside the others before we drove away for the first school drop off.

+

that evening, jack sat on his bed typing his english report whilst i lay beside him browsing my phone in silence.

"i hate this" he suddenly complained, shutting his laptop. "i don't give a fuck about shakespeare's poetry".

"no, you have to get it done to avoid being held back" i turned over onto my stomach and started reading the textbook chapter. "come on, what were the structural elements of the passage?".

"i can't believe that my mom is dating again" jack tapped his pen against his leg.

i shrugged at the comment, tying my curls up into a high bun, "what's the big deal?".

"first, it was mine and kenzie's dad who bailed when were six, then there was jared - ayden and jas' dad. he felt like a fresh start but mom got rid of him after his drinking problem, then gabriel's dad left before he was even born".

"shit" i quietly replied, not knowing what to say.

i always thought that all the younger kids at least shared one father.

"she doesn't need another kid from another lazy asshole. we can barely function as it is and it's always me picking up the fucking pieces" he threw his pen across the bed in annoyance.

i sat up and came closer to him.

"listen," i held jack's cheek to face me and placed a kiss against his lips. "you're great for what you do and your mom is smart, not like mine who's still completely awol. she knows what she's doing, okay?".

he scoffed at my words, rolling his eyes in denial.

"stop being a douche and let your mother be happy" i added.

jack's lips soon edged into a smirk before he licked them.

"i think i should be happy too" he raised his brows, snaking his arms around my waist. "away from this fucking homework".

i giggled at his words as he lifted himself off the bed and gently pushed me back against the mattress. i locked my arms around his neck whilst jack reattached our kiss to quickly pick up the pace.

"jack!" ayden's voice yelled from downstairs. "...jack!".

he groaned inwardly at the interruption, before yelling back, "what?!".

without a quick response, jack got up off the bed and hastily pulled open his bedroom door.

"jesus, what?!" he loudly called again.

"door!" ayden responded.

with a muttered curse, jack left his room to head downstairs whilst i sat up onto the wall that his bed was pushed against.

it wasn't the biggest of rooms. it only had a double bed, a window, a large chest of drawers and a bed side table. it was pretty minimal, similar to mine which jack practically criticised weeks ago.

growing a little bored, i unlocked my phone to check for any missed texts, calls or even emails about my mother's whereabouts.

i know i act like i don't care but it's been almost three weeks and she's still missing.

with my birthday coming up in a few days, i always thought that it would have been nice if she was well and sober enough to maybe even visit me.

i eventually heard footsteps hurry up the stairs then reach the bedroom. i locked my phone as jack entered.

"who was it?" i wondered.

"huh? oh, no one" he shrugged off. "just sales people".

"took you that long to get rid of them?" i lightly chuckled.

"they were persistent".

before closing his door, jack popped his head back through to the hallway.

"alright, no more fucking interruptions unless there is blood or bone showing!" he announced to his siblings, making me let out a laugh.

he shut the door and pulled off his shirt, before joining me back on the bed with an immediate kiss that i gladly and heatedly reciprocated.

"dinner!" natalia's voice called out at the bottom of the stairs.

after taking our unexpected homework break, i finally convinced jack to finish his report which he basically copied from my own.

we left the room and jack immediately jogged downstairs for food as kenzie's bedroom door opened behind me.

"oh, hey kenz" i said.

"hey" she came towards me with a raised brow. "what were you guys doing in there?".

"nothing. just helping jack with his work".

kenzie soon relaxed with a chuckle, "okay, i'm not stupid, sofia".

"what?".

"jack can't just be friends with a hot girl, okay. i know that you've been fucking my brother".

her words caught me off guard but i quickly regained myself and cautiously squinted my eye.

"are you mad at me?" i questioned.

"no" she carelessly shrugged. "but jack? seriously?".

i laughed at the way she grimaced at the thought.

"so what is it then? are you two...".

"no, oh god, no" i instantly shook my head at the insinuation. "you know i don't do boyfriends".

"so you don't like him?" she asked as if she already had an answer in her head.

"he's one of the few people in this neighbourhood that i can tolerate. we're just friends, kenzie".

"well, i'm pretty sure that you're the only girl that he's been with for weeks so i wouldn't be surprised if that changes" she informed.

i held back a smile that i unwillingly made. i was surprised to hear that jack's been able to keep it in his pants with an exception of me.

"come on, i'm starving" kenzie gestured for us to head downstairs.

as we reached the kitchen, our noses were immediately hit by the strong scent of kentucky fried chicken.

"so what is all this?" jack spoke. "raid a kfc?".

there were three buckets of chicken sat on the dining table with plenty of extra fries, sides and drinks to go around for everyone.

"this is mark's treat" natalia answered as she set plates at every seat.

"what a surprise" jack sat down and murmured. before i could do the same, he playfully grabbed my waist to sit on his lap instead, making me smile back at him.

"so is that all he does then?" kenzie inquired. "buy our approval through food".

"i'm not complaining" jasmine replied with a mouth full of chips and adding more to her plate.

still sat on jack's lap, i leant forward to add food to my plate and some to his too as he amusingly tried to tickle my side in the process.

i laughed at him to stop as i picked up a french fry and fed it to him.

"wow, what happened to his hands?" kenzie wondered in the seat next to us.

"she's just mad that i stole her only friend" jack explained to me.

"i have other friends" kenzie quickly defended.

"name one that isn't me or the guys" he raised his eyebrows to wait for her response but she let out a frown and sat back in her seat.

feeling bad for spending way more time with her brother, i leant over to her.

"hey, let's hang out tomorrow" i suggested. "jordan's stacked up on nitrous ox, so i'm thinking we steal some from his room and a pack of beer. let it be my pre-birthday celebration".

kenzie soon nodded with a forming smile, "i'm in so don't bail, especially not for him".

i chuckled then held out my pinky which she hooked to hers.

"so who was at the door earlier?" kenzie asked her family.

"chanel" ayden answered, making me narrow my brows in confusion. "wanted to speak to jack".

"what do you two possibly always have to talk about nowadays?" his twin sister wondered.

"school" jack instantly replied. "so mind your own business".

i don't know why jack lied about chanel being at the door. i mean, it's not like he's my boyfriend and i would have freaked out over his ex.

slightly bothered by it, i got up from jack's lap and sat on the spare chair beside him. everyone was in mid conversation and devouring their meals so no one really questioned it.

-

kinda liked this chapter. kinda hated it idk

also if anyone can guess what tv characters jack and sofia's relationship was inspired from, you get a prize lmao (not rlly) 🌹

{vote, comment and share}