A/N: I own nothing you recognize. Just having fun.

A/U: Johnny and Shannon have two children. Robby and Laura.

"Hey, Lou-lou, wake up!" Robby banged on his sister's bedroom door.

"I'm up!" she called back. Laura opened the door. "I've been up since five. How do I look?"

"You look fine," he replied, pulling out bowls, cereal, and milk for their breakfast.

"You didn't even look at me," she complained.

He stopped what he was doing and turned to look at her. She was dressed in Miss Me jeans and a pink polo shirt. She had her curly blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail and silver sequinned Converse. She looked straight out of a preppy movie.

"You'll fit in with the rich kids," he said rolling his eyes. He knew she had spent all summer babysitting those devil spawned twins in 4C to be able to buy new clothes for school. He didn't like that she was going to West Valley High. She should be coming to North Hills with him. West Valley was a better school, but it was all the way in Encino. Well, actually it was in Reseda, but it was the school for all the rich bitch Encino kids. He really didn't like the fact that she was going to have to take two buses and still have to walk four blocks to get to school every morning. Johnny should have just said no when she asked if she could use his address to get into school there. Not like he cares about their schools anyway.

"Robby," she complained.

"You look nice," he acquiesced. "Here, eat breakfast."

"Where is Mom?" she asked as she ate.

"Still asleep."

"Oh." She looked down and bit her lip.

"What is it?" he asked.

"She didn't get my bus pass yet, did she? Daddy said he sent her the money last week."

Robby sighed. He had asked Shannon about that the day before and she had promised him that she was going to get it. He grabbed her purse off the counter and looked through it. No bus pass and no cash. Typical. He pulled out his wallet and pulled a few dollars out of it. "Here." He held out the money. "Pay today and I'll go by and get you a pass when I get out of school. Mom will be awake by then. Do you need lunch money?" he asked.

She smiled and shook her head. "I'm taking my lunch."

"Well, come on, we need to get to the bus stop," he said, grabbing his own backpack and skateboard.

"I'm fourteen," she replied. "You don't have to walk me to the bus stop every day."

"Well, I'm not going to do it every day," he scoffed. "Come on."

An hour later, Laura was sitting in her accounting class. She was frantically searching her backpack for a pencil. She couldn't believe she'd forgotten them. The third time she was searching her bag, the boy next to her laid a pencil on her desk.

She looked over at him and smiled, brightly. "Thanks. I guess I forgot mine this morning."

He looked at her quickly then looked back down. "No problem," he replied, barely above a whisper.

"I'm Laura," she said.

"E.., Eli," he mumbled. She noticed the way he kept his hand by his mouth when he spoke, covering a cleft lip scar.

"Is that 'Firefly'?" She pointed at his binder.

"Um..., yeah," he nodded.

"Oh my gosh, I love that show! I mean, I know it's old, but that's the great thing about Netflix, right?" She smiled. "Kaylee is my favorite character."

"Wash is mine," he smiled, shyly.

"Yeah, he's great too," Laura said as the teacher called the class to order.

"Here's your pencil," she said, holding it out to him after class was over.

"You can keep it," he said, putting his books away.

"What class do you have next?" she asked.

"AP English 3," he answered.

"Oh? You're a junior?" she asked.

"What grade are you in?" he asked.

"Ninth," she admitted, looking a bit dismayed then she smiled that bright smile at him again. "Well, maybe I'll see you at lunch or something."

"Yeah," he found himself agreeing.

"If not, I guess I'll see you tomorrow," she said, grabbing her bag and standing up again. "Thanks again."

Laura was more prepared for her next class. She had been in the band since she was in fifth grade. She took a seat by another girl whose blonde hair was a few shades darker than hers, but just as curly.

"Hi, I'm MacKenzie Schwarber," the girl said, holding out her hand. "Everyone calls me Mac though."

"Laura Lawrence," she replied shaking her hand.

"I just moved here from Denver," Mac continued. "I don't know anyone, so I thought I'd just start introducing myself to people. If I'm bothering you, just tell me to shut up."

"No, you're fine," Laura laughed. "I don't know anyone either. All the kids from my junior high went to different high schools."

"What instrument do you play?" Mac asked.

"Clarinet."

"Me too!" Mac seemed so happy and excited about everything it was contagious.

Laura giggled.

"Let me see your schedule," Mac said, holding her hand out.

Laura pulled it out of her bag and handed it to her.

"Look, we have three classes and lunch together," Mac said. "Awesome, right?"

"Right," Laura laughed uncertainly.

"No way you met a cute girl who likes sci-fi," Demetri dismissed Eli.

"I didn't say she liked sci-fi. I said she said that she likes Firefly," he replied. "That might be the only sci-fi thing she likes."

"Yeah, sure," Demetri said, looking up to speak to Miguel.
After watching Miguel bomb out at trying to talk to Sam, Eli elbowed Demetri. "That's her," he whispered, motioning to where Laura and Mac were standing in the cafeteria line.

"Who?" Miguel asked.

"Eli claims he met his perfect girl," Demetri said. "He claims its one of those two."

"Invite them to sit with us," Miguel said.

Eli looked terrified at even having to speak to one girl much less two. He shook his head.

"Fine. I'll ask them," Miguel said.

"Good luck," Demetri scoffed.

As Laura and Mac got closer, Miguel stood up. "Hey, do you want to sit with us?"

The girls looked at each other and shrugged. Mac put her tray down and Laura got her lunch out of her backpack.

"Hey, it's you," she smiled, pointing at Eli. "Still have my pencil."

Eli smiled and looked down but not before shooting Demetri an 'I told you so' look.

Miguel was staring at Laura. He knew he had seen her somewhere before.

"I'm Miguel," he said, holding his hand out to each girl in turn.

"Mackenzie."

"Laura."

Miguel had to quickly recover his wits as he suddenly realized where he had seen the girl before. He had seen her picture at Sensei Lawrence's apartment. He had seen it when he had been helping Sensei move some stuff to the dojo. When he'd asked who they were, Sensei had said, 'My kids. Robby and Laura. They live with their mother,' in a tone that said that was all he was going to say on the subject so Miguel had dropped it. He had assumed they lived far away.

"I think your dad is my karate teacher," he said to Laura.

"Maybe," she shrugged but her tone and manner were the same as Sensei had when he wasn't going to talk about something. She pretended to be preoccupied with opening her lunch but the truth was, she just didn't want to get into a discussion about her dad. Robby had told her about the karate thing, but she hadn't been there. In fact, she hadn't seen Johnny at all since her birthday back in June. He called her and Robby every week, sometimes more than every week, even though Robby rarely talked to him, but they didn't actually see him but every few months.

"Do you know karate?" Miguel asked.

"No," she said firmly before changing the subject.

"Hey, so ask your parents if you can try out for the dance team," Mac said, putting her number in Laura's phone. "If you can, then you can come to my house tomorrow after school and we'll practice."

"Okay," Laura agreed, but she didn't think it was likely that she'd be able to join. Her mom didn't like them doing clubs and she wouldn't see her dad in time for him to sign the forms.

Robby was waiting for her when she got off the second bus.

"Hey," he smiled. "Want to go to the skate park?" He had two skateboards under his arm.

"Sure," she replied. "Just let me go put my books down."
"No," he said, taking the bag from her. "I don't want to go back. I'll carry them." He looked back at their apartment building. He didn't know who the guy that had been lounging on their couch watch television was, but he hoped he'd be gone when they got back from skating. "Did you like the new school?"

"Mm-hmm," she nodded. "I even made two friends. Hey, do you think Mom would let me join the dance team?"

Robby shrugged. "I don't see why not."

"I'll have to buy my uniform," she admitted.

"Don't worry about that," Robby said. "If you want to do it, I'll make sure Mom gives you the money." He was sure Trey would have something he could do to get the money. "Here's your bus pass, by the way." He handed her a card.

"Thanks," she smiled, stashing it in her bag.

He didn't bother telling her that Shannon not only hadn't gotten her one, but she hadn't had the money for it either. She'd claimed that Johnny hadn't sent her the money but she also had a new handbag so he wasn't sure that he believed that. In any case, he would have to call Johnny and tell him from now on to buy the pass himself or just give Laura the money to pay for it. He hated having to do that. Johnny already hated their mom enough as it was.

Please R and R.