A/N: This is the beginning of me rewriting this entire story, which I will slowly be doing. So, if you've stumbled upon this, it could make very little sense towards the end if the summary still says that a rewrite is in progress. The story will be exactly the same but my writing has (hopefully) improved and I've changed perspective in it. So, now it's written in 1st person but the bits I wrote in 2013-2015 are in 3rd person. I didn't just switch it up halfway through writing.

If you're reading this after the whole rewrite is done, just ignore everything I just said.

Hope you enjoy!

Chapter One: The Unwanted News

I should have known that Lisa was planning on dropping a bombshell on me sooner or later because she had been acting suspiciously nice towards me for the last couple of weeks. It wasn't like my social worker wasn't always nice to me, but since the beginning of October, she had been going out of her way to make sure I was alright. Make sure school was going well. Make sure I was doing okay.

But the news she actually told me still surprised me a lot.

When she called me into her office, I kind of expected that it would be to do with a relocation for me, because I was getting older and soon, I would be 16. 16-year-olds rarely stayed in the group foster homes that they had been in for years because they weren't for older kids. 16-year-olds were either sent to homes for older kids or given the opportunity to get a small apartment of their own, in a complex or an estate that was meant for older foster kids with no placement.

"Oscar said you wanted to talk to me," I said from Lisa's doorway. She smiled at me and beckoned me inside her office.

"Shut the door." It was an unnecessary instruction because I was already halfway done – the kids here were always so nosy. I sat in the chair in front of her desk and looked at her. "Have you spoken to any of your sisters lately?" Lisa asked me. I shrugged, shaking my head when Lisa didn't reply.

Technically, that was the truth, although that didn't mean they hadn't spoken to me. The night before school started up again and I entered my sophomore year, my sisters had decided to call me, to wish me luck. I listened to Paige and Phoebe tell me their woes about boys, friendship drama and Prue's recent encounters with Andy, rolled my eyes at Piper's list of tips to help me stay on top of my work and hung up as soon as Prue asked me if I was behaving myself without even saying hello first.

Since then, Piper had sent me a card in the post which was an invitation to Prue's 25th birthday party and Phoebe had left me a drunk voicemail telling me that she missed me. I hadn't replied to either of them.

"Your sister has been in contact with me," Lisa said.

"Which one?"

"Prue." I rolled my eyes and wondered what bullshit stuff she had been talking to Lisa about this time. Last time, around 10 months ago, Prue had sent Lisa a bunch of prospectuses about college summer programmes and work experience opportunities. She had originally sent them to me, but I sent them back to her, like a big "Eff you" to her interfering. Lisa had given me some harsh words when Prue had explained what had happened and told me that I really should give her a chance to help me prepare for my future.

"What does she want this time? Did you tell her I already signed up for all AP classes?" I snapped. Lisa sighed, smiling at me sympathetically.

"You're getting nearer to 16 now, Pixie," she said. I glanced at her and she sighed again. "You know that usually means relocation but I've been going over your case file again and I think I've had a breakthrough."

"Found a long-lost relative, have you?" I muttered.

"Prue would like to become your legal guardian again," she told me. I immediately shook my head, my hand closing into a fist in anger. I didn't want anything to do with Prue: she'd had her chance to be the boss of me 3 years ago and decided to let me get taken away by social services. "I know it isn't what you think you want, but I really feel like you guys are ready to –"

"No offence, but I don't care what you think. I don't want to move in with Prue. I wanted to when Grams died and she fucked me over," I started to snap.

"Language, really, Pixie. Don't use that tone or that word when you're around me." I rolled my eyes at Lisa again but didn't argue. I didn't apologise either, which is what I already knew she wanted from me. "I'm afraid you really don't have much of a say in this decision, Pixie."

"Typical," I muttered. "Prue gets to be in charge of me, even when she isn't legally allowed to be."

"She's your older sister, she has every right to be concerned about you. And I really think this will be good for you. All of your sisters are adults now, all of them are willing to pitch in to help raise you, and all of them, bar Paige, have jobs." Lisa listed off the reasons why this was a good idea, but none of them swayed me at all.

Yes, all my sisters were technically adults, but Paige had turned 18 in August so could barely be considered a responsible adult and Phoebe was so immature she may as well have been 13. Of course, Prue had probably said that they all wanted to help, and it was probably true, but I didn't want them all to be involved with my life. I didn't want to be in their care. Paige would just use it as a way to piss me off, Phoebe would tease me about being 'a baby' and Prue and Piper would just take their job too seriously. Oh, and there was no way in hell that Phoebe had a job. In fact, I'm pretty sure she had mentioned her unemployment in the drunk voicemail – claiming that she didn't need a job because she was living her life wildly.

"Ooh, yippee." I knew I wasn't reacting in the way that Lisa had wished I would, but I couldn't help it. I thought I had every right to be annoyed at this bombshell.

"Pixie, come on," Lisa sighed. I looked at her expectantly but didn't say anything. She didn't say anything either. I think she realised that I wasn't going to be swayed into this idea. "I'm sorry but this is happening. You know how limited we are with spare beds, and if there's a home for you to go, then you'll be going."

"Even when it's not the best thing for me?" I asked her, with a raised eyebrow. I seemed to realise what expression I was making and immediately stopped – that was a very Prue expression and I didn't want to do anything like she did.

"It's the best thing for you," she replied.

"Fine," I sighed. "You're going to force me to do something I don't want to do?"

"Yes," Lisa said with a quick smile. "That is exactly what I am going to do. Because you are a child and you don't seem to realise that being with your sisters will be very beneficial to you."

"I find that hard to believe," I muttered. But I was quiet enough for Lisa not to hear me. "When exactly is this happening?" I asked.

"Soon. In the next week or so."

I frowned. That meant I would probably be back at the manor for Prue's birthday, which I had deliberately not RSVP'd on Piper's invitation for because I didn't want to go. "What day?" I asked.

"Pixie, really? Why do you need to know the exact date?" Lisa sighed.

"It's Prue's birthday soon. I need to know if I have to buy her a present," I mumbled. Lisa looked disappointed at what I'd said, but flipped through the pages in her diary. I waited impatiently.

"Your sisters will be here to pick you up on the 21st." I huffed loudly. That was a week before Prue's birthday which meant I wouldn't be able to avoid it. Lisa frowned at me disapprovingly and I shrugged. "You can go now, Pixie. I would start packing if I were you."

Frustrated at the plans Lisa and Prue had made for me without my acknowledgement, I stormed out of the office and slammed the door behind me. Oscar and a few of the other younger kids had been standing right outside. "What?" I spat at them. Usually, I wouldn't have been so mean, but I was fed up, and to be honest, I didn't really want to leave them.

"Are you leaving, Pixie?" Emily asked me quietly. She was my favourite kid out of the lot of them, although she was always so soppy.

I glanced at all the kids, realising something. "Did Evan make you spy on me and Lisa?"

"No!" Oscar and Elliot insisted. I just stared at the pair of them, and then at Emily, who I knew would crack under the pressure.

"He said he'd break our stuff if we didn't!" Emily confessed.

"Emily!" All the kids seemed very unimpressed that they had a worm in their group but I ignored them all. I took Emily by the hand and walked through to the living room, where I knew Evan would be. As I expected, he was sitting at the computer.

"Oi," I snapped. He glanced around at me, a smirk on his face when he saw it was me and Emily. "Next time you feel like knowing what I'm up to, leave other people out of it."

"Getting kicked out then?" Evan chuckled.

"In your dreams, you asshat," I snapped. Evan smiled and stood up. I raised my eyebrows at him and crossed my arms, for once actually wanting to channel my oldest sister. I glared at him as he approached me. "Go to your room, Em."

"I want to stay!" she insisted.

"Don't you need your little sidekick?" Evan mocked. "What will you do without her?" I lunged towards him, and as I pushed him, he tripped backwards over the chair, landing with a thump on the floor. He grabbed the tops of my arms and shoved me off him, tackling me to the ground instead.

"Stop!" Emily begged.

I kneed him, trying to aim for where it hurts, but missed because he almost punched me in the nose. I managed to block his fist slightly, making him catch my mouth, rather than my nose, but it still hurt because he was quite strong. I pushed him off me, punching and aiming for his face this time. Emily had started to cry and run off. "You punch like my sister!" Evan mocked.

"Your sister is a 25-year-old paramedic, how insulting," I spat at him sarcastically; hitting him again.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Lisa and Mike, another social worker, rushed in and pulled me off Evan just as he hit me again, managing to hit my nose this time.

"He was spying on a private conversation!" I argued.

"No, I wasn't!"

"Threatening kids to do your dirty work is still spying!" Mike had pulled me to a standing position but wouldn't let go of my arm because he was guessing I wasn't done with him. He had been guessing right.

"Oh, like we didn't all already know you'd be out of here before Christmas," Evan spat.

I managed to get out of Mike's grip because he wasn't holding me that tightly, and lunged at Evan again. "You take that back!" I yelled at him. Lisa held a laughing Evan away from me and Mike tried to pull me back again.

"Your sisters finally decided they can deal with you, have they?" he mocked.

Glaring at him, I shrugged Mike off of me and pushed him out of my way. "Go to your room, Pixie," Lisa told me.

"That's where I was going anyway!" I shouted. I made my way angrily upstairs and slammed my door as loudly as I could. Eleanor, my roommate, barely glanced up from the book she was reading. I grabbed my school bag and threw it at the wall. Then I threw myself onto my bed, face down, and pressed my spare pillow over my head.

My muffled screams could be heard by Eleanor, and probably our neighbours, Polly and May, but I didn't care. I was fed up and furious. I lifted my head up slightly and glared at my white sheets, which now had streaks of red on them. That dickhead had made me get blood on my bed covers.

...

A couple of hours later, Mike came in and asked Eleanor to give us a few minutes alone. He told me to sit up and look at him so we could talk properly and then passed me a bag of frozen peas. "You should have put ice on that sooner," he said. I delicately pressed the peas on my cheek, grateful for the coolness. "That's gonna leave a bruise. Remind me to write you a note explaining that for school tomorrow."

"What do you want?" I muttered; wanting to get back to feeling sorry for myself.

Mike sighed. "Lisa and I were hoping you'd be a bit more excited about moving back in with your sisters," he told me. I glanced at him with a raised eyebrow and hated that it had been an expression that I felt was necessary so many times today. "Family is important and it isn't Prue's fault that she felt it was too hard for her to look after a 15-year-old, a 16-year-old and a 12-year-old."

"Why didn't she make Phoebe and Paige leave then?" I asked with a moody voice.

"You'll have to ask her that yourself, and you'll have plenty of time to talk all this through once you've moved in," Mike replied.

"I should have had a say," I insisted. "It's not fair that they just decided my future for me."

"The reason you weren't given a say was because Prue and Lisa already knew what you would say. I don't want to move in I want to stay here. I'd rather be sent across the state to a different care home than move back in. Your sister knows you better than you think."

"Or, I'm just predictable," I muttered, although this comment did not come out as I had wanted it to because it just made me sound stupid.

Chuckling, Mike nodded. "Maybe," he agreed. "I know Evan hit a nerve with everything he said and did – Emily told me he had threatened the younger kids to find out what your private conversation was about – but that never excuses violence," Mike started.

"I know. But he's an asshat."

"Maybe so," he said. "But that doesn't mean you should use your fists."

"I'm the one that's injured!" I argued.

"Because you attacked a 15-year-old boy who lifts weights at the gym and goes to boxing club. You're lucky he didn't do more damage to you."

"I was handling it," I muttered.

"I'm sure you were," Mike smiled. "Now, Lisa and I have decided not to ground you, because you're leaving so soon anyway, but we do want you to apologise to Evan. And Lisa has contacted Prue – you will be moving in on Friday instead of the 21st."

"This Friday? But that's only a few days away!" I argued.

"You shouldn't have gotten into a fight," he replied. I glared at him, throwing the peas in his direction: they had been useless anyway.

"Whatever," I muttered angrily. Mike nodded and stood up; taking the bag of peas.

"Start packing, Pixie. You don't have much time left," he said as he walked out. I flung myself back down onto my bed dramatically and Eleanor re-entered our room.

"What was that about?" she asked.

"None of your business," I snapped, even though I knew she was only asking because she was trying to be nice to me. In the 2 years that we'd been roommates (that's when she had moved in), I hadn't made much of an effort to be nice to her. She was the year below me in high school and I barely glanced at her in the hallways if I saw her, and I had enough of my own friends not to care about what she was doing. It wasn't like I was making her be alone – she had a tonne of nerdy book friends who read just as much as she did. Sometimes I saw them in the library during lunch period sitting at a table together, reading and not talking.

There was another knock at our door and my best friend Gage appeared in the doorway. "Greengage!" I cheered, my very unoriginal nickname for him. "How was your weekend with your dad?"

"Average. Travelled to Arizona," he replied with a smile. He hadn't even had a chance to put his bag in his room, but he didn't seem to care. Gage kicked his shoes off and walked over to my bed. He shoved me over so he could fit on then sat next to me. Smiling, he opened his rucksack. "Got you a present. Close your eyes."

I did what he said, and held my hands out. He placed something round in my cupped hands and I opened my eyes. "Nice! Thanks," I said. It was a snow globe with a cactus inside it and 'Arizona' written on it. I had been collecting snow globes since I was a little kid; starting the tradition when I was 2 and my mom had bought me one back from the café she worked at. She had died only a couple of weeks after that so it was the last thing she had given me. About a year later, the café had been closed down due to bankruptcy.

"For your collection," he replied. "Next month we're going to Seattle, so look forward to another one." His mention of the future reminded me of me moving out and instantly dampened my mood. Gage seemed to notice. "What's wrong?"

I glanced at Eleanor, who had already put on her noise cancelling headphones – something Gage and I had bought her the 1st Christmas she had at the foster home to make up for the late-night chats we were constantly having while she was trying to sleep. "I'm moving," I mumbled.

"What? Moving where?" Gage asked. Although he had already turned 16 in September, he hadn't needed to move to a different care home because he was allowed visits to and from his dad so often. We had just kept our fingers crossed that I wouldn't need to move either.

"My sisters. Prue decided she wants me after all." Unexpectantly, Gage smiled. "Why are you happy? I have to leave. I have to move back in with my idiot sisters – who are, FYI, the most selfish people I know."

"But Pix – they live 10 minutes down the road. You'll be staying at our school, we'll be staying near each other," Gage pointed out.

Although that was true, he didn't seem to understand why I definitely did not want to live with my sisters. "They're idiots," I snapped. Gage nodded sympathetically. "Apparently I don't have a choice. Apparently, it's what's best for me."

"I mean, maybe it is?"

"What?!"

"If my dad was given permission to have full custody of me, I would be over the moon, even though he hasn't been the best at commitment since I was a baby. At least your sisters have the opportunity to look after you. At least you have a chance at a normal family."

"Yeah," I scoffed. "So normal. 4 idiots who claim to be responsible adults. Paige is in college and Phoebe got arrested the other day! And you heard the voicemail she left me the other day – she's a mess. They aren't normal!"

"They're more normal than living in this dump," Gage tried. I sighed at him, annoyed that he didn't get where I was coming from. "Maybe you should give them a chance?" I went to snap a reply about how stupid he sounded but he continued before I could. "At least you can still escape here when they're annoying you. At least you'll still have me," he flashed a grin in my direction.

"Yeah, great," I said; biting back a smile.

"Wow. I feel so appreciated," Gage joked. I laughed at him and chucked a cushion in his direction. He flung it back and I hit out to get it away from me. I missed, but the pillow still managed to fly itself to the other side of the room and hit Eleanor.

"Sorry," I said to her. Gage laughed and glanced at me. Neither of us bothered to go and get the cushion and neither of us mentioned the weird thing that had just happened. Stuff like that – stuff moving when I hadn't touched it or stuff disappearing for no reason – happened a lot around me. for the last 2 years, Gage and I pretended not to notice the freaky stuff that I seemed to cause.

"At least we won't have to be pen pals," Gage said. I laughed at him and shrugged. Yeah, I guess that was a good point. I was just grateful that our very short-lived pillow fight had stopped an argument from happening.