Chapter Text
Nini walked through the front door and into her house. She tried to act sad when Miss Jenn cancelled rehearsal, but she really just didn’t need to look at Ricky. They had gotten into a huge fight over the summer. Two summers in a row! It was senior year and she had hoped that it would be a little different, but there was still drama even with EJ gone.
EJ, wow. It was hard for Nini to admit that she missed him. EJ was her ex-boyfriend after all, but he had gone off to some fancy college in Florida and East High felt empty now that he was gone.
“Moms, I’m home!” She called.
A loud crash came from upstairs, immediately raising alarm in Nini. She threw her backpack onto the couch and ran upstairs, searching for the origin of the crash. “Moms?” She came to a halt when she saw Mama D and Mama C surrounded by various items and trying to hang a shelf in their guest bedroom.
“Oh hi, honey! I thought that you had rehearsal til’ six,” Mama C smiled and let go of the shelf, causing Mama D to stumble with the unexpected weight.
“Uh, Miss Jenn cancelled it,” Nini answered, still confused by the shelf. “What are you doing?”
“We’re attempting to hang a shelf,” Mama D stabled herself and began to put the shelf back where it belonged.
Nini shook her head and laughed. “I can see that, but why?” She looked around the guest room, expecting the usual beige and white color scheme, but was genuinely shocked to see that the beige was now a navy blue and white was now turned to a maroon. “And why is our modest guest bedroom now some punk rock lair?”
Her moms shared a look that said a lot, but the answer to her question was not one of them. “Hello?” Nini waved her hands.
“Nini,” Mama D let out a sigh and put the shelf on the ground. “We’re taking a foster kid into our home.”
Nini laughed. At first she was terrified that it would be something terrible, but this was great! “That’s amazing! What’s their name? How old are they? Are they nice? Will they adjust alright? Will-”
“Nini, honey, you’re rambling,” Mama C cut her off before she really got going. “Her name is Rebecca Foster and she’ll get here sometime tomorrow. She’s going to be a freshman this year, so if you could show her around school, that’ll be great.”
Nini smiled and got out her phone. “I’m sure she’ll fit in great with our friend group!”
Mama D smiled and wrapped her daughter into a hug. “That’s our girl!” Mama C joined the hug and gave them a tight squeeze before realising her wife and daughter.
~~~
Theatre Dorks
3:56 PM
Nini: BIG NEWS BIG NEWS BIG NEWS BIG NEWS
Kourt: I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess that there’s big news.
Ricky: what's the news neens
Carlos: Yea, what’s going on?
Nini: My moms are taking in a foster kid!
Seb: Aww! That’s great!
Kourtney: I agree with Sebby
Nini: Her name is Rebecca and she’s gonna be a freshman this year. We’re only four weeks into school so it shouldn’t be that hard for her to adjust but just in case my moms asked me to show her around.
Ashlyn: When is she gonna be here?
Nini: She’s coming tomorrow so I’m guessing she should be at school on Thursday.
Big Red: So are we all gonna show her around as a group… or?
Ashlyn: It might be a little easier for her to slowly ease her way into high school.
Big Red: Oh, yeah that makes sense Ash
Ashlyn: The only one in this group chat that ever makes sense.
Kourtney: Excuse me?
Ashlyn: The only one in this group chat that ever makes sense **other than Kourt.
Kourtney: Thank you.
~~~
Seb’s alarm clock woke him up at 4:45, just like every other day, and just like every other day he groaned at the thought of waking up before the sun even rose. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and put his glasses on. Slowly, he moved from the warmth of his blankets and into the cold air of his room. He took a quick, cold shower to wake him up and changed into his heavy farm jeans and a thick flannel. At 5:05 he headed downstairs to eat a quick bowl of cereal before heading out to feed and milk the cows.
“Hey Kara,” He mumbled to his older sister, who looked just as miserable as he did.
“Hey Seb,” She replied, attempting to stifle a yawn. “Can’t wait til I’m done with school and can move out.” Karaline, or Kara, was three years older than Seb and was taking online classes at home and saving up money to move out.
The Matthew-Smith household was probably the one of the largest families in the state of Utah, which is saying A LOT. Seb had eight siblings, two in-laws, a niece, and a nephew on the way. They all live in the same house which is very painful. The constant arguing over what to eat for dinner, the consistent debate over who has what on each day, the guaranteed crying of babies an hour before they all have to wake up. To Seb it was hell.
But he never said anything, he liked to blend in with his family, even though his love of musical theatre made him stick out like a sore thumb in a family of farmers. Not to mention he was the only queer one in a family of 15, in Utah.
“Seb,” Kara snapped him out of his small trance. “Are we gonna go milk the cows or what?”
Seb groaned and looked at the clock. 5:15. “Yeah, I guess so.”
The duo walked out the back door and walked straight to the cattle barn to milk all 40 of their cows before 6:30. Seb’s oldest brothers - Calvin and Samuel - had already started milking the cows and Samuel’s new wife, Quincey, was collecting eggs from the chicken coops.
Seb sat down at a stool next to one of his favorite cows, Matilda. She mooed loudly at Seb’s touch. Seb fixed his glasses and began to milk the cow.
About half-way through, Seb’s younger sister, McKayla, stumbled into the barn, her usually neat and shiny hair a mess and her sky-blue eyes clouded with sleep. “How do you freaks manage to get up so early and function?” She asked with a yawn.
“You’ll get used to it ‘Kayla,” Calvin answered, moving to his fifth cow. “You know mom and dad’s rule-”
“‘If you’re old enough to be in high school then you're old enough to help out on the farm.’ I know, I know, Calvin,” McKayla swatted a fly away from her face. “We’re only four weeks into the school year, and so far freshman year is my least favorite.”
Seb remembered Nini’s text from the day before. There was going to be a new kid tomorrow and Seb got a great idea. But first he needed to ask Nini.
Seb: Hey Nini, my sister’s a freshman and maybe she can show Rebecca around tomorrow
It was a few minutes before Seb got a response.
Nini: 1) Why are you texting so early, it’s not even six yet. 2) Yeah that sounds like a great idea! It’s the cheerleader one right?
Seb: Sorry, I’m milking the cows and we have to get up early cuz none of us have time afterschool. And yeah, it’s McKayla the Cheerleader.
Nini: Sweet, I’ll see at school Seb
Seb: See you there Nini!
“Sebastain William Matthew-Smith! Are you on your phone?” Seb looked up to see his father staring at him, to Seb’s relief there was a smile on his face.
“Sorry Dad,” Seb apologized and slipped his phone into his pocket. “There’s just something going on tomorrow and I needed to ask Nini a question.”
Seb’s dad nodded and walked out of the cattle barn and into the sheep barn to feed them. Seb let out a loud sigh and stood up to go milk another cow.