~One~

Dex and Karina meet Karina's dad for the first time.

I wasn’t excepting anything expensive or fancy, in fact what we drove up to was exactly what I was expecting. It was a town house with beat up windows, one window didn’t even have any glass. The color was an icky color pink, almost tongue colored but just a bit lighter. 

“This is it?” Dex was already complaining. I sighed and watched Taylor, the social worker, open the doors for us both. As soon as I stepped out into the California air I could smell the ocean. It was a lot different from living in Idaho, plus we had to subtract one more hour from our lives. The sun was shining high in the sky and I was already sweating. 

I couldn’t believe Dex was wearing tight black skinny jeans, a flannel blue button down shirt, and a beanie hat. He was insane to be wearing all of that crap. It’s 100 degrees here accompanied by a tiny ocean breeze. He also had gloves on where the fingers have been cut off so they looked like hobo gloves. 

“Karina! Dex! This way.” Taylor said. Her high voice interrupted my criticizing Dex’s outfit in my mind and we followed her to the door of his house. I was scared and really nervous. I was so nervous that the night before I had thrown up. “Now, when you meet Karina’s father I want you to be nice angels, do you understand?” she said. We nodded and waited for him to come to the door. Dex nudged me. 

“You’ve never met your father, like ever?” he asked. I shook my head no and looked back at my feet. When Taylor told us that he was going to be our legal guardian I was so happy because I have been wanting to meet him all these years, but now that we were actually standing outside his front door I began to rethink everything. 

A man with long brown hair tied into a ponytail came to the front door. He had intense green eyes, tan skin, and only pants on. In my mind, not a very good first impression. I heard Taylor clear her throat and speak. The words rolled off her tongue so fast I wasn’t even sure if she had said anything. 

“Mr. Adams, I presume?” he nodded. “I am Taylor Austin, a social worker from Idaho. I am not sure if you have been informed, but your ex wife, Danielle, has put you down as a legal guardian for your daughter and her step son.” The man looked at us and then back at Taylor. He invited us in to his house. It wasn’t as bad as it was on the outside, but it could use a woman’s touch. “Were you notified?” she asked. 

“Yeah, I was told by letter,” he went into his kitchen and grabbed some drinks and brought them over to his living room where we followed Taylor. I looked at Dex who looked at me. “Do I need to sign anything or something? Tell me what to do Miss Austin.” He said. 

“First off, do you have their rooms made up? Will they be sharing a room?” she asked. I let my eyes wander around the room and once I was done looking around I found my black shorts rather interesting and began playing with them. Dex put his head on my shoulder. “Okay, do you know where they will be attending school?” I saw him nod and his eyes kept drifting over towards me and Dex. I sat back and we switched, I put my head on Dex’s shoulder. It has been amazing how far me and Dex have come from hating each other. 

My mom met his father when I was five and he was five. We used to hate each other. We’d always fight, get one another in trouble, push each other down the stairs, or hit each other. When we both turned 10 everything changed. Our parents moved us to Boise and we had to change schools. I guess if it weren’t for changing schools we wouldn’t have grown so close. We were thrown into our very last year at elementary school not knowing anyone, causing us to stick together more. I could never lose Dex, he’s my best friend. 

“Have their belongings arrived yet?” Taylor inquired. My father nodded and pointed towards the room where we would be staying. “Alright well you are all set in my book,” she stood up and so did he. “I will be back in about three months to see how everything is going, does that sound good?” he nodded. “Good,” she turned to me and Dex and gave us each a big hug and kiss. “Be good, okay?” we nodded. He opened the door for her and she walked back to her car. We waved as she drove off and then walked back inside. 

“Remind me again of your names?” he asked. I looked at Dex and he was the one to speak up first. “Dex? What the hell kind of a name is that? Nah bro it’s a cool name I’m just playing with you. My best friends younger brother is named Dex, and my daughter what’s your name?” I was so shy to speak up, but Dex nudged me again. 

“Karina.” I said. He nodded. 

“Well why don’t you two check out your room. I put all your clothes in the closet, Karina you have the right side and Dex has the left. We have a lot to do today. I have to take you down to Ocean View High School and register you two and then I have to take you two down to the doctors and get all of that sorted out. Question, would either of you like a job?” I looked at Dex and then at my father. 

“I’ll have a job.” I said quietly. I have had about three jobs in my life and I wouldn’t mind having another one, it’s always a great way to make new friends. I was first a dog walker, then I did some babysitting and lastly I was a hostess at a tiny cafe. “Dex you should find one.” I whispered. He groaned and looked at me. 

“OK. Karina there is a job down at Jackie’s Cafe for you. My friend Maria works there and she’d be happy to help you. Dex I can find you a job. If you both want to live here you have to have a job. I ain’t gonna be giving you no allowance or anything. You gotta work for your money.” We nodded. “So go check out your room and I’ll call you when it’s time to leave.” We turned around and walked towards our room. 

It was a tiny room. One king sized bed, one dresser, one big window with a view of the ocean, and a tiny closet. I can’t believe he managed to fit our stuff in that one tiny closet. We weren’t too happy about sleeping in the same bed, but we didn’t want to cause trouble right away with my father. 

“Well this is cozy,” Dex said with sarcasm in his voice. I popped a hip and crossed my arms giving him a look. “Karina, we’re stuck in the same bed. It’s not what someone would call ‘lovely’.” He had a point. As close as I am with him, I wasn’t too inthralled with sleeping in one bed. I uncrossed my arms and looked out the window. 

“Dex, he’s all we got right now. We have to pull through this, okay? He’s my father and the fact that he was listed as a guardian is a big deal. I have never met him as I’ve told you and I want to get to know him, but...” I stopped. 

“What?” he asked. “What was with that little but...” he sat down on the bed and looked at me. I concentrated on my shoes. “Karina talk! What’s wrong?” 

“What if he doesn’t like who I am? I’m afraid of that. I mean your mother knows who you are and what you act like cause you’ve spent some vacations with her in the past, but my dad has no clue who I am?” I said letting it all out. Dex stood up and walked over. 

“Hey, that’s no way to be thinking. If he doesn’t like who you are well then screw him. I have three older siblings, and none of them are half as a great person as you are. You’re my step sister and I can’t believe we get along. When my dad met your mom I thought we’d have this huge sibling rivalry, but as we got older I saw how kind, caring, and loving of a person you were. If your father is too blind to see that, well make him see it, but first give him a try, okay?” Dex was right, I needed to give him at least a try. 

“Thanks Dex. I will try to do just that.” I said smiling at him. He smiled back. “So, what are we going to do about this one bed? I call the right side!” I said. 

“What? No! That’s no fair. I want the right side.” Dex argued with me. I laughed and jumped on the bed and laid on the right side. 

“Oh it looks like I called it first, besides my clothes are on the right side of the closet, so get used to it Dexy.” He laughed and laid down on the left side of the bed. 

“Hey Dex and Karina we gotta get going.” My father called. We got off the bed and walked out to the front. We followed him to his black pick up truck. There was no back seat so we all had to sit in the front. We climbed in and he pulled out. “What grade are you guys in?” he asked. 

“11th grade.” I answered. 

“Ah, you’re juniors. I remember junior year it was pretty amazing. Well, you two will be attending Ocean View High school. I have to get all of this register crap done before the 22nd so I thought we’d do it today.” I looked at Dex and then back down at my shoes. We sat in the car for another 15 minutes in an awkward silence. None of us, including my father, knew what to talk about. There was some small talk here and there, but the only sound were cars. 

We arrived at the high school and it was only 12:30, so kids were still at school. I crawled out Dex’s side and we followed my father into the school. As we passed some of the kids they watched us walk through the halls. I heard some of them whisper. We walked into the main office and saw four old ladies sitting behind a desk. 

“Yes, what can I do for you?” one of the ladies asked with short gray curly hair. She had on a brown tank top and I could almost see her peasant green skirt. 

“Hi, my name is Marshall Adams, and I am here to register my daughter and uh...step son.” He said. The woman looked at us and then at my dad. She handed him some papers and then began speaking to us. 

“What are your names?” she asked. 

“My name is Karina.” I spoke up first and then looked at Dex. 

“My name is Dex.” She nodded and wrote that down. 

“So Karina and Dex Adams?” she asked. My father picked his head up and looked at her and at us. 

“Uh no, their last name is Williams. Can you enroll them with that last name?” he asked. I could tell he didn’t want to have to go through with this, but for us to get an education he had to. 

“Mr. Adams can you explain to me what is going on here?” she asked. 

“Florence calm down, hi I’m Principal Warren, what seems to be the problem?” he asked. I backed up closer to Dex and let him and my dad talk. He explained that we had been living with my mom and that she had died in a car crash and we were sent to live with him. Principal Warren nodded and looked at us. 

“Would you mind telling me both your full names?” he asked. We nodded and Dex was the first to speak up. 

“Dex Williams sir.” He wrote that down and then looked at me. 

“Karina Williams.” He smiled and jotted that down also. He handed that to the woman named Flo who took it and typed it into the computer she was at. While my father was writing up everything she began printing out papers.

“What are your birthdays?” he asked. 

“February 13th 1994.” Dex said. 

“June 1st 1994.” I answered. He nodded and gave us the thumbs up. Flo handed us each a paper and stood up. 

“Here are your schedules. Mr. Adams they are going to be starting school next week. I assume you two have already taken, lets see, earth science, geometry, algebra, chemistry, world history, and modern world history?” we nodded. “Okay, so here you are, we didn’t have to put you with any freshman or sophomores. I gave you each an elective, don’t like it too bad, I don’t care.” She said. I looked at Dex. “Understand? Go by these and you’ll do just fine.” She sat back down and I looked at Dex. We waited for my father to be done writing stuff. 

“Why don’t you two go wait in the truck, I’ll be there in a few minutes.” He said. We nodded and headed out of the school. 

“Are you ready to start a new school, again?” Dex asked. I couldn’t stand looking at him in all of those hot clothes, I had to take his hat off. “Hey! What was that for?” he asked through a chuckle. I threw him his hat as we opened the doors and walked towards my fathers car. 

“How can you wear all of those hot clothes dude? I mean it’s like 100. I’m in practically nothing. You make me wanna pass out when I look at you.” He laughed and put his hat back on and I groaned. “Ugh you are such a goober head.” We hopped in the car and waited for my dad to come back. I am debating on whether calling him father or dad hah, oh well. 

My dad then took us down to the doctors office and assigned us each a doctor and in four weeks we had to come back for a check up. It wasn’t a very fun afternoon, but I mean you got to get stuff done, ya know? 

“Dex I got you a job at the local grocery store. My buddy Derick works there.” My dad said. Dex nodded and looked at me. 

“What’s the job?” he asked. I looked ahead and watched as the car moved on the road. 

“You are going to be a cashier. Do either of you have your permit or license?” he asked. I nodded and he nodded. “Okay, I go to work with my friend Hayden everyday, so you will be driving yourselves to school and to work and picking each other up from work, well in this case Karina will be doing most of the picking up and dropping off. Dex do you want to get a permit and then a license?” he nodded. “Alright I’ll put that on my stuff to do.” He took a left hand turn and then we pulled into his driveway. We walked into the house right behind him and stood there. He walked into the kitchen, turned around and looked at us. “You guys don’t have to stand right there, you can go do something if you want. It’s up to you.” He said. I looked at Dex and then back at my dad. 

“We aren’t really sure what to do, do you recommend anything?” I asked. My dad took a sip of his beer and then set it down and thought for a moment. He took his hair out of the ponytail and let it fall. 

“There’s a skate park not that far from here, you look like a skateboarder, uhm you can go to the beach, you guys can do anything as long as you don’t get into trouble.” He said. “I am going to be sitting my a*s right down on this couch and watching TV.” I looked at my shoes and then at my dad. 

“Do you want to go to the beach?” Dex whispered in my ear. I nodded. “We’ll be by the beach if you need us, uh Marshall.” We turned towards the door and walked out. I thought I’d lighten things up a bit. 

“Tag you’re it!” I said and began to run towards the water. I haven’t had a good run in a while and I was surprised that I could still run pretty fast. Dex was complaining but I quickly glanced back and saw him running after me. I jumped over a rock and ran down a tiny little path and got on the beach. The sun was setting and it looked so magical. I saw Dex getting closer and I kept running, but I quickly got tired and had to stop. There was a rock to sit on so I plopped right down there and waited for Dex to catch up. 

“Gosh you run so fast! I didn’t realize you could still run so fast. I am out of breath....can we sit here for a while?” I nodded. He climbed up onto the rock with me and we looked at the water and listened to all of the seagulls. It was getting chilly by the water, so I stole Dex’s hat, he wasn’t too happy about that, but he let me have it. “I miss my dad.” I looked at Dex and nodded. 

“I miss my mom. Things shouldn’t have gone the way they did. I mean I am happy that I am with my dad, but I can sort of see why my mom kept me with her. I mean he doesn’t really care what we get into, that’s not the right type of dad.” Dex agreed with me and patted my back. 

We walked along the beach until we reached the next town over and then we walked back. By the time we reached that rock we had been sitting at, it was dark outside. I became a tad scared but I pushed through it. The air was much cooler without the sun, as it always is. As we walked back to our new house we passed a ton of kids who were skateboarding up and down our street. There were about three girls there and the rest, which was ten, were boys. They watched us like hawks as we headed towards our house. I felt as if I were a mouse trying to scurry away from my predator, but I had Dex there to protect me. 

“Who are you?” a boy with long brown hair and a black hat on backwards said. Three of this dude’s friends crowded around us. “Are you two new?” he asked. 

“Yeah uhm...we just moved here today, we came to live with my dad.” I responded. They gave us  a look. 

“Are you two a couple?” one of this guy’s friends asked. We shook our heads. “Brother and sister?” we nodded. 

“Well, we are step siblings.” Dex said. 

“What are your names?” the first dude asked. 

“I’m Karina and this is Dex.” I answered. 

“I’m Axel, this is Slater, and Double D. You skate?” he asked Dex and he nodded. “Sweet. Care to join us for a little?” I looked at Dex who looked back at Axel. 

“Sure. You want to come join Kar?” he asked me. I shook my head. I decided to sit on the front steps and watch them skate. 

“Hey Karina, why don’t you go chat up with the chicks? They love meeting new girls.” Axel said. I stood up and nodded. I walked over to where three girls were standing, they smiled when they saw me. 

“Hi!” they all said. 

“Are you new?” a girl with dyed red hair and blue eyes asked. I nodded. “That’s cool. What’s your name?” 

“Karina.” I said popping my hip and smiling at the girls. 

“That’s a really pretty name. I’m Debbie, this is Adrianna, and this is Megan, Axel’s younger sister.” 

“Is that your natural hair color?” Adrianna asked. I nodded and smiled. “Oh my gosh! I love it. See this is the kind of brown I want my hair, but I’m stuck with dirty blonde.” She made an unhappy face. 

“So where did you move from?” Megan asked. 

“Boise, Idaho. Me and Dex came to live with my dad.” I looked down at my feet and then back at the girls. 

“Is Dex your boyfriend? Friend? Brother?” Adrianna questioned. 

“He’s my step brother. My mom and his dad were killed in a car crash a year ago, and my mom had put my dad down as a legal guardian.” I stated. I looked over and saw Dex doing some of his cool moves with the guys. There was one guy who was standing with a few others who caught my eye. He had the long blonde hair like Dex, but it was a little bit shorter. He wore a Led Zeppelin shirt along with some black jeans and skate shoes. 

“Ah. You’re step brother is cute!” Megan said giggling. I chuckled and looked at her. Dex was cute, but he’s not my type I guess. Anyway, that wasn’t a great thought right there. I shook it out of my head. 

“Now, now, now miss Megan you already have yourself a boyfriend. Don’t mind this little fourteen year old, she’s so immature.” Debbie said. I chuckled a bit. 

“I am more mature than you Debs!” she argued. Debbie put the white flag up and that ended the little fight that these two girls got into.

“So how old are you?” Adrianna asked putting her dirty blonde hair in a ponytail. 

“I am sixteen. How about you?” I felt a cool breeze come by and I crossed my arms to make myself feel warmer. 

“We’re both sixteen. Megan, as I already said, is fourteen. Then the guys are either sixteen or seventeen. I know that Stacy, Austin, Axel, Trace, and X are seventeen.” Debbie said looking at the guys. 

“And Slater, Holden, and Double D are sixteen. We’re all a big group of friends.” Adrianna smiled at me. I smiled. “You will also meet, guaranteed, Holden’s sister, Alyson.” I nodded. Debbie and Adrianna seemed like two really nice girls. 

“Is this your first time seeing the ocean?” Debbie asked. I nodded. “Really? Oh my gosh! Girl you have been missing so much.” I laughed a little bit. 

“Yeah, but me and Dex are loving it. We took a walk down to the next town over and then came back before Axel wanted us to hang with you guys.” 

“Yeah nighttime walks on the beach are always interesting, but sometimes they can be a bit scary.” Debbie smiled and shuddered a bit. “Holden tried to scare me on the beach last week actually and I slapped him for it.” I chuckled. 

“Hey Karina!” Dex said walking over. I could see all three girls get all shy and bashful. 

“Hey Dex, what’s up?” I asked. 

“Nothing. You want to go home? I’m kind of tired.” He suggested. I nodded. “Okay cool.” I turned to the girls who were all red. Dex had gone to say goodbye to the guys. 

“OMG! Karina! He’s so adorable!” Debbie said. 

“Yeah he is. I bet you three would love to be me tonight.” I said in a teasing tone. They had puzzled looks on their faces. “I have to share a bed with him.” I slightly groaned. I had sort of forgotten about the whole bed situation, but I could deal. 

“Jealous! But then again he’s your step brother so you’re not gonna enjoy it, am I right?” Debbie questioned. I chuckled and nodded. “It was really nice meeting you Karina. What high school are you and Dex going to?” 

“Ocean View.” I answer beginning to walk towards Dex. 

“Awesome! Same with all of us! We’ll see you soon then. Have a goodnight!” I waved to all three of them and caught up with Dex. I waved to the guys and they smiled. The one with the Led Zeppelin shirt was still the one who spiked my interest. He smiled and waved at me and I blushed. I followed Dex into the house. My dad was on the phone. 

“Yeah, hold on, hey guys!” he said. “Ya stay out of trouble?” he chuckled a bit and we nodded. “Good. Maria let me call  you back in a bit, okay?” he hung up and then walked over to us. “I saw you guys out there with the skateboarders, were they good to you?” he asked both of us, but his eyes were on me. We nodded and gave a tiny smile. “Great to hear. Are you two going to bed now?” we nodded. “Come on you two don’t make me do all the talking.” We looked at each other and then back at my dad. 

“Sorry...we uhm we’re just nervous.” Dex explained. My dad nodded in an understanding manner. I noticed that he had really dirty fingernails and if my inference was correct, I would say he was a mechanic. 

"Nah don’t worry about it. Alright well goodnight.” He said and walked away from us. He went to go sit back down on the couch. 

“Goodnight.” We both said quietly and walked to our room. I had Dex stand outside the room as I changed into my pajama bottoms and my tank top. Once I was done I let him back in. I crawled in on my side of the bed and laid in the fetal position. 

“Those kids seemed cool, don’t you think?” Dex said breaking the silence. 

“Yeah they did. Those girls think you’re adorable.” I said laying on my back, looking up at the white ceiling. I heard Dex chuckle and lay on the left side of the bed. 

“Yeah? Well someone was checking you out for sure.” He said getting under the covers. I turned to him fast and he turned his back towards me. 

“Who?” I asked. 

“I’m not telling, Sorry, but you’re gonna have to figure that one out for yourself.” He was being such a tease right now. I hit him with a pillow and then laid back down on it. 

“Fine. Goodnight Dex.” I said yawning. 

“Goodnight Karina.” 

Author's Note

I am sorry if the chapters are REALLY long.