Romance, one shots.

enemies to lovers SPEEDRUN (part one)

January.

Shelly hated everything about herself, her name for starters, her hair, the way her bones poked out under her skin but she couldn't think about that, none of it. Not when she had three siblings to look after at the ripe age of seventeen. Two younger brothers, twins, Jason and Patrick, fourteen. Nightmares.

And then there's little baby Emma, two years old being looked after by a set of unruly teenagers scraping by with part-time job money and the next door neighbours help.

"Jason!" Shelly yelled, as she did each morning.

She may be high-school drop out but she'd be damned before she let her brothers end up like her.

"Coming, I'm coming," Optimistic Jason bounded down the stairs, the youngest of the twins, grabbing himself a slice of bread and shouting to Shelly that he'll pick up something they can have for breakfast on the way home.

"Hey there's no hot water," Patrick, the realistic one and the eldest of the two, slumped himself into a ratted arm chair in the corner of their small living room.

"Cold shower it is then," Shelly shrugged as she scrounged through the cupboards for anything edible, her stomach grumbled as she did so.

"It's the middle of fucking winter Shell," Patrick stormed off after that, leaving Shelly with a baby in one arm and the other still searching for food.

"Morning! I brought leftovers!" Melanie, the lady from next door, barges through the back door holding a tray covered in tin foil.

"Oh you angel, I'm dying over here, take the baby will you?" Shelly quickly swaps Emma for the tray of food in Melanie's hand and uncovers it.

Small scraps of chicken, one piece of garlic bread, a few crusts of pizza, she could make do.

"Sorry, Michael's parents are in town, they're eating me out of house and home," Melanie shushes the baby and pats her back, "do you want me to take her over to mine, give you time to sleep?"

"Would you? I'll pay you, promise," Shelly wipes her forehead with the back of her hand, stopping slightly when she feels the creases between her eyebrows that are constant from stress.

"No worries, see you in a few hours. Get some sleep for the love of god!" Melanie wraps her free arm around Shelly's shoulders and plants a small kiss on her forehead.

As soon as the door shuts and Shelly is alone, her emotions come flooding in.

I am fucked. I am well and truly fucked. She thinks to herself, slamming her hands on the counter. She shoves the small bits of chicken into her mouth and slumps down to the kitchen floor, tears welling up in her eyes.

She must've fallen asleep on the floor because next thing she knows there's an obnoxious banging on the front door, jolting her upwards.

"Coming! I'm coming- jesus, fuck!" She storms over the front door, taking off the latch and swinging it open.

"William McKay, what can I do for you?" She lets out a breath, her eyes focusing on the rather intimidating looking baseball bat in his hands.

"I'm looking for your stupid fucking brothers," His knuckles go white and he grips the bat tighter.

"My what?"

"They picked a fight with Elliot," William's face gets angrier with every word.

He's in a similar situation to Shelly, seventeen, basically a father to his brother but he has a dad, a shit one but he has one who pays the bills at least.