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Thanksgiving Aftermath

Carmen POV:

I laughed as I followed Jason up the stairs to his apartment, this was definitely the escape I needed. He pushed open the door to reveal his family all sitting around a table, smiling as they passed food round to one another.

"Oh good Jason you're back! We were just about to start eating!" his mom smiled.

"Mind if one more joins?" Jason asked motioning towards me.

"Melina! So great to see you again dear!" his mom said standing up to hug me.

"I'm Carmen actually, her twin." I said awkwardly.

"Oh I am so sorry!" she said grabbing me in a hug.

"Her family thanksgiving is a little crazy right now." Jason explained.

"I really just need an escape." I laughed.

"Well we always have more room at our table." His dad said. Jason put his arms around my shoulders and walked me over to the table, pulling a chair out for me.

"I don't mean to intrude, but I don't recall Melina ever talking about family problems." his grandmother said.

"Maybe because Melina is the cause of all of it." Jason said.

"No there's just a lot happening right now. Our family expands outside a lot more than just us kids and our parents." I explained.

"Well, we are glad you could join us! Here, have some turkey." his mom smiled. I filled up my plate and couldn't help laughing along with everybody else. I remember last year when our thanksgiving was like this. Will it ever be like this again?

Jordyn POV:

"There he is." I said to Parker as we finally spotted Timmy. Right where I thought he was. I wrapped my jacket around me tighter as the wind chill got cooler. Parker grabbed my hand in his and we walked closer to him.

"This is my favorite place to go too." Parker said once we were right behind. Coming here still stings. I don't visit my fathers grave as much as I should because it hurts too much to be here.

"So when he died, that's when your drug problem started, didnt it." I said kneeling down next to him.

"I didn't send those pictures in of Melina. I promise." Timmy said, not breaking eye contact with the headstone.

"I believe you. But was Melina lying when she said you're selling again?" I asked. A tear was streaming down his face as he still refused to look at me.

"Dad would be so disappointed in me. I'm a fuck up." Timmy said.

"Dude, I'm 30 and never been in a serious relationship while my twin sister is married to the guy she started dating when she was 17. Wanna talk about feeling like a fuck up?" Parker laughed.

"And I am raising a 16 year old who took a 5 year old to a party who also sneaks out of the house to get drunk and try and have sex with her boyfriend in a hotel room. Not to mention how many times I almost fucked everything up with Ben or when I dated a gay guy. We all feel like fuck ups at times. But we are Livelys. And parts of our childhood may have been fucked up, but we aren't." I said wrapping my arm around him.

"But why are you selling again?" Parker asked sitting down on the grass next to him.

"I owe this guy a bunch of money. He came up to me two weeks ago and told me I had one month to get him all his money or else." Timmy said.

"Or else what?" I asked.

"I think we can guess." Parker said.

"So yeah I started selling again to try and make the money. And I guess Melina followed me. I'm really sorry Jordyn I don't mean to be a bad influence on her." Timmy said.