“Wait, why did you switch x and y?” Tina asked as the two of them were sprawled out in Bette’s bed. With the help of their parents, they were able to work out a schedule that got Tina home in time before Victoria did and still be able to raise her grade in Geometry.

“Because you’re finding the inverse,” Bette explained as she lay on top of Tina and kissed her shoulder.

“Bette I can’t concentrate if you do that. You promised we’ll just be friends,” Tina complained. They were only able to get two problems done in the last hour because Tina was able to find Bette’s baby pictures sticking out.

She poked fun to the brunette for a while but they reluctantly went back to schoolwork. Like always, Bette finished all her homework before Tina could focus so tried to watch TV but having a beautiful blonde in her bedroom led her back to the room.

“Bette-bear, I’m home!” a young girl’s voice yelled from downstairs.

“Bette-bear?” Tina questioned and Bette got up to greet her adopted siblings home.

“It’s a nickname,” Bette replied, kissing Tina on the nose and running downstairs.

“Sure it is,” Tina laughed, returning to the math problem.

Bette ran downstairs and all six of her younger siblings were shrugging off their coats and waving to her. She felt like Angelina Jolie sometimes.

“Hi guys,” Bette waved back, taking a jumpy Chloe into her arms.

The boys were the first to go upstairs, actually they raced there and Don yelled because Valentino tripped him. She blew on Chloe’s stomach, causing her to giggle.

“STRANGER!!!”

The girls upstairs ran up the stairs to see what caused Don’s scream and found him in Bette’s room and Tina cowering behind Bette’s sheets on one corner of the bed.

“No not a stranger, she’s Tina,” Bette explained, lifting the scared boy up and put him behind her to see if Tina was scared. Tina was breathing hard and she couldn’t tell which one of them were frightened more. “She’s a friend.” She sat on the other side of Tina and wrapped her arms around Tina’s back to still her. “You okay?” she whispered.

The rest of the kids piled into the room and stood behind Don. Chloe stepped forward and climbed onto the bed and tugged at the hem of Tina’s jeans.