"Ugh, why him?"

I grumbled as I saw the last 3 episodes of Modern Family, the last season. 'Even at the

end, Alex and Haley's character development seems stunted, and Alex seemingly ends

up with Alvin... '

'Manny became insufferable, and Luke...well, Luke is Luke.'

"The awkward, manipulative professor that used.to be Haley's boyfriend?"

It's like the writers conveniently forget about that and set them up anyway.

"She did have a major crush on the guy when she was at college, but he chose Haley.

Maybe it's a curse of the middle child kind of thing where they always received used

things from their older siblings."

I sighed and felt terrible for the kid.

"Even Dylan was barely okay in the last season."

Phil said before the 20s is the time for them to make mistakes and get to know

themselves. But surely a lovely and intelligent girl like Alex or a 'smart' girl like Haley

could end up with someone better.

"Welp. No time to complain. Time to start from the beginning again."

I have been binge-watching it every single day, and have finished the run more than

times now.

Maybe it became a comfort show for me because of the family love setting in the show,

the one I never had.

*Ring Ring*

The MacGyver bell in my house rang loudly, snapping me out of my stupor. The simple

setup was created by myself, and I fixed the bell on my walls before I connected it to

the lower floor.

I put my phone back in my pocket as I used my phone to watch shows instead of the

plasma tv in my living room. That one was used for games and 'stuff'.

I grabbed my coat before I exited my apartment. I went downstairs and unlocked the

door to the apartment directly beneath mine.

"Good Morning, Bella. How's your sleep?" I asked.

The house owner was an old lady in a wheelchair who could only breathe using an oxygen tube up her nose. She only smiled in reply and looked at me with a helpless expression.

The landlord of the 3-story apartment needed some care in her twilight years, so I get to live here cheap as long as I help her with some stuff. After taking care of her needs,

we went to make breakfast together.

"Non-non..." The Italian grandmother scolded me as I wanted to put some herbs in her

sauce. "Taste. First."

I stopped stirring the sauce in the pot. The smell of the sauce that I was making, made my stomach gurgle, and I wanted to have breakfast soon.

"Ciao Bella. You're killing me." I used some Italian wordplay that put a smile on her face. I put a spoonful of the sauce on a spoon and blow it gently before I give her a taste.

She nodded in satisfaction after she got what she wanted. "Good job. You...marry now."

I helplessly showed a wry smile after she said that. "Maybe in the future."

Granny said with some concern. "You've been alone. Long time."

I grabbed her hand gently, "I have you, did I not?"

Bella removed my hand and pinched my cheeks, "Non-non. Don't be alone. I'm gone

soon."

The immigrant grandmother couldn't speak a complete sentence after her stroke a few weeks ago. I have been working from home to check up on her since her family is far away.

"Don't say that, Noni. (Grandma) You're going to live till 150. Believe me."

Bella looked at me sadly. Only one person in the world knew me, and that was the grandmother in front of me.

"I forgot the garlic bread. I will stop by the grocery store later." I said, changing the topic.

We had a fun breakfast together before I ran upstairs to do my job as a programmer.

Luckily, my status as a senior developer allowed me to work from home as long as I reach my daily target requirement.

I remembered what Noni said while I was typing. I never got a girlfriend, nor did I try to find one. I only got one-night stands with various girls, basking myself in the meaningless pleasures of the flesh. Even that was for only a short while before I stopped.

My 20's were spent with me struggling to survive in this ruthless world as an orphan.

Deep down, I don't think I can love someone as I have never received any love. I should talk about therapy, but who got the time?

After 3 hours of work to finish the entire requirement of what was supposed to be a 10 hour job, I grabbed my bike key and my helmet.

"Noni. Garlic bread and tomato puree. Anything else?"

"Buy some wine and meat," Noni asked. Then, she hesitatingly asked, "Can you check the post? My son. He will wire some checks at the end of the month."

I widened my eyes at Noni, "You can eat meat now? When did your teeth grow back?"

Noni threw her slippers on my head before I ran away to my scooter parked in front of my house(La chancala🤣).

I never went to the post office to check what she requested.

I knew her son had abandoned her a few years back, but she kept hoping to hear from him. The check was only an excuse for her to ask about her son.

I picked up some oranges and groceries at the grocery store. On my way back, a sudden gust of wind suddenly makes me almost fall from my bike.

"What the hell is that?" I opened my helmet visor and looked at the sky. It was as clear as ever. I scanned the surroundings, and I saw everyone looking at me like I was a

clumsy man.

"So... freaking weird," I muttered and restarted my bike engine before I drove home.

And that as it. That is the end of my life in this world.

*Truck horn blaring*

The last thing I remember was that a speeding truck with its lights on crashed into my bike. I had an accident on my way home, and after a period of struggle to keep my consciousness intact, my world darkened.

"So, Why the hell did I wake up in a white space?"

"Is it platform 9 3/4?" I scanned my surroundings, which looked like a clean train station, before walking toward the train boarding line. There were several people there, all

waiting to board the next train to what I assumed was the afterlife.

How long have I waited? The time here was a bit messed up. Suddenly, the train conductor arrived in his blue uniform and a cap to check everyone's tickets.

"Wait. Tickets?" I hurriedly checked my pockets to find out that I was carrying nothing.

The conductor moves down the line quickly as he checks everyone's tickets one by one, but I'm becoming more and more anxious as I keep searching for the non-existent

ticket.

"Tickets, please." The grim reaper finally arrives at my spot to ask me.

"Um...I seemed to have lost my

He said sternly. "No ticket, no boarding."

"I know. But I never got a ticket!" I almost teared up.

"No ticket. No boarding!" He said and pulled me out of the line. The security guard came to apprehend me.

"Wait! Just tell me how I can get a ticket!" I screamed and tried to break free of the security guards holding me by both arms.

The security guard dragged me outside the train station and threw me on the floor.

"Ouch!" I yelled out in pain as my butt hit the cold hard floor.

"Go get tickets. Then, you can board the train."

I looked around on the empty white street with no one about it. "How?" I muttered.

Wandering in the infinite space, I tried hard to find ways to get a ticket for myself. I'd been walking for days, maybe years, or just a few minutes. My mind was groggy, as if

I'd fallen into the abyss.

I keep walking to find the ticket booth, someone else, or anything else. Suddenly, I remembered Noni.

"Who is going to take care of her now?"

My mind was so preoccupied with the train ticket that I forgot about the people I'd left behind. "Noni... I'm sorry." I started to sob as I walked aimlessly.

Maybe she is still waiting for me to come back with the garlic bread. However, I am now stuck here with nowhere to go. I keep walking and crying until I lose track of time and who I am. I keep reliving my worst fear of Noni dying in that house alone.

Unknown to me, someone tried to grab my shoulder from behind. But as I keep walking forward, the guy behind me keeps missing his mark. He wanted to call me, but the

voice didn't travel in the white space unless you were face-to-face with someone.

The same situation repeated a few times for a few hundred years, or maybe a few hours. As I sobbed while walking, suddenly, the same sudden gust of wind that

appeared before my death appeared again, causing me to be pushed backward.

"What the fuc-" I almost cursed the wind. It was the main reason for my death before, and because of it, I had to abandon Noni. But I didn't realize it came to me as a helper

this time. Suddenly, my shoulder was grabbed by a hand bigger than mine. I turned back to see a man in a blue uniform huffing his breath heavily as he stopped me.

"Finally. I reached you. Haa haa haa."

I didn't reply to him as my mind still felt groggy and in a haze. He dragged me back to the train station, and we entered his small office by the side of the boarding area.

Countless files and papers were stacked neatly on the officer's desk.

"Neddy my boy. It's been hard.... for me to reach you." The officer said and sat down on the table. I was invited to sit right in front of him, and he took out a file with my name

on it from the stack of files.

"Edward Franzetti, born 1990, son of James Franzetti and Martha Knitting."

He served me tea which I graciously accepted. After drinking it, I can feel my mind getting cleared up.

"Sorry about throwing you outside. That is only for criminals and people without a ticket. But in your case, it's a bit special."

"How?" I asked.

"Your ticket isn't here as it hasn't been issued yet." The officer said with a solemn look on his face. He lights up a cigarette and takes a deep puff. "I haven't seen a case like

this in ages. There are a lot of them in the Japanese branch but not here."

"I don't care about the ticket anymore. What happened to Bella? My- My Noni?" I asked anxiously. The officer released his cigarette smoke and started to take out another file.

"Usually, I won't bother to answer if anyone else asks this, but I will let you know about her for a favor between us. Deal?"

"What kind of favor?" I asked, eying the file in his hand.

"I'll tell you about her. You don't tell anyone about you being kicked out of the train station."

"Deal," I replied instantly. The officer smiled and opened the file for Granny.

"Hmm? This is curious." The officer said. He smiled and flashed a look of reminiscence as he read the file. He even changed the way he looked at me. His stern face melted into the genial expression of a village elder.

"What?" I asked.

"It said here your granny died peacefully in her sleep 1 minute before you died."

"WHAT!" I slammed the table and stood up.

"Calm down. Let's see here. With her karma points, she had gotten a first-class ticket to the afterlife long before you came here."

I calmed down a bit, "I see. So, she passed. She... didn't suffer, right?" I asked.

"No." The officer replied curtly and closed granny's file. Telling me about her situation in the mortal world was already career-ending for him, not to mention telling me about granny's situation in the afterlife.

"Now. To deal with you." The officer said. "Unfortunately, as your time hasn't come yet, we couldn't tally your karma points here and have to send you back to the mortal world."

He had a scheming look on his face, but I ignored it as my mind was focused on another matter.

"So... I'll live?" I asked, a bit dissatisfied.

"You know, usually when people are told they can go back, they get excited. But not you, huh." The officer said sarcastically. "Let's see. Yup. Truck again. What did the

Japanese people do exactly that the truck culture spread even to another afterlife branch?"

The officer took out a pen and started to scribble at my files.

"I'll remove being crushed by the 14-ton truck and become a roadkill...to swerve your bike and avoid the truck. You will live without remembering what happened here. You

also won't feel discombobulated as the afterlife energy will help you settle down in the mortal world for a short grace period."

"Do I have a choice?" I asked.

"None." The officer replied sternly.

"Let's go to your station." The officer said and brought me to the train boarding line.

Instead of a white train, a red train was waiting for me there.

"This looks ominous," I said, and as I looked around, I discovered I was the only one there.

"We didn't usually send people back, so I pulled this train from another line to get you home." The officer said.

I boarded the train and sat by the window. The officer stood nearby to talk to me.

"As you've stepped foot in both the afterlife and the purgatory, you may find something extra in your life when you get back." The officer said with a smirk.

"You are giving a system?" I asked teasingly.

"What's a system?" The officer asked, intrigued.

"Nothing. By the way, I never caught your name?"

"Me? I'm..." The train horn bellowed, so I couldn't hear the middle part, but I heard the last part, "...the grim reaper."

....

Omniscient POV.

The train started to move and disappeared from the station. The grim reaper took his last puff of cigarette before he turned back. An armored angel was standing there as he turned.

"Why did you do it?" The female angel asked.

"Do what?" The officer asked innocently.

"You sent him to another world!!" The female officer grabbed the man's coat and lifted him up.

The male officer took a deep puff and said, "It was too late for him. He'd spent time in purgatory for almost 10 years. He can't go back, so I sent him somewhere else."

"You've violated the afterlife code! Do you know what will happen to you?!"

The officer gently removed the female angel's hand.

"I know."

"Not only did you send him to another world, but you also made reborn there. He won't receive his memory till his body is not ready, is not an excuse for your action!"

"For my son, I will gladly spend 1000 years in purgatory as long as he can get the life he always wanted. The life... that I failed to give him." The male officer said as he fixed his collars.

The female angel sighed in defeat and escorted the grim reaper to receive his punishment.

"I already had enough trouble when a first-class soul accidentally transmigrated as the wind. Now, this. I'm sure I will get demoted after this..." She murmured whisperingly.

She sighed in defeat before she realized something. She glared at the grim reaper, "Do you have anything to do with that too? With Mrs. Bella reincarnating as the wind?"

The grim reaper smirked and replied ambiguously, "Who knows."

....

Edward POV.

"Ugh. My head." I muttered as I found myself lying in the streets. However, I found the roads to be unfamiliar from the streets I was at during my accident before.

"Hey, kid, watch where you going."

An old man yelled at me from his car.

Suddenly, my head throbbed in pain and I struggled to collect myself. I staggered a few times and my sight became dim. It took me a minute to get used to the feelings.

"What the ****!" I cursed out loud.

The old man was startled, shook his head and drove off as he noticed I was okay.

"I'm 14?! I am in... California! Seriously?!" I mumbled.

"Nah, nah, that can't be it." I looked around and found a convex mirror usually put in intersections. I looked at my reflection to see that I was really young again.

"Dude, that was sick." Suddenly a voice called me out from behind. I turned and widened my eyes when I saw the familiar-looking kid on a bike talking to me.

"Your skateboard flew into that tree there after you did your trick." Luke Dunphy pointed at the tree nearby. I turned in the direction he'd pointed and saw a skateboard with a skull sticker on its bottom hanging in the tree branch.

"You'd inspired me. I will also fly to the sky after this." The 20 years old Luke said excitedly.

I became alarmed and quickly said,"No, Luke. Don't. The accident really hurt. It wasn't sick at all. It was dangerous and I'd been irresponsible. I probably will never skate again after this."

The boy was stunned by the sudden proclamation. Based on my memory, I was the one who asked him if he wanted to watch a trick before this. For me to backpedal quickly was a bit unexpected for him.

"Luke!". I heard a voice calling for Luke from afar. Both of us turned to look at the caller.

A hot blonde 'milf' with scary eyes was calling for Luke from the street over. She shielded her eyes with her hand as the afternoon sun was glaring.

"Whatever", Luke said, losing his interest as I started to nag like his mom. He put his leg on the pedal and started to cycle back to his house.

I stood there frozen for a while with the same thought nagging.

"Am I in... The Modern Family... TV series... world?"

________________

This is my first time writing a fan-fic and english is my 2nd language so go easy on me.

I will be uploading 3 times a week. Monday - Wednesday - Friday.

And maybe.... Just maybe, an extra chapter on sundays.

See you on monday.🫶🏻

"Now then. What am I... supposed to do here?" I asked myself in confusion. Then, I waited for someone to explain the situation to me. I waited for a while, but the only sound I heard was crows cawing at me from the trees.

Apparently, my skateboard hit close to its nest, so I didn't think I would ever take it back.

"Huh."

i looked to see the crow watching me with vigilance, so I walked away from the tree.

"So, there isn't any system to explain this to me? Also, wasn't I supposed to lose my memories?"

It added to my confusion that I could clearly remember the things from the afterlife and the train station. I took off my skateboard helmet and decided to walk home. I saw the familiar-looking house nearby, with Claire whispering something at Luke while looking at me.

"I wonder what's that about?" I muttered.

"Damn it. Now that I am here, there wasn't a cutscene or anything to put me in perspective of what had just happened.

Cutscene - Claire and Luke.

Claire admonished her son, "What did I tell you, Luke? That thing is dangerous. You should be glad that you didn't fall to the streets. You may break an arm!"

"Sweet!" Luke replied, visibly excited.

"No- no. Not sweet. Dangerous." Claire crouched down and held Luke's arm. "Sweetie, promise me you won't do something like that."

Although reluctant, Luke couldn't object to his mother's wishes. "I promise. Besides, now that he told me it hurts, I will not do the trick...now." Luke said with a slight pause before the last part. Claire didn't notice it and rubbed his hair lovingly.

"Who is he anyway?" Claire asked.

"He goes to the same high school as Alex. His name is... Edward Newwgate." Luke

replied. "It was my first time meeting him, but he's cool."

"Newgate?" Claire asked as she thought about the families around the streets she lived in.

"You mean that Nevwgate who lives in the messy house on the next street. With all of their plants dying and everything?"

Edward POV.

"So, I'm 14.. That's just freaking great *sigh*. In the last year of Franklin Middle school and will be going to high school afterward. Apparently, I am a loner in my school and a weird kid... also, kind of ..dumb."

After I sorted out my memories which were not that many, to begin with, I became exasperated after learning of my new life condition.

Basically, I am an unattended, entitled, a snobbish child that thought he was better than everyone else.

"Growing up as a musical prodigy overblew my ego."

l also have a few memories of meeting Dunphy's daughter's duo, but it wasn't a good one.

The memories confused me for a while.

'Am I Edward Newgate or Edward Franzetti?

The memories came with their feelings, making me doubt my entire existence. I remembered all the things Newgate had gone through, his trauma, his relationship, his love. All of his was also all of mine.

"I think...l am both now." I sighed and shrugged my shoulders.

In this life, I once belonged to a happy family until two years ago. I didn't delve deeper into the memory of the time as I found myself getting harder to breathe.

'Childhood trauma, huh.'

My adult mind quickly comprehended the situation, but I wasn't an expert on this matter to deal with this on my own.

I finally arrived at my home after a short few minutes of walking. I stopped at the front of the grey-bricked suburban house that was in serious condition.

'Damn it. I refuse to accept the condition of my house in the memory, but it is really true?'

"Hmm.. Why the hell did the people here leave this lawn unattended?" I muttered as I stood in front of a detached, two-story suburban home.

The rooftop drain was clogged with leaves and other matter. The tall grass on the front lawn was dying, leaving a desolate, yellow-colored meadow in front of the house. Not to mention some stuff that looked like trash was strewn all over the ground.

I knew that the house wasn't always like this. But after the mother in the house ran away from her family two years ago, the house's condition deteriorated as there was no one to take care of it.

That was also when Edward started to reject everything and everyone around him and became a loner. We have a lot in common in this part, except never had a family, to begin with, and I was never adopted till I was old enough to leave the orphanage on my own.

"I know, right? With some proper care... it will be a beautiful home."

Suddenly, a familiar voice spoke to me.

"System?" I asked while tilting my head.

The man standing behind me was confused, "N- No." He crouched and tapped my shoulder, causing me to turn. "It's me."

I widened my eyes as I looked at the man. Never thought the voice was from Phil Dunphy, the local expert on real estate. The man in the blazer was taller than me and had a kind expression on his face.

"Why are you here?" I blurted out.

It was so sudden that I didn't manage to plan my sentence ahead. I am the type to constantly think about my words before, but Newgate's experience in speaking like an equal to the adults...and looking down on them had left some traces in my existence.

"l am from the open house next door," Phil said, pointing at his signs on the next house.

"My name is Phil Dunphy." Phil said and held his hand out for a handshake.

I grabbed his hand instinctively. He smiled at me and asked, "Are you interested in home care? Mr..."

"Edward." I introduced myself.

"Edward. Nice name. You're in high school?" Phil asked. I then realized that he didn't know that the house was mine. I guess he was bored from the open house and decided to look around.

And now, he found a target to relieve his boredom - me.

"Yes, I am," I answered curtly with a smile. I noticed Phil looked a bit helpless and started scratching his head as he looked at the house.

"You know. This house was once very beautiful. There was a huge ornament on the lawn, but the kid inside it had broken it a few years back," He said and started to reminisce.

"I don't blame Ticky, though. He does his best... in other stuff." Phil muttered. Ticky. I guess that was his nickname for my dad in my new life.

He didn't recognize me being Ticky's son, but l don't blame him. l could barely recognize myself if l looked in the mirror. And damn, I really want to look in the mirror.

Although I was happy to see Phil, the sight of the house put me in a bad mood. I had a bit of a minor OCD growing up. Okay. I am lying. I have a major OCD growing up. It really irritates me now that I have to live in a place like this.

"Mr. Dunphy,." I called.

"Hmm. What is it, Edward?" Phil asked, turning to me.

"Being the local real estate expert in Southern California, do you know how I can fix the problems in this house?" I asked.

"What is this? Are you doing a school project?" Phil asked. "Why did you call me a local expert? I'm..not." Phil said with a smile.

"l saw you on the bus benches before. Aren't you a celebrity realtor?" l asked innocently but was secretly pumping Phil with a feeling of elation.

"Maybe... Just a little bit." Phil replied embarrassingly.

He was excited to be the mentor to the young children. And with me buttering him up with the expert moniker, he graciously explained how to fix the house. I already had the skills. What I needed was information.

Where can I find the tools necessary? The city's intervention in home care. How do I improve several aspects of my lifestyle? Trash pick-up and recycling.

We talked for 15 minutes in front of the dilapidated house. I nodded in agreement with most of what he explained.

"Do you understand now - Wait. Shoot! Don't you need to write about this?"

"Ahh. I do." I exclaimed in sudden realization.

"Go pick up some papers and meet me at the open house. I will stay there till 3 in the afternoons, so I can help you with your assignment." Phil offered.

"Wait. I will be back in a few seconds."

"No rush," Phil said. His smile turned into a poker face and then a sullen face. As he saw I walked into the house, he called a pigsty to grab my things.

"Ahhh," Phil exclaimed in a sudden realization. "That's Ticky's son."

[Phil Commentary]

"The thing is. I don't know.. that he lives here." Phil leaned forward while sitting on his sofa. His face was sullen, and he shook his legs in nervousness. He said sadly, "If only I knew."

[Commentary ends]

Edward POV.

I walked into my house after I unlocked the door with the keys underneath the floor mat.

"Honestly. Newgate was too lax in his safety.'

The musty smell of the wood and unwashed laundry assaulted my nose as I walked in.

The uncleared dishes in the sink and the full trash in the trash can almost make me want to burn down everything in this house and start over someplace else.

Beer bottles were strewn all over the living room. Random socks and underpants were in creative places all over the house. Such as inside the fridge and the toaster.

There was a massive piano in the second living room near the backyard door, certificates of excellence, and trophies in a glass case near the piano.

'Musical Prodigy at 9. Then, Newgate's life starts its downfall.' I thought as I read the certificate label inside the glass case.

As I peeked in the backyard, I wondered if my house was designed to be part of the forest.

I navigated around the messy floor to get to my room on the upper floor of the house.

Some broken steps caused me to stumble, so l need to fix that later.

"Now. Let's see what I look like."

I muttered as I stood in front of a mirror.

A skinny, 1.7 meter in height kid with wavy brown hair and piercing green eyes was staring back at me.

The hair was very Zac Efron in the high school musical. It was long and was combed neatly to the side. I sighed and didn't blame the kid, as the movie's hype was real.

My shirt was an official Led Zeppelin t-shirt, so at least I had great taste in music. I turned to look at the rest of the room.

A few music records were laid on top of my brown bed sheets and blankets. Newgate could handle various instruments, so they were also inside the room with a speaker.

A blood-red electric guitar, drum sets, and also an acoustic guitar. He also has violins and saxophone inside the room.

By the bed, a few Led Zeppelin posters, Iron Man posters, and even Twilight posters were hung on the walls. The first thing I changed in this room was ripping off the Twilight poster, crumpling it into a ball, and throwing it into the garbage bin.

'Luckily, Newgate hung up Bella's poster, not another Edward. Or I will start to question his sexuality."

"And, of course, no books were inside the room," I muttered in frustration.

The date was April 2009, according to the calendar. Summer break would come in late June, so I have to suffer going to a school filled with pre-pubescent hormones- I mean teenagers now.

"Ughh." I groaned and let out a long sigh before I lay facing up on my bed.

"This sucks."

Why do I need to live again? And why did I come here? Many questions were in my mind, but my OCD wouldn't let me think.

"URGH, THE ******* SMELLI!" I gritted my teeth in anger and couldn't hold it in anymore!

I ran all over the house and opened all the windows and doors to lessen the smell.

I took out a pen and a piece of paper before I ran away, leaving my house in a very dangerous state with the door unlocked. However, I am sure that with the current state of the house, even burglars wouldn't dare to enter.

What did I do next? I ran to the house next door where Phil was.

"Edward. I don't mean to be rude." Phil said, loading up for an apology, but I cut him off.

"Can you elaborate? What do you mean that the house will be beautiful with some proper care?" I asked hurriedly.

"Ah, this... Umm... Let's see here. First, you can start by..."

----- END -----

Edward POV.

"So, can you drive me to the grocery store?" I badgered Phil, who had just finished his open house.

"I have to go pick up my daughter after her cello practice, so I don't-"

"What time do you need to pick her up?" I cut him off again.

I knew that Phil had a soft spot for struggling kids. That's why he used to take care of his neighbor's kid before.

He looked quite reluctant before he agreed. I guess he was guilty about badmouthing my house to the owner's face.

He was kind enough to treat me like an equal, and I felt a little bad for manipulating him, but if l needed to stay at that house, I couldn't let the situation there stay the same.

"At 4.30" Phil replied and glanced at his watch.

"That's fine. I will only be there for a few minutes. I need to grab a few things to clean the house. Your advice is great. I can't wait to use it." I buttered him up.

He broke into a smile and said, "Okay. But I will bring my son with me. He loves going to the grocery store."

It was the weekend, so the kids didn't go to school. Incidentally, this was also when my dad had the most jobs, so I couldn't formally meet him until Monday.

"Luke? I just met him earlier."I said.

"Cool. Then I don't have to introduce you guys." Phil said and walked to his car-a Toyota sedan. "Wait. Don't you have to tell your dad about this?" he asked.

"No, it's fine," I answered. "You should pick up Luke first and then stop by. I need to do something first."

Phil looked at the opened-wide door on my house and nodded before he drove away.

Reluctantly, I returned to my house to pick up my money and took out the trash along the way. I peeked at the fridge to see nothing inside. Not even bottled water. The fridge was totally empty, except for some beers.

I checked for my necessities and found out that I was living as if I was inside a camp. "I need a new toothbrush and toothpaste."

Luckily, my dad bought me an iPhone, no doubt as an act to buy my love, as he couldn't be there for me much. I listed the things needed to buy and took some cash from my dad's hiding place. "200 bucks will be enough. I think."

I texted my dad about the expense as I am responsible.

I needed to change my shirt as I was sweating a lot while playing in the streets. I wore a relatively new grey shirt and some jeans after I took a light shower to clean the sweat from my body.

-Dunphy's house.-

"Luke. We're going to the grocery store!" Phil said excitedly as he took off his work blazer. He changed into a collared shirt with a horizontal purple and black pattern.

From upstairs, Luke replied, "Okay. I just need to put on some pants."

With a laundry basket in her hand, Claire showed up in front of Phil as he waited for Luke by the stairs.

"Why?" Claire asked with a suspicious expression. "l just went to the store this morning."

"Nothing. l just need a few things. And | need to get..Alex'ssss..."' Phil stammered and couldn't continue. His head moved as he lengthened his last word, blinking a few times anxiously.

Claire nodded in understanding and didn't continue her interrogation, "Just don't play too much at the massage chair, all right? I don't want you and Luke to be kicked out again."

Phil watched her leave and then breathed a sigh of relief. Luke came down while wearing multiple pants at the same time.

"Luke buddy. That's awesome." Phil laughed as he watched Luke's tight legs.

"If l wear enough pants, it won't hurt when I fall on the floor again," Luke said.

"Yeah, but what about your elbows and your body?" Phil asked. "And your head?"

"Ugh. That's right!" Luke replied.

Claire swooped in like a ninja before the situation worsened. "Luke. Only one pair of pants." She gives a stern look at Phil, "Honey."

Phil avoided her eyes and turned to Luke, "Maybe next time, buddy."

Edward POV

"Hey, you clean up nice." Phil smiled excitedly as he rolled his car windows down. With my hair combed and my face washed, I almost looked like a different guy. Instead of leaving my hair like Zac Efron -with the bangs, I pulled it back and styled it to make it seem less childish.

"Hop in. Let's go." Phil said excitedly.

"Okay." I entered the car and found Luke in the back seat. "Why don't you sit in the front?" l asked curiously.

"Haley won't let me. She will kill me if l do." Luke replied in a childish voice. "Also, is this your house?" Luke asked as he saw the horrible sight. "It looks like a horror mansion." He said excitedly.

"Luke. Don't be rude." Phil interjected.

"No, no, That was exactly what I was going for." I said, as I knew Luke didn't have any bad intentions. "But I couldn't let it stay this way any longer, so burn the sight in your mind before it disappears."

I sat next to Luke in the backseat and pulled the seatbelt. "Nice job, buddy. Safety first."

Phil complimented me.

I couldn't tell him I was afraid of riding in cars, right? That's why I only had a scooter in my previous life. My heart is always palpitates when l'm inside a car, but that feeling didn't transmigrate with me in my new life.

"Thank god." I blurted out, and the feeling of relief washed me over.

"What do you say, buddy?" Phil asked.

"Nothing. Is the grocery store far away?"

"Well be there in 5 minutes."

Quickly, we arrived at the grocery store. Luke and Phil played with the trolley, hitting each other with it while I continuously put some stuff inside it.

"I need eggs, flour, cooking oil, and milk," I muttered as I finished taking care of my necessities. A new towel, some fresh produce, and many cleaning utensils. Phil stood before the Uncle ben' cookie section and yelled, "Noo. Uncle Ben!"

I played along, "Peter..Remember..With great power..."

Phil continued, "Comes with a great electricity bill."

"Hahaha. Dad.. that's gold." Luke guffawed Loudly at the side. Even I chuckled a bit at the joke.

After a short time, put the stuff in the trolley.

"Buddy, you're sure about this? That's a lot of stuff." Phil asked as the trolley was half full.

"Yeah. I've been calculating the price in my mind. I think I will still have 1.79$ (One dollar 79 cents) after I finish."

"Wait. You can calculate in your mind?" Luke asked, his impression of me seemingly becoming much better.

"Yeah, buddy. Are you sure? There is also a tax factor..." Phil said he, too, was Impressed. Not by my mathematical skill but by my commitment to calculating the entire time I'm shopping.

"Also, 1.79$? Are you sure? That's very specific." Phil asked challengingly.

"Want to bet?" I smirked.

Phil smiled and nodded slightly before he answered, "Okay. If you're correct, I will give you.. this hat." He pulled out a funny-looking hat from the counter and put it on his head. It was a white fedora with a big fake diamond on it, or at least I think it was a diamond.

"Not that. If I am right, then buy me some soda." I said, not wanting much. "No hat?"

Phil reluctantly said.

"No," I replied decisively. We got to the cashier, and he started to scan my items, "Come on. Come on." Phil muttered as be watched the price getting nearer and nearer to the target.

"198 is the mark," Phil muttered. Even Luke started to chant beside Phil. The duo was really similar to each other.

Cashier: Final price is 199.71$

"OWH! SO CLOSE!" Phil exclaimed. "Better luck next time, buddy. You only have a balance of 29 cents now."

"Wait. You need to minus 1.5$ from my total." I said. "Add that to my balance, and it will be 1.79$. So, I am right."

"Buddy, it doesn't matter if you're wrong. As long as you bring enough money." Phil tried to comfort me, thinking that I really wanted the soda. Inwardly, he planned to go to a drive-through after this to buy some sodas and some food for us.

"That's not it. 1.5 $ cause of the candy bar Luke put in the trolley as he thought no one would notice." I said. Luke widened his eyes while Phil stared at him. "Luke. Is it true?"

"What? Aren't we going grocery shopping? Mom always buys me a candy bar after."

Luke gave excuses as he started to rummage through the plastic bags to get his candy bar out. He played the situation innocently in front of his father, who almost got fooled.

Yeah. But you do it without asking. I can buy you a candy bar. You don't have to hide it from me." Phil said.

It didn't bother me as it was only a candy, so before Phil scolded Luke, I interjected, "It's okay. Consider it a payment for him."

"That'll work," Luke said hurriedly.

"Payment for what?" Phil asked.

Phil and I walked side by side in the parking lot to get to his Toyota. Struggling a few meters behind us was Luke carrying all the bags alone.

"l shouldn't have agreed to do it. Ahh!" Luke groaned as he stepped briskly toward the Car.

"Come on, buddy, just a few more steps." Phil encouraged him as he opened up the car bonnet. "I will never take a job from you again," Luke said angrily. I chuckled and said, "Really? Not even if the job is to eat cake?"

Luke became stunned and fell into deep contemplation. I chuckled and entered the car first.

"Oh shoot. We have to pick up Alex" Phil looked at his car clock and said hurriedly.

Luke entered the car and shut the door.

"We shouldn't have done the massage chair, Luke!" Phil said anxiously.

The grocery stuff took only 20 minutes, and I knew what to buy. The rest of the time, Phil and Luke mess around in the grocery store.

Phil quickly exited the parking lot, "Edward, I will get you your soda later."

"it's okay." I replied.

"What about me?" Luke asked, wanting some soda, too, especially after the heavy work he'd just done.

"You already have your candy bar." | teased him. He sulked on his seat and crossed his arms. I patted his head and let out a laugh.

We arrived at Alex's music teacher's house in 20 minutes. Alex was already standing outside with her cello bag on the ground.

"'Shoot. She looks angry." Phil said. He tried to take off his seatbelt, but it was stuck as he pulled on it too fast. "No, no, no." He muttered.

"Let me help Mr. Dunphy." I offered.

Phil was still struggling with his seatbelt. "Thank you, but l just need a fev niau tes to

take this off-"

While he said that, I was already outside of the car.

"What?" Phil mumbled as he watched me walk toward Alex with widened eyes.

"Hi. Alex Dunphy, right?" I asked, pretending that I didn't know her.

A bit stunned by the sudden development, Alex crossed her arms and asked me in a guarded tone, "Newgate, right? Why did you come out of my dad's car?"

She did her hair in a ponytail and wore a long-sleeved yellow shirt. Her rectangular glasses really framed her face. She looked a bit older than the actress playing her in season 1. If compared, she was similar to the season 3 Alex right now.

"Your dad took me to the grocery store. You play the cello?" I asked as l helped her pick up the giant instrument.

"Why did he take you to the grocery store?" Alex squinted her eyes, even confused now. I smiled at her and opened up the back of the car.

"Cause he is a kind man,"I replied and helped her load up the cello. The cello's giant size almost squashes my produce goods, but I don't care much about it. Food is food. It didn't matter if it was squashed.

Alex walked to the front seat next to the driver and asked Phil hurriedly, but in a

whisper, "Why is he here?"

"He asked me for a favor. So, I helped him." Phil replied.

"You know he is a problem kid, right? Always late to class. Always absent. Rude." Alex complained.

"Really? But he is smart, though?" Phil asked, confused.

"Smart? What do you mean by smart? He is as dumb as Haley and Luke." Alex said while rolling her eyes. "If he is smart, that means Haley is also smart."

I entered the car during their argument without them noticing. "Mr. Dunphy, it's done," said after watching them argue for a while.

"When did you get in?" Phil asked in shock.

"For a while now." Luke said while laughing.

"Also, Alex, I'm sorry I was rude to you before in school," I said sincerely.

"Whatever." Alex crossed her arms and looked forward in the car to ignore me.

Apparently, the previous me and she had crossed paths a few times in middle school.

Inside the car, Phil suddenly offered, "I will drop Alex off at the house, and then... we will go to your house. Luke and I will help you clean it up."

I saw the clock, and it was almost 5 in the evening. "No need Phil. The deal was to bring me to the store. I am thankful for the offer, but I think you should go and rest."

He has work today, so l didn't want to bother him anymore. He insisted, but I declined politely.

"Okay. If you are sure." Phil said, a bit sad. He liked spending time with Edward and didn't want it to end as he didn't know when was the next time he could do that again.

Alex rolled her eyes aside as she thought her dad wanted to play with the neighborhood kid.

We arrived in front of my god-forsaken house in no time.

"You live in this dump? It suits you." Alex said sarcastically. She didn't come out of the car even when Luke and Phil were helping me bring the groceries inside. I leaned next to her and she rolled down her windows slightly to talk... or mock.

"Come by a week later. Your dad taught me some stuff I will use to change this dump to a liveable place." I said, wanting to have a cigarette in my hand.

"Why would I ever come to your house?" Alex mocked.

"That's...true." I agreed.

I could handle speaking casually to Alex and the Dunphy because of their influence on me in my previous life. Although l'd entered their world, it's not like l was suddenly a part of their life.

The reason why I was so comfortable with them was the familiarity they exuded in my very being. Maybe the stress of transmigration...or maybe reincarnation was too much that I hid the insecurity and intrusive thoughts by being with my comfort characters.

I was also feeling a bit complicated inside -now that they were no longer actors and actresses that were acting, what should I think of them then. Will they still be a sitcom cast that I love, or my opinions on them would change once I saw things that weren't following the sitcom's character sheets?

'I do wish life would no longer be complicated in this one. But it's impossible, huh.' I thought.

Alex was taken aback as I agreed with her words, and the silence was suffocating her.

She thought that I was hurt by her sarcastic remarks and insults.

The socially awkward teenager started to get anxious and wanted to make amends.

She tapped on the window to call me, but I ignored her as I noticed Phil and Luke were done putting the stuff inside the house.

I turned to Alex before I walked to my house.

"By the way, Alex."

"What?"

"You're even cuter now."

I flashed a charming smile as I said that. She was flabbergasted and decided to call me names, but l'd already moved away from the car.

It's true, though. She was even cuter than in the tv series. Although similar to their actors and actresses, she and Luke also gained Claire and Phil's physical characteristics in the real world.

I guess that makes sense because if they didn't look similar, people would've wondered if Claire cheated on Phil to get their children or adopt them from somewhere.

"Remember. The recycling truck will come tomorrow, and the garbage truck on Monday and Thursday." Phil reminded me before he left.

I wanted to know when I would get the chance to meet them again.

Back in the house, I wore an apron, rubber gloves, and a hair protector, and I held a big trash bag in my left hand while facing my worst enemy, the messy house.

"Let's do." I put on my playlist, or the previous Edward albums records, and lost myself in cleaning the house. The liquor bottles in front of the TV, vacuuming the sofa and sucking up all the Doritos fallen to its crack, dusting the ceiling fan, arranging the magazines, and just cleaning for hours.

*grulululu* (A/N: Sound effect lol)

My stomach let out a grumble as I continued cleaning the house non-stop. I was putting the laundry in the dryers when it happened.

"It's 9 o'clock. I should make some dinner." I muttered as l walked to the now clean kitchen. I opened the fridge and took out a steamed rice pack before putting it in the oven. I sliced some bacon and sausages before I prepared the onions, garlic, chilies, and other ingredients for fried rice. I blend all the mix together to create the seasoning.

When the pan was hot enough, I poured a little oil and started to fry the onion mix.

After a while, a long-ost smell of homemade cooking began filling the house's air, pushing the musty wood smell away. I put the bacon and the sausages and fried them together with the onion mix before I put in the rice.

To top it off, I fried an egg and placed it on top of my fried rice.

"Uhh..Lacking." I muttered in dissatisfaction as I continued eating. After filling my stomach, I resume my work in cleaning the house. It took until 11 when I was satisfied enough to make this a place to stay for a night.

"l will continue cleaning the house, the backyard, and the front yard tomorrow," I muttered as I fell asleep on top of a fresh bed sheet l just took out from the dryer.

3rd party POV.

Stopping at the front door of the Newgate house, a tall, tanned man in a ship's captain outfit staggered drunkenly as he unlocked the door. Edward's father finally came home after working for the entire day. His work as a cruise ship captain didn't allow him to spend much time with his son, even if he wanted to.

"What? Did...Edward hired a cleaning lady?" Ted Newgate rubbed his eyes as he saw the clean interior as he walked in. He double-checked to ensure he was in the right house and was greatly confused by the situation. Before he slept, he walked to the kitchen to get a can of beer.

As he approached the kitchen, he saw a plate wrapped in tin foil on the kitchen counter.

"Is that for me?" He asked.

His son was already asleep, so he couldn't get an answer. He took the plate and sat on the dinner table before opening it up. There, a still-warm plateful of fried rice was waiting for him. He took a spoonful of a bite and sat quietly as he ate the dish.

-Dunphy's house. Kitchen-

"So, you took him shopping?" Claire interrogated Phil after AlexX reported that Phil was spending time with a strange boy to her.

"Yes.. You know their family condition. He reached out to me. How Could I say no?" Phil defended himself. Although he did something nice, he still felt guilty when Claire asked him. He didn't know why.

"Okay, Phil. Calm down." Claire said reassuringly. "I am not mad. He didn't use your money or buy any dangerous stuff, right? Then.it's fine."

"Really?" Phil asked. "Also. He's a very smart kid. He can do long and complete calculations in his mind."

"No, no. Alex said he is dumb." Claire objected.

"Maybe he just didn't try before this. Cause.you know, his mother ran away and everything. Now that he is more mature, I guess he wants to change his life. I want to be there to support him, He can add the grocery price and also factor in the tax, Claire! He is talented."

"That's great, but are you the perfect person for that?" Claire replied with unconvinced eyes while sipping her cup of tea.

A few meters away by the living room, Alex was reading a book while Haley was texting on her phone. Luke was sitting on the floor to watch tv.

Suddenly, Alex turned to Haley and asked, "When a boy tells you, 'you're even cuter now.' what does that mean?"

Haley replied without looking up from her phone and being interested, "It means he already thought I was cute before this. And even more so now. Also, don't talk to me."

"Oh," Alex exclaimed before she hid her face in the book.

----- END -----