We're a Family

(39) We're Sisters

Ali's POV

"Where is that girl?" I say to myself checking the time on my phone. "JJ's never late on pancake day."

"She's never late any day." corrects Ashlyn while adding sugar to her coffee. "Her mothers would kill her."

"They'd also kill her for just disappearing." I add with a sigh. Julie's been a lot more risky lately with her behavior and it's bothering me. Everyone knows I am on that kid's side no matter what she does but she's starting to make it difficult. I mean how can I condone her just leaving to explore a foreign country without letting anyone that stayed here know? Ash nudges my arm so I look over at her.

"Jay's here." she says not looking up from her eggs. "She just walked in with Mal." I look over at the food table before mumbling a quick thanks to Ash. I get up and make my way to the young blonde.

"Hey J Bug." I smile hugging her from behind. "Will you sit with Ash and I today? I need to talk to you." She nods her head and scoops up a few more pieces of fruit with the scoop before putting it down and moving to the eggs. "Make sure you show your Mama your plate once you get everything you want. You know how she is."

She sighs, "I know Aunt Ali." My face falls some at her attitude but I push away my feelings and press a kiss to her cheek before leaving her alone and going back to my food. I push around my pancakes while I think. She's never like that with me. I feel Ashlyn looking at me so I look up at her.

"Ali you've got to chill out." she tells me. "You're freaking me out with all your fidgeting." 

"Sorry Ash." I say absentmindedly pushing my hashbrowns around with my fork. "JJ is acting weird."

"Maybe something's up. You should ask her," Ashlyn says taking a bite of her eggs.

My grip on my fork tightens. I sigh. "She's usually so open with me." She opens her mouth to speak. No words come out, because JJ plops into the seat beside me. Ashlyn takes a sip of her coffee and goes back to eating.

"Aunt Ali before you scold me for yesterday I'm sor-"

"Jay shh." I say cutting her off. "What you did was not okay. You just got in trouble last camp for running off and I defended you but you did it again. Julie Beth when is this going to stop?" She looks at me nervously and shocked because I used her middle name which I never do. 

She looks down at her plate, "It won't happen again."

I look at her sadly because she's afraid, "Thank you love." I lean over to her and kiss her forehead. "Eat your breakfast."

-later-

Christen's POV

The bar clangs as I put it back on the rack. I wipe the sweat from my forehead and sit up. Alex hands me my water. "Thanks," I mutter taking big sips. Alex and I were lifting in the fitness room. We wanted to get a session today since we were gonna be training tomorrow.

Before we start another rep, Tobin opens the door while stalling a ball on her foot. She looks up and spots us. She throws the ball to her hands and holds it up to show me and Alex. "Soccer tennis?" She asks with a cheeky grin.

"Sorry Tobs but we're not done yet." I tell her laying back on the bench to go again.

"We only had one rep left," Alex says already heading out with Tobin and leaving me on the bench. I sigh and sit back up. She never likes to go all the way through a workout. I grab my almost empty water bottle and go after them so I don't have to be in here all by myself.

We go to the gym across the hall where Mal, Julie, and Morgan are setting up a net. I try to help Mal, but she turns and puts her body between me and what she's doing so I can't see. Well that makes me feel good. She also acted this way during breakfast. She didn't listen to me when I told her to do something. When I got onto her, it seemed to go right over her head. I push my thoughts away and try to focus on what we're doing now. Once we figure out how to set it up, we get the game going.

Tobin, Mal, and Morgan are on one team. The other group is Alex, Julie, and I. We get to serve the ball first. It travels back and forth. I start out kind of rusty since I haven't touched a ball since I got off the plane. I finally get back in the swing of things and my touches connect with the other two.

I'm not completely focused though. I can't keep my eyes off my youngest sister. Mal has been acting stranger and stranger towards me. She doesn't like to spend a lot of time around me. It's like she's trying to avoid me. Considering the fact we don't share a room, I didn't expect us to be glued to the hip, but I at least thought she'd still want to hang out. I miss our one on one time.

We take a break after the first game. Mal sits on one of the benches and pulls out her phone. I go to the vending machine off to the side and get two bottles of water. "Hey Mally!" I call grabbing her attention."Have some water! Catch!"

I get ready to throw it but stop my motion when she says, "I'm good."

I stare at her caught off gaurd. "Mal, drink. You don't want to get dehydrated." I walk to her and set the plastic bottle beside her finally making her look up.