The next hour proceeds in our usual Sunday festivities: Tess, Alex and Simone have all gathered in my room, popping Tootsie Rolls in their mouths and slapping new photos of the brothers onto the bed as we continue in our weekly habit of studying everything Evans. But this week's finds are very disappointing.
Alex looks over the new content and frowns, tossing an artificially straight blonde lock of hair to the side and stating exactly what I've kept to myself: "Um, Tess? Half of these are yearbook pictures."
Tess straightens indignantly, fixing her grey eyes on her accuser. "Um, Alex? These are the failed shots. The ones they took of them before the officials." Smirking, she yanks a few more from her purse. "Also known as the best we've found yet. Observe: Maddox, age seven."
It's only when she plops down Maddox that I'm completely taken off-guard. He's laughing, two front teeth missing, one hand in his hair.
The years following fade into smirks, but here, he is truly happy.
I have to say something. "Tess, this... where did..." but of course she isn't going to tell me; we have a strict show, don't tell policy to prevent shameful stories of how we acquired photographs.
She chuckles. "I got Luke's, too." Then she smacks the next series down, and 10-year-old Luke gazes at us with big eyes and an ethereal smile that fades by the next month.
"Also," Tess starts again, "I've got his shoe size."
Immediately, Simone yanks a poster down from the wall, exposing the charts we've chalked for all the brothers: height,birthday, and shoe size. Beside Maddox's height (5'10") and birthday (April 9th, 1998), she raises the chalk to the only empty box. "What is it?"
"Fourteen. He wears a freaking fourteen."
As Simone chalks it down, Alex leans closer to me, giggling. "Pssst, Raven. You know what they say about guys with big feet-"
"Oh, shut up!" She winks at me and I throw a pillow at her, knocking her off the bed. "Shut up, seriously, I-"
Simone bursts out laughing "Look, we all know you've got it bad for Mad, Raven. Anyone can-"
"Shut up!" I toss a pillow at her, but she dodges, and collapses beside me on the bed, looking over the pictures closely. "Looking at them before the smiles died?"
"Pfft, aren't we all?" She sits back up, sighing at Luke. "I just... I wish we knew..."
We all do, but this is the first time any of us has admitted to it: We all want to know what changed them.
But soon enough, the group disbands, and I'm left alone in my room again.
YOU ARE READING
The Black Sheep
Teen FictionThere is a group of brothers living in a quiet house in a quiet suburban neighborhood whom all the neighborhood girls are obsessed with. Nobody knows anything about them except that they're sheltered by their oppressively religious parents... and th...
