Annalise

Ricky, Noah, and Asher: Part 2

My steps smacked against the concrete and halted once I reached my destination. Ricky's hand was extended out to Annalise who now had her weight settled upon her elbows as she stared up from the ground. The dried blood staining her ripped jeans were unmistakable to the eyes.

Her eyes spotted Ricky before me.

"Are you ok?" He asked her with no hesistation. "Let me help you."

Her eyes widened in panic as she sunk more against the ground. "W-Who.. I-I don't know you."

I jumped into action and grabbed her elbow, lifting her up and examining her for any other injuries. "It's ok, he's my friend. What happened?" I questioned softly, watching as tears surfed their way down her cheeks.

She sucked a deep breath in before releasing a string of shaky, struttering words, "I-I was at s-school... and and--"

A shadow loomed over the three of us, blocking the sun from meeting our skin.

"Jeez, who's this mess?" Noah's disapproving voice sounded from behind us.

"Shut up," Ricky growled in reponse.

Ignoring the both of them, I dug my keys out my pocket and rushed up to my front door with Annalise, several steps chasing after my own. I wasted no time helping her to get to the couch, she plopped down once we stumbled there.

Before anything could be said out in the open, I shouted out, "Father are you home!?" Knowing full well he probably wasn't, most of time, day and night, he was working.

And mom was at school.

"You know daddy isn't here," Annalise sniffled.

"Is this your baby cousin?" Noah spoke soon after, and when I located him with my eyes, I found him casually laying down on the couch near the window spilling light.

Ricky, who was beside me, glared at our mannerless friend.

"Sister," I gritted out through my clenched teeth.

"You never told us you had a baby sister," Noah slyly grinned, briefly judging Annalise with his eyes.

Confusion washed over her face as she questioned why he was saying the word baby the way he did, but before more thought could go into it, I responded.

"Yes, my younger twin sister," I concluded, paying my attention back on to her.

"I can't believe you have a twin and didn't tell us," Ricky said, shocked at the information.

"Yeah, well, we never talk about our family with each other, so that's why."

I looked back at the two knees that were cut open in front of me. "How did this happen, Anna?"

She quickly met my line of sight and muttered words. I looked at Ricky with my brows furrowed in confusion, he just rose one of his brows in return, not knowing too.

"Can you speak English and project your words louder? I'm curious to why your blubbering like a newborn baby," Noah demands, slicing through the silence.

I shot a death glare at his scrawny little body, only praying for a time I can throttle his throat.

"You better shut the fuck up, Noah. That isn't funny and I mean it," Ricky warns perilously, his voice sounding strangely deep.

Puberty was coming early for someone.

Noah's lips were sealed with invisible glue as he glanced away from Ricky's daring eyes, he shifted on the couch and scoffed. During the same time, Annalise was gasping at the curse falling from his lips.