***
I woke around dawn and instead of going on my normal morning run I looked through the house. Leo had the bedroom next to mine on the right and Art’s bedroom was next to mine on the left, walking down the small hallway left of my room I found Mikey’s room. The house was a two storey mansion. Our bedrooms were all situated around the boys main living space, the lounge room was designed with dark colours and the walls were a light cream colour.
Nik and Jake’s room were down another hallway to the right of the house. Dad’s room was upstairs, it was bigger than mine and Leo’s room combined it had a joining bathroom with It and closet. Next to dad’s room was a study and next to that was a library. I couldn’t believe my eyes at the amount of books that were stored here; it ranged from children’s books to fiction to travel to anything. It was amazing; I knew I would be spending time in that room from now on.
By the time I got to look downstairs I could hear people start to wake so I went to the kitchen and cooked bacon and eggs, enough for the whole family. Family, that’s one thing mum and I didn’t have. Sure we had each other but we never got along, we would fight like five year olds over a new object and as mum and I were mainly the same size it would be her shoe collection, most of the time.
Breakfast was ready by the time the boys came downstairs, Dad was up first shortly followed by Leo. Then the twins and then Nik and Jake. I sat there eating quietly while the boys were talking about the up-coming day and weekend.
With thank you kisses and hugs from everyone, they went upstairs to change. The boys came down with wet hair and their uniforms on and I couldn’t help but scold them.
“Dry your hair.”
“Why?”
“Because I said so, now go dry your hair. Do you want to catch a cold?” I asked, my motherly nature coming out seeing as these boys had been brought up by dad. Dad is what you could call a man’s man, he got the dirty work done and looked good doing it. Dad worked from home so there were people walking through the house all hours of the day but today he promised me we could work on something together.
I was still contemplating what to do today when Art, Leo and Mikey came down the stairs with dry hair. “Much better”
Before they got up I had made lunch for them along with some big muffin’s that I gave them when going out the door. I got goodbye kisses from all my brothers and a wave and have a good day from Nik. Jake was out of sight and I looked downstairs for something to do.
I was walking around aimlessly for about half an hour before I found the indoor pool. Running upstairs to my room I changed and ran to the pool with a towel and flip-flops on.
The day seemed to pass quickly and I grew bored, I wish one of the boys had stayed home with me. Dad was a help, we talked about all the things I had missed and he seemed impressed by my MMA fighting skills. We were in the downstairs gym for about an hour before the boys got home, they walked in and their expressions changed when they saw dad and me. I had just finished running at top speed on the walker thing for about half an hour while dad finished work and now I was fighting dad, hand to hand combat.
The boys stood there a mixture of worry, and awe on their faces. Leo was the one to break it up, I went to my room to change and I started on dinner. Lasagne was one of my favourite meals to cook so I made that, we ate and the boys told me stuff about their school while I sat there taking it in. Leo, Nik and Mikey did the dishes, they even wore the cute little apron I wear when I cook, and the funny thing is its bright pink and was already here when I got here.
I got along fine with everyone but I seemed to get along with Leo the most, he was the big brother I had always wanted and felt like I had been missing.
“Leo…” I asked on our way up to our rooms.
“Yea?”
“Do you feel it? I mean I felt like we have known each other our whole lives and now when I’m with you guys I fell… well not whole but full? Do you get what I mean?” I asked in a questioning tone, hopefully trying to convey my thinking.
“Yea, I feel it too. I was always the odd one out with Art and Mikey. I guess as they had their twin and I didn’t. I wish I got to know you when we were littler, we would know each other better now but we have all the time for that later. Night” he said and placed a kiss on my forehead then turned and retired into his room. I was so tired by the time I had a shower and brushed my teeth I collapsed on my bed and was asleep instantly.
On Saturday’s I don’t get up till 6, but seeing as that is the same time as the boys get up I got up at 5.30 and cooked croissants for breakfast. It was almost the same as yesterday but today Leo was up first then dad.
“Morning Princess!” dad said as he kissed my forehead. I was getting more kisses from these boys then I had got in my lifetime, I couldn’t help but feel I belonged here. “Of course you belong here Sweetie.”
“I didn’t say anything…” I was confused I thought it but didn’t voice my opinion.
“… Your ugh, face, it looked like you were thinking about… it… “Dad said obviously trying to blow it over.
“Whatever” I said as I put breakfast down on the table.
“So. Today were going to show you around and you can hang with us for a while” Leo said as he put his plate in the sink.
“Okay, let me change!” with that I ran upstairs to my room and did my normal routine. Leo was waiting outside my room with Art and Mikey. “Were going into town, you can bowel right?” he asked.
“I think, I’ve only ever don’t it once or twice with mum.” I said in a small voice trying to trick them, I had gone bowling with my friends before and I got a perfect score, after that I liked to bowel for the fun of it.
“Well, they day’s a waiting.” Art said as he turned to go down to the garage.
“I call shotgun!” I called as I ran down the stairs at an impossible speed and into the garage, Jake was already hanging half out of one of the cars, he stepped out from the car with a smile and helped me into the Jeep that was almost up to my waist. Sitting waiting for the boys I honked the horn to show them my impatience. “HURRY UP!” I called as I honked it again.
With smiles on their faces they jumped into the car and we were off. The house was a fair drive away from town but I sat in my seat practically bouncing till I saw the first part of town. We had gotten out to get something to eat and stopped at a McDonalds. The boys were pigs and got almost everything on the menu while I only got an Oreo McFlurry. I could live on those things.
We walked to the bowling alley from here and once we got there I soon found it out to be a main hang out place for teenagers. There were huge crowds around the place, the boy’s pain and got my shoes while I typed in the names, Putting it in age order Leo was first, then Art, Mikey and then me. Other’s come and hangs around the boys while I was getting my ball.
“Excuse me.” I said but no one moved. “Can you move?” I asked again but no luck getting mad I tried to push my way through but also no luck finial I got mad and shouted, “OI, MOVE IT” over the crown they parted for me while my brothers had knowing smirks on their faces. “Thanks” I said in a sweet voice while I put my ball down and Leo took his go.
He got a split, everyone behind me were trying to give him advice while I just laughed. “No pressure, Bro” I called out to him with a smile and he just shook his head. He got the 10th pin just before it went into the gutter. Art took his go next and he got a spare then Mikey had a go and got a strike.
I got up from my seat and pretended to walk nervously towards the ball holder. I picked up my fluoro pink ball and walked towards the line. With a flick of my wrist the ball was flying down the middle and I got a strike. Jumping up I said “Look I knocked them all down!” the boys rolled their eyes and I pretended to be happy. We were almost finished our game and I had gotten strike after strike. The boys seemed to look at me from the corner of their eyes with knowing smirks on their faces. It was my last go; I got my ball and bowled it towards the pins, strike! I got another strike and it made my score 300. The boys were all looking at me funnily.
“I used to practically live at the bowling alley I worked at; if I wasn’t working I was bowling.” I confessed with a sheepish smile. “Tricked ya!” I shouted as I went to go collect the results from the front desk.
“Wow, that Do was something. Tell him to sign up for the team.” The old man behind the counter said as he looked at the results sheet.
“No I don’t think I will. As you already told HER” I said and he looked at me with confusion. “I used to work at a bowling alley, I know how to get 300.” I explained and we left.
“I didn’t know you were that good” Leo said as he flung his arm over my shoulder and we walked down the street to the mall for some food as we were in the bowling alley for most of the day.
“That’s the point! I’m just full of surprises” I said in a sweet tone and they all looked at me weirdly before we laughed. The mall was pretty big but nowhere near the size of the one back home. There was an ice cream place and we got some. I got the mint madness with wicked choc and sprinkles on a Sunday. Leo got the same without sprinkles and Art got strawberry while Mikey got just chocolate. Although they were twins they were completely different.
We walked aimlessly around the mall for an hour or so and as we walked the boys got flirtatious winks and waves and I wanted to gag. We sat down by the lake that was out the back of the mall and ate our ice-cream. Girls would stop by and glare at me while talking to Art, Leo or Mikey. I finial got enough of the daggers I was getting sent I voiced my opinion with the last girl.
“Look if you have a problem with me, say something about it not try to stare me down.” I said.
“Well maybe if you went acting like a slut then you could see no one like you.” She said as sneer, I just smiled at her.
“Leo can we go home?” I ask in a small voice trying to act like a pouty child. “I don’t feel so good.”
“Sure, come on guys.” We left and the fake blonde that was hanging on Mikey’s every word was just staring at me with wide eyes and her mouth open. I ran back and shut her mouth before I whispered. “Family over sluts!” in her ear. She dropped her mouth once again and I just walked away.
“Leo… Can I have a piggy back rise?” I asked in a childish voice.
“Get on…” he sighed and I laughed at his expression. I snuggled into his back before whispering “I’m glad I finally have you guys.”
The trip home was longer than the trip up, I got bored and started playing with the radio, Coldplay- Every teardrop is a waterfall, came on and I started to rock from side to side as the boys looked at me weirdly.
Turn the music up
I got my records on,
I hadn’t noticed till the music stopped that we were home. Leo laughed at me as I got out with a pout as my music stopped. Dad was inside the door to the garage and he told me he got pizza. I ran to the kitchen before the boys and got a large hawiin to myself. I was sitting at the table eating it when they came in and laughed at me. Nik tried to get a piece of my pizza and I smacked his hand.
“You ask first.” I said hiding my mouth so I don’t show them the mushed up pizza.
“Can I have a piece?” he asked. I just shook my head.
“Nope” I said popping the ‘p.’ the guys laughed at me and I just sat there and ate the whole pizza besides the ends. Leo took them off my plate and ate them and I just smiled. It’s cool having a twin.
I went to bed early tired form all the walking I did today. Leo and I were talking in my room for hours about just about anything, from my school to mum. Around 12 we went to sleep with my feet shoved in Leo’s face and his feet shoved under one of my pillows.
***
We woke up the next morning in the same position. I laughed quietly, before walking into Leo’s room and got a green day shirt from his closet and walked back into my room. I found some black skinny jeans in the back of the room and pulled them out. I took a shower before I went downstairs and made some French toast and left it on the table for the guys to eat. Making my way towards the Library with toast in hand I open the door to complete silence. Bliss like I had never known.
I walked through the collection of books and stopped when I got to the end. There were too many books to choose from so I grabbed a book at random, it was Moby Dick. I had read this bored but I liked this book so I wanted to read it again.
I had gotten along way through the book when Art walked in; he had a smile across his face when he saw me.
“Hey Art.” I said as I closed the book.
“Hi Do. What are you reading?”
“Moby Dick”
“I haven’t gotten around to reading that one yet. Is it good so far?”
“I had already read it, seems pretty good to me.” I said in a laugh as I put the book back. Art and I talked about books and classes and everything. It seems I got a little bit extra of everything, a large bit of Leo, a bit of Art and I hope a lot of Mikey.
I had always like pulling pranks on my friends before and if so we would get along finely.
“I’m going to go see what Mikey is up to.” I said as I got off the warm chair near a window in the library. “See you later”
“Yeah bye” he said already engrossed in his book. I walked around for a while before I came to the kitchen. Mikey had his head in the fridge and his bottom sticking out. He didn’t see me so I grabbed a tea towel from the sink and whipped him with it. He hit his head on the top of the fridge and I couldn’t help but laugh at his idiocy.
“Hey, what was that for?” he asked as I had tears running down my cheeks. Whatever he had been waiting was now smeared down his shirt and he looked quite funny.
“Got Ya!” I shouted as I ran out the room and out the back. I ran around the house before entering the front door and running to my room. Mikey was chasing me and he got me just before I could get in my room. His hands grabbed me by the waste as he pulled me downstairs and into the pool room. I clung to him while he tried to push me in without going in as well. I took a breath as I pulled him in with me, we ended up swimming in our clothes for a while talking.
It was about 5 when we got out, I ran to my room showered and got in my warm winter pj’s. Walking downstairs I got out some stake from the fridge and cooked it, the boys walked it and I told them I was only cooking it till it was rare. If they wanted it more than they do it themselves. I made salad to go along with the meat and we sat and sat. Jake and I got into a conversation about school tomorrow and I was dredging to go. Dad said he would let us go and Leo could figure it out for me. I was happy when we all went into the lounge room and watched a movie.
I fell asleep halfway through it and I remember getting dragged to bed by someone before a kiss to the forehead. “Sleep tight” I was out like a light when my head hit the pillow.