Tyler Gray
She hugged me tightly, making me roll my eyes at her childishness. I can never understand why she always likes to hug me. I waited for her to release me, but I realized that the years never actually changed her. Even when we were kids, she would never let me go and I'd have to forcefully remove her from me.
Sighing, I untangled her arms from around my neck, surprised to find it easier now than it was before. Must be because of puberty. Girls are inferior to males in the measures of strength. But my sister Naomi can pack one hell of a punch when she's unconscious.
Alice smiled brightly at me. Her hair was waist-long, her figure more feminine, she grew taller, but I estimated her a few inches smaller than Naomi. I noticed that she now has boobs. It was quite a surprise. I've always thought she'd grow up into a flat-chested woman who's an expert at following people around. But her front was a C, from what I can tell.
"What are you looking at?" she asked.
"Since when did you get those?"
She glanced down. "I don't know. They were already there before I knew it."
I heard Evan sputter behind us.
I brought my eyes back to her face, a face that only changed slightly but there was one feature that I was delighted to see. "I see you followed my advice about never wearing contacts," I said.
She smiled in delight. "You said you liked my natural eye-color so of course I won't wear contacts."
I said nothing.
She ignored my lack of response and took her time running her eyes all over me. "Wow Ty, you don't look cute anymore."
I shrugged.
"You've become really handsome," she beamed.
I shrugged.
"But you're still as indifferent as always," she sighed placing both her hands on my cheeks. I heard Evan gasp.
"What are you doing?" I asked through narrowed eyes.
She smiled, "I'm gonna kiss you," she said, leaning closer and closing her eyes, her scent filled me and I placed my hand over her lips, pushing her face away. "No." I stood up and took in an irritated breath. "I don't suppose you'll start explaining the reason why you're here?"
She pouted, annoyed that she wasn't able to kiss me. Next to Naomi, she's always attacking me and trying to kiss me. Ever since she kissed me at West's wedding, I've been on my guard.
"Mommy and daddy sent me here," she sighed softly.
I raised a brow. Sent?
"They couldn't agree on who I should spend summer with so they sent me here, to my fiancé," she said.
"They couldn't agree?" I asked.
She sighed, "Mommy and daddy have never been able to agree on anything after they got divorced."
I blinked. I didn't know that they got divorced. But Alice said this as if it was of no big deal. Well, she's very good at being unaffected by her surroundings and just moving at her own pace.
While I was thinking about that, Alice traced my features, trailing a delicate finger over my cheeks, brows, lips, and then she ran her fingers through my hair...
"Stop that," I said.
She obediently removed her hands from my hair and smiled. "I missed you," she said and I couldn't help notice that there was no change in the way she said that since she was a kid. She'd look up at me with those hypnotic chocolate brown eyes and beam a big innocent smile at me.
And here comes the following question.
"Did you miss me?" she asked tilting her head.
I gave her the answer that would save me the trouble of facing a tantrum. "Yes."
Her eyes sparkled with childish delight and she moved away from me to get off the bed. She saw Evan and said, "Hi," while giving a tiny wave at him.
The idiot waved back hesitantly.
"I'm Alice," she said.
"I'm Evan," he gulped.
Her eyes twinkled. She turned sharply at me, "Is he your pet?"
"Alice, Evan is not a pet. He's a friend," I said thinking that she would be the only person in the world who would ask such a question. To her, Evan's timid nature and frightened behavior must have equalled to that of a scared animal.
"A friend?" she asked not bothering to hide the disappointment in her voice when she refocused her attention to him.
Evan nodded warily.
"Evan isn't good at talking to girls," I told Alice standing next to her to face Evan who looked at me with eyes full of questions and the desperate request of getting Alice away from him. I gave him a look that said that would be very difficult. So his face changed into a question mark.
"You have a fiancee!?" his expression said.
I mentally sighed. Explaining would be such a bother. "Yeah, I have a fiancee." I don't really like using the word fiancee. It's annoying and untrue. But since our parents have this stupid written agreement that Alice and I are to marry each other once in the right age, and since Alice always bugs me to call her my fiancee, it's been a habit to refer to her in that way to save myself from the irritating non stop bugging.
"How come you never told me?"
"Because you never asked," I said out loud.
"You're Tyler's best friend?" Alice asked.
"I guess," he said blushing.
"Dude, stop blushing, it's gross," I said making a face.
He frowned at me.
"Since when have you two been, you know..." he said scratching his head.
Alice hugged me to give emphasis, "Since before we were born~"
I struggled to get away from her. "Well, yeah. I guess. But it's just something our parents agreed on. I'm just going along with it until I'm old enough to make them quit pushing their plans in my way."
Alice's arms went limp falling to her side, totally releasing me. That was odd. I looked at her and saw her looking down. But that sad expression on her face was gone as soon as I saw it and she beamed a smile towards Evan who staggered back in surprise. "Ty always says that. Hasn't changed since we were eight. Even though I love him so much," she giggled.
I gave myself a face-palm. "Alice, you don't love me in that way."
She pouted. "How would you know?"
"You love me in a brotherly way," I insisted firmly.
She knit her thin elegant brows, "You're already calling off our engagement. You can't dictate on how I feel about you."
I scowled right back at her. "Fine, whatever."
She huffed indignantly at my indifference and crossed her arms over her chest. I sighed, "How long are you going to stay here?"
She still had that pout on her face, "I'm staying for th whole summer."
I blinked. Shit. You can't be serious? No, she's serious. Alice rarely jokes around when I ask her serious questions. Dammit.
"C'mon Evan," I said going towards the door. "I guess we should help her get her stuff into the guest room."
"Thanks..." Alice grumbled still mad about our little argument.
"Which guest room are you using?" I asked as Evan now stood behind me.
In response, Alice gingerly sat on my bed, a sheepish smile spreading over her lips.
No. Don't tell me... "No," I said darkly.
She grinned and made herself comfortable on my bed.
"You're sleeping downstairs," I growled.
She fluttered her eyes at me, telling me that she's sleeping in my room and I can't do anything about it.
"We'll see," I said icily, marching over to her and tossing her over my shoulder like a sack of flour.
She didn't struggle, but annoyingly, she did giggle.
I dropped her on the sofa, earning looks from Naomi and West.
"She's can sleep wherever she wants, just NOT in MY room," I snapped.
Naomi bit back a smile. West didn't even try to hide his amusement at my discomfort. I looked down and found Alice staring at me with a small smile. I pointed a finger at her and firmly said, "Stay."
Alice Anderson
How can Tyler be so mean? My eyes followed him as he pushed his friend back upstairs. He plans on locking me out. But that's useless. Shouldn't he have learned from past experiences that he can never keep me out of his room? Or his life for that matter. My cousin, Scarlet, taught me a lot, and therefore, a lock on a door is a very easy little obstacle to overcome. I dug in the pocket of my dress and found a key... a key to Ty's room. An evil smile spreading on my lips.
"Is that..." Naomi said as she peeked over my shoulder.
I smiled at her in response.
"Where did you..."
"I have my ways Naomi," I replied sweetly. Putting the key back inside my pocket. I've always slept next to Ty since we were kids and its been at least four years since I've last done that. I miss it. So I will definitely have it again. Ty always complained before, but he was never able to keep me away, and in the end he'd sleep comfortably in my arms though he'll never admit it...Hihihi...
"I really don't get what you see in that chocolate-loving freak," West said relaxing on the sofa beside me. He was taller than Tyler, a very handsome man with an air of slight maturity and a hell of a lot of playfulness. Compared to Tyler, he had a more approachable aura and he had the same wavy, sandy blonde hair that invited a woman's touch. No doubt Naomi's touched it countless times. He also had those wonderful emerald green eyes that were capable of disarming any woman he pleased. He carried himself effortly, with quiet confidence and an amiable manner. But he was the type to draw invisible lines that people seem to sense only when they are near to stepping on it. He's quite similar to Ty in a lot of ways. The biggest difference is that West doesn't have a temper and he smiles more often than Tyler does.
"Of course you won't," I retorted, "you're his brother. And you're blind to all except the matters concerning your beloved wife."
Naomi blushed furiously while West gave me one heck of a lazy smile. The two of them suit each other perfectly. West never looked at another woman the way he does with Naomi. But who could blame him. The girl is very attractive, with her silky brown hair that had unique and cute curls past her shoulders, and she had exotic blue eyes that were big and hypnotic, judging by how West usually can't take his eyes off of hers. She was very beautiful, a fact that she herself doesn't seem to notice, making her even more desirable to her husband.
Naomi cleared her throat and said, "But Ty does have his good points. Just that... during the recent years he's been isolated from everyone at school because of the fights he's been in."
I turned quickly to look at her, "Fights?"
"Yeah, I haven't been keeping a close eye on him because of work, and the little fool's got himself in a lot of trouble," said West nonchalantly.
"How can you speak so lightly of this?" I said in disbelief.
"Relax Alice. He's always gotten himself out without a scratch...well most of the time," he said with a proud smile.
"But it made him a little bit more stubborn and rebeliant," Naomi said ruefully.
"He's always been like that kitten, he's never changed since he was a little squirt," West laughed.
"I HEARD THAT!"
"Oops!" West shouted back at Ty as he laughed.
I laughed as well. I guess nothing much has changed since I last came here. Ty hasn't changed... I wish he had, so maybe then he'd take notice of me, the bloody idiot.. For years I've been telling him I love him and he always responds with that sour look on his face. I've gotten used to it, but now I'm tired of it.
I smiled as I twirled my hair around my finger. I will definitely get him to take me seriously. Mwahahahahaha!!!
West suddenly brought out some marshmallows. All remaining thoughts of evil plans were set aside and I brightened up immensely, "For me?"
West chuckled, "If you had a tail, it would be wagging like mad right about now, wouldn't it?"
I'll take that as a yes... so I dived for the mallows.
West was about to get some but I slapped his hand away. "Hey!" he said.
"Mine," I said.
"You're worse than Ty," he grumbled.
I can't help it. I love sweets. All kinds of it. Tyler influenced me when I was small. He always had chocolate with him, and it was fascinatig how he can hide it so well. But chocolate wasn't the only one I fell head over heels with. Cupcakes, bubblegum, skittles, starfruits, marshmallows, ice cream... Oh good Lord they all captivated me with their irresistable sweetly goodness.
I ate the marshmallows while Naomi and West started unpacking the rest of their stuff.
"Are you certain you'll be able to stay in his room?" Naomi asked as she checked on their adorable little baby boy. "Two guys and one girl hardly sounds decent..."
I scoffed. "One of them's a shy little weasel and the other a grump who seem to think he'd rather die than touch me."
"What if he had a change of mind?" West suggested.
I smiled, "I've been wishing for that to happen for years West."
That seemed to have reassured Naomi, and it efficiently silenced West. I went back to my slowly disappearing marshmallows.
I dragged my pink luggage upstairs and settled them next to the door of Ty's room. I heard him talking to Evan about something. I listened closer and realized that Ty was telling Evan about me. Wait not telling him. More like he was warning the boy about me.
"She'll eat you alive if you show your weakness," he told the shy boy. Pfft, I don't think that boy can even knows how to hide his weakness, and there's no point in doing so. I've already seen it.
"I don't think she's that bad..." he said in reply, sounding calmer than he did when he was in front of me earlier. But Evan, I am that bad.
Ty grunted. "Fine, ignore my warning and throw yourself right into her traps."
Wow, Tyler really knows me.
I frowned. "How mean," I grumbled under my breath as I moved away from the door.
Still, that won't keep me out of his room.