Hangover Helper's were my brothers best friend.
They had always consisted of four different things. Coffee, chocolate, my famous Bacon, and a blanket to hide their heads under to shield their eyes from the bright lights.
It's one thing to be in a house of one or two drunk or hungover brothers. Six of them is a whole other story, one I was shocked wasn't in some world record book.
When I woke up the morning after the party Toby, Mason, and I had sat out, I was less than surprised to find the entire house a mess and half my brothers passed out in various places around the living room.
Red and blue solo cups littered both couches and the TV stand. Candy, food, and condom wrappers were spread across the coffee table as well as the bottom of the staircase. I was terrified to even go down the hall and check my brothers rooms.
"Idiots! Get up!" I clapped loudly as I yelled.
A chorus of groans was what I got in response.
"Lucas' graduation is in," I checked the alarm clock on the desk the lamp was a tangled mess on, "three hours. Which means Aliyah and Dad will be home in less than one. Unless you dumbies want to get grounded and go on Code 7 for having a house full of underage kids drinking, I highly suggest you get your lazy, hungover butts up and help me clean."
Eliott was the first to push himself up from the floor in front of the couches, gripping the arm of one to keep from falling back over. His gray-blue eyes met mine for a fraction of second, bloodshot and squinted. His cheeks were flushed, lacking any sort of color. He looked ready to throw up everything he'd eaten and drunk last night all over the already filthy carpet.
"One!" I started shouting, hoping it would motivate my brothers, "Two!" most of them grunted, but began to rise from their awkward or stiff positions on the floor. After five minutes of tapping my foot against the tile in the kitchen, I finally had all six pairs of eyes glaring murderously back at me.
"As much as I love your loving looks. We really need to hurry up." I crossed my arms over my chest, nodding toward the mess laid out before and between us.
Griffin peeked over the back of the recliner, looking sicker than Eliot as he tried to force himself up. His black hair matted against his forehead and covering most of his eyes.
"Yes, Mom." Jace grumbled eventually, hissing in pain as he leaned down to pick up a piece of trash, the blood obviously rushing to his already pounding head.
I decided to spare my brothers the pain and spun on my heel to grab the Advil from the cupboard. I swiped the water jug from the fridge on my way out and headed back toward the living room. After leaving the pills and water in Johnny's hands, I went back and grabbed multiple garbage bags.
I glanced back up to find all six of my brothers and Griffin staring at me, wide eyed and pale faced. I stared back for a moment, straightening out and looking down to see if I had something on my shirt or something. When I realized it must be on their side and not my own, I opened a bag and looked back and forth between them.
"What are you idiots waiting for?"
*
Any girl would have fainted at the sight of the six, fairly well toned bodies, that were spread out across the room. They had ignored my pleading to put shirts on and had continued on with whatever task I had given them to do. It seemed to be at the exact moment we seemed to be finished cleaning that Toby and Ethan came down the stairs, eyes wondering the spotless house as if they were in some sort of palace.
"Mom just sent me a text." Ethan was eventually able to force out, "They'll be pulling in any second."
My brothers and Griffin scattered like mice into their usual spots, a couple of them throwing their feet on to the coffee table as they turned the X-Box on and started up one of their shooting games. I threw myself on to the couch between Jace and Griffin, snatching Griffin's controller once I was situated.
"Hey! What the hell?" Griffin tried to take it back, but I threatened him with my foot, only inches from his magical Trio.
"Man, I feel uncomfortable shooting my own sister." Johnny said from the loveseat, hanging off of it upside down as he chose his character.
"Just pretend I'm one of the guys if it makes you feel better." I responded, shrugging.
"My babies!" Aliyah cried the second she stepped into the house. The boys grunted in response, I shot off the couch and gasped.
"Seriously, Jace? Did you seriously just shoot me? We're on the same team!" I cried. He gave me a quick, fearful look.
"Sorry." he grumbled.
I glanced back toward the door just in time to find Dad walking in with a few shopping bags and his luggage in his hands. His blue eyes immediately went to the controller in my hand, a crease of frustration appearing on his sweaty, and glistening, forehead.
"Boys, what did I tell you about letting your sister play these games?" he got absolutely no response out of my brothers or Griffin. After a nearly screaming out a sigh, he stalked across the room and unplugged the X-Box, an angry look shot at every single person in front of him.
"What did I say about letting your sister play these games?" Dad repeated, irritation clear in his tone. As I watched him glare at all of my brothers, I couldn't help but wonder how he would have reacted if they had come home early and had seen the disaster the boys had left for them as a welcome back present.
"Dad, she just takes the remotes and starts playing!" Aaron snapped.
"She doesn't listen to our warnings." Ethan went on, "She just walks right up and takes the controller's from us."
"Alex, is this true?" Dad finally allowed his eyes to fall on me. In his eyes, the only child that seemed to have her head on straight.
"No, Daddy." I lied, smiling sweetly, "I would never play such violent games unless they blackmailed me into it."
There was one thing that was wonderful about being the only girl in a house of nine; you were always Daddy's Perfect Little Princess in everyone's eyes. Dad never considered the opposing side of what I said, he always took my word for everything and punished the boys, sometimes even when they were innocent. This time they deserved it.
"No X-Box, Playstation, or any other game system until you learn to play games that are appropriate for your sister." Jace opened his mouth, ready to protest, "If any of you try to fight me, I will put you and your brothers on Code 7, are we clear?" Griffin and Toby looked to be the only two amused with the entire situation laid out in front of them. Dad must have noticed as well because he looked directly at them with a dark look.
"If you two boys are going to be spending time around here, you'll be living under the same rules as the boys, so don't get too cocky." astonished looks crossed both of the boys faces as they stared after my Dad.
"Alex, sweetie, why don't you head up and change for your brother's graduation. The rest of you have about ten minutes to do the same. Go!" my brothers dissembled quicker than the superheros at the end of a Marvel movie.
"That wasn't a very nice thing to do, you know." Aliyah was beside me now, a disapproving tone in her voice. I couldn't help but notice that it didn't reach her eyes.
"You try living with eight disgusting imbeciles that can't clean up their messes or clean the shower drains, or eat all the food your entire life." I slapped a hand on her shoulder, "Plus, they do the same to me. It's only right I return the gesture."
*
Jace and Griffin came barging into my room seconds after I had thrown another shirt over my head. I covered my chest instinctively, my eyes wide.
"What the hell? Haven't you heard of knocking?" I snapped. Jace waved me off and headed for my dresser. Griffin hung back by the door, his eyes lingering on my chest.
It was the first time I'd worn one of my own shirts in a while. I had gotten so used to throwing on my brothers band shirts and flannel's that I had left my own wardrobe to collect lint.
"Where is my tie?" Jace threw his hands up in exasperation, "Your idiot boyfriend was the last one with it."
"Tobias isn't my boyfriend." I answered quickly, "And you were the last one with it. The wake for Grams, remember?" he straighten suddenly, snapping his fingers as if a light bulb had just gone off in his head.
"Yes, yes!" He took me by the shoulders and grinned, "I could kiss you right now!" I gave him a disgusted look, moving as far away as possible.
"Please don't. I have no idea where that mouth has been and I don't want it anywhere near my cheeks." he stuck his tongue out childishly at my response before rushing back toward the door, grabbing Griffin's wrist on the way out of the room.
"Alex!" A shout came from downstairs. I sighed as I ran a brush through my hair, dropping it back on to my bed before I grabbed my phone and made my way toward the bedroom door.
"Alex!" the scream came again.
"Shut up!" one of my brother's yelled back.
"Alexis!" I raced down the stairs and headed down the hall for the last room at the end of it. James stood, tugging at the tie around his neck angrily.
"Yes, Jamie?" I crossed my arms over my chest with a questioning look. He lifted his head slowly, gray eyes shining with embarrassment.
"I can't tie this stupid tie." he muttered, barely audible. I smiled, then forced it away so I wouldn't embarrass him any more. I stopped at the foot of his bed and gestured for him to meet me there. I stared up at him once he approached, a smirk trying to break out across my face.
"Just do it this way." I shook my head as I showed him as slowly as possible, "I can't believe Dad hasn't taught you how to put a tie on right." he cracked a smile once I was done, ruffling my hair.
"You're a good little sister, yes you are, yes you-"
"Yeah, well this good little sister knows where Ethan hides his baseball bat and isn't afraid to use it." James backed out of his room with his hands up in surrender, shaking his head with a laugh.
I followed, hitting the lights on my way out. As I watched my brothers pile in front of the door, I rested my hands on my hips and stared with a sympathy deep in my chest.
Today should be great. Lucas was finally graduating, the first of the Crazy Eight to take the next step out into the world-and possibly destroy it.
It was only two and a half hours. Seven obnoxious, incredibly bored and idiotic teenage boys couldn't possibly cause that much havoc in two hours, could they?
***AN****
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~ChasingMadness24