I yawned as I walked into the living room where the rest of my brothers had gathered. Papa had woken me up and asked me to go down to the living room. For what reason, I guess I was about to find out.
I sat next in the vacant spot next to Lucas and couldn't help but lean my head against his shoulder as I was still pretty tired. I didn't even know what time it was but I'm sure it's the early hours of morning.
"Okay, now that everyone is here we can start this meeting" Papa said. Papa, Lance, and Roman were standing while the rest of us were sitting down waiting to hear whatever news they have prepared for us.
"Uh, why are we having this meeting at six in the morning? This couldn't wait til breakfast?" Ares asked while holding back a yawn of his own and Lance sighed.
"Unfortunately no. Dad and I will be heading out for a business trip in a few hours" Lance said and Max frowned.
"That's nothing new though" Max said.
"We won't be taking the usual two or three day trip. This one will be for at least two weeks if not three" Papa said and while my brothers seemed pretty calm, I found myself stunned and fully awake.
"And I will be attending a company retreat for the week" Roman said.
"Kade, as per usual, you're in charge" Papa said and Kade gave a yawn before nodding. Lance turned his head to me and I looked at him curiously.
"Ceres, you're also in charge" he said and my eyes widened at his words.
"Me...?" I muttered and he nodded with a small smile.
"I trust that you'll be the voice of reason when these guys are about to kill each other" he said and Ares made a 'psh' sound.
"That's bologna. We don't try to kill each other" Ares said and Lance gave him a 'that's a lie and you know it' look.
"Well, either way, I agree. I trust Ceres by herself for a week more than any of you alone for five seconds" Roman said.
"I can already tell this is going to be a hectic week" I heard Lucas mutter from above me.
~ Day One ~
I yawned as I had begun to groggily wake up out of my sleep. For some reason, I felt extremely tired even though I had gone to sleep at my regular time.
When my eyes fluttered to the clock, they widened when seeing that it was well past eight meaning that first period has already started and I was significantly late.
I hurried out of bed to go and wake the others up.
"Max! Wake up! We're late!" I said as I shook Max's still sleeping body. Max let out a low groan and next thing I knew, Max was patting my head as if I was his alarm clock that he was trying to shut off.
"...'s fine...good" He muttered and I huffed before reaching over and doing what I had to Kade that one time. Just like Kade, Max was up in an instant and panting.
"What did I tell you about that?!" He exclaimed and I frowned.
"I'm sorry, but you weren't waking up and we're late for school. Now please get dressed" I said before heading out of the room and hoping that Max would listen to me.
Next stop was Kade's room and when I walked in, I didn't even bother to waste my time trying to wake the heavy sleeper up. I went straight for the last resort and it had gotten me the quick results that I needed.
"Not again..." I heard Kade mutter.
"We are late for school so please hurry and get dressed" I said and then began to head back to my room and get dressed.
I couldn't believe that we were going to miss first period. I guess I was so used to Lance or Roman coming in and waking us up that I overslept. It just goes to show how much I depend on them. I guess I should start trying to wake up on my own now.
~ Day Two ~
"Ares, what the hell?!" Max yelled as he saw the fire that was now starting in the kitchen. Lucas had pulled me away towards the door and we were now watching from afar as Ares tried to put out the fire.
I coughed a little as the smoke was starting to get into my lungs. I opened the window next to us and sighed in relief when I could breathe some fresh air.
"I don't know it just started burning!" Ares complained and Max gave a yell of frustration before running somewhere and coming back with a fire extinguisher.
Once the fire was put out, Ares let out a sigh of relief while Max was still glaring at him.
"You know you aren't allowed in the kitchen! What the hell compelled you to start using the stove?!" He exclaimed and Ares huffed.
"I was hungry! You and Lucas were doing homework and Ceres doesn't know how to cook either, what was I supposed to do? Starve?" He asked.
"Oh I don't know, maybe try making a sandwich or something that doesn't require fire!" Max retorted and just heaved an irritable sigh.
"I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I wish Kade were here...at least he wouldn't try to set us on fire" Max grumbled.
Surprisingly, Lucas let out a chuckle and I looked up at him.
"He's going to be saying that about the others soon too. I don't think these two can last long without them" Lucas said and I sighed.
Can we not have one peaceful day around here?
~ Day Three ~
"NOOOO!"
I jumped at the sound of a high pitched yell that was coming from downstairs. What in the world was going on now?
I walked down the stairs and in the laundry room, I saw Kade on the ground with tears in his eyes as clothes was pooled around him.
"Kade...?" I said as I carefully stepped around the clothes to make my way over to Kade. His sniffles were loud and I frowned when seeing him holding a red shirt and and a pair of red socks in his hand.
"I knew I shouldn't have asked that simpleton to put some clothes in the damn washer...why did I ever do something so stupid?" Kade said and I had now noticed that all of the clothes around us were pink.
"I want Roman back! This is so stupid! This wouldn't have happened if he were here!" Kade whined. I sighed and reached out to give Kade's head a few good rubs.
"It's alright. They're just clothes so it doesn't matter what color they are, right? Everything is fine" I said while continuing to pat Kade's head and thankfully, it seemed to be calming him down.
"Honey...you're gonna make me cry even more if you keep being so kind to me" Kade said and his face reminded me of this emoji that Diana often used in our text messages.
I simply smiled and just nodded.
"You're not upset anymore, are you?" I asked and Kade sighed.
"I guess not" he said and I nodded.
"Then everything is fine. Here, I'll help you pick everything up" I said before bending down and beginning to pick up the scattered clothes.
~ Day Four ~
"Maximilian Avery Spencer, you have a girlfriend?!" I winced at the sound of Kade's loud accusing voice. Max groaned as he tried to walk away from Kade but Kade wasn't having any of it as he blocked Max from going up the stairs.
"Yeah, so what? It isn't any of your business anyways!" Max said and Kade frowned.
"Not any of my business? That isn't true at all! I'm your big brother, if you have a girlfriend I should know these kinds of things!" Kade said and Max laughed in a sarcastic manner.
"No, you don't have to know these things. You're so fucking annoying and always in everyone's damn business! Why can't you just move out already?!" Max exclaimed and Kade gasped loudly.
Uh oh...
Max's eyes widened as soon as he had realized what he said.
"Wait...Kade, I-..." Max tried to speak but Kade backed away from him.
"No, it's fine. I understand. I'm sorry for always being in your business and you're right. It's annoying" Kade said before going up the stairs.
Lucas, Ares, and I all just looked at each other in disbelief. I too couldn't believe that what happened, just happened. Even though Max was always getting into arguments, even for him that was a little too far and now I was worried about Kade.
He was so sensitive to everything and I know that Max's words hurt him a lot.
"Dude...you better go apologize, like, right now" Ares said and Max huffed.
"Why do I have to apologize? I'm tired of him being up my ass about everything. I'm almost eighteen, he doesn't need to know every detail of my life" Max said and Lucas shook his head.
"Max, you know more than any of us that Kade acts that way because he's worried about you. He isn't doing it to be intrusive or nosy...unlike someone" Lucas said with a side glance to Ares and Ares gaped at him.
"I am not nosy!" He exclaimed and I just sighed.
"Max...please apologize to Kade" I said and Max looked at me with his frown still present on his face.
He didn't say anything to any of us as he turned away and just headed up to his room.
~ Day Five ~
I didn't think I would say this, but it feels wrong for it to be so quiet.
As we ate dinner, it was just completely silent save for Ares who was laughing every now and then while scrolling through his phone.
I looked at Kade who was eating his food with an unusual blank face and then to Max who was just eating quietly. Lucas was also eating quietly but that was always how he was.
I let out a small sigh.
I guess I'm going to have to be the mediator this time around.
Once we finished dinner, I helped Ares wash the dishes before going up to Kade's room.
I knocked on his door and opened it to stick my head in a little. When Kade saw me, he gave me a smile but even then I could see that it wasn't reaching his eyes like normal.
"Do you need something, Ceres?" He asked and hearing my name made me frown. He wasn't even calling me the usual 'Honey' as he always affectionately did.
Kade was sitting on his bed and seemed to be reading something but I didn't really pay attention to what he was reading because I was more focused on cheering him up.
I walked over and climbed up on his bed before reaching over and wrapping my arms around his shoulders.
"Ceres...?" I heard Kade mutter and I just held him tighter as I tried to think of some encouraging words to say.
"I know that you're always worried about us...and that's not a bad thing. But sometimes, it's also good to give us our own space and let us figure things out. I think Max was just feeling frustrated when you guys were talking, he might have been looking for the right time to tell everyone. I'm sure he didn't actually mean the things he said" I said and Kade kept quiet so I just took that as a sign for me to continue going.
"You both have some apologizing to do since you both were in the wrong and I'm sure if you talk to each other, you can sort things out" I said and feeling Kade shake slightly underneath me made me worried that he was crying again but I was instantly relieved to see that he was only laughing.
"Thank you...I think I really need that. I can't believe that I have such a mature little sister. Lance made the right decision to make you in charge as I am clearly not fit" he said and I shook my head.
"You're doing the best you can and sometimes that's all you can do. And if anything, you are doing an amazing job, it isn't easy looking after so many people" I said and Kade gave me a smile.
This time the smile did reach his eyes and that was enough to take some weight off my shoulders.
After Kade thanked me again for our talk, I went to Max's room and knocked on the door before peaking my head in.
He seemed startled by my sudden appearance and had scrambled to cover something but I had already caught a glimpse of the painting that was left out to dry.
"I-Is there something you need?" Max asked and I nodded as I came in further to his room.
"I really think you should apologize to Kade" I said and Max heaved a sigh.
"Yeah, I know. I feel really bad and I know I shouldn't have said what I said..." he said and I frowned. He had a troubled look on his face and something was telling me that it wasn't only about Kade.
"Is there something wrong? You can tell me. You helped me out when I needed it, so please let me listen to your problems" I said and Max gave me a small smile before ruffling my hair.
"I guess I'm just a little stressed out. I have all these projects, on top of trying to stop arguing with Julia every five seconds...I guess Kade being all in my face was just the strawberry on top" he said.
"You and Julia are fighting?" I asked and he nodded.
"I want her to go to the school that accepted her on a scholarship but she thinks I'm trying to get rid of her which is completely stupid considering I told her that I almost shit my pants trying to confess to her" He said with a shake of his head and I let out a small laugh.
"Well, maybe you have to explain it in a way that will make her see that you want her here but you also want her to get a good education" I said and Max nodded.
"I've already tried that but she's worried that the distance will put a strain on our relationship and our friendship. I can understand that she's afraid but I don't want that to be the deciding factor in her education. Every time I bring it up, we get into an argument" He finished.
"I don't really understand much about relationships but from what I'm hearing, they sound difficult" I said and Max gave a small chuckle.
"Nah, every relationship is different. I just have to keep trying to make her understand I guess" Max said as he took a seat on his bed and I guess he forgot that he was hiding his painting as I can now see it on full display.
It was just a simple painting, nothing too fancy. It was a bunch of flowers, the specific type being Lily's, and in the middle of them was a simple 'I'm really sorry' with a heart at the end.
Max blushed when seeing me look at the painting and he crossed his arms.
"I was gonna slip it under his door when it dries. I don't think I have the courage to apologize to him face to face" Max said and I shook my head quickly.
"You should definitely apologize to him personally. Not only would he appreciate it more, I know that he also wants to apologize to you as well" I said and Max gave me a weary look but nonetheless nodded.
"I should, right? Ah...this is such a pain in the ass" Max said and I smiled.
"You two will be friends again in no time"
~ Day Six ~
"This is so...weird. I feel like I'm in the twilight zone or something" Ares said as he looked at Max who was actually letting Kade hug him, and giving a hug in return.
Max had just given Kade the painting and now was comforting the sobbing mess known as Kade.
"I think it's something nice to see for a change. Lance will not believe his eyes" Lucas said as he raised his phone up and took a photo.
"I'm glad that they finally made up" I said and Ares nodded.
"I thought I was going to die! I'm so sorry, I'll try hard not to invade your privacy anymore!" Kade cried and Max rolled his eyes but he was still smiling.
"I already said that it's fine. I was also wrong for yelling at you and saying that I wanted you to move out. I know that you're just worried, so I'm sorry for being such an ass" he said and I thought Kade was going to fly all the way to cloud nine with how happy he looked.
He really couldn't stand when any of us were upset with him.
"Well, I don't mean to ruin this heartwarming moment but can one of you guys make food? I'm starving" Ares said and Lucas nodded.
"Yeah, me too" he said and Kade pulled away from Max before nodding.
"Right, sorry" he said and suddenly Max groaned.
"Your tears are on my shirt. Nasty..." he muttered and I giggled.
I'm so glad that they were able to make up.
~ Day Seven ~
"I'm home- woah!" Roman was stunned to see me running to hug him as soon as he had walked through the door.
"I can't say that I'm not happy to be greeted so warmly, but Ceres, this is unlike you" Roman said and I just hugged him tighter.
"She's been dealing with everyone's problems since you've been gone. And now that you're here, she won't have to" Lucas said and Roman gave a small sigh.
"How bad was it this time?" He asked.
"Ares set the kitchen on fire..." I said as I let go of him and Roman's eyes widened before running to the kitchen. We followed after him into the kitchen.
"Not my favorite pan..." Roman said as he looked at the pan that was still burnt as a result of Ares cooking.
"He also turned the white laundry pink. Max and Kade got into a fight and uh, I think that's about it?" Lucas said and I shook my head.
"Lucas threw away all of the broccoli" I said and Roman glared at Lucas who just backed out of the kitchen slowly.
"I can't believe these guys...Ceres, how are you holding up?" He asked and I shook my head with a smile.
"I'm fine, I just really missed you. How was your retreat?" I asked and Roman smiled.
"It was...interesting. I guess you could say I see my coworkers in a different light, and I'm glad I agreed to go" he said and I nodded.
"I'm glad you had fun" I said and Roman chuckled.
"I know the others probably haven't done it yet, so I'll be the first. Thank you for looking out for everyone. You truly are an amazing young lady" he said giving me a kiss on the head and I beamed.
"It's no problem. You guys have been doing the same for me since I've been here. We have to look out for one another, right?" I said and Roman nodded.
"I'm glad that someone understands that. What do you want for dinner tonight? I'll make anything you like" he said and I frowned.
"But don't you want to relax? You just got back from your trip" I said and Roman chuckled.
"Little one, I've been relaxing all week long. Some cooking won't break me, so what do you want to eat?" He asked and I made a thinking face before answering.
"Bagel bites"
"Okay, anything but that"
[A/N: I just wanted to give a thank you for the 100 followers! It really means so much to me and it makes me want to continue writing more and more for everyone. Also, we're almost at 200k and that deserves a huge thank you! As always, thank you for the reads, votes, and comments and I hope everyone is enjoying the book!]