Together Forever

5: UGHHHH

When I was seven years old, this little girl told everyone I was an alien because my eyes always changed color. That was the first time Jax ever saw me cry. I curled up in his bed and cried into his pillow, telling him how I wished I was normal. The next day, he went to the girl and told her off, she in turn told him to shove it and that afternoon we were crying side by side. The following day, I went up to the girl and got into my first hair pulling fight.

After we were told off by the principal and our parents, Jax crawled into my room and asked why I did that and I told him, “I don’t care if they’re mean to me, but nobody gets to be mean to you”

The day after that, Jax showed up in my room with blue contacts in his left eye. He wore it for a whole week despite everyone begging him to take it off. Then he got pink eye.

***

“So guys, how was the dentist’s?” I ask my brothers at dinner.

Rex and Reagan glance at each other and then back at me, confused, “what dentist? We went to the movies” they say simultaneously, ignoring my mother’s twitching eye.

I give her a look, “really?”

She smiles sheepishly, “it was Nicole’s idea”

“Hey!”

I roll my eyes as Jax smiles into his plate, “both of you deserve each other” I tell our moms and they smirk and high five each other.

“I’m lost” my dad declares. Jasper leans back in his seat, “I’m always lost”

I laugh and my eyes meet my mom’s as Nicole changes the topic.

“Thank you” I mouth and she smiles in reply.

“So we’re moving into the house tomorrow” Nicole declares.

“Ugh, finally!” Rex groans and I kick his shin, “what?” he whines, “I want my bed back, Rea kicks in his sleep”

“Yeah,” Reagan smirks, “in my sleep”

I roll my eyes and tune back into the conversation, “you’re having a party?” my mom asks, “isn’t that a little too soon?”

Jasper shrugs, “we have the movers and cleaning crew till Monday, we figured we’d kill two birds with one stone and have them clean up the housewarming party”

I shrug, “as long as I don’t have to do any cleaning”

“God, remember how they used to make us clean up after their parties and get togethers?” Jax asks, “Omg yes! Really turned us into unpaid house staff!”

Jax snorts “and then they’d say-”

“-you didn’t pay for the nine months we carried you for or all the food you’ve ever eaten” we say simultaneously, bursting into laughter at the fond memory.

I catch myself mid-laugh when I realize what’s going on. The entire table has fallen silent, watching the interaction between me and Jax.

I clear my throat and continue with my food, ignoring the pregnant silence.

“Well,” my mom is first to break it as she stands up with her plate, “in the spirit of all that, you and Jax can clean up after dinner, hmm?”

I shoot her a glare and she replies with a wink.

Jax and I cleaned up together a lot but it surprises me when we slip into the familiar pattern like we didn’t take a five year break. He remembers where everything goes, he remembers that I prefer to rinse, he remembers that I get scared I’ll break all the plates if I sort them out.