It All Started With A Tampon

(20)

We pull into Ben's driveway, and we get out.

"Thanks." I sigh, looking at my house. "I guess I should go inside."

"You don't have to go home until twelve, right?" Ben questions, locking his car.

"Oh yeah." I say, remembering. "I'm not allowed in." Ben snorts.

"Oh yeah." He giggles. "Important business meeting."

"What are you talking about?" I ask. "They wouldn't tell me why I had to leave."

"Come inside." He says. "We'll explain." I shrug, and follow him inside. What else can I do? Josh will kill me if I come home at ten. Plus, I really want to know what's going on. We get inside, and everybody's in the living room. They look up, and chorus their hellos. Liam pats the couch spot next to him. I smile softly, and sit down next to him.

"How was your date?" He asks. I don't notice any sarcasm.

"Well." I sigh. "I'm home before eleven." He chuckles softly.

"Did you at least kick him in the balls?" He asks smiling.

"I threw my drink on him." I grin. We both laugh, and I lean back. "I'm an idiot." I say softly.

"No you're not." He says staring at me. "You're just too trusting." I smile at him, and then Ben catches my attention.

"So." He says. "Do you wanna know?"

"Know what?" Liam asks curiously.

"Gemma doesn't know why she wasn't allowed home tonight." Ben says, reaching for a slice of pizza. Liam chuckles.

"Oh yeah. His important business meeting." He grins.

"What's going on?" I groan. "Just tell me!"

"Fine." Liam teases. "Your brother is trying to get an alliance with another gang across town."

"He'll never get it." Ben adds. "We're friends with McFreind's gang. They're just doing it for fun." I giggle.

"Sounds like Josh." I say. "Why does he want the alliance?"

"Because they want to over rule us." Liam says. "Good luck to them." I laugh.

"This is so weird." I wonder. "I never knew any of this, and now I'm right in the middle of it." They look at me concerned.

"Are you ok?" Liam asks.

"Yeah, yeah." I reassure. "I'm just a little edgy sometimes. I mean, it can be dangerous, can't it? And they don't know that I know about all of it."

"If you ever think you're in danger." Liam says seriously. "You tell us." I nod.

"Thanks." I say. Everyone goes back to watching the movie, and I watch it too. It finishes, and everybody but Liam goes off to do their own things.

"So." I muse. "You guys seem really close here."

"Yeah." He says softly. "We know each other like family."

"Where are your parents?" I ask. "You don't have to answer if you-"

"No, it's no big deal." He says smiling. "They died two years ago." My jaw drops, and he continues. "Car crash. I was nineteen, so I'm the triplets legal guardian now."

"You're such a good brother towards them." I say seriously.

"Thanks." He says. "I try. But sometimes... Sometimes it's hard." He runs his hand through his hair, leaning back on the couch. "I feel like they need more than growing up in a gang house with just males." I smile.