reticent

42

• AMALIA •

It's eleven o'clock when the doorbell rings. I wait for a minute, hoping someone else gets it, but when it rings again I sigh and leave my room, walking down the stairs. I pull the door open, revealing three of my grinning brothers.

     "Hey!" Cole exclaims.

     "Helloooo." Mason says.

     "Hi, Amalia!" Elijah says.

     I frown. They smell like alcohol.

     I turn back into the house. Xander and my grandparents took my father somewhere to try regain some memories, and it's just me in the house. Well, Archer and Ally are here too, but the former is taking care of his little sister because she's not feeling too well.

     I sigh again and pull the door open. They smile again as they shuffle inside.

     Coke wraps an arm around my shoulders and pulls me into the living room with them.

     "I have to go do homework—"

     "Doooon't care." He replies.

     He sits me next to him on the couch, and Elijah sits on my other side, sandwiching me between them both as Mason throws his shoes off and sits on the arm chair.

     "Why did you come here?" I ask, annoyed.

     "We wanted to see our baby sister." Elijah says, smiling as he kisses my cheek.

     "You could've seen me tomorrow." I mumble.

     Elijah wraps his arms around me and pulls me to his chest, embracing me in a hug. I lean into him.

     "Amalia." Cole says.

     "What?"

     "You're a bit like an old lady, aren't you?"

     I scowl as Elijah laughs. Mason is staring at the wall, zoned out.

     I bring my socked foot up and kick Cole's leg. "I'm not!"

     He grins. "You are."

     "Wanna make pancakes?" Mason questions, snapping out of his trance.

     "Yes!" Elijah exclaims.

     "No. I'm gonna have to clean up all the mess you make when you pass out on the couches!" I exclaim.

     "We'll clean it up." Elijah says.

     Cole and Mason stand. "We'll get the stuff," the latter says. "We can mix it all here. The kitchen is annoying."

     Elijah beams. I try to get up, to stop these idiots, but he holds onto me tighter. "Let go." I grumble.

     He holds me to his chest, setting his hand on the back of my head like he can protect me from the world, holding me like a baby. I frown.