Sullivan Siblings

VII

"But Odin–!" I whine, abruptly cutting myself off as I remember Ivan's words. If you want us to treat you like an adult, act like one. "Okay, I'll be down. Just gonna use the bathroom."

"You feeling sick?" Odin smirks. I stare at the floor because I really want to give him a glare. If it was my younger brothers, I probably would have caved but my point to prove is to the two oldies.

"No," I answer honestly. The cramps aren't as bad today and the blood flow thankfully slowed down. Hopefully, my first period is done and over soon. "Maybe me and you can bake something for Levi and his friends?"

"I'd love that." Odin smiles his rare heartwarming smile. My eyes light up and I don't make a snappish comment when he gently punches my shoulder as I walk by him. It's just how Odin shows his love.

"Meet you down there." I roll my, I mean his, sweater sleeves up to my elbows.

"Anything specific?" Odin asks, rubbing his hands together in glee. None of us like cooking or baking like him and offering probably made his day.

"You pick," I tell him as I flick the bathroom light on. Odin wastes no time rushing downstairs. The longest part of his cooking and baking is picking out a recipe. I use the washroom, flush the toilet and dawdle by the mirror.

What do boys see in me, really? I dress homely on purpose. Maybe that's why Zayn doesn't like me. If I dress more feminine, would that make a difference? I know I have an inordinate amount of freckles, so it isn't cute, but I think I'm pretty with my thick red hair and dark green eyes.

I shake my blues off. There are other boys, and like I constantly have to remind my brothers, I'm fourteen. I have plenty of time to find a boyfriend, if I so wished, which I don't at the moment. I run a brush through my hair, swinging it all up into a high ponytail. If anyone finds a red hair in their baked goods, it's obvious it's from me.

I slowly make my way downstairs, lost in thought. Since it is Sunday, and church and brunch are over, I don't have to dress up. I have on a pair of leggings and Odin's sweater. My brothers probably won't like me wearing leggings around Johnnyboy and Tony but I'm too lazy to change.

"You baking?" Ivan asks when I enter the kitchen. He sits on a stool at the island with Odin. While Ivan is reading the dictionary, I kid you not, Odin is flipping through his favourite recipe book.

"Yeah." I shrug and blow flyaways out of my face. They were itching my cheeks.

The only day of the week Ivan absolutely refuses to work on is Sunday. That goes for all of us. Even for sports. We aren't allowed tournaments on Sundays, or a job. It makes it hard to get part time jobs for us school aged teenagers and quite honestly why my five high school attending brothers don't have a job. The only two days out of the week we can work, we aren't allowed to one day. We sometimes argue with him on it but Ivan is adamant Sunday is a day of rest, scripture study and family time.

Once a month, we are allowed friends over. Only one sibling a month and not during Christmas and Easter. The triplets and twins are lucky since they all have the same friend group and five times a year, Boy and Baby Kowalski, along with a few others, are invited over. When Baby hugged me in front of Astrid, he was trying to keep my cover.

"Got it!" Odin thunders. His pointer finger slams on the cookbook and he twirls it so the writing is facing me.

"Dude, are you okay?" It's my turn to ask. Odin picked a recipe with chocolate and marshmallows! Odin shrugs with a smug smirk. Ivan leans over his shoulder to look at the recipe and frowns.

"That's too much sugar," he states. If Odin wasn't on my side, he would have burst my bubble.

"It's Sunday," Odin replies with a wink directed at me. "We'll go back to abstaining from sugar for the rest of the week."