Hurricane - {~k.v.}

3

•the calm•

3

Kendall Vertes

"Hey! Hey! Watch it! Those are my prized possessions." Noah yelled from across the garage. I stepped off the moving truck parked out front of our driveway and waddled towards the direction of the doorway.

"Don't get bossy now Yates. I don't have to help you." I warned as I stumbled through the entrance. I set the box down on the couch to wipe the bead of sweat clinging to my forehead. The whole morning boxes and furniture were being exchanged in and out of the guest house, but I was the only one not stepping foot inside. Thankfully nobody had questioned me about it, I just wasn't ready to feel the aura of my last experience in that room.

"What time are your sisters getting here, Noah?" My dad asked as he picked up the box beside me. I turned around to head back to the truck and grab another box. Noah's reply grew faint as I entered the truck's large interior to see Matt and Chase fooling around, building a fort with the remaining boxes.

They hadn't seen me coming so I crept up behind the box-fort's edge and placed my hands on my hips. "Boys?"

Chase leapt up, standing erect with a smaller box in his hands. I raised an eyebrow, "How exactly is this productive?"

"We're releasing our energy?" Chase offered as Matthew stood up into view.

"I wouldn't bother, Chase." His brother smiled and turned around.

My best friend handed me the box with a guilty smile as the two brothers went back to work, taking down their fort. Chase and I walked down the driveway as I made my pit-stop to empty my hands.

"Staying out here?" He questioned, as a look of concern swept across his face. I nodded silently. He set the box in his arms down onto the couch and leaned in closely. "Is it happening again?"

I debated lying to him, as my best friend he always took on my own worries as his own and I didn't want him on edge. But even if I did lie, Chase would see right through it and be even more concerned than the original fear in his mind.  I gave in with a small nod of assurance, but saw Chase clench his jaw. I stopped him before he could even open his mouth, "Look I don't need you to worry about it, okay?"

"I can't promise you not to worry about it when you-"

"Chase." I cut him off as Noah and my father approached the two of us at the edge of the driveway.

"Everything okay over here?" My dad asked as he took my box off the couch. My eyes didn't break away from Chase's. "Just fine, Daddy. Is anyone going to get this couch?"

Nobody responded because Noah had run forward to a car passing by to flag them down. The car slowed to a stop as Noah opened the door and pulled out two matching Vera Bradley duffel bags. I didn't have to guess who was inside the car, it had to be his sisters. The doors of the Honda burst open as two short girls with dirty blonde hair and green eyes emerged from either door.

"Addison, Avery, good to see you." Noah smiled as he engulfed his two sisters into a hug. I turned to Matthew with a grin, "Aw, he almost doesn't look like a complete asshole."

Matt snorted as the two girls turned around to face our small crowd. My mouth dropped open as I realized they shared the same face. "Your sisters are twins?"

Noah smiled for confirmation as the two girls exchanged glances and looked up at the twins on either side of my father and I. The girls were so identical I had trouble finding a feature that would help me tell the two apart. The one on the left smiled, giving me an out as she was missing a tooth right in the front of her mouth. Bingo!