Rules for Enduring the Sweenys

Rule #4: Never Let Down Your Guard

Her alarm sounded noisily in her pounding head at exactly eight thirty; as she was thrown abruptly into consciousness, she was aware of a foul smell coming from somewhere nearby. She rolled over and was met by a childish giggle. Bella's greenish blue eyes opened, only to find that Lucy was sitting up and grinning at her.

“You layin' in throw up.” Lucy wrinkled her nose as Bella looked down at herself. It was true. Throw up covered her sheets and she'd laid in it.

“One day,” a voice cackled from the doorway, “I'm gonna have to thank you for this Luce.”

“Welcome Owen,” Lucy laughed. A dozen flashes blinded her from every angle, it seemed.

“Owen,” she groaned, sitting up. The smell was revolting. “What are you doing?” Owen smirked, sliding his phone back into his pocket.

“Pay back,” he answered, stepping further into her room. She was about to ask what the hell he was doing, when he reached down and picked Lucy up. Somehow, she'd been able to avoid puking on herself, choosing Bella for that fantastic honor instead. “You better take a shower. You stink.” Owen wrinkled his nose in disgust, before taking a giddy Lucy out of her reeking bedroom. 'Oh wonderful,' Bella thought sarcastically, before sighing. 'At least Lucy looks like she's feeling better.'

She dragged herself out of bed, suddenly hit with a wave of nausea and a wicked headache. Her throat was sore and her knees felt like rubber. “Fuck,” she growled. Getting sick was not what she needed at the moment. 'No way in hell can the boys know,' she thought irritably. She groaned in frustration as she ripped the second pair of sheets off her bed and tossed them into a pile on the floor near her door, she'd throw 'em in the washer later. After opening her windows, Bella grabbed a change of clothes and tip-toed down the hall to the bathroom, completely ignoring two of her most important rules.

She turned on the shower as hot as she could stand it and stepped inside. Something was nagging at her, but her head was hurting far too much to try and figure it out. Every time she moved, she felt a vicious wave of nausea wash over her. She hadn't felt sick like that since she was thirteen, right around the last time she'd seen...

Her legs gave out, and Bella slid to the tiled floor, steaming water falling onto her back. She felt like crying as her eyes clouded over from the pain of her headache. Dimly, she heard the bathroom door open, but she felt too weak to even demand to know who'd interrupted her shower. If she'd been in the right frame of mind, she would have known exactly what the Sweeny brothers were up to.

Ten minutes later, Eli heard the shower shut off and couldn't hide his grin. He honestly couldn't believe Bella had forgotten to lock the bathroom door. Did she not remember what had happened the last time?

“What should we do with it?” Danny snickered, handing the phone back to his brother. The picture was gold. He felt like rubbing his hands together while laughing manically, but he had to restrain himself, for his brothers' sake.

“Let's put it all over the Internet, and print posters to pass around at school,” Eli suggested. Both he and Danny turned their gaze to Owen. He was laying on his back, staring up at the ceiling above his bed.

“I've got a better idea,” he replied with the sly, cocky grin that his brothers loved him for.

Eli rolled his eyes. “Of course you do,” he mumbled. Danny and Owen paid him no attention. A frown overtook Eli's face and his blue-silver eyes dimmed with mild confusion. “Why isn't she yelling at us?” Owen was the one to roll his eyes this time. What had they actually expected? She didn't react at all to Fearless. Taking her clothes and towel were baby tricks.