Rules for Enduring the Sweenys

Rule #10: Always Stay Calm

Bella woke up feeling refreshed and oddly better than she had the past few days. She stretched, gazing over at the clock. ‘Holy shit! The kids! Fuck! I shouldn’t have slept so goddamn long!’ She tripped out of bed, her legs getting tangled in her sheets. She held in a cry of surprise as she tumbled to the floor.

A humorous laugh rang from the doorway. Bella groaned, as Danny looked right, towards the stairs just outside her room and shouted, “She must’ve known I was comin’! But this was way better!” His boyish grin revealed three missing front teeth. His sapphire eyes sparkled in amusement. “Owen is leavin’ to hang out with your brothers. He said to tell you that you need to get Eli out of his room.” He whirled around and ran away as the front door slammed shut.

“Ah…” Bella moaned dropping her head onto the polished hardwood floor. She untangled herself from the blankets as soft footsteps slipped down the hall. Lucy’s babyish cheeks were rosy and her forest-y eyes were livelier than they’d been the past three days Bella had been around.

“I wanna play outside!” Lucy exclaimed trying to push her arm through the sleeve of her jacket.

Bella dropped her blankets onto her bed and glanced towards the windows behind her. The sun was shining blindingly and the sky was a clear robin’s egg blue. Bella smiled as Lucy dove onto her bed. She was wearing one lime green Converse on her right foot, and a black Vans skate shoe on her left, neither were laced up. She was wearing a plaid, black and red checkered skirt, and a purple long-sleeved t-shirt, with a light pink wind breaker, and a purple and silver baseball hat.

“Come on Bella!” she urged. She was lying on her stomach with her face in the palm of her hands, kicking her shoes up and down.

“Just lemme get dressed. You want help tying your shoes?” Lucy’s eyes grew wide and she slid to the floor.

“No way! I can do it myself!”

Bella laughed. “Alright, alright. When you’re finished,” she lowered her voice to a mischievous whisper, “we’re gonna get Eli outta bed to come with us.” Lucy grinned, looking so similar to her brothers, Bella couldn’t help wondering what the poor girl was gonna be like when she grew up.

“Danny comin’ too?” She frowned.

“Of course.” Lucy’s eyes lit up.

“Yay!”

* * *

“Come on you guys!” Anson complained, following his older brothers into the basement. “Please let us help,” he pleaded. Frankie chuckled. His youngest brothers and sister had been begging to help as soon as they’d heard why five of their six older brothers had showed up unannounced.

“Listen Ans, you can help by not telling Mom and Dad,” Frankie replied, much to their annoyance.

“Whatever,” Rebecca mumbled, “at least let us help plan.” Zane opened his mouth to tell her there was not a chance in the world she could stay, but Oliver cut him off.

“Alright, but this stays between us.” He grinned at his littlest sister. She was twelve years younger than him, but he was closer to her than he was to Frankie, who was his biological brother, or Samantha, who’d been like his best friend.

“Let’s get down to business,” Jake muttered, eyeing Owen distastefully.

“Why didn’t you call us as soon as she left last night, you fuckin’ idiot? She coulda been killed!” Zane asked, trying to keep the malice from his voice as much as he could. His dark brown eyes gleamed furiously, as he shoved his straight, dark brown hair away from them.