Lost Queen [4] ✓

families are like fudge, mostly sweet with a few nuts

"Hello?" I opened the door but no one was there. The cool autumn wind ruffled the orange and red leaves down the sidewalk.

"Hello? Is anyone-"

A big figure popped out infront me, scaring me half to death.

"BOO."

"Ah!" I screamed, kicking him in the groin as a reflex.

"Holy shit, Lia." Winter groaned, bending over. Jesus, I thought he was a murderer.

"What are you, ten? Don't scare me!" I yelled at him, hitting him in the arm. Ugh, I hated when he did that.

"It was too good to pass up. Like old times." Yeah, old times when he'd always hide on me when I got home from school and scare me to death.

"You know you could've just knocked like a normal person." I finally moved out of the way so he could come in.

"Where's the fun in that?"

"Do you know where Owen and Finn are?" Owen went to college in California and Finn went to a boarding school called Lux Academy, which was a couple of miles away from here.

"Owen got an early flight, so he's probably landing soon and I think Finn's almost here," Winter hung up his coat in the closet, "So what's been going on with you?"

"Nothing much. Oh, Stella's hosting a Thanksgiving party today. She invited you." She literally threw the party together yesterday when she found out my brothers were coming home early.

"Who parties on a Sunday? And who hosts a Thanksgiving party?"

"TGI Sunday, bro,"

Winter grinned, "Be honest, you're happy to see me."

"You are my favorite. Don't tell the others." We talked about his college stuff and the new internship he started this semester. He was twenty-three and was getting his degree in criminal justice because he wanted to be a policeman.

A few hours later Finn arrived. One of his friends must've given him a ride.

I picked him up and lifted him off the ground as soon as he walked in, hugging him happily.

"Ah, I haven't seen you in forever!" He was fourteen but I liked to treat him like he was five.

"I missed you so much, Lia!" Finn hugged me back tightly and I had to let him go before he broke my ribs.

"Wow, did you get super strength or something? You almost broke my ribs."

I heard the door open again and turned back around to hug my last brother.

"Yo, everybody! Now the party can begin." Owen said loudly as I pulled away.

I burst out into laughter, he was severely sunburnt. His face was bright red like a cherry and so was the rest of him. But the worst were his ears.

"How's Cali going for you, lobster face?" Winter asked, sitting down at the kitchen table. I went into the cabinets to get some chips and hummus.

"It's warm. Very warm," Owen shivered, "I'm turning the thermostat up."

"Okay," I brought the chips over to Winter and Finn, where they instantly shoved handfulls of chips into their mouths before I even sat down.

"Hey, hey, one at a time, you pigs,"

"What? It's only sixty-eight in here!" Owen complained in the hallway.