※ Amber Alert ※

Chapter 1

Dani's POV:

"Hey Laur, Moms said they'd take me to the mall in 20 to shop for back to school clothes, if you wanna tag along. I know you don't really need anything but, it'll be more fun with you there haha."
Lauren looked up from the book in her lap as I bounded into our room and flopped beside her on the bed, jittery with pre-shopping excitement. With Christina working two jobs, and Kath busy at home watching the 3 of us and trying to unpack all the boxes we'd brought with us to the new Tennessee house, they hardly ever had time to do things like take us kids shopping.

Lauren laughed a little bit at my childlike antics, carefully folding the page she was on to hold her place before closing the thick book. I studied her face to see she was thinking about the offer, after living with my selectively mute older sister for over a year now I'd gotten pretty good at reading her facial expressions and guessing what she was thinking, every little habit had a meaning. Starting 3 months ago she'd started speaking again though, only a little, small, stuttery words like "hi" or "sorry", but it was progress, and the Moms were just as proud and overjoyed with the breakthrough as I was.

Lauren opened her mouth to answer me when Lisa interrupted her with a scoff from the other side of the room, laying on her bed with Charles curled up in her lap and a phone in her hands. She didn't bother looking at us as she spoke, her eyes glued to the screen as she scrolled and chuckled.
"Lauren never wants to go anywhere or do anything anymore Dani, she just lays in bed all day reading or writing in her stupid journal like a freak. I don't know why you bother to continue inviting her places with you, it's a waste of time."

I rolled my eyes at Lisa's remark, feeling my freckled face get hot at just her condescending tone alone. Lauren closed her mouth and looked back down at her lap, tracing the raised, white scar near her collarbone with her fingertip gently, a common habit of hers that usually meant she was lost in thought or anxious. Even if Lisa'd been belittling her for months now, and Lauren should probably be used to it, I could tell the harsh remarks from her own twin sister hurt her. Laur took a shaky breath and I bite down on my tongue, hard, to stop from countering Lisa's claim with my own equally harsh remarks.

"Shut up Lisa, I wasn't talking to you."
Charles got up out of Lisa's lap, fur bristled as he hopped from the bed to the ground and Lisa sat up, a look of annoyance across the face that resembled Lauren's.
"Well who were you talking to then, because if you really expected a response out of her you're an idiot."
Lisa gestured to Lauren and spoke as if she weren't in the room with us at all.

"You can take that phone and shove it up your-!"
I stopped, standing up from the bed and quickly letting my inappropriate sentence taper off as Christina waltzed into the room with her eyebrows raised and a small smile.
"Care to finish that sentence, Danielle?"

Lisa threw her head back and cackled. I groaned, giving Christina a look as she crossed her arms and waited for me to say something.
"Lisa was being mean to Lauren again, I was standing up for her Mom."
It was now Lisa's turn to roll her eyes, her usual reaction to me calling Christina and Katherine Mom. She was the only one out of the 3 of us who usually didn't.

I guess she found it weird, or maybe she missed our real Mom and Dad too much and the idea of having our older sisters take the place of our late parents hurt her too much. But for me and Lauren it'd been over a year since their death, and given the fact that our older sisters WERE legally our parents, and acted like the most incredible gay mothers a girl could ask for, why would I choose to call them anything different?

"Mhm, well, watch your language. Katherine would have a heart attack if she heard our 14 year old talking like that and you know it."
I nodded my head, deciding that the small sermon was fair enough. Sometimes Christina could be a little overbearing and strict, but it was only because she loved us so much and all of us knew it. And besides, Katherine was so sweet and lenient that SOMEONE had to play bad cop from time to time, otherwise us girls would get into all kinds of trouble. It was good to have some structure, not fun per say but, good.