The Third One(second draft version)

Chapter 3

~Asher~

We're going to the library. While this may not seem like a big deal, it is to my siblings.

"We're going bye-bye?!" Kaden asks (more like screeches) as he taps on my leg repeatedly.

I sigh. "For the last time, Kaden. Yes, we are going bye bye. Now, where are your shoes?"

"Uhhhhh," he says thinking. "Outside!" He runs outside and I just smile while shaking my head.

"Asher, can you help me please?" Kyla asks while handing me Harper's shoes.

"Ky, these are Harper's shoes. Where are yours?"

"Oh, I don't know. I'll ask Ella for help."

"Okay, you do that"

Just then I hear yelling in the kitchen so I walk in there to see what's happening and see Harry and Harper on the floor fighting over Harry's shoe. It's basically a mini-game of tug-of-war but with a shoe instead of a rope.

"Hey, hey, hey. What's going on?" I ask them while taking the shoe away.

"That's my shoe," Harry says pouting with tears in his eyes. Meanwhile, Harper has skipped the pouting stage and went straight into bawling as soon as I took the shoe away from them both.

"Harper, this is Harry's shoe, I have yours. Come on."

She immediately stops crying and takes the hand I offered her to help her off the floor where she was previously crying. I walk her into the living room with me and sit on the couch, from there I lift her up and sit her on my lap to put her shoes on.

Mom comes down the stairs then while carrying Kyla on her hip.

"Hey, are we almost all ready to go?"

"The toddlers are yeah, I'm not sure about the older kids. I haven't seen any of them recently so I don't know where any of them are."

She puts Kyla on the ground and walks over to the stairs to yell up at the kids saying we're leaving. You could almost immediately hear what sounds like a stampede of elephants coming down the stairs when in reality it's just the rest of my siblings.

"Load up!" Mom says and all the kids run outside. We all get in the car to drive into town and to the library.

"Okay, everyone out!" I say getting out of the car.

"Hey, Asher? I have to run to the store real quick. Do you think you could keep an eye on all the kids until then?"

"Yeah, I can. Can you pick up some ice cream though? Cookie's &Cream please."

"Okay, I will. Thank you!"

With that mom drives off leaving me with all the kids.

"Alright, come on everyone! Levi you get Kaden, Ella you take Kyla, Emmet you take Harper. I'll take Harry, because he's the hardest to keep track of." They all pair up and walk into the big red brick building that is the library.

I stay behind in order to grab all the books that were previously stacked on the ground.

"Okay, come on little dude." I pick Harry up, carrying him in one arm while carrying all 6 hard cover books in the other. I walk up to the door but I'm so occupied with trying to balance the books and Harry who is currently trying to squirm out of my arms that I don't notice the door opening and someone walking out until it's too late and I walk smack dab into the person walking out. I fall but manage to catch Harry before I drop him. Unfortunately, the books didn't get the same fate and fell on the ground scattering everywhere.

"I'm so sorry!" The stranger and I both say at the same time, both of us bending down to pick up the books.

"Are you okay?" He asks and I look up only to be completely entranced in the most vibrant green eyes I've ever seen.

"Umm?" He says, waving a hand in front of my face.

"Oh, yeah I'm fine," I reply, smiling. Now that I was snapped out of my entrancement I finally take him all in. He had thick, straight, ashy blond hair that was shorter on the sides and longer on the top, his eye brows were thick without being bushy and blond like his hair and were currently scrunched together in what looked like worry, he has a straight narrow nose, and full red lips with the bottom one being just a little bit fuller than the top. He was tall, at least 5 or 6 inches taller than me, with broad shoulders and a broad chest that narrowed down in a slim waist. He was wearing dark stonewashed jeans, a red and black plaid shirt that was open to show a plain white t-shirt underneath and black and white Van high top shoes.

"Done checking me out yet?" He says jokingly while sort of laughing.

I blush and look away but he continues chuckling.

"I'm Nate, and you are?" He asks holding out a hand to help me up after he stops chuckling, he smiles which revels white straight teeth with the exception of one of his front teeth being crooked just enough that it goes over the other one in the slightest way.

"I'm Asher," I reply also smiling and taking his offered hand. "And this little guy is Harry." I say tickling the small child slightly. He giggles and pushes my hand away.

"Hey little dude," Nate says smiling and gives him a little wave. "Is he your brother?"

"Yeah, my mom had to run to the store real quick so I'm stuck with the brood. Speaking of, I better get in there before they destroy something." I say only half joking. "It was really nice meeting you, maybe I'll see you around sometime."

"Yeah, it was nice meeting you too," He says, handing my books to me.

He steps to the side so I can go into the building and I walk in, smiling to myself a little bit. I take a peek over my shoulder to see him looking at me. I hurriedly look away and continue into the library, and he just laughs at my embarrassment. His laugh, a rich sound that sounds like liquid velvet, sticks with me even after he is long gone.