Winter Tales

Chapter 1 - Getting Ready

++Alex' POV++

"Everybody ready?" I ask, looking around me.

The chaos in our front room has thankfully diminished, now that we have packed up the cars. All there is left is a bunch guys in various stages of excitement. It ranges from extreme restlessness – that would be Aidan and Noah – to semi-consciousness, which would be Will. I think he is just pretending to be half asleep, however, so that he does not have to speak to anybody. He has been in a mood for the past few weeks already, so I don't hold much hope that this is going to improve much in the upcoming days. But one never knows.

Will has always loved winter sports and our annual trip to Lake Tahoe has usually transformed the rather challenging kid into a comparatively agreeable boy. I am not so sure if it will do the trick this time though. He is getting continuously more difficult to handle and sometimes I really wonder if I am cut out for this. Will has managed to make me question myself more than any other one of my younger brothers has over the years. I kind of feel responsible for the way he has turned out so far, although I cannot put my finger on where I have gone wrong with him.

"Yes, yes, yes, let's go!" the younger twins shout and bolt for the door.

"Hold it right there," I stop them. "Let's quickly get over a few things, just so we're all on the same page here."

A collective groan is the expected answer that I receive, but that doesn't really deter my intentions. I know that I get on my brothers' nerves whenever I am acting all responsible and bossy. But someone has to keep the troops in line. That duty is on me, unfortunately, since I am the oldest.

"Shut up and listen!" Jordan barks at them, immediately getting everybody to freeze in their spots and shutting up.

I give him an appreciative smile for the back-up. It is sometimes quite handy to have a marine sergeant fighting in your corner. He sure knows how to put the fear of god into the guys whenever he raises his voice and calls for order in that infamous drill-sergeant-manner of his.

"Jeez, Jordan, give us a heart attack, will you?" Sam complains and then turns his attention back to the bundle in his arms, whispering a comforting shhshh at it.

I cannot help but smile at the sight of him and Lily. She is tightly wrapped up in her favourite fluffy blanket and Sam is holding her closely against his chest. Our youngest sibling needs the most sleep out of all of us, so we have decided not to force her to wake up at the break of dawn with the rest of us to get ready. It is in everybody's best interest if we ensure that she gets her required hours of sleep, because without it, she is quite literally unbearable. So, all we are usually asking from her is to get dressed and then she can go back to sleep. Sam has taken it upon himself to make sure that everything involving Lily gets done in time.

"All right, listen up," I get back to the business at hand: "We're taking three cars. Aidan, Jack and Luke are with me. Noah and Sam drive with Josh. Will, Lily and Jordan go in Ben's car. We'll stop for a coffee break in two hours."

"You mean for a second breakfast," Luke grins.

That guy is barely out of his teens and all he seems to think about is food and music. I don't really know where he puts it, either. He is one of the smaller guys and not even half as health and sports obsessed as some of us others. It is a bit of a mystery to me how he keeps in shape.

"Whatever. Everybody clear on the plan?" I ask.

"Why can't I be in the car with Noah?" Aidan moans.

Now this doesn't come as a surprise, I expected that.

"Because the goal of this trip is that we all make it there in one piece. I'm not stupid enough to put you two in the same car. I've learned that lesson years ago. I don't know why you're even asking," I remind him, rolling my eyes.