Arabella//H.S

Chapter 1: Old photos

Tessabelle

"Look at this one!"

I turn from my comfortable position on the couch to look at my beaming bestfriend. We had been going threw old photos for the last two hours, while enjoying a cup of hot chocolate. We were on our fourth box now, and still, after hundreds of photos, I couldn't keep myself from smiling at all the distant memories we created over the years.

All the pictures were of a young Louis and i, mostly surrounded by his siblings; my mum was usually wedged in their somewhere, never being left out, because she was part of the family we had glued together.

I could faintly remember the time each of the pictures were taken and It brought a warm, fuzzy feeling to my heart. I smile at the picture louis was holding up in one hand. It was one of the few pictures we had of just my mum and I.

Growing up with one parent wasn't as I hard as it should have been, if I'm honest. Mr.Tomlinson seemed to fill the whole, and numb the pain quite well. He had pretty much been a father to me and a great friend to my mother, which seemingly morphed me into a well behaved, mature, and intelligent twenty year old woman. I knew my place in the world; where I stood, and where I wanted to stand.

Even after fifteen years of befriending my darling Louis, we were still incredible best friends. Me and his family grew quite close as well, considering I spent nearly every weekend at their home. I spent most of my time with lottie, as she was the eldest of the group.

I absolutely adored Charlotte, felicite, Daisy, phoebe, dorest, and Ernest. It was quite strange to look back at the day I had first met them; dorest and earnest only a few months ago, and realize how much they have grown.

I never did quite understand how Johanna did it. Maybe it came naturally? Maybe she spent months preparing? Or maybe she just went along with it? I know there's a magic secret of some sort. Rather big or small, its there, because, although women are intended to cary, and raise children, one simply does not become a mother of seven kids just like that. It's impossible.

"Lou, Lou, Lou!"

I turn around and watch as the 7 year old girl bounces up and down, making her way to her older brother, beaming, with the same facial expressions Louis' face held moments ago.

It had merely taken me two days to determine which twin was which. Although Phoebe and Daisy looked shockingly similar, their personalities were on separate sides of the world. Phoebe was more outgoing and loud, whereas Daisy was more quite and often kept to herself. They both loved their older brother equally though, and I found it to be one of the cutest things on the earth.

"Phebs, Phebs, Phebs!" Louis drops the stack of photos in his hand. I watch them scatter across the hardwood floor, amused by Louis imitating his younger sibling.

"Quess what!" Phoebe runs up to Louis and jumps in his flailing arms.

My heart instantly stops throbbing when phoebe hits the ground. Louis stops messing around and crutches down to his silent sibling, clutching her arm.

"Oh my god, Phebs are you alright?"

I quickly slip off the couch, just as a single tear leaks from her eye.

"Phoebe," I softly whisper, pulling the loose strands of hair that had fallen out of her long blonde ponytail behind her ear. I had secretly been jealous of her beautiful, golden hair. My hair was naturally brunette, died blonde of course.

It takes a minute or two before she speaks, no doubt finally gaining air back in her lungs.

"My arm." She wines, trying to sit herself up with the other arm.