It was raining; Alora was, fourteen sitting in the backseat. She was on her way to her grandparents fiftieth aniversary dinner. A log truck was coming down the other side of the highway, the truck swerved and collided with the small BMW.
Alora sat up in bed, screaming and crying. "Mom!"
Joel came running in. "Alora! Alora! Wake up." He shook her gently.
Alora looked at him in the dim moon light. Tears streaked her face. "Joel." She barely said as she threw her arms around his neck.
Joel ran his hands up and down her back. "It's OK. Lor, please don't cry anymore."
"I just miss mom so much." Her tears were now covering Joel's bare shoulder.
Joel pulled back to look at Alora. He gently wiped away a tear from her cheek. "Are you gonna be OK?" She shrugged slightly. "Do you want me to stay with you?"
Alora wanted to say yes with all her heart, but she couldn't say anything, she just barely nodded.
Joel smiled inwardly and got under the covers with Alora. Alora took a deep breath and layed down. Joel layed down with her and wrapped an arm around Alora.
That night Alora had the best night of sleep in ten years.
~
In the morning Alora awoke with Joel holding her tight. The Minor Threat shirt she was wearing was up around her ribs. Joel's hand rested on her uncovered stomach. Alora didn't care, she had known Joel since middle school.
Joel opened his eyes sleepily and looked at Alora. She was fast asleep again. He smiled and closed his eyes, falling into a deep, comfortable sleep.
After a few minutes Benji came in with a hand held recorder. "Shh! Hehehe! Don't they look cute together?" Benji whispered. Benji zoomed in on the sleeping pair. "The two love birds."
Alora's nose twitched. She lazily rubbed her nose while she slept. She turned slightly and wrapped her arm around Joel. She sighed happily.
Joel hugged Alora close.
Benji laughed, waking Joel. Joel looked at Benji groggily. "Go away, Benj." Joel turned over, grabbed a pillow and threw it at his brother.
Alora raised her head. "Shut uuup." She said, turning to face the wall.
"Get out Benji."
Benji sighed. "No. I made breakfast and it's getting cold. So get outta bed."
"What ya make?" Alora asked, still facing the wall.
Benji smiled. "Belgian waffles, scrambled eggs and hashbrowns."
Joel put a pillow over his head and went back to sleep.
Alora licked her lips and sat up. Running a hand through her hair, she said "C'mon Joel."
Joel mummbled something incoherent that sounded a lot like 'Bite me'.
Alora crawlled over Joel and stood next to Benji. She was wearing only Joel's shirt and her underwear. Alora scratched her nose as she searched the floor for her pants. She picked up her pants and pulled them on, almost falling on Benji.
"How's your leg?" Joel asked, looking at Alora as she buttoned her pants.
"Better." She smiled. "So, Benjers, let's eat."
Benji smiled and took Alora's arm. "Then I take you shopping." Benji grinned, walking out the door with her.
Joel rolled out of bed. He grabbed some pants from his dresser and put them on. He made his way out to the kitchen, rubbing his eyes.
"Morning sunshine." Alora smiled, sipping her chocolate milk. She looked at Benji who was getting whipped cream from the fridge. "That's really good, Benj."
"I know. I spoil you." He said, sitting next to her.
Joel sat at the table. "How ya sleep?"
Alora sat down her fork. "Besides the nightmare? Fine. Just like when mom was alive."
Joel half smiled. "That's good, but you kick."
Alora blushed profusely, looking at the floor. "I am so sorry."
Benji swallowed his eggs and smiled. "You never used to kick."
Alora put her left hand on her forhead and tried to ignore the twins. She then realized she couldn't eat with her right hand. "Dang it." She sighed under her breath. She picked up her fork with her left hand and tried to avoid eye contact with either brother. "You two are always so mean to me."
"Only because we love you." Benji said sounding like a mother talking to her baby.
"Shut up." Alora said, trying not to smile.
After breakfast Benji insisted on taking Alora shopping. He reasoned with her that she only had what was on her back.
"But I don't have any money." Alora sat on the couch holding the bear Joel gave her the day before.
"That's OK. We got too much." Joel smiled, taking her off the couch.
"C'mon." Benji said, walking out the door.
Alora sighed. "Fine, but no where expensive."
At Marices Benji was helping Alora chose from pajama's. "I like the black ones." He said, handing them to her.
"Benjers.... I can get this same thing at Wally World for half the price. Sure, it's a different brand, but who cares."
"But I told you, I don't care. Besides, none of my family members are gonna wear crappy cheap clothes."
Joel walked over to the two argueing over clothes. "Hey, Lor, there's this girl over there, she's hitting on me and... touching. So could you pretend to be my girl like in high school?"
Alora shook her head slightly in wonder. "I don't know Joel. That was a long time ago. That's childish." She couldn't help but grin.
"Thank you." He said, kissing her cheek.
"Down, Sick Boy." Alora joked.
"Fine, Renton."
"Don't call me that. I hate that movie." Alora crossed her arms in a brattish way.
"You started it."
The girl who was hitting on and touching Joel was watching every move Joel made. Her eys bugged when Alora kissed him gently on the lips. Joel took that as his cue. He wrapped his arms around Alora and kissed her passionatly.
"OoooK." Benji watched the girl leave. "Guys... She left. Guys?"
Alora melted inside. She had kissed Joel before, but never like this. Yeah she used tongue on him before, but that was just an act. Alora opened one eye to see if the girl was anywhere in sight, she wasn't, but Alora couldn't let go.
Joel tried to let go, but he couldn't.
Benji sighed. "Are you stuck?"
Alora laughed at Benji's remark. She pulled away from Joel. "Just putting on a good show. Don't you remember when we made out on the football feild?"
"What was the reason for that one?" Joel asked, scratching his head.
Alora went to say something, but then looked at the floor. "I don't remember."
Benji shrugged. "I don't either. Are you sure there was even a reason?"
"What are you getting at?" Joel asked his brother.
"Nothin'. Just a question."
After a lot of protesting from Alora, the twins perchased six pairs of pants, a few shirts, a pair of shoes, thongs of all colours, pajama's and a coat. Alora tried to put much of it back. But Joel followed her and picked up everything she put back.
"Guys, I don't need even half of this."
"You're right." Benji said. "You need all of it. Now we have to get you a tooth brush and stuff from Wally World."
Alora threw her arms in the air. "You two are impossible. Will I ever win with you?"