No one clould have imagined that chaotic night would give birth to a peaceful, glorious morning. Greg woke up at 8:46, bright sunlight luring him from sleep. He look at his left and no one was there, the only sign of inhibitance was a small post-it note stuck to his blue pillow. As he reached for it, a small knock tapped 3 times on the door. "Come in," Greg moaned, his brain still stuck in the clouds.

His sister Nicole crept in, wrapping her hands around the corners of the door untill Greg looked at her. He smiled a dopey smile, motioning for Nicole to come in. Her face lit up and she scampered in, leaping onto Greg's bed. "What's up?"

"Mommy wanted me to make sure you were awake," Nicole replied with a toothy smile, sitting straight up on the bed. She tucked her brown hair delicately behind her small ears. "You have practice in an hour."

"Ugh," Greg replied, his body demanding he receive at least another 3 hours of sleep. He slammed his head back on the pillow, brushing hard at his weary eyes. "I forgot about that." After a few moments of soothing silence, Greg picked his head up, his squinting displaying he seriously lacked sleep. "Well, how did you sleep?"

"Bad," Nicole replied sighing, cradeling her knees to her body. Her eyes quickly glanced to the serene backyard, then swam back to Greg. "I came into your room to sleep with you but someone else was in here with you."

Greg's heart stopped beating, chain-reacting his brain to freeze during mid-thought. She saw me in bed wtih a girl?! his brain rang. s eyes dialated as he shot up in bed, his sheets slipping unwillingly from his burly chest. A cavern of disbelief was located where his mouth was. "You...you came in here?"

"The storm was really scary," Nicole replied timidly, her eyes cringing and her tiny hands raising to her mouth. "I wanted you to sing me to sleep, you know, like you always do. Who was in here, Greg?"

Greg didn't know what to say; to tell her the truth or lie? Greg's hands weaved through his hair in an effort to stimulate some brain waves. Either way, she'd find out, whether it was from him or someone else. He crawled to Nicole's side and dropped his head to her ear. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Oh, sure!" Nicole responded gleefully and boisteriously, grabbing ahold of Greg's arm. Greg shushed her violently, assuring no eavesdroppers could hear them a.k.a. Amanda and Daniella. "Remember when Mommy told me not to drink chocolate milk on my bed and I did anyway? I spilted it and you didn't tell Mommy and cleaned it up for me!"

A smile grazed Greg's face, his eyes diverted to the post-it note on the pillow. "That's right. That was a good friend of mine. She was scared of the storm, too. Really scared." Nicole eyes widened in anticipation of Greg's next words. She relished hearing Greg's stories. She looked up to him, litterally. Adoration wasn't even the word to encompass what Nicole felt. She felt...undying compassion for her older brother, the one who will always be there. "She wanted to spend the night because she was that scared. Her name was Rai."

"Ray?" Nicole asked inquizzatively, her eyebrows narrowing like Frankie's do. "Like a drop of golden sun?"

Greg let out a laugh, embelishing his sister in his arms. He has taught her well. "Yeah, exactly."

"Breakfast is ready!" a voice yelled up the stairs. It bounced off the walls and spiraled into the ears of the siblings.

"You go eat now," Greg told her, scooting her off the bed. She giggled and ran to the door. "And remember, Niccy," Greg whispered loudly. He took his index finger and thumb and ran them across his lucious mouth, like he was zipping a coat. Nicole nodded, knowing and adoring that both of them shared secrets with each other, things that the world can't explain or possibly fathom about. She copied Greg's gester and then vanished into the hallway.

Greg hopped from the bed, walking over to his nightstand. He stretched like angels bent down and were pulling him into the heavens. The note was still on his pillow. It grabbed his attention, so he grapsed it in his hands and began to read...

Handsome,
Thanks for letting me crash. Don't worry, I made sure I wasn't seen slipping out; don't want to get us both in trouble ;D. Even though I may have never said this, I really appreciate your kindness and friendship. It's rare and wonderful. I know I can trust you.

Love Ya Lots,
Railyn.......

"Railyn!" Jane called up the stairs, scratching her head and holding a spatchula in her hand. "C'Mon...you've got to take your pills, then we got to go."

"Ugh!" Railyn fustratively cried out, chucking another pair of pants that didn't fit to the floor. Angrily, she kicked them out of her sight and into the depths of under the bed. "Nothing is fitting me!" She yanked a pair of flare jeans from the dresser and slipped them over her purple underwear. She modeled it in from of a mirror, then scowled and ripped them off her body.

"Didn't you get those pants a few weeks ago?" Danielle enquired, tying her hair up with a black scrunchie.

"Yes," Railyn replied, fishing through the draw for her grey drawstring pants. "I've lost like 7 pounds since I've got them." Railyn locked eyes with Danielle in the mirror, their eyes unhinging from each other. Their eyes were peering into each other gravely and frightendly. The same, terrifying thought raced through their mind, but Railyn turned around and embraced her friend in a hug, assuring her everything will be OK.

"Well," Danielle smiled slightly, pushing back the ravage tears. "When are you seeing Lover Boy again?"

Railyn let out an exasperated breath as she sat down on her bed to tie her adidas sneakers. "Must we go through this again?!" Railyn demaded playfully. "F-R-I-E-N-D-S. That's what we are and probably all we'll ever be."

"Probably?" Danielle laughed, plopping on the edge of Natalie's well-made bed. Railyn looked over at her curiously. "Please...I have a 6th sense about these things. Something is going to happen."

Please, Dani, Railyn begged silently as she slipped her tan coat on. I don't need to hear this. I don't know what I want. I don't want to hurt Greg.