“Kerrie, truth or dare?” Katie questioned.
“Truth,” Kerrie responded. “I don’t trust you for the dares.”
“Ok then,” Katie replicated. “Who is your secret crush that no one knows about?”
Kerrie smiled shyly, then replied, “Stevie Katts.”
“You like my brother?” Lenore interrogated. “Ooh, just wait until I tell him!”
“Erika, truth or dare?” Kerrie queried ignoring Lenore. “Please don’t say truth.”
“Fine,” Erika said. “I choose dare.”
“I dare you to run around the room nude.”
“Uh, hello, Brian’s here or have you forgotten?” Erika retorted.
“Kerrie got this evil look on her face. “I know, but he’s sleeping,” she answered.
“Fine, I’ll do it!” With that Erika did her dare, once done she quickly threw her nightgown on then looked over at Katie. “Truth or dare birthday girl?”
“Dare,” Katie riposted. “I’m no chicken.”
“I dare you to go over and kiss Brian on the lips,” Erika informed her. “We all know that you got a little crush on him.”
“Gladly,” Katie grinned. “I’ve always wanted to do this.” With that she went over and kissed him on the lips. “Your turn Lenore, truth or dare?”
“Uh, truth,” Lenore replied. Then she thought to herself, ‘Please don’t ask me what you asked Kerrie!’
“Lenore, my best, best friend,” Katie started. “Who are your secret crushes that you refuse to tell everyone?”
‘Great just great!’ Lenore thought. “Uh, I’d rather not say.”
“Uh uh, you have too, we’re playing with no chickens!” Katie reminded her.
“Now tell us; we promise not to tell anyone.”
“Promise you won’t make fun of me when I tell you?” Lenore interrogated. “It’s kinda sick in a way.”
“We promise,” they stated in unison.
“Fine,” Lenore mumbled. “My secret crushes are, Brian and Stevie.”
“You have crushes on your two older brothers?” Erika queried. “Gross!”
“How’d that happen?” Kerrie asked. “When did it happen?”
“Well, I’ve looked up to them ever since I was really little,” Lenore told her friends. “I didn’t know how much I really loved them until mom had died. They were always there when I needed them; they were there for me more than dad was. Dad was busy with Jessica, Emily, and Tessa; he didn’t know how much I was hurting or how jealous I was of my younger siblings. When dad kinda realized now and then I’d get spanked, yelled at, and then sent to my room; Brian and Stevie we’re always the ones who came to comfort me and tell me that everything would be all right.”
“You’ve loved then for the past nine years?” Katie said. “Whoa. I knew that you were having a hard time adjusting to the fact that you’re mom was gone, but I didn’t know you were having that much trouble.”
“Well, Stevie and I were only six when she was hit by that drunk driver,” Lenore reminded her friends. “Brian was fifteen, Jessica was two, Emily was barely even two months old. Then we adopted Tessa four years later. Dad had to take extra care of Jessica, and Emily ‘cause they were still very little; he didn’t have a whole lot of time for Stevie or I. We were his little Prince and Princess, until the rug-rats came along. Brian had to kinda raise the two of us, for dad wouldn’t pay any attention to us unless he was yelling at us for doing something wrong.”
“So, that’s why the three of you are so close,” Kerrie acknowledged. “I wondered why you’re always tagging along with one of them, and not even bothering with the younger three.”
“Yeah, well, I’m still kinda jealous of them,” Lenore admitted. “He still favors them a lot even though they’re five, nine, and eleven.”
The girls continued to talk and play Truth or Dare, and somehow during that time Lenore fell asleep next to Brian. Lenore awoke around noon the next day, not knowing where she was, she look around, noticing that Brian had his arm around her; suddenly she realized that they were still at Katie’s.
“Oh my God, we fell asleep,” Lenore said, she then turned and shook her big bro. “Brian, Brian! Get up; we fell asleep! Dad’s gonna kill us!”
Brian awoke with a start. “What are you talking about?” He asked.
“You fell asleep after the drawing contest last night,” Lenore informed him.
“I was gonna wake you up after we’d finished playing Truth or Dare, but I accidentally fell asleep too.”
“I told you no more than three games, and yet you went and played six,” Brian retorted. “Now we’re gonna be in even more trouble, all because you didn’t wake me up when you knew you were supposed too!”
“I’m…I’m sorry Brian,” Lenore apologized. “I…I…I didn’t mean too.”
“Come on, we’d better get home a.s.a.p. Even though we’ll be going home to a war zone,” Brian rejoined getting up. “The faster we get home the less trouble we’ll be in, even though we’re already in a whole lot.”
“Ok Brian,” Lenore answered quietly. “ I am really sorry.”
“Why am I in my boxers?” Brian interrogated. “Where’s my clothes?”
“Uh, Erika and Kerrie took them off of you and hid them somewhere,” Lenore replied sheepishly. “I’m not quite sure as to where they put them.” Brian glared angrily at her. “Well, you’d better find them,” he growled. Lenore ran to get Erika and Kerrie, so she could give Brian his clothes back. They finally found them stuffed in the garbage can in the corner of Katie’s room. Lenore handed them to Brian as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the house. She called good-bye to her friends as she climbed onto the back of his bicycle and wrapped her arms around his bare skin, while holding on to his clothes for him. Then he pedaled them home as fast as he could, still only in his boxers. As they rode home, girls who were standing on the sidewalks gawked at the sight and those with cameras took pictures. When they got home, Brian put his bike back in the garage, then strolled into the house with Lenore right behind him.
