The next morning in the cafeteria Remi and I had sat on the benches outside, shaking in the cold, but sipping on the hot pumpkin spice coffee she had brought from home.

"I'm telling you Francy, you have to see him again." Remi started again.

"Don't you think I want to. I get a heart racing just thinking about him."

She opened her thermos and refilled our cups. "Then just go to that shop. I bet he's thinking about you too. Maybe he will just show up in our school in his rover and with flowers and picks you up in his hands and tells you he .."

I raised my hand, stopping her. "Hold it there Jane Austen. That is never going to happen."

She smirked. "But you want to..."

I smiled. Well...it's not like I didn't want to.

"For the first time in our highschool life we can talk about real things that actually happened. This is a breakthrough from the cold desolate place in love we've known so far. Our time has come. I want to embrace this breakthrough. Let's celebrate. Tonight at your house."Remi got excited.

I really wanted to but... "I don't want to push my luck. This might be the only thing that happens until we leave highschool."

She glared at me. "Tonight. Your house. Done."

I gave in. Once Remi had something on her mind. That was it.

***

I looked at the time on my phone. It was already eight and Remi could be here any second. I took out the mini pies from the oven and placed them on the counter. Everything was ready for our little celebration. As always she'd prepare something salty and I took care of the sweets.

As I was washing my hands I heard a crack in the floor. I turned around and saw Kai leaning over the counter trying to steal a pie.

"Hey, hey, hey. Hands off." I shooed him away protecting my pies.

"Aren't they for us anyways?" He asked and in a few swift movements he managed to get past me and steal a pie.

"Nooo.They are for Remi?"

Just like that he dropped the pie.

"She's coming here? No one told me she's coming here. Why didn't anyone tell me she was coming here?"

"Didn't I tell you? I must have told you." I said knowing exactly why I didn't tell him.

He ran out of the kitchen in a second.

"Francy..I'm here." Remi yelled coming through the door. "I brought pizza."

"I'm in the kitchen with pies."

I quickly put them on the plate and came out. She was carrying a large box of pizza and a few other stuff in her bag.

Running down the stairs with his backpack, Kai stood frozen when he saw Remi. I could barely hold in the laugh when I smelled his cologne.

"Hi." He said frozen on the stairs.

"Hi." Remi smiled.

"Hi." He said again.

"Want some pizza?" She asked and opened the box.

He brushed past us and speed walked to the front door.

"Hey where are you going?" I yelled.

"I'm going to Fin's."

He was gone before I could say anything else.

"Who else is here?" Remi asked.

"Well.." I said sitting down and getting a slice. "Mom and Dad went jogging together, Kai as you can see just left and Ace said he got invited to a party at his girlfriend's house. Only Rehan is home."

"Call him for pizza" Remi said and took a slice herself.

I texted Rehan and he came down in a second.

"Oh pizza." He jumped next to us and put two slices over one another shoving them in his mouth.

"Do you guys have any drinks?" Rehan asked with his mouth full.

"Nope. We don't drink fuzzy stuff." I told him.

"I meant alcohol." He said

Remi coughed up the pizza. "You drink?"

"All the men in this family are allowed to drink." Rehan answered.

"It's true." I nodded. "Dad gave them beer the moment they got to high school to teach them their limit so they never go over it. He doesn't want to ever catch them drunk. But Ace still likes partying a bit too much. That's why he hides from mom and dad so desperately."

"What about you?" Remi asked, taking another slice. "I've never seen you drink."

"Double standards. I'm not allowed." I said.

Rehan chuckled. "Dad told her she's only allowed to drink alcohol if it comes in liquor chocolates."

"That is so unfair." Remi placed her hand on the table. "I will not have this oppression..."

"Relax Remi. We don't drink anyway." I laughed.

"No. This is unacceptable. Women should be.."

"I'm out." Rehan grabbed a pie and headed out. "I'm gonna be back by eleven."

"See ya." I waved, still listening to Remi's speech in the background.

"I'm telling you Francy this is not fair." She sighed. "You know what we should do. To mark this occasion we should drink."

My jaw dropped open. "No...we couldn't.. we shouldn't.."

She smirked. "But you want too.."

I pressed my lips tight. I can't deny that.

"But where would we find alcohol?" I asked.

"I'm sure your mom and dad have a stash somewhere."

Going to the kitchen I opened the freezer where they kept hard liquor for guests.

"I see vodka." I said taking it out. "It's only half a bottle though."

"That would do." Remi said taking it and pulling out two glasses.

Next thing I knew we were drinking the bitter thing like it was water.

"You know what we should do?" Remi jumped happily from the couch to the armchair.

"What?" I asked laughing.

"I've always wondered what's in Rehan's room."

"No!" I yelled. "We can't. Only mom's allowed in there cause she picks up the laundry."

"But it's Rehan. I'm sure Ace and Kai have normal rooms but Rehan..."

"We can't." I laughed. "What if we walk in there and we find a half-hatched dragon egg."

"Then we'll help it hatch and name it."

I laughed. "But..but..What if we find a nuclear weapon that could destroy the world?"

"We use it to get world domination, duh."

I shook my head. "What if...we find an underground tunnel that leads straight to the bank."

"Then let's go and check." She grabbed my hand and pulled me until I got up and followed her.

We went upstairs and stood in front of Rehan's room.

"This is a breach of privacy." I told Remi but her eyes were glinting like stars. She was not backing down.And as you know once Remi had something on her mind...

"If you feel that bad about it, we'll just take a peek."

I bit my lower lip as she opened the door and peeked through the door.

Just as I saw a shining red and yellow light coming from his room, Remi got her head out and slammed the door shut.

"What? What did you see?" I asked.

She turned towards me with her face in pure shock.

"Remi what did you see?" I grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Was it a dragon egg? A time machine? Is my brother an alien?"

She stood still in shock. I took a deep breath and reached for the doorknob ready to open the door when I heard Ace yelling from downstairs.

"What the fuck?"

I grabbed Remi and we ran downstairs. He was looking at the empty bottle of vodka.

"Did you drink?"

"No." I shook my head.

He glanced at Remi behind me who was leaning on the stair rail waving at him.

"Do you know what would happen if mom and dad find out?" He asked.

"Um I'm grounded?" I shrugged.

"No. They will think I influenced you and will kill me."

"Oh so this is about you. Always about you. Why is it that you can do all you want and I can't do anything I want? Huh?" I walked over to him poking his chest. "You can drink and party and do everything you want while I always have to be the perfect daughter and watch over you three."

He caught my hand and gave me a sad look. "Francy is that how you feel? That you have to be perfect?"

I pulled my hand out. "Isn't that what you all expect of me?"

Ace sighed. "It's not like that.. If you knew why.. " He rubbed his shoulders. "This is hardly the conversation to have when you're drunk."

"I'm not."

"I'm sleepy." Remi said before dropping on the ground.

"Oh shit." Ace ran next to her picking her up. "Geez after half a bottle, it's a miracle you're handling it that well."

"Really?" I said and jumped next to him happily. "Brother, I love you. Don't be mad."

"Oh god." Ace sighed, shaking his head. "Okay, help me get Remi in your room."

We walked in there but it still smelled like paint.

"It's gonna take another day until anyone can sleep in here. We should lay her in the guest room."

"Wouldn't it be funny if we put her in Kai's room?" I said grinning.

"No..We couldn't possibly.." Ace looked at me smiling. "That would be too evil."

"Come on. Don't you want to see his reaction?" I smiled hopping around him. "I know we made a pact not to help them out, but just this once let's give him a little boost."

Ace could never resist teasing his brothers. "Okay, let's do this."

We brought Remi up to Kai's room and we settled her in his bed. We turned off the lights and ran back down.

"He is going to die." I tried to hold my laugh.

Ace almost relaxed when he saw the bottle. "But we need to fix this first."

"Oh easy." I grabbed the empty bottle and ran into the kitchen filling it with water. Ace followed me and grabbed the bottle out of my hands.

"Amateur." He took out tequila from the freezer and added some in the bottle.

"Alcohol doesn't freeze, water does. They will know right away."

Aaaa. I see. I still lack in the ways of adulting. Or I'm just an idiot.

"We're home." Dad and Mom had walked through the door.

"Quickly." I yelled and Ace put everything back in a hurry, then ran back into the living room with me and hid the glasses under the coffee table.

"Ah, that was quite the run. How was your night?" Mom asked, grabbing the towels she prepared beforehand and giving one to dad.. "Where is Remi?"

"Oh we were watching a movie and she fell asleep, so we took her upstairs since my room still smells like paint." I told mom, smiling.

"Yeah, I helped her out. We were just cleaning." Ace said taking everything to the kitchen and I followed him.

We washed everything and made sure we left no traces of the crime.

I couldn't help but laugh at all of this.

"This is so much fun." I told Ace. "I should do this more often."

"Don't even think about it." Ace warned me and then peeked through the window.

"Oh here comes Kai. Let's go."

We ran upstairs and hid in Ace's room waiting. It took every bit of strength we had not to laugh.

We heard Kai's steps walk past Ace's room and instantly we opened the door putting a mirror out to see what's happening.

Kai walked in his room quite peacefully and then second later he ran out slamming the door behind him, the look on his face priceless. He opened the room, peeked inside and then slammed the door back again. He took a few breaths and then opened the door again this time peeking longer.

We couldn't take it anymore. We closed the door and smashed our heads into pillows hoping he won't hear us laughing.

As we heard his steps approaching we sat on the bed as if Ace was showing me something on his phone.

He stood a few seconds in front of the door and then knocked.

"Come in." Ace answered, biting his knuckle to stop laughing.

Kai opened the door, his face completely red. Then he saw me and he became serious very fast.

"Why is um.. Remi in my room, sleeping..sleeping on my bed?" He barely said the words.

"Oh she fell asleep while we were watching a movie and mom said we should bring her upstairs since my room still smells like paint and the guest room is a complete mess since I'm there. You can sleep with me in the guest room."

He couldn't comprehend what I was saying.

"You want me to sleep with you in the guest room?" He was a bit annoyed.

"Well then sleep with Remi." I said pressing my fingers in the pillow. Don't laugh. don't laugh.

The color drained from his face.

"Sleep with..um." He was choking so bad.

"Ugh fine, then I'll go wake her up. Ah, poor Remi."

"NO! It's fine. Don't wake her up!" Kai raised his hands. "I'll just take my things and go to the guest room."

I nodded and the moment he was out of the room me and Ace hit each other trying to stop laughing.

I had tears in my eyes.

"He is so adorable I can't." I got up wiping my eyes. "No wonder he said that people who choke up when they are in front of who they like, have the best chemistry."

I smiled thinking of what my stranger said to me when we met.

"Who said?" Ace asked.

"Oh a classmate. Bye." I said and ran out the room.

Phew. I almost spilled everything.

When I got to the guest room Kai was on his phone with the headphone on.

I kind of felt bad for teasing him, but with his cold personality, these kinds of reactions were priceless.

I jumped on the bed and cuddled next to him. Kai pulled his headphones down and covered me with the blanket.

"Why do you smell like alcohol?" He asked, his brow perking up.

"Oh just some liquor chocolates." I laughed.

"Remember when mom and dad said we used to be like twins?" He asked and I nodded.

"And we were so close we'd practically do the same stuff? Even lying?"

Oh.oh.

"Yeah. I know you were drinking. That's why Remi is passed out on my bed." He sighed. "I'm not stupid."

"Sorry, we had to hide her there."

Buy it.Buy it.

"Of course, I got that. You could have just told me." He said and then added. "But don't go drinking somewhere outside. It's not safe. Look at how easily she passed out."

"I know I know." I sighed. Damn these brothers. Making me feel bad for everything I do.

"Hey, did you do your homework for tomorrow?" He asked out of nowhere.

"All except math." I sighed. That subject was just impossible.

"You can copy off me." He said to my surprise.

I stared at him confused. Did my cold-hearted brother offer to help me for free?

"I'm just in a good mood." He said smiling and put his headphones back on.

Mm, I bet you are, after seeing Remi's sleepy face. Guess I shouldn't feel too bad after all.