"How are we getting past Ma and Dad with her bound and gagged, along with her stuff?" Noah asked his brothers.

Nash looked at Nixon. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Oh, yeah," Nixon said.

What were these twits planning?

They turned and looked at Nolan.

"What?" Nolan asked. T

hey looked at each other and smiled. "Little brother, you're about to get a lesson in the birds and the bees," Nash said.

He gave them a disgusted look. "Why would I want to do that?"

"Cause if you don't, we'll tell Ma about your stash of Playboys," Nixon threatened him.

"Pff, big deal, Ma already knows."

"Does she also know about the Hustlers and her Victoria Secrets catalogs that keep magically disappearing?"

"You wouldn't?"

"Oh, but I would." He smirked.

"Fine, but you guys are real dicks." He grumbled, getting out of the car.

There's nothing like a little blackmail between brothers. I have to hand it to the Gray Brothers. They might play dirty with others, but it was nothing compared to what they do to each other.

Nolan knew more about sex than any fifteen-year-old out there. For him to even agree to this was a miracle. I also didn't want to know what he did with his mom's Victoria's Secret catalogs. Better yet, I didn't even want to know what he did with my bras.

"So, Nolan should be talking to Ma and Dad in the living room right about now. Nix, help me with Maggie. Noah and Nathan get her bags. We'll take her upstairs through the back way," Nash said.

They got out of the car and did what they had to do. On our way inside, they stopped and saw how poor Nolan was faring.

Pat and Nate were trying to figure out what they wanted to say as Nolan sat there, trying to act innocent. That kid was far from innocent.

"You know he'll kill us for having him sit through that," Nixon said.

"Yeah, well, he deserves it. It'll teach him to keep himself in check," Nash countered.

They carried me upstairs, along with my bags, and took me to Nash's room. The room I had been using at the Gray's house. Noah and Nathan tossed my suitcases to the floor. Nash and Nixon tossed me onto the bed. Geez, they could have been gentler.

"Now, we'll untie you and remove your gag. Do not yell or scream. If you kick me, I'll tie you to the bedposts. Got it?" Nash asked me.

I nodded. I didn't want the brothers tying me to Nash's bedposts or any bedposts.

They undid my ties and gag as I sat there, staring at them.

Nixon leaned into Nash and whispered, "I told you it's creepy when she stares."

Nash shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Okay, maybe it's time for some ground rules."

"Ground rules? Ground rules!" I stood up. "What ground rules? Let's see." I started pacing back and forth, tapped my finger to my lips, and pointed to each one of them, beginning with the twins. "You invade my privacy by reading my journal and going through my stuff." Next was Nixon. "You're rude to me every chance you get. You're more temperamental than a girl when it's that time of the month. And you," I stopped at Nash, "kicked me out of your room even though you haven't been here for a year. Oh, and let's not forget Nolan, the little pervert he is. But I need ground rules." I sat down in a huff.

The brothers didn't want me here, and I didn't want to be here. But lucky for me, my loving parents dumped me here.

Nash took a seat next to me. "Okay, we have been a little rough on you."

My head snapped in his direction. "A little?"

"Okay, a lot. But in our defense, it's not like we ever had a girl in the house before except for Ma. So, this is all new to us."

I gave him a blank look. "I'm an only child whose parents are never around, so being in a house with seven other people is not a walk in the park for me."

"Well, we got to figure out something. I'm sure Nolan will blow our covers in about five seconds," Nathan said.

"I give it three," Noah said.

"What?" We heard someone yell. We all stopped and looked at the door. "What do you mean you know about sex?"

"Yep, we're dead," Nathan said.

We heard a lot of thumping up the steps and running.

Nolan ducked his head into the room. "Sorry, boys, but you're on your own." Then he left, and we heard a door slam. Then more footsteps followed.

"Oh, boys, we'd like a word with you." Pat's voice was a little too sweet, which made it creepy.

"I'll kill him," Nixon mumbled.

"Boys, a word now." Nate waved a finger at them as he and Pat stood at the door. They all sighed as they got up and left the room. I couldn't help but be curious about what Nathan meant. What did they do? Well, as they say, curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back. I got up and made my way to the top of the steps.

There was a lot of yelling and cussing. I didn't realize Nate knew that many cuss words. He always seems so laid back. Pat was even worse because she looked like such a sweet person. While it was amusing to watch them sit on the couch and cringe, I was getting tired.

I went back to Nash's room and grabbed my stuff. I needed to find a place to sleep. I headed to one room they didn't use. I flicked on the switch to see they used it as storage. There has to be something around here I can use as a bed. In the corner was an old cot. I decided to use that.

After moving some stuff around, I set up the old cot, rummaged through my stuff, and found a pair of sweats and a hoodie. I changed into them, turned off the light, then crawled onto the cot and fell asleep.

Once said parents finished screaming at the boys, they returned to Nash's room.

"Okay, Maggie," Nash said.

They found me and my stuff gone.

"Where'd she run off to?" Nixon asked.

"Gee, I don't know Nix, probably Siberia. How the hell should I know?" Nash asked.

"She's in the storage room."

They turned to see Nolan eating a candy bar.

"Why?"

"Beats me." He shrugged and walked away.

The four of them made their way to the storage room, flicking on a hall light. I was asleep on the old cot, dressed in a pair of sweats and a hoodie with no pillow or blanket.

"You know, we're kind of dicks," Noah said.

"Kind of? No little brother, we are dicks," Nash responded. "Come on."

They followed Nash to a closet where he pulled out blankets and a pillow, handing them the stuff. "Perhaps it's time we stop being dicks and give the girl a break."

They returned with the items and situated me with the pillow and blankets, trying not to wake me. Once they finished, they left.

Nash stopped and turned to me. "Night Mags."

As he left the room, he heard me say, "Night, Nash," causing him to stop and smile. A little kindness goes a long way.

The next morning I awoke and got dressed. I made my way downstairs and looked for some bread to make toast.

"There's breakfast for ya," Nixon said.

I saw a plate of food sitting on the counter. Okay, what was their game?

I turned to them. "You didn't poison it, did you?"

"Yeah, sure, and have Ma and Dad kill us. Yeah, I don't think so."

I picked up the plate, walked over to the table, and sat next to Noah. I dug in, and it was still warm. It is so much better than toast.

After breakfast, Nathan said, "Come on, we don't want to be late."

Okay, what was with them this morning? Did they fall and hit their heads?

We went to the car, and they offered me the front seat.

"Will you get in? If we're late, Ma and Dad will kill us," Noah said.

I took a chance and got in. Nixon started the car and roared out of the driveway. I still wasn't sure about these boys. I'm sure they're plotting something. I needed to figure out what it was. I learned with the Gray Brothers was their act of kindness always comes with strings.

I didn't realize what strings they were, but it would forever change my life.