Luna Aria

II. Full Moon

Aria's POV:

After school, I ended up on the cold bench, waving the blue flag with our school logo back and forth. "Go, Joe and Jo-"

Massive girly shrieks overpowered my low unenthusiastic half-ass cheer. "Go, Joe and John! We believe in you!"

Sipping my soda, I peek over to see the group of girls cheering on our school soccer team, or more specifically, a pair of handsome twins.

John jogged backward and gave them a wink. Joe blew them an air kiss causing their ear-pitching shouts to increase in volume. I cover my ears, cursing myself for forgetting to bring my earphones.

My eyes slowly shut as I watch them kick the ball back and forth. When a buzzard rings, I jolt up and wipe the drool from the side of my lips.

Pretend you were awake the whole time.

I can hear a low, scoffing sound inside my head.

The crowd rushes towards John and Joe, yelling words of congrats for another victory. They wave toward me, and I return their acknowledgment with a two-finger salute.

John pushes his way out of the crowd while Joe, hopelessly, gets trampled by everyone.

John removes his cap and wipes the sweats off his forehead while running his dark brown hair back, revealing his deep muddy eyes. He hopped the rail and jogged towards me, ignoring the lustful stares of the females.

He sits beside me, and I can see the girls burning with jealousy. Throwing a sweaty arm over my shoulder, he pulls me in. "You fell asleep, didn't you?"

I grab the empty cup of soda only to hear the ice clanking. I put the straw in my mouth and sucked up the water mixed with air. "Yeah."

John rolled his eyes, "Thanks for coming anyway, even if you never watch us in action. We appreciate it," he said, kissing me on the temple.

I pat his thigh, handing him the empty cup. "Anytime, big brother," I reply, but we both know I'm only here because they are my ride home.

He releases a short chuckle, "We're going to a party later. Want to come with us? Of course, no alcohol for you since you are underage," he said sternly. I couldn't help but release a humorous chuckle.

My shoulders lifted into a lazy shrug. "Sure, why not."

He pinches my cheek, "I'll call mom and ask, but remember, no boys."

I bit his finger, causing him to retract it, responding with an: "Ow" and playful glare. He tweaks my nose, pulling my head side to side, preventing me from properly breathing. "Be grateful. I love you so much, or else I would punch you in the face."

I pull his hand away. "You would hit a girl?"

John releases a snort of amusement and pulls out his phone. "Equality, baby sister," he winks before walking to a less noisy area.

He places his phone between his ear and shoulder while people surround him again. John tugged his way towards the trash can and threw away the empty cup. He waves at them and mouths:" Busy," while pointing at the phone.

The sun slowly set while we made our way toward the party. I lay in the backseat of the car to take a nap. I love how understanding my older brothers can be, rejecting others, knowing I like the whole backseat to myself.

My eyes open when I hear a burst of music and strident screams.

"Maybe this isn't a good idea," John said, taking a peek at me.

Someone taps the glass, and Joe rolls his window down, forcing a cheery smile on his face. "We were waiting for the both of you!" a guy shouts, and the rest hollers along, the heavy scent of alcohol sliding into the car.

Exhaling a massive yawn, I sat up and rubbed my tired eyes. Joe releases a short breath, and his eyes quickly glance at the rearview mirror. I smile, a wide lazy like one, and he cringes. He tucks his lips over his teeth. "Maybe next time, we are getting a little tired."

"Yeah, you know, the game was intense today," John adds.

"Come on! The party is for the two of you!" the guy whines, pouring out his lips while the rest booed in disagreement.

"Sorry, dude. Next time?" Joe responds with a lazy shrug, and John nods in agreement.

Joe turned on the engine, and everyone booed while he drove us away. "Suck it!" John shouts, flipping them a bird while Joe cracks a short laugh.

They return his vulgar sign of brohood. "Better not ditch us next time!" another guy yells.

The pounding music faded as we drove farther and farther away. "You guys could've dropped me off at home and went to the party," I said, causing them to exchange silent glances.

"Nah, we are sick of parties anyways," John replies with a dismissive wave.

John and Joe are quite famous at school where everyone wants to be their friend or lover.

John has a girlfriend named Chelsea, who is a hunter. They had been together since, forever. She goes to a specialized hunting school not too far away from ours. He is off the market, but I would still see girls shamelessly throwing themselves at him.

On the other hand, Joe is a free fish, but he doesn't sleep with his girlfriends. Now, that's where the problem lies. Usually, his relationship ends in a breakup because the girls claim he doesn't love them. I don't think they are wrong; he doesn't look like he has any unforgettable emotions for any of them since he treats them the same as his friends.

Every single one of us had witnessed at least one of his breakups.

It started with: "Why won't you sleep with me?"

Joe would respond with: "I think it's better to wait till marriage."

In the end, the girl will ask him if he loves her. Joe is not a liar, so he responds with: "I like you more than a friend. Maybe, with some additional time, it can turn into something more?"

Then, she threw an ugly cry threatening to break up with him if he didn't love her. Since Joe is a nice guy, he would tell her: "I don't want to waste both our time. You should find another guy who can dedicate his whole heart to you."

Then, she would beg him not to break up with her even though she was the one who brought it up. Joe would pat her shoulder, ending the ordeal with: "Please, find someone who can make you happy," and left.

The girl would turn into a stalker, and we had to get another restraining order. That sums up Joe's love life.

There are girls and some guys at school who hunt him down for his virginity.

Once, our parents asked him if he played for the other team, but he just said he was waiting for a girl he would love.

For them, the family is always the priority. They know I don't like staying home alone, so they took me to a party. Even if we did attend the party, they would most likely stand in front of me, glaring at all the males who dared to approach me.

I briefly remember going through a party phase to block out specific emotions during one of my lives. It's not my proudest moment.

My eyes open, feeling like I'm floating on air. Glancing upward, I saw a fantastic pair of brown. "Want some triple meaty pizza tonight with extra meat, baby sister?" John asks while carrying me back to the house. I must have fallen asleep on the ride back home.

I can hear keys rattling and the door creak open. "Yes, please," I reply in a sleepy tone, snuggling closer to John.

He carried me to the couch and threw me down. "Ow! My face hurts," I muffled into the couch pillow. Laying there, I hear noisy footsteps up the stairs and floors creaking.

Joe smacked my head, tilting his head, signaling me to move over. "Move over chicken legs."

"Shut up, pig face," I continued muffling into the pillow. Joe grabbed my leg and threw it on the floor, taking a comfortable seat on the couch.

He grasps the remote and turns on the tv. "What do you want to watch?"

"Love From Another Start," I replied, turning on my side and throwing my legs on his lap.

"Sure, Jae Locke, it is," he ignores my suggestion and scrolls through the movie selection.

Taking the pillow, I adjusted it underneath my head, seeing Joe in new sweats and a white t-shirt with a guy surfing in the front. "Shouldn't you take a shower?" I ask, nose inhaling his revolting scent.

He smirks, "Why would I wash away my seductive manly scent? The girls love my natural aroma."

A gag made its way up my throat, and he lifted a brow. "You are my sister, so you don't see my manliness," he said, flexing his biceps. He peeks at me, another sneaky smirk as well as a wink. I return his usual flirtatious smile with a nauseated facial expression.

"Stop embarrassing yourself. Put away your baby fat," John said, walking out with basketball shorts and a blue t-shirt.

Joe raises a brow, "Baby fat? Bro, this is all muscle." He flexes both arms.

John placed his hands on his torso, "You want to see some real power? Bam!"

I rolled my eyes at my brothers, who decided to rub their beef all over my face. "Which is better?" Joe asks, pointing at himself

John sent me a playful smirk, wiggling his brows, "Mine, right?"

"Neither, you both look like gorillas," I reply in a bored tone.

They look at one another, lifting a brow, as a mischievous smile crosses their lips, "Oh, we act like animals, huh?" Joe said.

"We will show you how animals behave," John shouts and jumps at me. He shoves my head under his nasty armpit. "Do it, Joe!" He screams.

I attempt to pull myself out of his grip, which seems to tighten. "No! No! Don't do it! Joe!" I shriek, hitting John.

Joe stuck his finger in his mouth, inching closer to me. "Noooo!" I scream, throwing my head in a circular motion.

"Wet willy!" They shout, and Joe shoves his finger into my ear, causing a loud disgusted shriek to leave my throat.

They erupted into roaring laughter, throwing themselves on the floor. My screams didn't cease to stop as I rushed to the kitchen sink, washing my ear, repeating: "Ew Ew Ew," as my body shivered in abhorrence.

When I finished cleaning my ears, I dried them with a paper towel, shooting the twins a glare. They were on the floor, rolling and laughing while pointing at me.

I march over to them and grab a pillow. Throwing the pillow in an upward motion, I hit their bodies, causing them to burst into a higher level of laughter.

The bell ding and I threw the pillow down at Joe, sending a death glare. I grabbed the emergency fund from the cookie jar and went towards the front door.

The guy looks up from his shoes; thin lips curve up into a smile. "Hi," he said in a deep velvety voice.

I ignore him. "Is that my pizza?" I ask, pointing at the mouthwatering food in his hands.

He nodded and gave me the pizza. "Shouldn't you tell me how much it cost?" I question.

After some time, he bobs his head. "Ah yes, fourteen-ninety-nine," he said, giving me an embarrassed smile.

I handed him a twenty, "Keep the change," I said, proceeding to close the door.

He waves both hands frantically in the air for me to stop. "I want to thank you. I'm Peter." He gave me a cheeky smile and positioned out a hand.

I grabbed his moist hand and shook it. "Aria," I said, and he chuckled.

"Peter, how can we help you?" a deep voice behind me said, causing Peter to retract his hand.

John and Joe were standing behind me. They had their backs straightened, arms crossed and arching the same brow.

I flung open the box, smelling the delicious scent of one of the best foods ever created. Whoever thought of pizza is a pure genius. I grabbed a piece and took a bite, blowing out hot air. "I'll be in the living room," I said, ignoring the oppressive tension in the air.

Setting the pizza down on the coffee table, I grab three cans of soda, ears listening to John and Joe threatening the pizza guy. John and Joe had always been overprotective of Samantha and me, chasing off any guys who even glimpsed at us.

I took a seat on the couch and crossed my legs. "Don't let us catch you staring at our baby sister again if you want to keep your eyes in your sockets!" Joe shouts and slams the door shut.

They stomp back into the living room. "That's rude," I said, taking another piece of pizza.

Each grabs two pieces and comfortably lays back, inhaling the slices. "He shouldn't look at you like that," Joe spat out.

I rolled my eyes and lay on the couch before sipping soda. I admit, sometimes, it feels quite suffocating to be around them due to their overprotective personality, but I know they meant well. If I had the option of choosing another twin as my brothers, I wouldn't, because the twins beside me are the best.

Although, I never understand the twins' obsession with the Jae Locke series. I mean, it's about a man who got transported back into an unknown era and somehow got caught in the most powerful family disputes; how cliche.

Then again, I do enjoy the plot twist at the end.

Before I knew it, we had fallen asleep. My eyes open, seeing Joe and John lying on the floor, limbs spread everywhere. I was on the couch, a soft blanket covering my body. Releasing a tired yawn, I rubbed my eyes and threw the blanket over their ridiculously large bodies. Taking two couch pillows, I tucked them under each of their heads.

Cautiously, I walked upstairs to my bedroom, rubbing my tired eyes. My legs halted, peeking between the crack of Samantha's bedroom, seeing her on her computer. She stopped typing and turned her chair around, granting me a smile.

"Can I help you, baby sister?" she asked, body covering the screen.

Since I was exposed, I opened the door farther, poking my head inside. "Go to sleep. It will make you less ugly," I said, a corner of my lips tilting upward teasingly.

When I saw her grab the hardcover textbook beside her, I slammed the door shut.

"Burglar!" a deep voice shouted from downstairs.

"Just a door slammed! Go back to sleep!" I shouted. A body banged on the ground. It's most likely their bodies dropping back onto the bed. I took a few steps, and the door squeaked open.

"Sweet dreams, I hope the bedbugs bite your v****a," Sam said.

Twisting my legs around, I walked backward.

Sam's head poked out along with her tongue.

"I pity the monster in your closet tonight," I said.

She responds to my comment with a snort. "Oh please, we both know I'm the one in their closet," she shot me a low monstrous growl.

We exchange hushed snickers, trying not to wake anyone up again. When her door closed, I turned back to my destination.

I know I should be washing my face or brushing my teeth, but skipping once in a while should be fine. It's not like having acne will kill me, or avoiding teeth cleansing for one night will cause cavities.

I twisted the doorknob and opened it, eyes meeting a pair of royal blues. My forefinger tapped on the gold knob. Taking a step inside, I shut the door.

"RB."

He dangled a locket in front of himself. Silently, I stepped closer to him, trying to make a minimum amount of noise on the creaking floor.

My dad thought it was a good idea to purchase a house with squeaky levels so he could catch us if we decided to sneak someone into our rooms.

Holding up my hand, he dropped the necklace into my palm. The breeze blew past his soft snowy hair, covering his remarkable orbs. He turned his feet towards the window, holy wings extending.

He turned towards me, running his hands through his hair, tucking it into the pockets of his dark jeans. "Don't lose it again," he whispered before jumping out the window.

Taking a seat on the corner of the mattress, I flicked open the locket, grazing my thumb against the old photo of a man and little girl inside. I fell on the bed, and the chain dangled on my finger. I release a deep breath, my chest feeling heavy as my eyes gaze at the stars on the ceiling, the Full Moon glowing brightly.