Luna Aria

IV. High Fives

Aria's POV:

I woke up with an uneasy feeling in my chest.

It's probably nothing.

I turned to the side and stared at the alarm clock. The second it beeps, I push the off button. "Ha! I woke up before you did again!"

I rolled out of bed and dragged my legs to the bathroom. Grabbing the knob, I jiggled it a few times to find it locked. My hand forms a fist. "Whoever is in there! I need to take a piss!" I shouted while pounding at the door.

"Language!" Dad screamed from downstairs.

"Sorry, daddy! I meant pee!"

"I'm powdering my nose," a deep voice horrifically tried to imitate a high-pitched feminine sound.

"Oh golly, are you pooing?! Why do you do this every morning, Joe?!"

The door swung open, and I could see Joe grinning as the unfiltered air traveled through my nostrils, making me want to hurl. "Learn how to wake up earlier than," he said.

"You wake up at freaking 4:30 am with John to do your morning runs. I'd rather die in the toxic fume than wake up that early." I really would rather die than wake up that early.

He nodded, grabbed my wrist, and pulled me inside. I yelp, and before I can react further, he slams the door shut. Joe didn't crack the window, lit a candle, or spray any bottle of air freshener. To make matters worse, he took a hot morning shower before taking a dump, which is very kooky. "Oh! Ee! It stinks here! Let me out!"

He laughs, "Smell it, baby sister! Inhale the stinky air!"

"You're disgusting!" I rushed towards the window and attempted to open it. The cabinets didn't have any candles or air fresheners to make matters better.

"Don't bother! I cleared it all out this morning!"

"Why are you doing this!?" I yelled.

"Teach you to steal my money!" He shouted.

"I found it!"

"Thief!"

"Am not!" I stomped my foot.

"Yes, you're a-"

"What's going on here?"

I pounded the door, "Mom! Mom! Joe just took a dump in here and locked me inside!"

"What?! Let your sister out!" mom screamed, and the door flung open, causing my face to contact the carpet.

"Fresh air!" I screamed, inhaling the indoor air pollution.

"Joseph Dante Rossi! How many times must I tell you to stop locking either of your younger sisters inside the bathroom after you take a dump whenever you are upset with either of them."

I hid behind her, "You tell him, mommy!"

"She stole my money!" he whined, wiggling his arms.

My older twin brothers are tall, roughly six feet tall, with a strong lean build, but they are still mommy little whiney babies. They complain and pout whenever something doesn't go their way.

Mom arches a brow, "Is that true, Aria?"

I pucker my lips. "I found the twenty," I mumbled, looking down at my feet.

She rolled her eyes, "Give your brother back his money, and you -" she turned back towards Joe, "go air out the bathroom! It smells like a dump in there."

I laughed, "I get it because he just took a dump." Am I kissing my mom's ass? Maybe.

She laughed while Joe stared at us, scoffing in disbelief that he was somehow related to us. Mom wiped the tears from her eyes. "Don't bother doing a DNA test. I pop both you and your brother from my v****a," she said, throwing her long dark hair back, walking downstairs while Joe shivered in horror.

When he finished unlocking the window and lighting the candle, I returned with a box. "Here," I muttered, shoving it in his face.

He furrowed his brow and opened the box, a smile cracking on his face. "You do care," he said, pulling out a brand new soccer shirt. Joe pulled me in for a tight hug.

"There's something else in there that you don't deserve," I said.

He released me and looked inside to see a new pair of black with white stripe soccer shoes.

"I know you wanted these, but you can't buy them since it's so expensive. So, I got it for you as a thank you gift for taking me home from school and to other places," I mumbled.

He tilted his head to the side and started fake crying. "Don't think you're all that special. I got John a pair too. Considering you locked me in the bathroom earlier with a stink bomb, I should take the shoes back," I hissed.

He threw out his gorilla arm. "Thank you, I love you, baby sister."

"I know I love me too."

"I'm still going to take a dump every morning right before you wake up," he declared.

"I know you take joy in depriving me of fresh air," I replied, and he patted my head, sending his signature smirk, before jogging back into his room.

When I finished freshening up, I went back to my room and grabbed a pair of black sweats along with a sweater. Throwing them on, I hopped downstairs towards the kitchen. "Morning, mommy and daddy," I kissed both of their cheeks.

Many people think it's weird that I still call my mom and dad, mommy and daddy, but I don't care. In middle school, a group of guys made fun of me for still calling my parents by those names. I may have lost my temper and slammed one guy's arm inside a locker, potentially breaking it. After that, no one bullied me anymore, but I did earn a good two weeks of grounding.

"Good morning, sweetheart," mom chirped.

"Good morning, princess," dad ruffled my hair lightly.

"Sups siblings I never wanted," I gave them a mocking salute, skipping towards the kitchen counter for breakfast.

"Glad we agree on something," John ate a waffle.

"I miss those good ole days when you can't talk," Joe said in a baby voice, then proceeded with a pout.

"I miss those good ole days when you guys were shipped off to ballet camp. Tell me, how did those tights feel again?" Sam smirked at them as they sent her a glare.

"I thought we agreed never to speak about that again!"

"You break it, you buy it," mom sang.

John and Joe work part-time at the local market to pay for their stuff. Plus, our parents were getting sick of things breaking around the house whenever they lost their temper. So, whenever they break something, my parents make them pay half the price value of the time. Our family isn't wealthy, but we are doing well for ourselves. But our parents don't want us to grow spoiled, where we don't appreciate what they provide us.

Sam worked part-time at the school library because every facility member loved her so much that they were willing to hire her despite her being a student. I work at a cafe in the corner of the town that barely has customers, so I sleep and get paid, the best job in the world.

"It's your fault," John mumbled.

"Well, I'm sorry! They shouldn't have put the ballet, and soccer checkboxes close together!" Joe shouted.

"Who told you to fill out the form?!"

"I gave it to dad to check, and he gave me the okay!"

They twisted their heads toward dad, who was silently sipping his coffee. He arched a brow and placed his cup down. "I won't protest against what my sons decide to do in their free time. Even if it meant jumping around in tights," he smirked.

They glanced at each other and shrugged. "Ballet camp wasn't that bad," Joe mumbled.

"You weren't the one who ended up in the hospital," John muttered, playing with his eggs.

"Nobody told you to do a split, son," dad said.

"If that guy can do it, I can do it too!" He protested.

"Yes, but you didn't," Sam stated.

He lowered himself, mumbling something incoherent.

After I grabbed my breakfast, I kissed her on the cheek. "Excellent."

Breakfast is over, and it's time to recycle the average teenage life of schooling. We all got into the car, and Joe drove us to school. I always feel weird about going to school with them. Usually, Cynthia would pick me up, and we would go to school together, but sometimes she had some stuff to do in the morning.

I didn't particularly dislike going to school with my siblings, but John and Joe always attracted too much attention. Sam would just disappear into thin air.

Students would often surround our car to ask random questions, like whether they would join the basketball team or what they were doing Friday night. I squeeze my way through the crowd and head toward Cynthia.

"Morning Cyn," I said, and she beamed me a huge smile, unicorns prancing in the background.

"Okay, weirdo. Why are you so happy?" I chuckled.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure you know why I'm happy," she paused after each word, poking my ribs.

I stared at her with my usual blank expression, slapping her hand away.

"Come on! You're seriously telling me you haven't heard the news?!" she exaggeratedly threw her arms up in the air.

"Nope," I responded, walking towards lockers.

She followed me, slamming her body against the lockers. "Were-High School is accepting five humans and hunters!"

I rolled my eyes, "Interesting. You're going to sign up?"

"Nope," she replied.

I stared at her in surprise.

Maybe she grew up. She is finally over this werewolf obsession phase. Perhaps we can eventually go shopping, like regular friends. I got excited just thinking about it.

"We are going to sign up," she playfully pushed me on the arm, along with a wink that looked like she had an eye problem.

Or not.

"Oh, no. No. No. My dad will kill me. I like living a bit too much," I shook my head and headed towards the class. Well, I don't like living that much.

"Come on, Aria! You're telling me you aren't curious about what they do at that school? Don't you want a werewolf boyfriend? How can you not want one! They are so delicious! Okay, forget about the werewolf boyfriend. I heard if you graduate from that school, you will have a lot of connections with the higher ups! Get good jobs and such!" She continues rambling on and on about it, trying to convince me to sign up with her.

When the last bell rang, I ran towards my brothers and asked them for a ride home. I would rather go back with them than listen to Cynthia's complaint during the car ride. Most likely, she will take the longer route to my house so she can convince me to sign up with her.

The next day, I went to school with my siblings due to a headache that developed from Cynthia's non-stop talk about Were-High. I avoided her for three days, hiding in lockers where I thank my genetics that I'm small or in the library, knowing she won't take a step inside, believing it is the devil's hideout.

Exhaling some air, I thanked my brothers before they drove back to school for soccer practice. I thought I was safe at home until I saw her on the front porch.

She gave me a massive frown as her swollen green eyes looked at me. I opened the door, and she followed me. We sat down on the couch quietly as I turned on the tv.

"We have received some news from the council. Eight werewolves and their mates from the Red Moon Pack were found dead near their territorial borderline. They were all hanged by the neck with limbs torn from their bodies. We found a note inside one of the werewolves that passed hands, but the council refused to release the content within the note. Currently, Alpha Liam is furious. He vows to-"

"Aria?" a low whimpering sound was heard beside me.

Turning my head towards Cynthia, I lowered the television volume. "Yeah, Cyn?"

"Do you not want to sign up with me?"

I release a deep breath. "Cyn. Look. I love you, but I don't want to go there."

She pouts, and the tears emerge, "B-But, if I sign up and get chosen, then we wouldn't be going to the same school anymore. Heck, we wouldn't be in the same state! I would be living over there while you're here."

I patted her back and handed her a tissue, not knowing what to say.

"Do you know that over 10,000 humans have already signed up? 10,000 Aria! 10,000! Why can't you just sign up with me! The chances of us getting picked are extremely slim! Heck! If I get chosen, and you don't, I'll turn it down! I-I just want us to be t-t-together!" She cries harder.

I know that if I sign up, Tom will ensure I get chosen. I sat there listening to Cynthia crying for nearly two hours and mumbling some random sounds.

She exaggeratedly quivers her lips. "D-Do you remember that time w-when I-"

I threw my head in my hands. Oh crap, she is pulling out that time again.

"That time, when I lie to everyone for you? When I told them that it was me on my peri-"

"Stop right there! I'll sign up!" I yelled, and she instantly popped her head.

When we were in middle school, I had my first period, staining my chair. It was one of the most embarrassing moments of my lives. Cynthia noticed it, gave me her jacket, and switched seats with me, then told everyone she had her period for me.

She was teased for nearly two weeks until she punched a guy in the nose in front of everyone. Ever since then, she would use that story to guilt-trip me.

This is the third time she has used that story.

The first time was when she wanted the last slice of pizza.

The second time was when she wanted us to go to this stupid fungus convention together, although I did learn alot about poisonous mushrooms.

Cynthia ran to her backpack and pulled out the sign-up sheets. "Sign it!" She screamed at me, holding up a piece of paper and pen.

"Shouldn't I fill it out first?"

She smiles, "Oh no. I already filled it out for you!"

My eyes widened, "You what?!?"

How does she even know my social security number?

"Sign it!" she screamed, pressing the pen into my face, potentially stabbing my eyes. I wished she would stab my eye, so I would end up in the hospital, unable to attend Were High School.

"Wait!" I screamed, putting a hand in front of her face.

She threw herself onto the couch," Urrrg whaaaaaat?"

"If I sign it and I get in, but you don't. I will reject it. Promise me that we will go together." She jumped up and gave me a thumbs up.

I snatched the pen from her hand and signed the stupid piece of paper. She pulled me into a tight hug and ran out the front door, most likely to ensure I couldn't back out.

Chances are, I will get chosen, but Tom doesn't know about Cynthia. We promised each other that we would go together, so I'll wait until I get accepted, but she gets rejected. Therefore, I don't have to go.

High five to me.

I gave myself a high five.