***
“What should we play, Ashley?” asked Mia.
They were looking through the games in the closet. Ashley mumbled to herself as she tossed aside games left and right.
“Checkers, no...Sorry, no... Twister...Yes!”
She picked up the box labeled “Twister” and stood up. “Let’s play this!” she said.
Five minutes later, they were in Ashley’s room with the Twister mat spread across the floor. Ashley quickly pulled her hair back into a high ponytail with a red rubber band. “Okay!” she shouted, clapping her hands. “Who’s ready for some Twister?!”
Everyone raised their hands excitedly.
“Alrighty then! Here we go!” Ashley said.
The game started off all right. Crystal had volunteered to be the spinner. She spun the little hand for Mia. It spun very fast, then slower, then even slower, and then it stopped completely.
“Right hand red!” Crystal called out.
Mia carefully placed her right hand on a red circle. She tucked a few strands of blonde hair behind her ear.
The spinner spun again, this time for Bella. When it stopped, it landed on left foot green.
“Left foot green!” shouted Crystal.
Bella sneered at everyone as she stuck her left foot on a green circle.
“I’m totally gonna win,” she said, sticking her tongue out.
Next, Ella got left foot yellow, and she reacted just like Bella. Finally, when it was Ashley’s turn, she got left hand blue.
The game continued for quite a while. Nobody would give up.
Finally, when it seemed like the game would never end, Bella got right foot blue. When saw that all the blue circles were occupied, she purposely stepped on top of Mia’s hand. Mia jerked her hand out from underneath Bella’s foot.
“Ouch! Ow, ow, OW!” she cried, falling over backwards. She landed on top of Ashley, who fell flat on her stomach.
“Oof!” grunted Ashley, scrambling to her feet. As she did, she accidently kicked Ella’s hand, knocking her over. Ella screamed and kicked Ashley back, but purposely.
Bella stood up and looked at everyone from her great height. Then she smiled smugly at them.
“See, I told you I would win,” she said.
Mia was in the bathroom. It was about half an hour since the Twister incident occurred. She was busy wrapping her hand in gauze. It had been more injured than she thought. There was a large purple bruise on it.
“This party is nothing like I thought it would be,” she muttered.
Suddenly, there was a loud, clear knock on the door.
“Who is it?” Mia called.
“Ashley,” she answered.
“Okay. You can come in.”
Ashley stepped through the door. She tucked a lock of deep brown hair behind her ear and said, “Um, dinner is in a few minutes. We have to go downstairs now.”
“Okay.” Mia finished wrapping her hand and followed Ashley down the stairs.
At the table, Bella and Crystal were sitting in the green chairs. Crystal looked extremely uncomfortable. She kept tugging on her red pigtails and adjusting her glasses.
“Where is Ella?” Mia asked.
“Kitchen. Ya gotta problem with that?” answered Bella rudely.
“Certainly not,” replied Mia, looking away.
As she looked away from Bella, she spotted Ella walking into the dining room, snorting and laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Ashley demanded.
“Nothing,” giggled Ella.
Just as Ella was about to explode from laughter, Ashley’s mother, Mrs. Daniel, stepped into the room with a big pot of chili.
“Mmm, that smells delicious, Auntie,” said Bella, immediately taking off her smug face and putting on her polite, friendly adult face.
“Aww, thanks, sweetie! You’re such a nice girl,” responded Mrs. Daniel, beaming happily.
Ashley, Mia and Crystal all eyed each other with a look that said, She has no idea. But none of them said a word.
Mrs. Daniel set the chili on the table and then asked, “Ella, darling, would you mind grabbing the bread platter and bringing it to the table?”
Ella smiled - a fake smile - and answered, “Of course, Auntie. I’ll do anything to help you.”
Mrs. Daniel smiled back at her niece as Ella skipped into the kitchen.
“Now, you girls be sure to have a nice dinner!” she said as she left the room.
A few minutes later, Ella returned with the bread platter. She set it on the table, and then she and her twin sister put their mean faces on again.
“Okay, everyone! Serve yourself,” said Ashley, taking several large scoops of chili.
When everyone was served, they began to eat. Everything was going along just fine when Mia asked, “Ella, would you please pass me a piece of bread?”
Ella tossed a piece of bread across the table. It landed on the floor with a loud THUMP!
“Five second rule!” shouted Ashley. Mia quickly grabbed the bread.
“I wonder why it made such a loud noise,” remarked Mia, opening her mouth to take a bite. Ella began giggling hysterically again.
When Mia took a bite, she found a surprise. There was four mini Jawbreakers hidden in the bread!
“Ow! Ow! My teef!” exclaimed Mia. Ella and Bella began cracking up.
When she found out what had happened, Ashley yelled, “Okay, who hid Jawbreakers in Mia’s bread?!”
It was an obvious answer. Ella was almost saying that she did it because of her non stop laughter.
Ashley led Mia upstairs, where her mom was.
“Mom! Ella put Jawbreakers in Mia’s bread!” she said, pointing at Mia, who was rubbing her jaw.
Mrs. Daniel looked slowly from Mia to Ashley. “I don’t think she would do that,” she said. “I mean...she’s such a perfect little angel.”
Ashley rolled her eyes, then grabbed Mia’s arm and led her back downstairs.
Everyone finished their chili, but nobody asked for a slice of bread again.
It was nearly eleven o’clock. They had watched a movie called Maleficent. Everyone loved it, even Bella and Ella. Mia would have started dancing like a fairy, but she was not going to do that in front of Bella and Ella. They would make fun of her.
Everyone was exhausted. Bella yawned and Mia stretched. Then they heard the door to Ashley’s room open. It was her mom.
“Girls? It’s time for bed,” she said softly.
“Okay,” sighed Ashley, standing up. “Do we have enough sleeping bags for everyone?”
“Hmm… I’m not sure. Let’s go check,” answered her mom.
They all walked down the hall and and Mrs. Daniel opened the supply cupboard.
“Let’s see…one...two...three,” she counted, throwing the sleeping bags onto the floor as she counted. Bella grabbed the first one, then Crystal the second, and then Mia raced to grab the third, but Ella snatched it from her.
“Is there any more?” a disappointed Mia asked.
Her mom double checked. “Nope...sorry.”
She yawned. “Ash? Can you please find a place for Mia to sleep? I’m beat. I’m off to bed,” she said, rubbing her eyes.
Ashley thought a minute. “Well, the couch isn’t that comfy ‘cause it’s made of leather, and my bed is too small for both of us...oh! I know!”
Her mom nodded. “Thanks, sweetie. Good night, girls. Sleep well!” she called as she walked down the hallway to her room. They heard the door shut quietly.
“So, where is it?” asked Mia.
Instead of answering, Ashley beckoned for everyone to follow her. They tiptoed up the stairs and down the hallway. Finally, they came to a ladder.
“It’s the attic,” whispered Ashley. “There’s an old bed up here.”
They climbed up the ladder and then stepped up onto the thin, dusty wooden floor. Mia coughed. Crystal looked a bit scared. Even Ella didn’t look so sure of herself.
But Bella was her normal self. “Oh, this old bed,” she said, chuckling. “They last person who slept here was Fire Ash’s grandma, and that was fifty years ago!”
Ashley motioned for Bella to stop, but she continued. “And then, we never saw her again!”
Ashley tried to smile, but it wasn’t so reassuring.
“You know what? I’ll just sleep on the couch,” Mia said, starting to leave.
“No, no. I think my dad is sleeping there or something. You’ll be fine here,” Ashley said, taking Mia’s hand and leading her to the bed. “Lie down. It’s very comfy,” she said, even though she had no idea.
Mia lay down, just like Ashley directed. The blankets were kind of itchy, because they were hand-knit. Mia coughed again, for the bed was dusty.
“Good night! Sleep tight!” everyone called as they left the room.
Mia heard the attic door creak shut, and then she heard nothing.
***
Stay tuned for part 4!
~Devin
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