Twinfestation

After awhile of sleeping curled in the passengers seat, my eyes pealed open and I started to sneeze uncontrollably. My mind almost wondered away from my freezing limbs as I slammed my head against the dashboard, a yelp of pain retched from my throat.

"Sayyy" I whined in pain and expectations. That hurt so much I think it rattled my tear ducts; my eyes soon blurred and soaked. Disappointingly, I looked over and saw not Say but Ani in the drivers seat, texting.

"They went inside a little while ago." Ani answered the unasked question lingering on the tip of my tongue. "I was suppose to wake you up if you weren't up in the next five minutes."

"Oh." I said quietly, slightly embarrassed that she had hear me crying for my brother like a five-year-old crying for their mother. "Thanks."

"No problem." Tossing me a familiar jacket, she shut her phone and tilted her head coolly to look at me. "You ready to go in?"

"Uh, yeah..." Before she had a chance to open the door, I gathered what little guts I had to ask the question that I've wanted to every time I saw her. "Hey Ani?"

"Yeah." Little interest showed on her face.

"You see, I, uh, I'm having a problem and I was wondering if you could maybe help me."

A smile crept across Ani's face. "In my experience, there's not a problem that can't be solved by getting really really drunk."

Resisting the urge to scold her as if she was Ash, I responded with "In my experience, there's not a problem that can't be made by getting really really drunk."

"Sounds to me like you need more experience." The smile dropped from her face. "But really, what did you need help with?"

"Well, uh, you see." I sighed. This was Ani I was talking to for gods sake! It was better to just be straight forward than beat around the bush. "I haven't told my parents I'm gay and I'm scared of the worst case scenario. Really scared. So I was wondering how you did it." I blurted out

The car fell silent, but not awkwardly like I was used to. Ani looked at the roof for awhile with her face scrunched up, like a math problem was overtaking the windshield. Strangely enough, there was a smile on her face when she answered.

"It was Johna."

"...Johna told them?" That didn't seem like something that she'd do.

"No. She encored me to, in a way. I just.... I wanted to tell everyone that I had her, even the people I hated or didn't know. Make a banner for the login page of Facebook, graffiti the school with it. So I told my parents." She shrugged sadly but the smile never left her face. "It didn't turn out well, as you know, but I'm glad I did it."

"Oh." My heart heated so much I could have swore Say was touching me. That was the cutest thing I've ever heard! Who knew Ani could be so..... aw!

"Do not say a word." She said the words slowly, putting a figure up in my general direction. "We will never speak of this again."

"Understood." I said it like I was talking to my mother.

"Good. Sorry, it doesn't really help you. Unless you do like someone like that."

"No." I answered almost immediately, just thinking about bringing back a terrible feeling. "I don't."

"Too bad. You ready to go in?"

"Yeah." Sighing, I slipped on Say's jacket and hopping out of the truck. "Eating sounds fun."



As soon as I stepped foot in the restaurant the familiar faces flooded my sight. Everyone had stopped at the Denny's to eat, it was the only thing open so late. But with all the familiar faces it was hard to find any of my friends and I was left to walk tentatively through the packed restaurant, wondering were Ani had disappeared to.

"Silvester!" I turned at the sound of my name, but was immediately overrun with confusion when I didn't see who I was looking for.

"Silvester!" A brunet waved her hand high, beckoning me. "Come sit with us!"

Apprehensively, I walked towards the table. The brunet looked slightly familiar and sitting with her and her friends would prevent me from having to walk around like this for much longer. Even overhearing their conversation, I preferred this. But still....

My point: I suffer from a small case of Ephebiphobia. And Anthropophobia

"Angela." Her blond friend whisper-yelled to here as I drew nearer, the noise seeming to have settled for the building to overhear. "Why did you call him over?"

"He's Salem's brother." She answered. "They have, like, a magnetic connection."

The blond shrugged but smiled as it dawned on her; If I was there, Salem would come soon enough

Sitting, I made sure my hair fell in front of my eyes so they wouldn't see the sleep still lurking behind them, implying ab opening. They made small talk for awhile and I nodded every now and then, nothing special, no deep input or laughing at their jokes that weren't funny.

After awhile I spotted Say behind Angela and the blond girl, a wave of relief almost as big as his smile spreeing across me as he looked my way. The girls he detached himself from were blushing like a K-pop fangirls who just met their oppa, not fully registering that he was leaving until they stopped giggling.

"Hey Silver." He greeted as he scooted against me in the booth, warming my side. "Hey Angela, Kaley."

"Hey Salem!" They beamed at once, color seeming to come back to the monotonously gray scene.

"What's up with your hair?" Running his fingers through the mess on the top of my head, a sudden burst of light invaded my no-longer shielded eyes. He took my hand and stretch the hair tie around my wrist before slipping my hand through it, gently placing it back in my lap. "Turn that way."

Obeying his orders, I looked out to see too many tables looking our way. Or should I say his way. Nothing new there.

Giant, rough, hot hands softly brushed against my forehead and around my ear, pulling my hair a little as he wrapped the hair tie around it. "There you go."

Turning around, I was frozen by shocked to see three pairs of adoring eyes looking at me. "What?"

"You're so cute!" Angela squealed. "If only you'd smile!"

"He always smiles." As if to make them think they were one hundred percent right, Say showed all thirty tow as he leaned forward, blocking me from the two girls on the other side of the table. "What are you talking about?"

"I've never seen him smile." Kaley informed us. "Or laugh."

"Here, I'll show you." Say turned towards me, pushing his outgrown hair back only to have it fall back in place. "Why did the little mermaid were C-shells?"

"To cover her nipples." I answered instantly.

After a moment of confused looks, the three burst into laughter and I immediately re-thought my answer.

Isn't that why? Don't girls wear bras to cover their nipples? I mean, obviously they're not always required, but your nipples always have to be covered. Lil Mama and Pink went on television without bras, only some feminine outfit to cover their nipples. It's not like the rest is bad, it's just skin and fat coming out of your chest.

My point: Nipples should not be shown on women in public. The rest of the boob is fine.

"Not the answer I was looking for." Salem gasped. "But I'll take it."

"Silvester!" Ash smiled down as me, seem in good spirits after the ride half spent fighting with his sister. "I've been looking for you." He said as he sat next to Say to get out of the waitress's way. Salem scooted closer to me, making me grateful for the jacket between us that blocked his heat. The last thing I needed was people wondering if I had a problem with physical contact, only making myself seem that much more anti-social.

"You found him." Say said bitterly. "What do you want?"

"Why so sour, Kitten? Still down about your bo-"

"Shove it, Britshit."

"So, Say." Kaley cut into their nascent irritation. "What are you doing Saturday nigh? There's a cool place near the hotel and we were pla-"

"Ashton!" I thickly accented voice exclaimed as the table jumped, Conner catching himself on it. "Silvester, Salem! My god, you should have seen this by, he- oh, jeez, gosh. Sorry, jeez, I didn't see you girls there." Having realized we weren't the only ones at the table, Conner instantly grabbed Ash's head. A frozen look of almost terror made way to his face when he saw the multiple tables looking at him, causing him to sit next to Ash and squish me between the wall and Say.

"So," Say said as he hoisted me out of the wedge and into his lap. "What were you saying Kaley?"

"Right." Shaking a annoyed look off of her face, she looked past me to Salem who had a arm blocking me from the rest of the table. No social interaction for me.

Sweeping her gaze over us all, she said "I was wondering if you guys wanted to hang out with us Saturday night."

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Ash and Conner look at each other. It was rare that the three of us got invited to any place or the event wasn't held by one of us, Yu, Haru, or Johna. The painful obviousness of it all, along with the heat seeping through my clothes, made me shift in Say's lap, only just catching his quick glance at Ash. I think Ash felt me looking at him because he made it a point not to look back.

"Sorry Kaley." Say's arm pushed me farther from the table and into isolation. "We all actually have plans." With no explanation to me, he left it at that.

My oncoming depressing thoughts were happily interrupter when Yu's head hit my lap. She had laid across Ash and Conner, one leg in the air at a ninety degree angle and way-too-big pants leg fallen to her thigh.

"Paint me like one of your french girls." She said breathlessly, back bending and leg curling.

"Geez, Yu." Conner covered his red face, trying so hard not to give into his pleasures and stare at Yu's smooth white skin. "You can't just... Gosh, you can't do that in a restaurant, jeez, it's just not -jeez-. Yu-"

"Hey babe." Ani tilted her head up as she approached the table, pulling Yu's leg down and running her hand over it simultaneously. "I wouldn't mi-"

"No." Very firmly, Johna took Ani's hand. "She would mind it and anyone who says otherwise is going to have to deal with me."

One look at Ani and Kaley was almost shoving Angela out of the seat. "Our ride is leaving soon." She lied. "We'll see you guys later."

"What did you do to them?" Johna inquired as she slid into the now empty seat.

"Nothing at all." Ani answered as Layla hit her full force, squishing Johna against the wall. Going along with the rest of us, Ani maneuvered Johna into her lap, earning a cheery red face.

"Aw." Layla huffed, folding her arms over her chest. "I feel left out. I want someone on my lap."

"If you insist." With the sudden appearance of Hayden, almost everyone we knew was there, minus Haru. "I thought you ditched me!" He exclaimed to Salem. "But since it was for Silvester I'll let it slid."

The look on his face was enough to educe the slightest blush, but Say just chuckled and shook his head. "Sorry."

We sat there and talked for a bit, Salem finally moving his arm so I felt like a functioning member of the group. The waitress came back and took all our orders, offering a bigger table or some chairs which we happily accepted.

"Nichan," Quietly, I turned a concerned face to Say. Not only was he blocking me off from all humanity, even in the bigger booth, but he just didn't seem happy at all. His mood only seemed to decline the moment Hayden clung to his arm. "What's wrong?"

Hesitation got him but he eventually shrugged. "I just-"

"Salem," Yu interrupted, continuing the game of What's Your Fetish? She had started with Ash. "What's your fetish?"

Say seemed all to happy to have been cut off. "Short, cute, and slightly shy." He said with a smile. "Layla, what's your fetish?"

"Pft," Layla blew her bangs out of her eyes, a look like it was a ridiculous question on her face, though she had invented the game. "Everything. Conner, what's your fetish?"

"Aw, geez," Scratching the back of his neck, he tried hard not to look down at Yu, who had decided to lay over him and Ash again. "Me next I guess, jeez. Short and, uh... energetic. Johna, what's yours?"

"Tall and long fingers." She answered as she stretched out her hand. "Long and lean. Oh, and non-facial piercings....but not like that! Silver, what's your fetish?"

"Uhm.... easy to talk to with big hands." Still concerned for Salem, I said it quick in hopes I could get a answer out of him soon. "And when their jeans fit perfectly on their waist but are all tight on....other...places.....Hey Ani, what's yours?"

"Vagina." Silence fell over the table as the waitress came back with our long ago ordered food.

"........Silver," Say eventually said. "maybe we should play this game with mom. You still need to come out and-"

"Absolutely not!" I exclaimed. "No way in hell!"

"Fine." He mumbled as the rest of the table exploded into laughter. "But there's not enough light in the closet to read by. You might go insane soon. Or die of claustrophobia."

"Please." I puffed. "Claustrophobia. I have a fucking walk in."