Shenanigans

Chapter 21

Alaina's POV
When I pulled up, I saw Vinnie's car in the driveway, but not my mom's. Why didn't this shock me?! I was worried about Mike getting home and not wrecking, but he could handle himself. He was a big boy, after all. I worried about Tre, too. He wasn't a safe driver when he was completely sober! But I had to worry about myself now. Home alone with Vinnie. Thanks Mom and Mike! What was I pissed about? He was probably passed out on the couch or in the chair and didn't even notice that Mike, my mom or I was even out. I unlocked the door and slid in, trying not to make noise and wake him up. I put the keys on the table and checked the living room. He wasn't there. I guess he decided to do the unthinkable and go up to bed. It was 12:30 in the morning, after all.

I sat down on the couch and put my feet on the table. Oh, crap, I was gonna have to wait for Mike to get home to help me up! I grabbed the remote which was shoved in the couch and flicked something on. I got about halfway through my flipping when I felt a presence.
"Hey, Mike. Back already?"
"No he's not and his ass is going to get nailed when he gets back, just like yours is about to be now for coming in at midnight."
I felt everything inside of me tense up and freeze. I started shaking inside, even though I made no movement. Everything seemed to freeze and I felt numb. The next thing I knew, he was right in front of me.
"I SAID STAND UP!" He yelled and slapped me in the face.
I tried to talk, but nothing would come out. My voicebox was numb, too. I felt myself being lifted up by my shirt.
"What is your problem? Are you completely retarded?" I shook my head. "Who gave you the fucking idea that it was alright to come in at midnight? I bet it was your stupid ass brother's idea. You both are the most disobedient, unappreciative brats I've ever seen." He said, slapping me again.
"I...I HATE YOU!" I yelled and spit in his face. Oh, that was a dumb move. He pushed me a few times and then shoved me into the wall. He was a big fan of shoving people into walls.
"Listen here, you little bitch. I don't care if you hate me. I hate you, too, probably more than you hate me. I didn't think either of you little bastards would be here when I met your mother. I thought it would be me and her and you two would go to your father's away from us."
"Why the hell did you marry her after two weeks? You don't even know her that well! Obviously you would have known that we stay with her all the time and never see our father. She loves us. And if she knew what you were doing to us, your ass would be out!" I said, leering in his face. He shoved me on the floor to the side.
"You wanna know the truth? I guess I ought to tell you. When I get through with you, you're not gonna be able to talk again. Your mother has a secret account worth over a million dollars on her life. If she had been alone, it would have been easy to just knock her off. But no, she has to have you two fuckers. With both of you out of the way, I'm not gonna have to worry about it now, am I?"
"Wh...what do you mean?"
"Why do you think I wait til she's not home or in the room. 'Dear sweet Alaina had an accident. I can't help it she's so clumsy she fell down the stairs!' or 'That puddle was just too slippery and I guess Mike wasn't watching what he was doing like usual.' Stand up!" I couldn't get up. I was scared. "I SAID STAND UP!" He walked over and grabbed me up. I started shaking and my knees started buckling. My stomach started hurting. Not in the I was gonna throw up way--well, let's face it I felt like I was going to--but it felt like something was wrong with the babies. I walked over to a table and balanced myself so I wouldn't fall. Not a smart idea. The next thing I know, I got a fist right in my eye. I couldn't stand up, the pain was too bad. I fell over on the floor.
"GET UP, YOU STUPID ASS!" He said, kicking me in the back. Everything started going white and I fely my consciousness start to drift. I was gonna die, right here and now...

Mike's POV
By the time I dropped Billie off and got back home, I was completely sober. I didn't wanna smoke too much tonight for Rory's sake. She didn't exactly like it, but she wasn't pushy to where she forced me to stop. She just wanted me to be safe and could respect what I want to do at the same time. The door was unlocked, I guess Lane didn't lock it. Something still didn't feel right. I was almost scared to go in. The feeling that I got back in the alley was getting worse. I walked in and noticed some things on the floor.
"LANE?!" I yelled. I probably shouldn't have yelled. I might have woken Vinnie up.
Who was I kidding? Nothing wakes him up!
I walked farther into the house. I saw something on the floor. My adrenaline was pumping. I was getting more scared. The closer I got, the more I could make out what I was looking at. It was a body. Oh no. It couldn't have been...
"LANE! OH FUCK!" I yelled, running the rest of the few feet over. Her nose was bleeding and her eye was black. She was breathing, but I got no response from her. I tried everything I could think of before I ran to the phone and called my mom's cell phone.
"MOM! GET HOME RIGHT NOW!!"
"Michael Ryan Pritchard, settle down. What's wrong?"
I felt tears welling up.
"Alaina. She...she...she's not conscious."
"What happened? I'm on my way. Mike, is she alright?"
"I don't know. I don't know. Mom you need to get here now." The phone went dead. "Mom? Mom?!!"
"Hang up the phone, Michael." I heard from behind me. I almost dropped it on the floor. I turned around to face the man towering over me.
"What did you do to her?"
"She's out of the picture, Michael. Now it's your turn."
"You son of a bitch. I told you to not touch my sister. You're gonna pay for this."
"You guys were in the way. I thought you would have left when I ruffed you up the first time. But you two are stupid and stayed."
"Why would we leave?"
"Do I have to go back over this? I mean, honestly. You're twins, don't you have telepathy?"
I inched closer and got in his face.
"NOT WHEN SHE'S HALF DEAD! WHY DID YOU FUCKING TOUCH HER? SHE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO YOU, YOU MOTHER FUCKING ASSWIPE!" I said and socked him in the face.
He just stood there and held his face, then shook his head.
"Oh, Michael, Michael, Michael. You stupid boy. Now i'm gonna have to put you through more pain than I intended."
He punched me in the stomach so hard that I crashed to the floor. I kicked my leg out and tripped him. He fell right in front of me and glared at me.
"You just don't learn, do you?" He said, getting up. I tried to get up, holding the wall for support. I felt my arm being forced off the wall and I fell flat on my face. My nose was bleeding as well and my whole face was pulsating with pain. I pulled my knees up to try and get myself up, but he kicked me over on my side. I felt a few kicks to my head before I finally lost consciousness.

Rory's POV
When I got home, I ran upstairs and took a shower. I was so exhausted I could have slept forever. Mike was probably still out; it was already 1 AM. My cell phone was still on, just in case of an emergency. Little did I know, the emergency I was expecting was not the one I got.
"Billie?"
"Rory. You need to get to the hospital. Quick."
"What's wrong? Are you OK?"
"It's not me. It's Alaina...and..."
"And who?" I felt the room start to spin. I knew the next word out of his mouth, but I was scared. Somewhere deep inside of me, I was hoping I wasn't gonna hear it.
"M...Mike." He said and broke down. This was probably harder on him than anyone else. Mike was closer to him than his brothers. My eyes started tearing up. I held my ground for a few more seconds.
"You OK, Billie?"
"He might die. He was completely unconscious and he slipped into a coma. Oh Rory, I don't know what to do. I can't lose my best friend in the whole world. Not after my dad. I have all you guys, but it's not the same. Mike is like my other half. And Alaina...we're like triplets. Only I don't look like either of them."
"I know, Billie. I love him. He's the love of my life. I don't wanna lose him this way. But look, we have to be positive about this."
"You're right. But I..."
"Look, Billie, I know what it's like to lose a parent. But we have to try and hope for the best with this. I will miss both of them if something happens, too. You wanna go to the hospital with me?"
He sniffed.
"Yeah. That'd be cool. I'll get ready now."
"OK. I'll call you when I'm outside."
We hung up and I got into my normal clothes. Oh, Mike, how you get me sneaking out all the time at crazy times of the night is beyond me. But they say people do crazy things when they're in love. And I sure as hell have did some crazy ass shit for that boy. I'll be damned if he's gonna die on me. I'll get over to that hospital and wake his ass out of that coma. I have that power...or so I think. I crept out of the window and shimmied down to the ground. I got back in the car and pulled out of the driveway quietly.
When I got to Billie's, he was waiting outside, curled in a little ball on his porch steps. I walked over and sat next to him. I wrapped my arms around him to try and comfort him. I don't know how well it worked. He turned over and laid his head on my shoulder.
"WHY WAS IT MIKE AND ALAINA? WHY? WHY COULDN'T IT HAVE BEEN FUCKING WHATSERNAME OR JIMMY OR JASON OR WHOEVER THE HELL HE IS THIS WEEK?!!" He yelled. His whole body was shaking and he was choking out his sobs. This was really tough on him.
"Billie, come on. Shh. It's OK. It'll be alright."
"NO IT WON'T! HE ALWAYS DOES THIS TO ME! WHEN I LOVE SOMEONE, HE TAKES THEM AWAY FROM ME!"
I didn't even have to ask who he was talking about. I knew it.
"Billie, sometimes people go because they're done with what they were supposed to do here on earth-"
"I was 10, Rory. I wasn't done with him yet. What about what I need?"
"I don't know. I really don't. I was only 17 when I lost mine, BJ, so I don't know what it's like to pretty much grow up without parents. But I know what it's like to miss them. We're a lot more alike than you think, Billie."