Ch 1

Dark lavender balloons and streamers hung from the ceiling. 'Fifteen,' Leah thought it was supposed to be the happiest day of her life but unlike her sister Ashley she just wanted it to be over.

"Leah did you pick up the cake," Ashley asked laying the table cloth smoothly across the counter.

"No," I replied "Mom and dad went to get it they should be back any minute." That was a lie they had supposed to be back twenty minutes ago but Ashley was in a enough stress as it is the last thing she needed was more. There birthday was huge for Ashley she had been planning it for months and even though it was my birthday to this party was more for her. We had just gotten the last of the decorations up when the door bell rang, I knew it could not have been my parents cause they had a key. Oh great I thought to myself people are already here and I am still in my sweat pants but I still walked over to the door but, instead of an eager party guest it was a tall dark man with a police uniform on.

"Mam, are you Miss Waters" he asked I nodded my head trying to read his expression " I am very sorry to tell you this but Julia and Max Waters have recently been involved in a car accident and unfortunately did not survive"

Then Ashley came strolling up to the door at first she nudged me for an answer but I was at a loss for words. Numbness crashed over me like a never-ending wave. Once the officer had explained to Ashley what had happened and left we sat in our living room trying to figure out what to do.

"Who are we supposed to live with?" she sniffled I looked down "You know come on Leah tell me!" Once again tears started streaming down my cheeks

"Kourtney," I whispered her eyes widened. Kourtney was our sister and let's just say when she turned 18 she was not a part of our life again. We have not heard word from her since.

"You're kidding right" she asked tossing her long black hair from her face. "Do you really think she will take us? I mean she doesn't care what happens to us,"

"Well," I hesitated "we'll find out at the funeral."

The shards of falling raindrops trickled down on the dying grass of our family's backyard as we watched as all of our friends and family's chatter and consumed the hotdogs and hamburgers at the reception. So far Kourtney had only spoken to us once and had said nothing about are living arrangements. I figured that I would ask her myself.

"Kourtney," I said a bit too loudly "can I talk to you"

"Sure," she smiled blowing a piece of her choppy black hair out of her face we walked over to the back corner of the large brick house. "What do you need sweetie," she said looking at me like I was five years old.

"Kourtney I need to know if you're going to be willing to let us stay with you," I said quickly, trying to get it as fast as possible, "Because" I continued "if you don't take us we really have nowhere to go to"

"I going to take you guys you're my sisters," she told me sadly like she was mortified I had to ask but. She still smiled brightly but it was only a mask, "I know that mom, dad, and I didn't always get along but I never stopped caring about you guys." I looked around, none of these people really cared about mom and dad. They only came for the food and drinks. None of them knew them like I did, we laughed together. A horrible realization came to me; I will never see them again. But, I have to be strong. I have to be strong for Ashley. I rubbed my clean hands on my plain black dress. Kourtney stared; she knew what I was doing. What I was pretending. The colors of the world seemed to have melted away, leaving the sky gray and dim. My lips began to tremble; I knew this was going to happen. I promised myself I wouldn't cry again she wrapped her arms around me as tears streamed down my cheeks.

"Thank you" I sniffled and she squeezed me tighter.

Chapter Two

The sun shone brightly though the car window as Ashley and I sat silently in the back and Kourtney's black Lexis.

"Are we there yet," Ashley whined impatiently.

"Soon" I promised tucking some of my long light blond hair behind my ears she grunted crossing her long tanned legs. As the car slowed down to a stop we look at Kourtney's abode in shock it was a giant three stories high extremely old mansion.

"This is your house," Ashley asked bluntly

"Yes," Kourtney answered "This was grandfather's old home."

Ashley and I look at each other surprised we had never met are grandparents on either side of our family. "Well," she asked "Are you two just going to sit there and stare ,the mover have already taken all of you things to you room all I ask is that you be down to dinner by seven," then she swiftly added "I have some very special guests for you to meet." Ashley and I tiptoed up the never ending dark spiral stair case that led to are rooms on the third floor.

"I can't believe that she lives here" Ashley said quietly looking around at all the dark looking nights and medieval pictures. "I always thought that she would live in a more modern house, not one built a billion years ago" I rolled my clear blue eyes.

"Ashley I doubt this house was built a billion years ago and I think that it is cool that we are living in a house with history,"

"Ya lots of fun," she grunted. As we made are way down the hall I noticed two rooms had yellow posttests on them. One said Ashley and one said Leah I walked into the one with my name on it and shut the door behind me. It looked almost exactly like my room at home only much bigger. It had one gigantic window that looked over the whole neighborhood. Across the room was a small door with a wooden frame it had a small oddly shaped key hole that looked as if someone could fit the entire finger inside of it. I walked over to its and ran my hands across it but as my hand slip on to the door knob I heard Kourtney yell from down stairs.

"You two better be getting ready it is almost seven and the guests will be here,"

"Ok," I shouted back. I quickly took a shower then through on my favorite blue and white summer dress. At around 6:50 I walked over to Ashley's room to see if she was ready.

"Ashley you in their" I asked

"Yes one sec I am almost ready" she replied she walked out where a pair of dark denim jeans and a cherry red halter top. "How do I look" she said twirling around.

"Like you're going out" I replied shaking my head

"Well" she smiled "I figure there are visitors and what if one of them is a cute guy". I shook my head again were boys all she thought about. As we made are way too the kitchen when I noticed to men sitting at the dining room table one looked like he was in his early twenties and the other a couple years younger. Both had dirty brown hair and bright green eyes and they were very very cute.

"Hi I am Lucas" the older one said "And this is Tristan my younger brother" he added pointing to the person beside him. We shook hands when Kourtney stepped in.

"Umm, you guys there is something important that I need to tell you Lucas and I are engaged" Ashley and I both stood in shock Kourtney ,are free spirited sister, was engaged were we being punked or something. "We were planning on waiting about a year before the wedding and we have already begun a bit of planning." Once again my and Ashley looked at each other in shock.

Once we had finished dinner I had gotten to know Luke and Tristan a little more. Like I knew that Luke was twenty three and a 2nd grade teacher I also had learned that Tristan was living with him and was sixteen years old.