Amanda.

I carried the small girl, a hand under her butt, another on her back, out of the kitchen. It must've been a long day; she had fallen asleep watching me make the soup for dinner. She'd been leaning against the counter next to the refrigerator and her voice had slowly…faded…out. I had finished dinner, picked her up, and now I stood in the living room. Well, I couldn't put her to bed yet, it's only seven thirty. And we'd eat in fifteen minutes, anyway. So, I slid onto the couch and kicked my feet up; she now lay on top of me. I kissed her forehead, and- She feels warm again.

"What's up with that, Wills?" I whispered, so softly it didn't wake her up. Which was good; it wasn't intended to. Maybe I was mistaken again, like last time?

I pressed my chin to her forehead again. No, she's definitely burning up.

I sighed. Sick for Winter break. Good thing Charlie wasn't going to school anyway. I've got work tomorrow, Wednesday, and Thursday, and then Saturday this week.

"Mmh.. Manda?" A sleepy voice broke the silence.

"Hey, Hun. Have a nice nap?"

The little girl pressed her forehead back into my chest and nodded a little. She sniffled, and wiped her face on my shirt.

"Willa, did you just wipe your nose on me?"

Willa shrugged.

"Ew, hun. That's disgusting."

She shrugged again.

"You alright?"

She sighed. No energy, fever, runny nose… Whatever this is, it's not going to be good.

"You want some dinner? It's chicken noodle soup."

She nodded a little.

"Char? Jess?" I yelled, hoping someone would hear me.

"Yeah?" light footsteps bounded down the hall- Charlie's, no doubt. Jess is heavier on her feet. Picture a clumsy herd of rhinos walking down the hall-and that's what it sounds like. Charlie was, by far, more graceful. Quieter. Better at sneaking around. "Wills? What's wrong?"

"She's sick. Can you set the table for dinner?"

"Sure."

As Charlie disappeared, Willa broke into a coughing fit. Chokes and gasps wracked her entire tiny frame.

"Wills… Shhh, Hey." The small girl gasped for air. Charlie wandered in, handing Willa a glass of water, which she downed in a few seconds. She groaned.

"You okay?" Charlie smiled. Willa nodded. "Why don't you go get Jessie? We'll be right in."

Willa waddled down the hall.

"Do you think it's bad? Should I call someone?"

"Manda, it's a cough. You worry too much."

"I have reason to be worried!"

She smirked a little. She pulled me into a hug.

"I've got nothing to do. It's break. I'll take care of her, Manda. When you're at work."

"I never doubted that you would."

She smiled. She kissed my forehead (mocking the fact that I couldn't do that to her), laughing. "Ooh, you're short, sis."

"Shut up." I laughed. "Come on, let's go eat."

…

I scrubbed the dishes down, handing them to Jess, who was drying.

"mh… Amanda?" Jess muttered suddenly.

"Yeah, hun?"

"Have you seen Mr. Bear anywhere?" I smiled. Mr. Bear was my teddy bear from when I was tiny. When Jess was born, I'd given it up to her. She's slept with it every night since. Even though she's eleven, and claims she doesn't need it, she still loves it (but she'd never admit it).

"Hmmm…" I muttered, finishing the dishes. I turned off the sink and leaned on the counter next to her. "I think Mr. Bear was on my bed. Last time I saw him, at least."

"Mr. Bear's been sleeping with you?" She said.

"Yup. I guess so. You can go get him, if you want."

"Manda?"

"Yes, hun?" I laughed.

"Could I… Could I just join him?"

I smiled a little. "Of course, sweetie. Is everything okay?"

"Um… yeah…"

"Jessie?" I whispered. I lifted her up, sitting her on the counter. Man, she's getting too heavy for that.

"I… Just…"

"Hm?"

"I just have lots of… nightmares… lately." She whispered, looking down at her lap. I pulled her into a hug, kissing her cheek.

"Hey. Nightmares can't hurt you. But of course you can sleep with me tonight."

She smiled.

"Manda…?" a softer voice rang in my ear.

"Yes, Willa?" I muttered, watching her waddle into the room, a blanket wrapped around her and trailing behind her. Jess did, too, a small smile on her face.

"Charlie said… Charlie… Charlie said…" She paused, took a breath, and sneezed the biggest sneeze I've ever seen a seven-year-old… sneeze. Did that make sense?

"Bless you, Wills." Jess muttered.

"Thanks. Charlie said to ask you for a cup of tea and a cup of hot chocolate… because… because…. Achoo!... Because me and her are gonna have a movie marathon and… Um… yeah. Oh! And the thermometer."

"Hmm." I looked at Jess. "Hot chocolate before bedtime? I don't know, Jessie. Charlie knows Willa can't drink too much sugar before bed. What do you think?"

"I don't think Charlie said that." Jess laughed, crossing her arms.

"Mhhh… Fine." Willa pouted. "She said a mug of tea and a mug of camel tea."

"Camel tea?" I laughed.

She nodded.

"Maybe did she say… chamomile?"

"Oh. Um. Yeah." She mumbled.

"Alright, I'll put the kettle on." I smiled. I crouched, beckoning for her to come over to me. She did, her blanket dragging behind her like a tail. I pressed my chin to her forehead, checking her temperature. "You're a little warm, sweetie." I whispered. Which was a lie. She was burning up.

I grabbed the thermometer, and went to put it in her mouth.

"Nooo! Charlie is gonna do it!" She mumbled. She took the thermometer and made her way back to the bedroom.

"She's a strange child." Jess mumbled.

"Runs in the family." I stood up, helping her off the counter.

"They're having a movie marathon without us."

"I know! How rude!" I laughed. "Let's say we have a… Nintendo marathon?"

Jess' smile grew ear to ear. "Mario Kart!?"

"Oui-oui. Or, Wii-Wii. Get it?"

"You're a dork." Jess muttered, walking past me.

"You're a punk." I laughed. "Go set up the Wii! We battle at dusk!"

She giggled, leaving the room. The kettle whistled, and I poured two mugs of tea; the chamomile with honey and the normal tea with milk and sugar. I made my way down the hall to my old bedroom.

Charlie sat leaned up against the headboard of her bed, Willa in her lap. They were wrapped in a bunch of blankets, Willa's head leaned back against Char's shoulder. In front of them was the laptop, playing one of Willa's favorites: Beauty and the Beast.

"Hey, guys." I whispered. "I've got some tea for you."

Willa sniffled. She held her arms out, and I handed her the mugs. Charlie took one, and smiled up at me.

"Thanks, Mand."

"No problem. How's her temperature?"

"A hundred and two."

"Oh, no… Sweetie, you're burning up." I whispered, kissing her forehead.

She just shrugged, too involved in dancing candlesticks and teapots to care. I smiled.

"Alright, I'll see you two later."

Willa just nodded, making me and Charlie laugh.

"Seeya, Manda."

…

It was around the second lap of Bowser's Castle, in eleventh place to Jess's second place, when my phone rang.

"Ugghh… You can keep going without me. I wasn't gonna win this one anyway." I muttered.

"Yeah, or the next one. Orrr… The next one. Or…"

"I get it, Jess. I suck."

She smiled, pulling into first place.

I walked into the kitchen, flipping open the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi!… Uh… it's Finn Whitman…"

A blush formed on my cheeks.

"Finn! Hi! Uh… I'm so glad you remembered to call!" I laughed.

"How could I forget? I was waiting until I wouldn't seem desperate to talk to you. It was a painful… Um. Eleven hours."

I laughed.

"So…"

"So…"

"You gonna ask me out, or should I ask you?"

"Hm… Well I've never heard of the girl asking the guy before. That sounds fun." He laughed.

I smiled. "Alright, then. Finn Whitman, would you like to come on a date with me?"

His laugh rung over the phone.

"I'm flattered!"

I smiled.

"Alright. There's this great Italian place around my neighborhood. Wanna go there?" He said.

"Hm…" I muttered.

"Pleeeeaase?"

"I guess." I sighed, fake annoyed.

"Great! I'll pick you up at seven tomorrow night! Is that good?"

Let's see… Tuesdays I get off at five thirty. Perfect.

"Yup!"

"Great! Seeya then!"

I laughed, and the line went dead. I added his name to my contacts, and my phone buzzed again.

"Hello?"

"Hi… I have no clue where you live."

"492 Bogota Lane."

"Got it! Great! Seeya then!" This kid says 'great' a lot. Way too happy. Maybe he's nervous.

"Seeya then." I laughed, clicking the 'off' button.

I bit my lip.

"MANDA'S GOT A DAAAATE!" Jess screeched, laughing. She ran down the hallway to Charlie's room. "MANDA'S GOT A BOOOY-FRIEND!"

"Jess!" I yelled. "I didn't know you were listening… ugh!"

"CHAARRRLIIEEE!"

Charlie's door flung open.

"ShhhH! Willa's asleep!"

"Manda's got a daaaate." Jess whispered.

Charlie smirked, leaning up against the door frame. "Is it the Disney doofus!?"

"Charlie! His name's Finn!"

"He's a pretty hot doofus. I must say."

I groaned.

Jess pushed her way past Charlie.

"Charlie? If Willa's asleep…. Why is Monster's Inc on?" Jess whispered.

Charlie smiled, biting her lip.

"Okay, so maybe I'm a Disney dork, too."

"A Disney doofus."

"What ever." She laughed.

Charlie's POV…

Hey, I'm proud to be a Disney dork! Monster's Inc is a great movie. And Willa had started out watching it with me. Then, she'd curled into my lap and fallen asleep.

She shifted, pressing her face further into my neck. Her skin was burning. There'd been a few cases of the flu going around- I hope it's not that. I'd hate to see Wills so sick…

And call me selfish, but I didn't want to spend the whole weekend taking care of a sick seven year old. And you wouldn't either, so be quiet.

Willa mumbled something in her sleep, something ending in, "…Stiiitch…." and took a breath. She groaned, and her eyes fluttered open.

"Charlie?"

"Yeah, hun?"

"I'm so tired…"

"Go back to sleep."

"My nose is runny, though."

I grabbed a few tissues off of the table and handed them to her. But she didn't take them. She was asleep already.

"Alright. Whatever." I muttered. I wiped her nose, and tossed the tissues over the side of the bed; I shut the laptop and placed it on the table next to my bed. I moved onto my side, letting Willa curl into me so that her forehead rested against my chin and lips, my arms around her. I pulled the blankets up.

Slowly, I drifted off to sleep.

…

"Charlie!"

I gasped, sitting up.

"Char?"

The scene around me took a minute to sink in. Amanda stood in front of me, her hand grabbing onto my arm. She looked worried, concerned. Willa stood, clinging to Amanda, also looking worried- but more than anything, scared. I realized tears were dripping down my own face and I was shaking. And… Scared. Terrified. Of what, though? My jaw was clenched, my muscles tense, my heart pounding like I'd just run a marathon…

What's happening to me!?

"Charlene, are you alright?"

I sniffled, taking a breath in attempts to compose myself.

"Uh…" I started, shakily.

"Hey… Take a breath, it was just a nightmare." Amanda whispered. She sat on the bed next to me. "You alright?"

Willa walked up to the side of the bed.

"Yeah, Char! Why are you crying? Are you okay? What was your dream about? Can I-"

"Wills, come here… Why don't we give them some time to talk?" Jess, who I realized had been watching from the doorway, whispered.

"But Charlie…"

"I'm okay, hun." I whispered, trying very hard to keep my voice from breaking. "Just… a dream…"

She nodded, and joined Jessie at the door, who guided her down the hallway.

"Char?" Amanda whispered as soon as they were out of earshot.

"M-Manda?" My voice broke. I don't know what had just overcome me, but it was terrifying. She pulled me into a hug, kissing the top of my head. I buried my face in her shoulder.

"You okay?"

I shrugged- honestly, I really don't know anymore. Maybe I'm okay. Maybe I'm an emotional wreck. Maybe I'm somewhere in between- but whatever this feeling is, this feeling that's been here since that stupid night, I don't like it and it needs to stop.

"What just happened, Manda?" I whispered. I sniffled and wiped my eyes, but a new wave of tears hit me.

"Shhh…. Charlie, come on. Take deep breaths." She muttered. I felt another kiss planted on the back of my head. "I think that might've been a little bit of a panic attack. Everything's fine now… Just… deep breaths."

After about ten minutes, I was able to calm down completely, and Amanda lay down with me in the bed. My head was against her shoulder, her arm draped around me.

"What just happened?" I said again, a low whisper this time. "That's never happened."

Amanda took a deep breath.

"I think," She whispered. "We're all under a bit of stress lately… And I think we're all having a bit of trouble dealing with it."

"Um… Amanda?"

"Jess's school wants her to go to some sort of therapist."

"Oh…"

"And they're thinking it's my fault." She muttered.

"How in the world would this ever be your fault?"

She sighed again, shrugging.

"I'm not a good guardian, they think. Not old enough. Just not good enough."

"They're wrong." I said firmly. "They're wrong- they've never been so wrong. They're wrong."

"Thanks, Char... But we're falling apart here."

"And that's not your fault. If you weren't here we'd already be in pieces." I said. "You're doing amazing, Amanda."

In the darkness, I could nearly sense her smile.

"Goodnight, Char."

…

AAAaaaand there's chapter four!

REVIEW!

What do you think? Is Amanda doing a good job?