Disclaimer: Denied. Just being hopeful. All belong to the writers and creators and WB. Wished Sarah and Jake does.
A/N : Just in case someone is confused, in this story, I made Jake to be older and about the same age as Sarah cos' he is taller and seems much older than Sarah. In real life, he is older than her so what the hey.
To the reviewers: Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Rating: PG-13. Just in case. I don't think there's any vulgarity here. Only little bit of insults hurling. I'm not a person with such 'colorful' vocabulary :p
The Split of the Dozen
By avren
5 Complicated
8.15 pm – After Dinnertime
"There! All done. Phew," heaved Sarah as she slammed the door of the dryer shut. She had finally finished the huge load of laundry, and that's only for TODAY, she sighed to herself. Switching off the light of the basement where the laundry room was located, she climbed up the stairs leading to the kitchen. Pushing the door open, she found Jake alone in the kitchen, arms hidden in a sink full of soap bubbles and foam. When he heard the door open, he looked up.
"You're all done already?" he asked. His eyes followed her as she went over to the counter behind him and propped herself atop the kitchen table.
"Yup. I thought it was gonna take FOREVER! You can't imagine how MUCH laundry I had to do! I can't believe we wear THAT many clothes a day! AND I still have to do laundry for tomorrow, and the day after, and the next day, and –"
"Okay, okay," he interrupted before she can ramble on for hours, "I get it. But at least you've finished your part for today. Look at mine!" he pointed to the stack of dirty dishes beside the kitchen sink, still waiting to be washed. "I can't believe we used this MUCH plates for dinner! Next time, I'm not gonna use a plate. I'll just eat off the bowl," he resigned with a sigh, rinsing the plate that he was holding under the running tap.
Pitying him slightly, Sarah hopped off the kitchen top and went over beside him. "Alright, alright. I'll help you this time," she offered.
Jake looked up surprised at her and grinned thankfully. "You'd really help me? Gosh Sarah," he tried to half-hug her but she evaded him as his hands are covered with foam, "you're the greatest!"
"Okay, okay! Enough already with the flattery. And keep your hands away from me. You're getting foam all over the place!" she cried, pointing to the foam on the floor.
He just smiled sheepishly.
"Now move over a little," she instructed. "You lather the plates and I'll rinse them."
"Yes Mam!" he saluted cheekily at her, who just rolled her eyes.
He made some room for her in front of the sink and they worked together, one lathering and the other rinsing.
"So," Sarah started, "everyone already upstairs?" taking the plate from him and rinsing the foam of under the tap.
"Yeah. After clearing the dinner table, they all fled up to their rooms leaving me to do the dishes," he sulked.
"Duh, it's YOUR punishment," she scoffed, shaking her head at him.
"But at least they could have offered their help," he pouted.
"I did, didn't I?" she pointed out.
"And that's why you're my bestest pal sister EVER!" He grinned, flicking some of the soap duds at her. She glared at him and sprayed some water at him.
"Hey!" he cried out, and tried to wipe his foamy hands at her, grinning mischievously. She backed away from his outreached hands and accidentally slipped on the foam on the floor, causing her to fall on her butt.
"Owww…" she groaned rubbing her butt, still sitting on the floor, some of the foam on her. Jake, face astonished, just stood there, howling in laughter.
"JAKE! I'll get you for this!" she screeched at him, trying to get up but kept on slipping on the foam and fell back to the floor. He was bent over, laughing at the sight in front of him.
His laughter subsidized, due to Sarah's glare. Jake, now hiccupping slightly with laughter, went over to help her up.
"Here," he reached out his hands and she grabbed on to it, gripping it tightly. "Hey! Easy on the grip," he winced, pulling her up onto her feet.
Once on her feet, she shoved him back, making him fumble back a bit." You DARE laugh at me?!" she growled, eyes narrowing at him.
Laughing slightly, he tried to placate her. "Okay, alright, I'm sorry Sarah," he apologized, trying to lessen her anger by giving her puppy-dog eyes which usually works with the girls in school.
Her anger alleviated a bit, but she scoffed at him. "Hah! You think that would work with me? Stop giving me that puppy look!" she ordered, a slight twitch on the corner of her mouth threaten to show looking at the hilarious expression on her brother's face.
"Oh well," he resigned, "at least I tried."
"Not done with the dishes yet?!" Kate suddenly popped from behind them, making them jump in surprise. "And what's this mess?!" she pointed to the foam and water on the floor.
Both of them, with guilty expressions on their faces tried to explain at once.
"Err.., we were just-"
"You see Mom-"
"Well I don't want to know. I just want you to clean up this mess and hurry with the dishes," she ordered. They both nodded at her. "I'm gonna tuck the twins in their beds and when I come back down, I want to see the kitchen CLEAN and void of the both of you." With that, she left the kitchen and went up the stairs towards Nigel and Kyle's bedroom.
Staring at her retreating back, they sighed.
"Well, let's hurry then. It's your fault, you know," Sarah blamed Jake, turning towards him.
"Mine? You're the one who slipped on the water and fall on your butt."
"Which I wouldn't have if there was NO water on the floor in the first place," she retorted.
"You sprayed water at me too!"
"But that was AFTER you left the mess on the floor."
"Fine, fine. Let's just truce okay?" he gave in. "If not, we'll never finish the dishes," he said, pointing to the few dishes still undone.
"And this is the last time I'm gonna help you with the dishes," she huffed.
"Whatever, let's just finish it. You mop the floor and I'll finish the dishes."
"Fine."
They both did their tasks in silence and within minutes, they were done. Tired, damp and with a bit of foam on their faces and heads, they dragged themselves up to their rooms. It was nearly 9.15 by the time they had showered and changed into their pajamas. Since they are now 13 years old, they allowed to stay up until 9.30 on school nights. Kyle and Nigel had to be in bed by 8.30, Mike, Kim, Jessica and Mark by 9, Henry by 10 and Lorraine by 11. Charlie is now in college so; he can stay up all night if he wants to and Nora too.
Jake, dressed in his usual large blue Gap t-shirt and white sweats as pajamas, ruffled his wet hair with his towel. It seems awfully quiet, he thought, with the twins and others sleeping. However, he could hear the faint beats from Charlie's and Lorraine's room. They're probably listening to their stereos. Hanging his damp towel behind his door, he peered out from the door of his room to check if his Mom is around the area. Coast is clear, he said to himself and went across the hallway to Sarah's room. He wanted to check if she's still mad at him about the incident earlier and since it wasn't 9.30, he was okay.
Knocking lightly at her slightly ajar door, he called softly.
"Sarah, you in there? It's me, Jake. Can I come in?"
He heard a muffled 'Come in' and stepped into her room. Sarah's room is not like any other typical girls room. There is no flowery wallpaper, bed sheets or curtains. Considering that she's called a tomboy, her room looks similar to his. Her room was messy, with sports posters and trophies everywhere, her battered yellow lacrosse stick propped against her cupboard, her room just screams 'I'M NOT YOUR AVERAGE GIRL'. It does have a cozy roomy feeling when you step inside as she had made her room her own little haven for herself. Looking around, he could find no Sarah.
He called out again. "Sarah?"
"I'm in here," she called out from inside a closet. Puzzled, Jake went over to a little closet at the corner of her room and opened it.
"What are you doing in there?" he asked as she rummaged through her closet.
"Oh, it's nothing, I was just searching for something," she replied, stepping out of the closet and shutting it close. "So what do you want?" she asked him, moving towards her bed and plopped onto it. Jake did the same.
"Oh, well…" he started, "I just want to check if we're cool, ya' know, about just now?"
"Oh I'm over it. You're forgiven," she assured with a grin.
"So we're cool?"
"You're cool, but I'm hot," she said, wiping a bead of sweat on her forehead. Jake just smiled at her.
"What WERE you looking for anyway?"
"Oh its nothing. Don't worry about it." She shrugs it off with a wave of her hand. "Anyway, I meant to ask you something just now but I've forgotten what with all the dishes and stuff earlier."
"What was it?" Jake prodded on, curiosity piqued.
"Do you know what's wrong with Mike? He seems awfully quiet today at dinner AND at breakfast," she asked, with creases of worry on her forehead.
"Well, I haven't had time to talk to him since this morning, so I don't know what's bothering him."
"Maybe, we should ask him tomorrow, ya know, to see if something's bothering him." She suggested.
"You talk or i?"
"We BOTH will talk to him. Make sure you wake up early tomorrow so that we can talk to him before breakfast. He looks really troubled and if we're not there for him, no one else will." She said firmly.
"Okay I guess. But if I'm late, make sure you wake me up okay, or else, I'm the one who'll be in trouble." Sarah just rolled her eyes at him. Getting off her bed, Jake went to the door and before he closed the door behind him, he called out.
"G'd night, Sarah," he whispered and shut the door.
Pulling her blanket up to her chin, she reached over to her bed lamp and switched it off. As her eyes droopily shut, she mumbled, "Good night."
TBC
