stevie hopkins
- march 23, 2018 -

"CHELS..." GRABBING HER SHOULDER, I gave it a firm shake, "Wake up."

            The lanky girl stretched and groaned, but didn't open her eyes. Instead, she rolled over and pulled the blanket further up, passing her head, but exposing her feet. She tucked her knees to her chest and they disappeared under the blanket.

            I shook my head, but still smiled. Even asleep she managed to make me smile. I rolled up a perfectly good Home Style magazine and smacked her across the shoulder. Her eyes shot open and she fumbled around. Twisting to look over, she slipped right off the couch and crashed into me. I buried my head into her side to muffle down the laughter tumbling out of me.

            "Your face—" I laughed.

            She grabbed a pillow from the couch and wacked me with it, "You're the devil, Stevie Hopkins." She twisted around and pulled me on top of her; boot and all. Her hands found my sides and then I was really laughing.

            I tried pushing her hands off, but it was no use. I was at her mercy which she was gracious with. She laughed, but finally stopped. We breathed hard and looked at each other. Suddenly it was as if all the air was sucked from the room with the intensity behind her eyes.

            Our hair was tousled and I sat with my legs straddling her thighs. She moved the hair from my face, but stopped when her fingers reached the back of my neck scratching at the sensitive skin there. A shiver ran through me and I prayed that she couldn't feel it.

            She went to speak, but a whistle from the back caught our attention and we both turned towards the noise. I breathed a sigh of relief and moved to my feet. I held out my hand and pulled her up. She moved her hair from her face and a sly smile played on her lips.

            We walked into the kitchen and Xavier barely looked up at us. He leaned back against the over with his arms crossed over his chest and his head tipped down. The teapot sat behind him on the back of the oven. He was letting the water cool like he did.

            I started the coffee pot and pulled multiple cups from the cupboard, lining them up in front of the machine. It's funny how we slip into old habits so easily. By the time Xavier was pouring his tea, the coffee pot was finished and most of our siblings had joined us downstairs and were scattered around the kitchen.

            The sun barely winked over the hill when we all sat around the cups in our hands and our eyes finally blinking open.

            "Well," I said into my coffee, "I can't say I didn't miss this."

            "Lucky you," Monica grumbled into her cup.

            I chuckled, "I guess when you think of it, I kind of am."

            "But, when you think of it," Chelsea spoke into her cup, her eyes barely open, "you're also missing so much.

            The entire table quieted down. We sipped our coffees, staring at the table as if that would make the air less thick. She was right though. I was glad that I didn't have to get up at dawn to help with the chores here or anywhere else, but at the same time I was missing all of this.

            I missed Noel's bed head and Wanda, who sifted through sugar packets before going with the first one she grabbed or even Monica glaring at us and cursing the sun for rising. As if she could make it go back down with just her sheer will.

            Joel was usually the second up after Xavier, he liked to do a few sketches with a cup of hot chocolate before everyone was up and making too much noise. He said it was his only time to get some peace and quiet.

            I guess, I didn't realize how much I was missing by not being there. I was off in a whole other town for college. Wanda did all her school online. Sure, Xavier went to Cambridge, but then he came right back home. I didn't plan on coming back.

            "So..." Chelsea spoke slowly this time as if not to startle anyone out of their thoughts too abruptly, "You all do the chores together?"

            Xavier shrugged his shoulders, "Of course. As they say, many hands make light work."

            "What about your parents? Do they come too?"

            We all chuckled into our cups, "When we were younger, they did. We told them they could stop years ago. Dad's always coming home late from town and mom has to deal with children all day. We thought letting them sleep in was more beneficial for us. They wake up in better moods," I answered.

            "Oh, what do you do?"

            I nudged her shoulder, "You and I will be doing irrigation with Savannah and Ryan." The two fraternal twins nodded their heads, "It's these long pipes, but they come apart and usually they're pretty light at least enough for one person. It just takes a while to get them from one place to the other."

            "Actually," Savannah said, "Mom lets us use the ATV now. We just pile them on the back and away we go. Cuts the time in half. Fewer trips, you know?"

            We all finished our cups off and placed them in the sink. Wanda gave us all a death glare and told us to simply get out while she washed the dishes. I struggled through the thick grass. Chelsea laughed and grabbed my arm, dragging me out into the pasture.

            Ryan met us out in the far end of the fields on the ATV. We hauled pipes to the back of the vehicle and strapped them down. Ryan looked between all of us and sighed, "Get on the back."

            "What?" I asked, looking around, "You want me to do what?"

            "Get on before I take back the offer, Stevie."

            Turning to Chelsea, I stopped, "Do you mind?"

            She waved me off quickly, "No. Take the ride. I'll walk with Savannah."

            "Yeah," Savannah smiled, throwing her arm around Chelsea's shoulder, "She'll walk with me and we can just talk and talk and talk."

            Reluctantly, I maneuvered my way onto the back of the ATV and wrapped my arms around Ryan's waist. He nodded to Chelsea and Savannah before jolting ahead. I slammed into his back and he only laughed.

            "You've lost your balance."

            "My balance. You're just a shitty driver," I reached up and rubbed his hair.

            "Like you could do any better," he yelled over his shoulder.

            "Maybe not in this condition, but you know I could beat you any day of the week."

            We stopped at the end of the pasture, closest to the house and I slid off. By the time Chelsea and Savannah reached us, we'd already had most of the pipes unloaded and in position to be put back together.

            They were laughing as they walked up and something dropped in my stomach. I just hoped Savannah took into consideration that I'm a good sister...most of the time. I help with math homework and once even answered a test question over text for her.

            "Stevie!" Chelsea smiled, throwing her arms around me, "I never knew you danced in your underwear as a child!"

            My eyes grew wide. The tips of my ears turning pink, "What little kid doesn't do that?" I tried to laugh it off, but it was shaky at best.

            "You're right." She nodded, "Probably not to 'I Don't Fuck with You' by Big Sean though."

            "You told her that!" I stepped forward, tripping over my boot and tumbling to the ground. Chelsea tried to save me, only to come down too. She busted out laughing next to me.

            "Hey," she turned to look at me, "how many times do you think you're going to fall for me? I thought one was enough, but this is extremely flattering."