Janessa's view

Serene calls Mom to pick her up around 6:30, right around when Mom finished cooking. Dad got home then, too, and helped me set the table while Mom went to get Serene. They pop back moments after we finish, and Serene heads to her room to put her stuff up.  

"Hi, El." Dad kisses my mom hello, with me gagging behind them, and then we sit down and wait for Serene. She doesn't take long, but when she comes back I notice that she's clenching her fists and walking stiffly, and she looks kind of sick.

"Are you okay, kiddo?" Dad asks Serene. She nods, and sits down quickly, relaxing as she smells the cheesy pasta.

"She's probably tired of school already." Dude yawns from his bed, watching our table with interest. Right on cue, Dad tosses Dude a cheesy noodle. Dude snaps it up hungrily, smacking his lips.

"You're the best human in the world." he says dreamily.

Mom laughs. "What about Brit, or me? Or these two?" She gestures to Serene and I.

"Brit never comes by anymore." Dude pouts. "Although I suppose you're the one that cooks this deliciousness. As for them..." Dude gives me an accusing look. "She still calls me "Doodie"!"

I snicker. "I thought you liked that name."

"I do! Just not in public!" he huffs angrily, standing up and slinking over to Serene, putting his head in her lap. "She's mean. Protect me!"

Serene giggles, petting his head.

Dinner goes by as normal, with Dad regaling us with tales of all his crazy animals today. Apparently today he had to summon Lord Milori from the Winter Woods of pixie hollow because a poor Winter fairy had stumbled upon a magical portal of some kind and had gotten spat out a few blocks from Dad's work. Fearing for her wings, and not seeing another option, she'd flown quickly to my father, who stuck her in the polar bear habitat while waiting for Lord Milori to arrive with the proper transportation.

"But don't worry." Dad assures us. "Her wings are fine, just a little weak."

"I wish we could've gone to the Winter Woods." I say wistfully.

"Sorry, Jenna. Not enough time in the day." Mom says. "You done?"

"Yep." She takes my plate, and reaches for Serene's empty one as well, but Serene stands quickly, taking her own plate to the dishwasher before Mom can. Dad laughs.

"She's one-upping you, Jen." he teases, poking my shoulder. "Good job, kiddo." He tells Serene. "You've gotta get her back, Jen. What'll you do? Clean your room? Do your homework? Ohhhhh, actually going to bed before midnight on a school night?"

"I do homework!" I protest.

"Do you?" Dude argues sleepily, curling up on his bed. Serene gives the tiniest smile before hugging Dad good-night and exiting the kitchen. Mom is still standing in the same spot, shocked, holding mine and her plates.

Dad stands, kisses Mom on the cheek, and takes both of the plates. "Not used to our kids picking up the slack, huh?"

She snaps out of it, smiling at him. "I guess I've gotten used to doing it for them. And you!" She points to where his is still sitting on the table as well.

"Whoops!" Dad reaches for it, then seems to remember he's already holding two, and shrugs innocently. "My hands are full."

"Why, you---" Mom's insult is cut off by him kissing her. I giggle and take the plate myself, stacking it on top of Mom's.

"Whoa!" Dad breaks away from Mom to balance it. Mom flinches and reaches for it, but he just laughs and dodges around her, sliding the plates into their proper places.

"What am I going to do with all of you?" Mom smiles, hugging me and Dad simultaneously. Dad just laughs.

"Nothing. You're stuck with us."

"Forever!" I chime in.

She laughs again. "Do you guys want to watch a movie?"

"I VOTE STAR WARS!" Dad hollers. For some reason, he seems to think watching 'Star Wars' is romantic, but won't explain why to Serene and I.

"No way, I vote Harry Potter!" I argue.

We go back-and-forth on the way to the living room, where Mom switches on the TV and sets up her own movie of choice---The Princess Bride. Since it's an awesome movie, we stop arguing and proceed to quote every single line along with the movie. We don't really have anything assigned, except that I'm Vizzini, Mom is Buttercup, and Dad is Westley. We kind of switch off-and-on between the other characters, except all of us chant "you check his pockets for loose change" and "To blaaaave" together and we're dying laughing and it's only when Buttercup is jumping out the window that I realize that my little sister isn't here.

I stand up slowly to not disturb my parents, who are in the process of falling asleep, and sneak over to Serene's closed bedroom door. The light is off, but I can hear muffled noises inside.

I knock quietly. "Serene?"

The noises stop, and the door opens. "What?"

"We're watching Princess Bride. Want to come?"

She sticks her head out the door, hears Westley say "You'd make a wonderful Dread Pirate Roberts" to Inigo, and then she turns around so quickly I can't see her face. "I'm good. I have homework." She says tightly, closing the door in my face.

Guilt crawls up my spine. I know she loves that movie, especially watching it with Dad. When she was little, Dad taught her what to call someone if they were being mean to her like Count Rugen was to Inigo. Let me tell you, having my mother scream at my father because they got called to school for Serene calling Crystal a "son of a b****" was the funniest day of my life. Serene didn't know any better, and Dad thought it was hilarious.

I knock on her door again, but she doesn't answer. So I go back just to see my parents are both fast asleep. I turn off the TV and tiptoe out of the room, turning on my nightlight and laying in bed, staring at my phone screen while not really paying attention to the game I'm playing. At one point, I hear a door creak open and assume it's my parents going to bed, but then I hear the same door close five minutes later and realize it's too close to mine to be anyone but Serene. What is she doing up at---I check my phone---1 AM?

For that matter, what am I doing up?

I turn my phone off, snuggle under the covers with Dude, and watch the trees around me until I feel myself fall deeply asleep into a dream-land with iocane powder, R.O.U.S's, and myself as the Dread Pirate Roberts, Isla and Max by my side. 

Serene's view

Around 12:20 AM, I wake up on my bed, still in my school clothes, with my homework spread out in front of me. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I sit up and tiredly finish what homework I'd had. Answer a few questions for Magic, read a chapter for History... then I slide everything into my backpack, and change into pajamas before crawling back into bed, cuddling with my squished stuffed Cerberus my Grandpa bought me when I was four.

I lie under my covers for about ten minutes before it becomes clear I'm not falling back asleep. Throwing my covers back, I quietly tiptoe to my door, opening it as silently as I can. Creeping down the hall, I notice that there is a flickering light under Janessa's door, along with the quiet, adorable snoring of Dude.

Going past her, I head into the kitchen for a midnight snack. I grab a box of Cheerios, and turn around to head back to my room. I'm stopped by the peaceful sight of seeing my parents, fast asleep, on the living room couch. Mom has her feet tucked up under her, leaning against Dad's shoulder while he has an arm wrapped around her, his head on hers.

Smiling slightly to myself, I set down my box and quietly tiptoe over, unfolding a blanket from the shelf behind them (We really only use the blankets during winter, because for an ice castle, it's surprisingly warm) and spread it over my parents, tucking it in around them.

Without missing a beat, Dad's eye sleepily cracks open and, upon seeing me, he smiles. "Hey, kiddo." his voice is low and scratchy.

"Hi, Dad." I whisper.

"Wha' time issit?"

I look down, before remembering I'm not wearing my watch anymore. "Um, around 1 o'clock, I think."

He gives me a halfway-reproachful look, still half-asleep. "You should be asleep, ki-kidd-o..." He yawns on the last word.

"I'm heading that way." I whisper. "Goodnight, Dad."

"Mm-hmm." Dad yawns again, nodding off. Knowing my father, he won't remember this in the morning. I gently touch his shoulder before backing away, grabbing my snack, and retreating to my room. 

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Hope everyone's having a good day! Anyone else heard the possible rumors behind D4? I'm hopeful. Although a D4 would seriously screw with Serene and Janessa's timeline XD

I don't remember if I already said this or not, and I'm too lazy to check, but I finally watched "Phantom of the Opera". I quite enjoyed it! Gerard Butler made a good Phantom. I loved Emmy as Christine, too. The whole soundtrack was very good, chilling sometimes and beautiful others. I loved "Phantom of the Opera" and "Think of Me" and "Music of the Night". I just felt so bad for Erik's character. His background was heartbreaking. I don't think Phantom is my favorite musical ever, that spot is still taken by "Anastasia" but Phantom definitely is high enough to mention. Also Hadestown. "Wait for Me" UGH guys I love that song. Also the fact that Patrick Page!!!!! is in it. I know him as Frollo, and now as HADES! YA!