Aiden adjusted the few sheets that kept him warm at night. He was very uncomfortable because he was on the hard, wooden floor. His bed had been given to his younger sister Charlotte, and her crib was given to his 1-year-old brother, Bryce. Aiden threw the sheets off of him and stood up. He tiptoed to the bathroom to get a drink of water. Before he had even reached to turn on the sink, a voice behind him made him jump.
“Aiden, you know you’re not supposed to drink water after dinner.” said the voice. Aiden turned around, and found himself face to face with Ryan, his older brother.
“And who’s going to turn me in? You?” Aiden snapped. Ryan rolled his eyes.
“Well, I won’t need to. Dad turns the water off before he goes to bed.” Ryan said with a sigh. Aiden turned dark red. His eyes became watery and a tear dripped down his face.
“You… you… go away!” he cried. Aiden ducked in to the shower and hid with the curtain wrapped around him, shivering. He heard the light switch click on and the harsh voice that belonged to his father spoke.
“What is going on?” he hissed. “Is that Aiden?” he asked Ryan. Ryan nodded. “Aiden, come out of there right now.” he said.
“No.” Aiden replied in a shaky voice. “No, no, no, no!” he said more confidently. His father sighed, told Ryan to go to bed, and walked out. Aiden sat there, crying, wishing his father had tried harder.
The next morning, the Mcgee’s all gathered in the hallway. Aiden slumped into his chair at the small table that stood in the hallway. Charlotte, Christa, and Marie were sitting all in a row chatting to each other. His twin brothers Davis and Fred sat across from each other, arguing about who got the bigger piece of bacon. Bryce was being cradled by his mother. Alyssa and Charlie were sitting side by side, talking about the new kid on the street. Mary-Katherine, Jo, and Bella- Kate were fighting over another stupid subject. Today, it was socks.
“You get blue socks, and Jo gets pink and I’m stuck with purple!” Mary-Katherine cried to Bella- Kate.
“Pink is so girly, I’d take purple any day!” whined Jo.
“Blue is so boyish, I wish I had purple or pink!” complained Bella-Kate.
“Shut up, will you?” snapped Bobby who was right next to them. Aiden looked at Bobby from across the table. Bobby mouthed to him, “Can you believe them?” Aiden shook his head. He turned his gaze to where his older twin sisters Liani and Hannah were standing.
“Did you hear him tell Micah that he liked her?” whispered Liani.
“I know!” said Hannah in a hushed tone. They both glanced over at Ryan, who was leaning against the banister munching on a piece of toast. Aiden stopped staring at Ryan only when his father put a piece of bacon and half a slice of toast on his plate.
“Why do I only get half a piece of toast?” he asked, curiously. His father pretended not to hear him, and proceeded to giving Bobby breakfast. Aiden pressed on. “Are we running really low on money? Do the neighbors think we look fat? Are…” he stopped talking at the look on his father’s face. It was filled with anger.
“Eat.” he grumbled. Then he set off toward Liani and Hannah, and handed them plates with an amount of food even less then Aidens’. He was beginning to think nothing exciting was to happen that morning until he heard footsteps stomping their way up the stairs. Mrs. Howard appeared at the top of the staircase, still in her nightgown.
“Once again Joseph, your children kept me and my family up half the night! My daughter needs sleep, she is a growing girl! Your little animals are preventing her from getting any shut eye!” Mrs. Howard snarled. “Don’t forget Joseph, that I rented out this top floor out to you and I can kick you right back out!” she spat at him. Aiden’s father remained standing as stiff as a board, but spoke in a cool voice.
“Angie if you were to kick us out, you would not be able to pay the housing taxes.” he said. Mrs. Howard stood there for a second, staring at Aiden’s father. Neither of them seemed to notice that everybody had stopped talking and all eyes were watching them to see what would happen next. Then, Mrs. Howard stuck her nose in the air and said, “The mail will be here soon, and I do not want to retrieve it for you. Send one of your brats… I mean… children down to get it.” She stomped back down the stairs, in to her bedroom, and slammed the door shut behind her. “Well, someone go wait outside for the mail!” snapped their father. Aiden jumped up and hurried down the stairs. He could have sworn Ryan shot him a dirty look.
Outside, the wind was not very strong, but the breeze was cool enough that he could lie on his stomach in the grass and would not overheat. Aiden watched a ladybug, several ants, and a beetle crawl by on the sidewalk next to him before the mail arrived. Aiden leapt to his feet when the mailman got out. “Hi Aiden!” the mailman called merrily. Aiden raced up to him.
“Hi! I need my mail!” he said in one breath. The mailman chuckled and handed Aiden a stack of mail including several newspapers, many envelopes, and one or two post cards. Aiden had to take large steps in order to keep up with the mailman, who was already almost at the door. He rang the doorbell just as Aiden reached the front step. “Come on, they know you’re here! You might as well come in!” Aiden said to the mailman. He chuckled again as Aiden opened the front door for him. Then a pretty girl with blonde hair in braids came around the corner.
“I need the mail for the Howards.” she said with a smile. “Hi Aiden!” she said cheerfully as the mailman pulled out a large stack of mail.
“Hi.” Aiden replied. Jessie Howard was Mrs. Howard’s daughter. She was the complete opposite of Mrs. Howard, but Mrs. Howard doesn’t know that. She calls her daughter Jessica, and she’s the only one in the world who does. “Thanks!” said Jessie when the mailman gave her the mail. “Oh no!” Jessie cried as she dropped the mail on the floor. Just then, Ryan came bounding down the stairs.
“Hey Jessie! You want some help with that?” he asked very quickly. Jessie smiled.
“Yeah, thanks so much Ryan.” she said. The two of them began to pick up the papers.
“Look, Jessie I was won-” Mrs. Howard who had finally emerged from her room interrupted Ryan. “Ahh, Jessica, you have the mail. Come along, we have a brunch to go to.” Mrs. Howard said. Jessie sighed and stood up. “Sorry!” she mouthed to Ryan. Then she left with her mother. For a second they just stood there. Then, little Abigail Burk from downstairs bounced in to the room. “Mail please!” she said. She received a stack of papers that was very large, then bounced back downstairs. Aiden and Ryan both returned upstairs as the mailman opened the front door to leave.