Paying the Price

Chapter 1: Janae

I don't understand most things. Why the sky is blue, why the grass is green, why are the clouds white. But the thing I don't understand the most is my family, specifically my parents.

I know that I was a mistake. Who would want quadruplets? Especially quadruplets that are female. I can imagine the disappointment on my father's face when I was born. My poor mother almost died when we were born and she blames us for all the problems in her life. "You stupid brats gave me all these wrinkles" "I was so skinny and pretty before I blew up like a whale to have to four of you"

I love my mom. I really do. But I don't think the feeling is mutual. She only likes Oakley and June. She likes Oakley because he is the heir and he is her most prized procession. Then she likes June because of how perfect she is. Anything that Mother tells her to do, she does. Sometimes I feel like my poor twin gets taken advantage of by her.

Another thing I don't understand about my parents is why they leave so often. They have been gone for two weeks and are coming home today. They're staying for three days then are leaving again for a month-long trip. They are the king and queen but they spend more time out of their country than they do in it.

Anyways, as I said before they are coming home today and I am not excited. Bad things usually happen when they are here.

"Janae? What are you wearing today?" My sister June asks. "I don't know probably just what I have on right now." I was wearing a yellow dress that my mother got me a few months ago on one of her "business trips."

"Please tell me you're not wearing that dress again, you have worn it like 10 times already. You should just get rid of it." June likes to call herself my "personal designer" and hates it when my outfits are not up to her liking.

"Here try this, I got it a few weeks ago and didn't have a good pair of shoes to match it so I didn't wear it," June says as she hands me a light purple dress.

June and I share a closet because we are the same size and look the same. She controls everything that we wear. She gets upset when I don't look like her and well put together so I don't put up a fuss and change.

"There you go! I'm sure mother will like this much better, plus we're matching!" She was also wearing a purple dress but her's was darker and she put on extra gold jewelry to match.

"Seriously Janae, what would you do without me?" She laughed and I just rolled my eyes at her. June grabbed my hand and pulled me outside our room and towards our brother's room.

As we walked down the hall and I could tell something was up with her. She looked scared but she was trying to hide it.

"Are you feeling ok June?" I asked her right before we opened the door into our brother's room.

"Are you sick? Tried? Angry? Is it that time of the month?" Oliver interrupted with a smirk as he opened the door out of his room pulling me and June in.

"Oliver! No! I'm fine, nothing's wrong" June said with a weak smile.

"June, don't lie, all of us see that something is wrong, and if you are sick or feel unwell you need to tell us immediately so we can help you as well as make sure that whatever you have does not spread to me."  Our oldest brother, Oakley, cut in with a slightly intimidating voice.

We were now surrounding June and awaiting her response.

"No, guys, I'm fine. Just a little nervous for them coming home today" June finally shared.

I understand why. Our parents coming home today stressed all of us out. I could see Oakley tense up a little bit when she mentioned them coming home.

"June I promise, you have nothing to worry about," Oakley said and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"Yeah June, you're the favorite. Mother and father hate the rest of us. You have nothing to fear." Oliver said and patted June's head which I could tell he only did to annoy her. 

"I'm not the favorite!" June yelled at Oliver. "It's definitely Oakley. He's the heir. He is the reason the rest of us are even here in the first place." 

Oliver smiled and said, "Yeah they got the buy one get three free special." 

"Please, I am definitely not the favorite. Father likes to lecture me about every little thing that I do and Mother only talks to me when she needs a favor." Oakley said and started to sit back down on his bed.

"Well all I know is that Oliver and I are definitely not the favorites," I said and held my hand out for a high-five. 

"Damn right, they hate the two of us," Oliver says and smacks my hand. 

"That might be true," June says with a smirk.

"Hey now, only me and Janae are around to agree with this. The two of you stay out of it." Oliver grinned and pulled me over to the other side of the room towards his bed. 

"Are you ok? I know seeing mother can stress you out" he asks. 

I know I'm not supposed to have a favorite sibling but Oliver and I just click the best. Our personalities mix so well together that we are like best friends. 

Of course, my only friends are my siblings and I love all three of them to death but there is just something about me and Ollie that is different. We read each other like an open book and we tell each other everything. 

"Yeah, I'm a tad nervous because she always manages to find something to be upset with me for but I'm more worried about Oakley and Father," I told him.

"Me too, I always feel bad for Oakley on arrival days because father bombards him with thousands of questions and gets angry with him over every little detail," he agrees. 

I nod my head and sigh as the maid knocks and tells us the breakfast was ready.

AN: Thanks for reading this first chapter! Let me know what you thought as well and any predictions/things you might want to see. Thank you! Please comment and vote!

(do you want longer chapters less frequently or shorter chapters more frequently?)