I was jolted back to reality when the door burst open. It was Mom. "What? Why? How?" I shush her and mime going downstairs. I tell her," Abby got sick during school, and I walked her home." We hear Abby coughing and race upstairs. When we got there, she stuck her head in the toilet. Mom rubs her back as I empty her bucket. When I got back to our room, she was crying. Mom gives her medicine and hugs her. I get my first look at Abby since she got sick.She is pale and sweaty. Her hair sticks to her face, and she has red, watery eyes. Mom carries her back to bed. She glances at the clock and gasps. She says, "Al, can you stay with Abs? I'm supposed to pick up everybody but Ben and Brenna." I nod as Abby sticks her head in the bucket.You can tell when everybody gets home. Somebody is complaining about heavy textbooks, homework, bullies, or school lunch. Today, Claudia and Calvin are whining about their tests tomorrow, Darren is whining about lunch, and Dahlia is two seconds from bursting into tears because Maxwell punched her. We're a hectic bunch. Soon after, Ben and Brenna come in with their smarty-pants AP textbooks.
Soon, Mom makes dinner. I hate leaving Abby, but I have to. I'm not even hungry. The thought of food ties my stomach up in knots. But I am not sick. Abby just shouldn't have eaten that burrito. I go down, not touching a thing, and stumble through my night activities. I'm exhausted. The second my head hits the pillow I'm out, despite Abby's constant vomiting.
YOU ARE READING
The Twaintet Twins
Short StoryA family of ten gets the stomach flu. There are four pairs of twins. There are four pairs of non-identical twins. Abby and Alex are fourteen. Ben and Brenna are 12. Claudia and Carter are 10. Dahlia and Darren are 8.
