The Thompsons.

4 Pranks and Their Consequences

I woke up earlier than usual today, just so that I could enjoy my pranks first. I crept down the stairs and made my way into the kitchen. I switched the light on and pulled the flour out of one of the cupboards. I poured the majority of it into a large glass bowl before filling the remainder of it with water to make it into a paste. The twins were deep sleepers, so it was easy for me to prank them both. I carefully walked back up the stairs and made my way into their shared bedroom. I took the spatula out of the bowl and smothered the paste into Leo's hair. Once I had completely covered his hair in the flour and water paste, I stuck a pink post-it note onto his forehead, warning him never to touch my hair again. Once I had done that I took all of his hair products, minus the one that he hated and filled it up with the mixture I had created.

I slipped back into my bedroom and managed to sleep for another hour before I heard a shrill shriek of utter terror. Leo. Then another one, but it sounded more groggy. Liam.

"LIA! WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU PUT IN MY HAIR?" Leo screamed as he ran into my bedroom. The paste would have dried rock hard by now, so it would be even harder to get out of his hair. (A/N I don't actually know if this happens, so just role with it :) )

"Jesus, Leo. It was only flour and water! Calm your moobs child!" I laughed at his agitated face as he left the room with a huff. I chuckled to myself a little more before getting myself ready for school. I put on my uniform and cautiously stepped out of my bedroom, just in case Leo was there to pounce on me. Thankfully he wasn't. He was probably in the shower trying to get my magical creation out of his hair. I laughed to myself when I realised that he only had one thing to put on his hair and that was my mixture.

"What did you do to your brother this time?" James asked as I stepped into the kitchen. I leaned against the counter and picked up an apple.

"Which one?" I took a bite out of my apple. James glared at me. I smiled back with a chunk of apple in my right cheek. "Leo?" I asked him. He rolled his eyes in response. "I put flour and water in his hair whilst he slept." I said nonchalantly. He stared at me wide-eyed.

"Seriously?" I nodded and took another bite of apple. He shook his head at me and went upstairs again. I shrugged and looked at my watch. I had half an hour before school started, and it took me fifteen minutes to walk to school if I walked at a pretty reasonable pace. I decided on leaving early and alone, in fear of Leo's impending wrath that would await me once he put the flour mixture back in his hair. I knew I would have to face him later, but the longer I could go without seeing him, the better for us both. I wouldn't be executed and Leo wouldn't go to jail for murder, so happy days. I stuck a green post-it note to the fridge letting the boys know that I was walking to school, and picked up my bag from the banisters. I pulled on my boots and left the house.

Fifteen minutes I was walking in through the front gates of my school. I walked to my locker and sorted out my books that I would need for the day ahead, then I slowly made my way to my form room. I sat on my stool and pulled out my phone. I saw that I had a message from Liam. I opened it to see a picture of him smiling and holding up his thumb with Leo in the background gasping angrily as he put the mixture back into his hair. I laughed and sent him a laughing and crying emoji. Liam sent back a warning message saying that I would pay for this later. I laughed again when I saw a little winky face at the end of the message but also had a feeling of dread for what would come of me later.

"What you smiling at?" I heard Zara ask as she chucked her bag on the table in front of us. I told her what I did this morning and showed her the messages and she was also crying with laughter. "That is great, but you are seriously going to die, and I can't be bothered to find a new best friend right now." She said after she had calmed down. My phone buzzed again and I took it out of my pocket to see a picture sent from Josh of a very grumpy looking Leo in the back of the car. Underneath the picture was a written message reminding me that our parents were coming back today. I groaned and threw my head back in exasperation. "What's the matter?" Zara asked. I showed her my phone.

"Can I stay with you for a while tonight until they leave again?" I pleaded. Zara sighed but shook her head no saying that she had her own family meal to attend. I groaned again. I texted James and asked if I could spend the evening with him to get away from our so-called parents, but he just replied with no, because he would also be there with them. "Fuck." I muttered under my breath, apparently, there was no escaping my parents, unless I just stayed out for a few hours, but that would probably do more bad than good. Well, if it got me away from my parents...

---

The bell soon rang, signalling the end of a very boring day. I told the boys that I would walk home and take the long route which took me thirty minutes, to delay seeing my parents. It wasn't exactly a lie, I just wasn't actually going home yet. They could text me and worry about me all they wanted, I would be fine. Plus, they all had 'find my iphone', so they always knew where I was.

After about 45 minutes of walking, My phone started ringing. I was going through a short alley that would bring me out by a park. I took my phone from my pocket and saw that it was James.

"Hey, what's up? Are they still there?" I asked before he could say anything. I knew that he wouldn't be very happy, so I just braced myself for the angry tone that was about to follow.

"Where are you? Why aren't you back home yet?" He asked frantically.

"Whoa, calm down! I'm at the park a few roads from home. I'm not coming home until they leave." I said sternly. I heard him sigh on the other end.

"They aren't leaving, Lia. At least not for another fortnight."

"WHAT? I'm not coming home." I shouted angrily.

"Lia, you have to come home, you can't stay away from home for two weeks!" James tried reasoning.

"I can try."

"No, you can't. I've sent the twins to get you."

"Haha, no. I am definitely not coming home if you send those two after me."

"I could always send Dad?"

"Nope I'm good. Liam is okay, Leo is not. As long as he's not there, you have more chance of getting me to come back home."

"Fine, I'll send Liam and Josh, okay?"

"Whatever." I said as I hung up. I groaned in annoyance.

"You aright? You sounded pretty mad then." I looked over to my left and saw a boy about my age sitting on another set of swings.

"I'm... Well, I wouldn't say I'm fine, but I wouldn't say that I'm not. Somewhere in between." I said with a small smile. "That's older brothers and parents you highly dislike for you." I chuckled, but it lacked humor. He stood up and took the swing next to me.

"I get it. I understand completely. My older brother was always stupidly overprotective of me, but once he left, I felt lost without him. Also, my parents are never home, and on the rare occasions they are, It's not the best time because we don't see eye to eye on some topics. Causes issues." He explained quietly.

"I have four older brothers and a younger one. I never have a short supply of entertainment in my life. I love them all to bits, but I also hate their guts most times because of how bloody annoying they are. My parents are never home either, but they came back today after being gone for two months, and my eldest brother, James, expects me to go home and be all smiles and happy with them, when he knows full well that I don't get on with them. You'd expect, with me being the only girl, that I'd get spoiled rotten. Not the case with me. If anything, they wish I didn't exist because I'm just an inconvenience. Why, I'm not sure, because it was my brothers who brought me up, not them." I ranted. It felt good to get it all out of my system, and it was nice to have someone listen. "You know what, I just realised I never caught your name."

"Oh, it's Danny. Danny Samuel." He smiled. I smiled back.

"I'm-"

"LIA THOMPSON WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN?"

"Shit..."