Winter Tales

Chapter 19 - Exciting

++Lily's POV++

"You're gonna stay here, princess, okay? I'll take those over there and then I go check where the others are. Once I have done that..." Ben tells me, but I only listen with half an ear.

My mind is wandering and I am trying to take it all in, making his voice trail off.

This place is so exciting!

It is bustling with people. Everybody seems so busy. People are running around and it looks like they still need to sort out a lot of stuff before they are ready.

"Lily, I'm talking to you."

I turn my head slightly towards Ben, without looking at him though, and nod. Hopefully that will make him think that I have been listening to what he is telling me. I am sure it is not very important, anyway.

It is always the same when he talks. Or Alex. Or Josh. As soon as we are out of the house, it is just rules, rules, and more rules. Really boring. Then they get annoyed when we don't listen to them all the time. But we really don't need to listen, because it is the same thing every time. We may be kids, but we are not stupid. We can remember a few dumb rules without having to listen to them over and over again!

In the corner of the room someone is hanging up a banner. I wonder what it says. A giggle escapes me when the person on top of the ladder lets go of his end of the banner and it falls down, landing right on top of another person who is standing there to hold the ladder. It looks very funny how the guy struggles to get out from under it. The other man has to climb down to help him and retrieve the banner. It is a bit like one of these silly black and white movies with the small and the big guy that I have seen on TV.

"Lily Mae, look at me!"

Uh-oh, Ben does not sound very happy.

I always know that to be case when he calls me by my full name. The next step will be that he adds my last name. Maybe I should pay him some attention and then he will leave me alone. That way, I can watch all the excitement around me without him constantly interrupting my fun.

"Yes, Ben?" I say sweetly.

He gives me a bit of a funny look when I say that. Maybe he knows that I am just exaggerating to get him off my back.

Oh well.

Ben groans and then runs a hand through his hair. I giggle again, because now he looks like he just fell out of bed. A bit like Sean looked when he called yesterday. Only, with Ben it is a bit odd, because he usually looks very neat. Sean has been looking kinda scruffy for as long as I can remember. Josh says it is because he is still a student and doesn't need to look the part for his job. Whatever that means.

I think Josh has the best clothes out of all my brothers. He always dresses really nice and he looks super impressive. And he also has a very nice aftershave. Whenever we cuddle, I think he smells quite yummy.

Suddenly, a hand grabs my chin. I try to free myself from the grip but it doesn't work. I hate when my brothers do that. I never have a chance to get out of their grips because their hands are so big that they can almost cover my whole face. Ben forces my head around so that I am face to face with him. Our noses are almost touching.

"What did I just say?" he asks firmly.

"That I have to stay here until you come back and that I am not supposed to run off?"

I am not actually sure that this is what he really said, but I guess it is a good enough guess.

"And?"