Author's Note: Well, I am back...with a new story! Actually, this story is far from new. I started it so long ago...I think in seventh grade. So, it's been a few years. But I found it and decided to change it and continue it, cause it really does have a lot of potential to be just the kind of funny-romantic-up-to-date tale I want to tell. LOL Anyway, review and tell me what you think! I will update soon.

Firesong

Prologue

"Alex...Alex...Alex!"

I twitched, burrying my face under my pillow. Above me, I could hear the familiar, deep voices of my brothers, Drew and Todd. One of them began to poke my side, making me flinch. Usually, I was the first up, but last night I had been up unusually late studying for a test in AP World History and completing a report for my AP Literature class. I was definitely beginning to regret taking so many AP classes.

"Trips, out!" I yelled from under the pillow, using my nickname for the two who were my triplets. It came out muffled. The pillow was yanked unkindly from my hands and bright light popped in my vision. I scowled and squinted up at my brothers.

"What?!" I snapped, shoving a stray chocolate-brown curl from my face. Above me stood Drew and Todd, both tall, lean,
and mischievous looking with their messily, curly brown hair and glinting black eyes just like mine. They looked as if they were up to trouble.

"Guess what?" said Todd, who was wearing a green polo today. I rolled out of bed, my blue and tan checkered pajama pants nearly tripping me.

"Neh?" I asked, yanking my hair into a loose ponytail. I glanced between my brothers, then noticed little Michael by the door way. He was much like a little version of Todd and Andrew, but with pale blond hair and dazzling blue eyes. He grinned widely at me, showing off his missing two front teeth.

"You missed the bus," Drew, who was in orange, finished for Todd. I froze.

"WHAT?" I began darting around my room, pulling on a pair of jeans, a clean t-shirt, a hoodie, my beat up Converse. I sprayed on a little citrus-y smelling body spray, applied deoderant, and snatched my back-pack and books from the desk by the window. I was almost out the door when I realized Todd and Drew were doubled over with laughter. I gritted my teeth, yelling inwardly at myself for falling into their trap.

"Alright, what?" I asked, ruffling Michael's hair. He held up his hand, showing me the blue Hot Wheels Mustang he had been holding. I smiled at him and he ran downstairs. Sniffing the air, I could smell bacon and...were those banana pancakes?

"You two are evil." I told the Trips, heading for the stairs directly outside my door.

See, the thing about living with six brothers is that I get my own room, especially now that I am officially a women, as mom says, being sixteen and all. The bad thing? It's the attic, where all the heat gathers in the summer, all the cold congregates in the winter, and the wall full of windows on the east side of the house never let me have a full darkness to sleep in.

I wandered into the kitchen, where mom was piling plates on the table. I've been told that I looked exactly like mom did when she was younger and honestly, I believe it. Her hair has wisps of gray in it and her eyes are lighter, but often times when I look at her, I see myself. Mom looked up when I walked in, the Trips behind me, and smiled, moving a clean plate toward me.

"Here, Alex, better eat before it's gone."

Another thing about living in the house with six brothers and my dad. Food disappears. Quickly. Actually, quicker than quick.
It comes home from the store and vanishes. Our pantry and fridge have to be stocked at all times in order to keep this family alive.

Dad was sitting at the head of the table, drinking coffee and writing hurriedly in his notebook. He's a reporter for the local newspaper, so this wasn't such an unusual sight. He looks a lot like all of his boys, tall, slender, with a square jaw and simply handsome features. His hair was bright red just as crazy as the Trips, which explains the random strands of auburn mixed in my brown hair. His eyes were blue, like little Michael's.

Next to Dad were John and Eric. John was twenty-one and in college on an art scholarship. He was a young image of Dad with Mom's eyes. Eric, nineteen, was just out of high school last year. His hair was dark auburn and his eyes were green. He already had a job as photographer for a paper in the city. I got along with Eric probably best, second to the Trips, of course.

I gathered two pancakes, three pieces of bacon, and a spoonful of scrambled eggs onto my plate, took a seat by Eric, and hurriedly began to eat. Living with so many brothers, I had developed the habit of eating like a boy, something that never ceased to amaze my friends at school, even though two-thirds of the people I hung out with were boys themselves. And I needed the energy, with my brothers.

I glanced up from my orange-cranberry juice and watched as Jordan, seventeen, entered the kitchen. He was a senior, while the Trips and I were juniors, being sixteen. Although nearly everyone else in our family was tall, with the exception of Mom and me (we are both roughly five-four and a half), Jordan was rather short for a boy, being only five-eight. His fire-colored hair was crazy-curly and his eyes were a hypnotizing light brown.

"Trips, Jordan," Dad said, looking at the clock, "You're going to be late."

Drew and Todd grabbed a few pieces of toast each, for the bus, and Jordan snatched a handful of bacon and shoved a pancake in his mouth. I grimaced and grabbed my water bottle from the counter. We all yelled our good-bye's and walked outside into the cool, September air. School had started nearly three weeks ago and was going well, for school and all.

And so began another day in the life of the girl with six brothers. Yes, that would be me.