Toby

"Mom? I'm home!" I called out, taking off my shoes at the door. When I received no reply, I called out once more. "Mom? Where are you?"

I shut the door behind me and walked into the living room. There, standing in front of the couch, was the one person I had not seen since the twins were born:

"Dora?!"

She turned around to face me, and I noticed quite a few changes. Her hair was a lighter shade of blond, and she was bigger, but only because she was once again pregnant. I smiled and gave her a hug, careful not to crush the baby. "How have you been, sis?" I asked.

She stared at me. "I have been doing well. And you?"

"Great!"

My sister had run off a few years back, and then returned to give birth to Dylan and Cole. Mom and I had never judged her for becoming a prostitute, but deep down, I know Mom is still upset. I just can't stay mad at someone who gave life to two beautiful children. Technically, she's a surrogate, and I'm their actual mother.

You see, long ago, before my sister ran away, she wanted to get married and have kids, only she couldn't, since her ovaries were empty. So, I went into surgery and had some of my ovum removed, and they were given to my sister. The ovum contained my DNA, so any children Pandora would have, they would look like me and not her. Maybe that was why she gave Cole and Dylan to me.

"Mom took your sons with her while she went shopping. I took the spare key from behind the brick," said Dora. I nodded. "Are you hungry or thirsty? I can get you something, if you'd like," I said, heading to the kitchen. I put my backpack down on a barstool and went to work fixing dinner for everyone.

"Are you staying the night?" I asked. "If you are, I can set up the guest room." Dora nodded from where she now sat watching TV. While dinner was in the oven, I went down the hall to the downstairs guest room. I put fresh sheets on the bed, and made sure everything was in order.

I went back into the kitchen to find my sister drinking a soda, and continued on with my cooking. Dinner was done by the time Mom and the kids got back. She was surprised to see Pandora, that's for sure. The first thing Mom said was, "You're pregnant-again?" Dora nodded curtly and sat down at the table while Mom and I put the groceries away. I sat Dylan and Cole in their highchairs and got out their dinner, which they ate happily. I dished out the casserole and we all began eating.

Dinner was a quiet affair that night; Mom and Dora had never really gotten along since I first started high school back when I was eight. Dora and I had lost touch, too. Sadly, I don't really remember anything from back when I was younger. It's like, I remember getting accepted to East Prep, butbefore that, nothing.

After dinner, I cleaned up and started on my homework. Homeowrk is actually boring when you know that you have done it before.I finished and went to bed, only to be woken up around one the next day by my histeric mother. "Dora's water just broke! Wake up!"

I was up in seconds, and dressed within minutes. Dora was waiting patiently in the car as Mom and I saddled up Cole and Dylan and put them into the car. Then we drove to the hospital, where we waited as Dora was signed in and put into a room. "Go with her, Allie," said Mom, slowly rocking Cole to sleep. "She'll need you with her more than she'll need me." She sounded upset.

"That's not true," I said. "Maybe she's just afraid you still think of her as a hooker, and not a daughter. After she ran away, you two stopped speaking entirely. Maybe she doesn't want to sever the few threads that you two have left." I stood up and walked to room 305, where Dora lay on the bed, talking on her cell to a girl named 'Champagne'.

"Oh, I gotta go, girl. My sister's here. Bye." She hung up the phone and her happy demeanor changed to a stoic one. "Arwen."

I sat down next to her. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine." I bit my lip, wondering if my next question was appropriate or not. She beat me to it. "It was some guy, Arwen. I don't exactly know who the father is." She had said that once before, and I knew that she was lying to me, but she probably had a good reason.

"Arwen," she said. Here it comes, I thought. This is the part where she insults the heck out of the baby. "This, this thing inside of me is a menance. I don't want it, and I never did. If it weren't for the fact that I found out too late, this thing would be gone by now, and I could go on with my life. When it's born, I'm giving it up. I don't want to see it, hear it, or touch it. Tell the doctors to find someone else to take care of the brat," she snapped. I don't even think she remembers that she ever gave birth to Dylan and Cole.

I took a relaxing breath. "I'll take care of the baby. I don't mind."

After careful consideration, Pandora nodded. "Fine."

Hours later, Pandora finally went into labor, and she asked me to come with her, since I would be taking the baby after it was born. Mom had decided to get something to eat while she thought about what I had said, so she would not see her third grandchild born.

I was dressed in a yellow smock thing that the doctors all wore, gloves, and a mask. I was giddy with excitement to see yet another member of the Winters household come to life. I just hated the birthing process, hearing the screams and the doctors saying that they can see the head, I mean.

Dora screamed and gripped my hand- my writing hand- and nearly broke it. "C'mon, sis. You can do it. Push!" I said reassuringly. She glared at me. "You shut up!"

"Push, Ms. Winters," said the doctor. He was a handsome man. "Whatever you say, Doc," Dora said with a smile.

I stayed silent, wiping off my sister's forehead and listening intently to what the doctor said. Suddenly, I heard high-pitched wailing as the doctor pulled out a pale, bloody baby. Dora cringed and looked away while I could only stare at it. "Congratulations. It's a boy!" They wiped him off, cut the imbilical cord, and weighed him. "Nine pounds and seven ounces."

They swaddled him in a blanket and tried to hand him to Pandora, but she refused. "Give it to my sister." They handed him to me and I smiled at him. He was so beautiful, looking exactly like Dylan and Cole. I assumed the father was the same for all three. "What shall I name you, little one? You are so adorable." I thought for a moment. "Toby. Tobias Spencer Winters. That's your name. Hello, Toby. I'm your mommy."

He was placed in a small bed with his name on it and I went through the process of signing the birth certificate and claiming Toby as my own. The doctors at the hospital was really nice when it came to my sister and I. They all knew about the surgery we had had a while back, and how any kids Dora had would become mine. It wasn't that hard to adopt him.

He was fed and wheeled to the viewing area, where Dad's and Mom's and their families could see the newborn. That was where I met up with Mom and the twins, who were searching for him. "Allie!" Mom called out. "Where is the baby?"

I pointed the the bundle of joy behind the glass. "There he is. That's Toby," I said softly, taking Dylan into my arms and holding him up so that he could see his new brother. "Say hi to Toby, Dylan." I waved his chubby little fingers. Cole clapped his hands together while Dylan regarded him carefully. He scrunched up his face, and I mock frowned. "Dylan Sebastian Winters, be nice."

We left Dora and Toby at the hospital and went home, where I insisted that we go shopping for a few more baby items for Toby. We went to Babies R' Us and bought another highchair, several bottles, diapers, clothes, and othe things for him. By the time we were done, it was around the time Kira and Jade arrived for an afternoon snack.

They entered and promptly hugged me. "Are you sick?" Kira demanded. "You were not at school today."

"I'm fine, but I have good news!" I said cheerfully. Jade and Kira exchanged looks and sighed. "We have news, too, but you go first," Jade said.

"Well, Dora returned"-Kira groaned and Jade snapped, "How is that good news?"- "And she had a baby this morning! I'm gonna be a mother!" My best friends shared in my excitement, hugging me and congratulating me. "Is it a girl or a boy?" Jade asked.

"Boy, His name is Toby, and he weighs nine pounds and seven ounces. He looks exactly like Dylan and Cole!" I was grinning from ear to ear.

"This is so cool! When does he come home?"

"Tomorrow. We can go see him now, if you'd like." Then I blinked. "Oh- what was it that you needed to tell me?"

When Kira and Jade exchanged glances and sighed heavily, I knew something was wrong. "Well, the thing is, babe, that someone's been spreading rumors about you."

I raised a brow. "I'm not quite sure I understand. "Someone at school is calling you a slut and saying that he slept with you at least a dozen times," Jade finally blurted. Kira hit her, hissing, "What happened to breaking it to her slowly?"

I forwned. "Why would someone say something like that?" I asked. "I've been good. I haven't stolen anything or talked about someone behind their back. Why would they pick me to be cruel to?" Why would someone blatantly call me my sister? "Maybe there's been a mistake," I said. "Maybe they were talking about Dora instead of me. It's possible, right?"

The looks on their faces told me otherwise.

The looks I recieved the next day only further convinced me. Girls glared at me and called me 'Slut' and 'Whore' and 'Man-stealer.' I have never stolen a man before. I have no reason to.

Guys leered at me, asked me why I was covering myself in baggy clothes. Some just looked disgusted with me. They said I was dressed the way I was to put off the fact that I was a prostitute. But, I ignored them. I had no reason to listen to their lies. They were not true. They were only stupid rumors.

I could handle them, right?

I guess I have to upload this, since the document manager won't let me upload the chapter for TFLAR. Enjoy this chapter please, and review.

Thanks.

TWC