Nikki sat by the window in his and Nicole's bedroom, staring intently at a leaf falling down. Slowly, his eyes transfixed, followed it's decent from the tree branch to the ground.
"75 leafs." Nikki said softly and his eyes turned to another leaf, which was descending too.
He didn't count every leaf falling from the tree, but just those he noticed. The ones he thought were pretty or moldy. He'd been doing this for five days, his time spent watching the effects of autumn.
"Are you still counting leafs?" Nikolai asked as he sat next to him, squinting down." How can you count? The tree's all the way down there."
"I just can." Nikki's reply was delivered with absent-minded simplicity, his gaze on the leafs of a tree on the ground floor, across the street.
"Do you want to play action figures? Or wrestling?" Nikolai asked hopefully but Nikki just patted him on the head," Is that yes or no?"
Nikki shook his head; It was a no.
Nikolai sighed and went back to his twin shared room, where Natasha was watching Nicholas realphabetize her dolls. She'd asked him to do it yesterday but he had been busy reading the last chapter on his Jurassic period history book.
"You can't put Barbie next to Kent," Nicholas said calmly.
"But they're In love." Natasha protested.
"They are dolls, they can't feel love." Nicholas said practically.
"I know they're dolls but they are still in love." Natasha pouted and Nicholas sighed.
"Their names don't go together. B and K are far from each other on the alphabet, Sister." Nicholas placed Barbie next to the dolls with B names and left Kent alone, since he hadn't gotten to the latter alphabetical letters.
"But... she'll be lonely. They're meant to be together. " Natasha grabbed them, holding them tight.
"There is no such thing, as meant to be together. For dolls or people. Would you prefer I did not assist you? I can start reading my astronomy book." Nicholas crossed his arms, his voice was calm and unbothered," I would not mind either choices, Sister."
"Oh...fine. Organise them but can you keep the couple's together? Please?" Natasha gave a pleading look and Nicholas nodded, unaffected by her pleading and just willing to assist.
"I'll organise them based in alphabetical order and relationship status. How does that sound?" Nicholas started to organise some dolls and Natasha beamed.
"Yes! I want that. That would be-"
"Nat, are you done yet? I'm bored." Nikolai said with a disgruntled frown.
"No, not done. In fact, I might have to start from scratch." Nicholas said calmly and Nikolai groaned in frustration.
"I hate this. Being grounded stinks. We just go to school and come home, stay in our rooms." Nikolai clenched his fists," I wish I could beat those stupid boys who told the teachers on me."
"That would benefit no one and it is such aggression that has landed you in the predicament you are in, Brother." Nicholas tipped his glasses up his nose," Nikki's impulsiveness, Natasha's lack of self-control and my...defaults. We are merely paying for our actions."
"Defaults? How come you are not sayin' something bad about yourself?" Natasha protested," You insulted everyone in your class when they got anything wrong, and gave them a mean look when you got something wrong and they said something."
"I am better than they are in many things, they can't start thinking themselves superior for a question I got wrong on a test only I passed." Nicholas replied coldly.
"Whatever. You're a meanie." Natasha sighed," But I don't get what I did wrong. I didn't rap anyone. I asked all of them if I could hold hands."
"It's called... nevermind. Sister, it is not your actions they found fault with but your age that makes such actions... reprehensible." Nicholas sighed as he saw the confusion on their faces," I mean, since you're only seven and a half, you can't go around holding hands and kissing students from school. It's not expected and is therefore taboo."
"It's stupid. When I grow up, I'm going to kiss and hold hands with whoever I want." Natasha declared with a frown.
"And I'll beat up all the people I want." Nikolai said after her.
Nicholas looked at them both and sighed. They were going to be troublesome, no matter what. He just hoped they wouldn't end up getting pimped or imprisoned.
He'd been reading up alot since being grounded. Especially after secretly hearing his mother and Aunt Mariah arguing last week.
He'd heard the words;'Whore' 'Gangster' 'Psycho' and 'Murder'.
Being true to his nature, Nicholas wanted more information. So he read up, going to the library at school and looking up all he could on those words. Now he knew that his brother was a gangster bully at school, his sister acted like a high prostitute and his little brother had crazy impulses and thoughts he acted upon without restraint. These were their traits, or the traits that he leaned fit the terms used by the teachers for his siblings.
At first he'd been scared, wondering if his siblings would end up being divergents in their family. But after a bit more studying, he'd decided that as the older brother, they were his responsibility. He'd known that before but after reading a psychology book, he realised the power he had as the oldest could impact them heavily, more than other people.
Admittedly Nicholas wasn't a sweet social butterfly or a warm comforting individual. But when it came to his siblings, he always had time. He helped Nikolai not get caught in fights sometimes, talked to Natasha about her actions and more so with Nikki. Nicholas wanted to help his siblings.
It is why he was helping Natasha with her dolls. He was studying her mind, trying to get a true picture of her thoughts. But as a child, he could only gain so much. But it was not a problem, he had years to dig into each of their psych.
He wouldn't let his brother become a battered gangster, or his sister a pimp's girl and he'd never let Nikki be a psychologist project. All five of them...they had to stick together.
Vivian and Mariah were in a rough place and Nicholas had to help out more. His mother was too emotionally strained, he'd noticed her changed demeanor for the last few days more than the others. She wasn't her usual self, and only he truly noticed that. So, his siblings needed him.
He'd always be there for them.
"When i grow up... I'll make things better." Nicholas said calmly, but the words were etched into his mind and heart.
"Brother!" Nikki jumped into the room.
"What?" Nicholas and Nikolai said at once.
"Nicholas, I want to grow up and play everyday." Nikki said with giggles.
"Okay." Nicholas would not say how impractical that was. His little brother wanted to play, so he'd let him.
"Hmm." A soft voice mummered in its sleep.
Nicholas walked to the bed where Nicole was sleepin, he'd wanted to nap a few hours ago." I wonder what he wants."
"To play too." Nikki suggested and Natasha chuckled.
"Are you done counting leafs?" She asked him.
"Yes. I reached a hundred. Now I have to count tomorrow." Nikki said," Nikolai, can we play now?"
"Yes!" Nikolai and Nikki left eagerly.
"Brothers... Sister...hmm," Nicole mumbled in his sleep, his face serene and peaceful.
"Let's get back to organising your dolls." Nicholas suggested and Natasha nodded her head eager to continue.