Twice the Chum for the Price of One

Late the next morning, Caleb had only gotten a few hours of sleep before his best friend rang his doorbell. Roughed up from crashing on his couch as soon as he came home without even a shower or a change of clothes and wearing only the day before's shirt and underwear, sluggishly, he made his way to the door, wiping the boggers from his eyes.

- What's up, mate? Sis is coming right up, don't bother closing the door... - Nick said kind of barging in were he not already from home, and made himself comfortable on the couch.

- Hey, man. – Caleb greeted back while looking down the window where he saw Valory closing the trunk of her car. That sleeked-back high ponytail he'd recognize from a mile away and her blond hair beamed under the golden sunlight straight into his sleep-deprived eyes.

- So, what's the big emergency? What do you need Sis's stuff for? Don't think it'd fit, though... - Nikla joked smirking, images of the biker boy dressed in girly apparel now imprinted in his brain... not bad. Not bad, at all.

- What? NO! –

Caleb reacted after getting it.

His mind was a bit slow that day... more like occupied by something else - or someone else -

- It's nothing like that... – he ensured.

- No biggie, bro. You do you, right?

but... - Nick paused to eye Caleb head to toe

- That head of hair, ...

those legs... -

Nick said flirtatiously while biting his lips

- and a skirt...?!

Mmm-mmm! - he kept teasing - STUNNER! -

- Dude... - Caleb said walking towards the hallway, annoyed – Shut up and look. – he told his friend off and hinted to his room.

Nick got up from the couch and peeked into the room through the slightly open door.

On Caleb's bed, there was a beautiful girl sleeping soundly, hugging his pillows snuggly and wearing his jacket over a white linen dress.

- Well done, bro. Nice catch! – Nikla congratulated his friend with a pat on the shoulder

– But... why are we here? How badly did you fuck her up, dude? –

- No, you bonehead! – Caleb replied repelled by how casually Nick went about the topic as if something similar had ever happened before.

- Who's the victim, Caleb? – Valory inquired putting a travel bag on the couch and seeing the two boys whispering in the hallway – What did you do? -

- Nice to know what you think of me, damn, thanks guys... -

- What's this about then? – the twins asked disturbingly synchronized.

- So... -

he started and ran his fingers through his hair – you guys remember that day I was late? –

- How could we not?! You went M.I.A. after that day, humpf - the blonde bombshell replied clearly butthurt, and rightly so might I add. The three of them were closer than blood since childhood, they were a fricking family.

- Yeah, there was this whole deal around a girl in the woods and whatnot... - Nick recalled briefly about the events of said day, completely oblivious

until it hit him,

– WAIT – he gasped in awe - Duuude, ... is that the girl? –

- You kid not! Lemme see! – Valory said dashing to the bedroom door

– Wasn't she in some sort of coma? When did she leave the hospital? Is she okay? How did she end up here? – she showered Caleb with questions.

- Wow! Calm down... -

he paused to process – Ehm... Yes. Last night. Kinda, I guess. – he took a deep breath and started walking towards the kitchen -

So... she woke up all of a sudden yesterday, and though weak as hell,

she was set on leaving the hospital no matter what.

Nothing I could do about it, really.

...she didn't have anywhere to go or anyone to pick her up, so I wasn't just gonna let her die out there, would I? – Caleb explained opening the fridge and grabbing a beer.

- They just let you take her? Just like that? – Nick asked surprised.

- Yeah, pretty much. – he cracked the bottle open and took a sip – After I paid her bills, they didn't give a rat's ass anymore... -

- Ouch! – Nick reacted – Is she okay, at least? –

- Yeah, should be. Weirdly enough, they couldn't find anything wrong with her.

And they were p-ree-tty extensive with the tests... I oughtta know it. -

- Out of curiosity...

what were you doing there? – Valory asked with suspicion.

- I... I'd been visiting her, okay,

daily...

Don't even ask me why, Val, 'cause I got no clue. -

- Huh, she must be special then... - the blonde insinuated

- I mean, she got you drinking early in the morning,

keeping secrets from us,

paying her bills... -

- It's not a secret if I just told you guys... - he said evading her other points.

- I suppose... -

Valory contented herself, there was no reason to push anyways. If there was something else to it, she would find out eventually. After that, the three changed the subject and began catching up, goofing around in the living room.

****************************

Unaware of how loud they were getting, a while later Caleb noticed a little head sheepishly peeping on them with huge, curious, bright green eyes.

Grasping the very sight of her, he stopped paying attention to the conversation, albeit briefly. For when their eyes met, Ailrees froze like a deer in the headlights, wide-eyed and blushing.

Her heart skipped a beat glancing into those cloudy gray eyes of his,

'How long has he been staring at me?' she wondered... the irony being she was the one peeping.

"Morning, sleepy-head,"

he said slowly standing up from the couch.

Last time, she threatened him with a vase... only heavens would know what she would do this time, having two other strangers there in the room, right? So, cautiously and showing his empty hands, Caleb asked:

"You Okay?"

She did not answer, although she was indeed feeling much better that morning.

Instead, she gave him a sly nod and it was good enough for him. After all, Ailrees had walked there, silently even, that certainly was an improvement in his book.

Meanwhile, flabbergasted, the twins shut up and just looked at the girl standing there.

Her petite frame was somewhat covered by her long, fluffy, and incredibly black hair. Her hair was darker than the darkest of nights.

Her soft and fair skin was ever so plump and full of youth, and on top of that, she was starlit by the daintiest freckles...

and those mesmerizing eyes *-*

those mesmerizing eyes were so clear and jewel-like, that they could make one feel like they were strolling in the woods on a spring day and the warm sunlight was shining on all the fresh green new growths.

Even dressed in worn-out rags and unkempt, there was an undeniably eerie glow to her.

'No wonder Caleb can't get his head around her...

the girl came straight out of a fairytale!' the twins thought.

"It's okay, Ailrees, they're my friends.

If you trust me, you can trust them."

the young man said before walking in her direction and introducing them.

The guy, Nikla, was about the same build as Caleb but looked NOTHING like him.

Firstly, he dressed in a completely different manner, it was punk rock for sure but seemed like he had raided a lawyer's closet and made it his own. Nick was ghostly pale; had big, deep, golden eyes with loads of smudged black liner; undercut messy blond hair; sort-of-piggy-nose; corpulent lips with well-defined cupid's bow; and lots of scarring all over his face and body, it was obvious he had taken a fair share of brutal beatings through his life.

All the while, the woman was gorgeous.

Her appearance was polished, striking, and... kind of scary. Not a single strand of hair was out of place and her posture was always perfect. They wore the same color scheme; black, white, gold, and pink but her style was more mainstream, but still on the edgier side.

- The freak is Nikla, Nick for short, and Miss-Barbie-gone-cruel next to him, is Valory. And yes, they are twins, shocking, I know... - Caleb grinned, because although they were identical twins, somehow, the same 'intense' traits that roughed up Nikla's appearance, were what made Valory's beauty stand out from the crowd.

- Don't let their looks scare you, you couldn't wish for better peeps to have your back. -

- Oh, man! - infatuated, Nick said pulling his 'siblings' closer, Valory in one arm and Caleb in the other - We luv you, too, mate! - he added and kissed Caleb's cheek playfully, the friendliest wide smile on his face.

- This one's a hugger. He means well, just beware the spikes... - Caleb warned the girl.

Once they all had made acquaintances and Ailrees had calmed down, the young man teased whispering in her ear: "Sorry we woke you, doe...".

Since Caleb had no idea when the girl had last eaten, he thought he might fix her breakfast. Also, probably not the best idea to hand her a sharp knife anyways...

In the meantime, Valory took the clothes she brought out of the bag and displayed them on the couch. That was why Caleb had called them over. Ailrees was found merely with that dress on her, nothing else, and not only had he no idea what to buy her, but he had also maxed out his card at the hospital. So, he turned to Valory and Nick, his chosen family, for help.

Not that Nikla would be much useful, other than perhaps to lighten the mood with his idiot-savant way of being.

His sister, on the other hand, took pride in her appearance and was always well-dressed.

Across the room, tall windows allowed filtered light into the whole space. The windows were almost all covered by thin blinds that had been closed rushedly, leaving a gap into the view outside.

The girl was drawn to the mentioned gap by the warm embrace of the sunlight, like a moth to a flame.

As Valory put the clothes on the couch, the young girl timidly approached the gap between the blinds and opened it widely.

Overjoyed, she couldn't believe her eyes as she gawked outside.

She had been gifted with a stunning view of the forest, her forest, flaunting its vibrant myriad shades of fall colors, framed by the snowy, white mountain tops and a clear blue sky.

No wonder she felt better.

After all, she was never meant to leave the forest.

Right across the street, there was a track into the woods.

The way home was so close that she unconsciously pressed her hand against the glass, trying to reach it.

- So, do you like them? – the blond asked, standing next to the displayed clothes.

- Oh, what? Yes! Yes, I do. They're lovely, Valory. Thank you. – Ailrees answered breaking her attention from the window and picked the warm-looking, soft-colored pieces... mostly dresses and skirts.

- Not fond of pants, are ye? – Valory asked, curious, noticing the dainty girl hadn't taken any legged piece she'd brought.

- Not really... they just get in the way... - Ailrees explained, in innocence.

- Speak the truth, sister! AMEM! – Nick shouted,

in the opposite of innocence.

- Nick! – whipping him with one of the pieces, his sister told him off

– don't annoy the girl, you twit...! -