Chapter 2 Monotonous life

Part One: How It All Began

The vibrating of my phone woke me up. I groaned and whimpered. I reached out for the phone on the other pillow and opened my eyes. "Fuck!" The light blinded my eyes. I blinked and rubbed my eyes sitting up. The phone stopped ringing but began ten seconds later. I answered it since my eyes had already gotten used to it. "Do you realize it's 5 am?" I asked huskily.

"Do you realize it's 11:43!" She yelled. I grumbled under my breath. "Arabel, you need to take this thing seriously before you get fired. Everyone is getting pissed off because of your new attitude. Are you pregnant or something?" My manager screamed upsettingly. I moved the phone away from my ear and fell back on mine.

"I'll be there in an hour," I murmured.

"Ara, what is your... okay, an hour," she sighed. I threw the phone away and went back to sleep, but the phone rang again. Ah, she knew me too well. Grumbling under my breath, I threw the light blanket away and sat up. I stood up and slipped my feet into my flip-flops. I walked to my bathroom, no, I plodded there, and without wasting much time, I was done.

The one hour is for more rest.

My phone rang again. I ran to it because the special ringtone made it clear who it was. "Amacake," I said excitedly. She chuckled.

"Arapie, good morning,"

"I've missed you,"

"We talked last night," she said with a chuckle.

"Four years ago," I said poutingly. She laughed.

"God, I've missed seeing you in person,"

"If we can get together without your clingy husbands, then count me in," I said happily. They always stuck to their husbands which were super annoying. Especially Ama, herself, and Blake were inseparable. They were each other's second skin and Blake was her handbag as she was Blake's breath. My other sister, Iso, didn't always stick to her husband but she couldn't resist him when he stuck to her. He always followed her about... almost always. It was sad being the only single one among the older girls in my family.

"I guess so. let's see what Iso will think about it," she'd be all game. We'll just have to figure out how to help her ditch her husband, Lake. Yes, their names are similar. My sisters married their high school sweethearts who were also best friends. They literally became friends because of their names.

"How's your man by the way?"

"Very fine, babies are too but is always hungry,"

"More hungry than Blake?" I asked smirkingly.

"More hung... oh! You are crazy!" She laughed as my words slowly registered to her. "I called to check on you and babies say hi," she said happily. She had twins, one year and four months old. "Isn't that right, babies?" She asked babyishly. All I heard was baby language. "Raven took his first running step today and River called me mama," she said tearily.

"They grow up so fast," I cooed.

Don't they?!" She squealed and laughed.

"Mama," I heard a tiny voice. Ama screamed excitedly. I rolled my eyes with a smile. "Ara, did you hear that? Raven just called me mama too!"

"Stop overreacting!" Blake shouted from the other end.

"Jealous much!" She shouted. "Say mama again," she sang and I think she was clapping her hands, "call me mama," One of them called it and she went mad again. I chuckled and hung up.

"I don't have time for that, continue your gleeful madness first. I love you." I murmured to myself, dialing Isobel's phone number. "Hey, baby girl!" I shouted.

"Grandma!" She squealed. I rolled my eyes. "How ya?"

"I'm fine just tired and miss you,"

"Aww, I miss you too. I've just been too busy with my four babies", she sighed.

"I thought you only had three?"

"Lake is a much bigger kid, just being too clingy and overprotective,"

"You chose to marry him because you love him so deal with it," I scoffed at y. I would have preferred them to be single like me, but no, they decided to remain in love and leave me behind. It wasn't their fault but sometimes, it got to me.

"At least I'm married, when will you even think of getting into a serious relationship with someone?" Here comes the talk.

"When all my hair turns white," I said smirkingly. She scoffed.

"Aren't you dating Kennedy anymore?" She asked curiously.

"We never dated, I don't feel a thing for him and he is a mama's boy," I said irritably.

"Hmmm, what..."

"No Cupid please," I interjected.

"For today, I will let you off the hook," she said with her weird motherly tone.

"Do you guys want to hang out? I can create time," I asked hopefully.

"Sure, a break from men will do us good. I will talk to Ama about it,"

"Already have,"

"Then I guess all we need is a date. I will check my schedule and link it up to Ama's," she said her voice rising. "Excuse me, I have to go yell at some stubborn kids now. I love you."

"I love you more,"

"I love you m... Shelly, put your brother down!!!" She hung up. I smiled.

My everyday life.

Isobel and Amabel were my sisters, born from different mothers but with the same father. Wait. My father had two wives, Isobel's and mine, but both died after giving birth to us on the same day. Later, on one of our usual business moving, dad met Amabel's mother who was our teacher, and Ama our friend. Amabel was coincidentally born on the same day as us, she is the youngest, and me the eldest. Our parents fell in love and got married.

We were the best of sisters, triplets as we claim. But as we grew up, we started parting because of their marriage. I was the unlucky one. It wasn't like before, and I wished it was.

_____

I sashayed into the building nonchalantly. Mindy ran to me and hit my arm. "At least, walk faster and why didn't you wear something warmer? It's a snowstorm out there," she said worriedly.

"It's not cold at all, Mindy. I'm fine,"

"Ara, it's freaky cold. I can barely feel my legs," she lamented. I leaned forward and looked at the hair on her neck closely. She had goosebumps scattered across it and she looked pale. She was indeed cold but I wasn't feeling a bit cold.

"I don't easily get sick," I stood up straight and shrugged unperturbed. I wasn't lying. Ever since I turned sixteen, I can count the number of times I'd fallen sick on one hand and still have one to spare. She eyed me and hit my head with her really strong palm.

"You have to stop playing with your health," she said scoldingly, still worried.

"Blah blah whatever, you sound like my mother," I said irritably. She tried hitting me again but I ducked it and laughed. "Really, I'm fine,"

"I know," she smiled. "Go apologize to the producer and director," she patted my shoulder and left.

Mindy Wood, my best friend. Five years older and had been working for me since I started my acting career four years ago. She was nice, caring, outgoing, and strangely strong. A beautiful Supergirl with semi-long dirty blonde hair and striking blue eyes. She leaned very deeply into the curvy side, like Amabel, and had a very keen sense of smell and hearing.

"Look who finally decided to show up," the director said sardonically.

"I'm sorry is all I have to say," I said coldly and walked away to get ready. I wasn't always this rude but I slowly grew into one and I still couldn't tell why. Kennedy waved at me, I smiled and waved back. I can never date a mommy's pet.

______

After acting out all my scenes, I walked out with my things. The snowstorm was stronger than before but it felt good to me. "Do you have a death wish?" Mindy asked from behind me. You can never escape her. I turned around and she folded her arms. "I'm listening,"

"Just really tired," I sighed. She shivered as the cold wind blew and hugged herself because of the cold.

"You are always tired, Ara, tell me the truth, who is the father of that baby?" She asked seriously.

"Mindy," I drawled with a groan.

"Is it Kennedy? Didn't I warn you to always use protection?"

"It's not Kennedy!" I exclaimed.

"Then is it Bethune or Jasper?"

"I haven't had sex for three years now. Give me a break." I said with annoyance. She gasped.

"No way! That's so responsible of you," she said sarcastically, "who owns the child?"

I chuckled at her weird, stern face. "Girl, you look odd with a stern look," I said laughingly opening my car door

"I'll drive, the snow buried my car," she said, snatching my keys. "We need to run a test on you," she said matter-of-factly.

"Be my guest," I smirked. She rolled her eyes and pushed me aside, I walked to the passenger door with a smile.

"Do you have anything to eat? I'm starving."

_____

"I want that and that... and that..." Bevin called out, pointing to the shoes displayed on the racks. She was a sassy queen like I believe she would be.

"Bevin, you have bought enough," a guy with blonde hair and eyes said tiredly, flinging a shoe away.

"It's my money, not yours so please be a nice boyfriend and bring them for me,"

"You know I will never let you pay," he said upsettingly.

"This is my first time buying something from your wallet, stop complaining," she hissed. He gave Kevin a pleading look.

"Don't look at me like that, I warned you not to fall in love with her but you wouldn't listen," he said coldly while scrutinizing his polished nails. He shrugged and continued filing it.

Eventually, my stepmother got pregnant and had quadruplets, freaking quads with two of the most annoying on the planet. Those two were Kevin and Bevin, while the other two were less annoying, more mature, and less fun. And being teenagers wasn't helping their ministration. The girls finally chose a date after a week and here I was in Seattle to go out with them.

Mom and dad lived in Seattle with everyone, Blake and Lake came too just to be with their wives. I moved to LA because that was where I liked it. I barely go visit because the number one topic was. "How to get a husband for Ara." I'm twenty-eight, not eighty-eight.

"I can't believe you told him that," Bevin said with feign hurt. "What kind of brother are you?!" She yelled.

"One of a kind," he said with a teasing wink. She huffed and rolled her eyes away.

"Don't even start you two," Belda said, walking out of the trying room. Belda was the first female among the quad and the second to be born. She was quieter but kind of gullible, okay, really gullible. "So, Carter, how do I look? Do you like this dress?"

"You look beautiful," the blondie with gray eyes said without looking up from his phone. What have I missed?

Bevin picked up one shoe and threw it at him at the same time, Declan who was beside him, smacked his head. "Aaaah! What did I do this time?"

"I don't know, Belda, what did he do?" Kevin asked smirkingly. Belda sniffed and walked out.

"Look here, Carter, if you don't love my sister anymore, just dump her already, you asshole," Bevin hissed.

"My relationship with her is none of your business, Bevin. Mind your fucking business!"

"She is my sister, I have the right,"

"You are just a nosy bitch,"

Wrong move.

Kelvin and Bevin might fight all the time, but he never lets anyone speak badly about her. "She is a what now?" Kevin asked standing up, "did you just insult my sister? No one insult my sister except me," he said through gritted teeth folding up his sleeves.

"Kevin, calm down,"

"I'm calm, don't I look calm?" He asked smilingly. Belda ran out zipping up her skirt.

"Hey, I've told you guys to stop interfering with my relationship. What I do is none of your business!" She yelled at them and that didn't surprise me. As I said, Belda is gullible and a complete fool. She easily lets go of things that matter for those she believes should matter. She was honestly a terrible sister and a terrible person to keep as a best friend, so we all had to keep a close eye on her.

Here comes my senior duty.

"Belda," I called coldly. She froze, they all did. I didn't let myself be noticed in the first place.

"Shit," she muttered. Bevin's and Kevin's eyes lit up and Declan rolled his eyes.

"So is this how I taught you to handle a relationship? Yelling at your siblings to protect your worthless boyfriend?" She stared at her feet. "Any boy that can make you turn against your sibling does not deserve you," I said angrily

"I was j..."

"No excuses! I helped you convince mom to let you date knowing how stupid you are and this is how you repay me? From now on, you are forbidden from seeing any boy or goat..."

"Arabel..."

"No buts, my decision is final and nothing or anyone will change that. Until you can learn the difference between love, lust, like, and stupidity, you aren't allowed to date." I said firmly.

"You can't do this..." she cried.

"Can't I?" I asked with a smirk. If it was Kevin crying, I would have given in since Kevin is irresistible when he cries but Belda was no Kevin.

"But I love him," she sobbed.

"And I don't care!" I shouted. "Now go home and Blondie, scram!" I yelled. He jerked to his feet and Kevin made sure he kicked his ass out.

I know it was harsh and wrong to rule her like that but I've always been the one controlling the quad because they were bound to make stupid mistakes without my guardian. On the other hand, Belda's first boyfriend got her pregnant and convinced her to have an abortion that almost took her life. Still, she didn't learn. Or the other time Bevin almost brought a criminal into the family. If Ama didn't suspect and told me on time, he would have made away with our family heirloom. The only one who I didn't have to worry about was Devin, the eldest of the quad and the most responsible. As for Kevin, I literally had to place a tracker on his clothes, accessories, and shoes and hired spies to keep him from doing something stupid like burning down his school football field, again, for the third time. Or bringing a lioness into the house because he believes he has found his mate. Or the time he foolishly tried to get himself bitten by a poisonous spider so he could turn into spiderman.

"Kevin, if he comes around here again and I find out, I will take away your car and bank privilege," I threatened. He gulped.

"Bevin, if she dares call him secretly, no goodies for you and no China for Christmas," she nodded.

"No need to tell me, I will keep an eye on her," Declan said calmly. I smiled sadly at crying Belda. The other blonde dude was shaking. I glared at him.

"Please don't make me leave Bev, I love her," he cried. I chuckled as Bevin blushed. This must be the Lucas Iso told me about. The lovesick puppy.

"Who's this one?"

"Lucas,"

"Whatever," I hissed.

"Arabel!" Iso squealed. I turned and smiled at her. I stared at her protruding tummy in shock. "Surprise!"

"Another one? Isobel, don't you ever get tired?"

"Just three, Ara, not twelve,"

"This is number four," I said with disbelief.

"Shut up and get a baby t... why is Belda crying?"

"She got Ara'd!" They shouted. She smiled at me.

"Reasons why you cannot die and leave us," she laughed. I smiled. "Guys, take that crying mess out of my fashion house,"

"Okay, Kitty, let's go," Kevin said carrying her up. I sighed and watched them leave.

"Are you okay, Ara? You look pale," she asked worriedly, touching my forehead. Why does everyone keep saying that?

"Let's go," I walked out, "I'm fine,"

"But you look really pale, like your skin is turning white... are you pregnant?" I've noticed that too. But I didn't think it was that serious.

"Nothing of such," I said confidently, "watch your step," I held her hands and walked down the stairs.

"I'm pregnant, not lame," she said laughingly. I helped her to the car since I didn't come with mine. She hugged herself. "It's freezing out here," she said gnawing her teeth, "Aren't you cold?" She asked worriedly.

"No," I shrugged opening her car. She got in before me. She was driving. "So what are we doing tonight?"

"Oh about that, the guys asked if they could tag along with us and we agreed. So it's game night."

"I thought we agreed on just girls," I asked with a tight smile.

"But they insist," she said, starting the car. I scoffed and looked away to the window resting my elbow on its sill. Just like always. My monotonous life.