ALLISON PART 1

Chapter 1: The Johnsons

The Johnsons were a big family of 8. There was Mom, Dad, Jack, Michael (Mike), Liam, Tyler, Logan, and the baby of the family, Allison, or Allie. They all lived together in a gorgeous mansion by the seashore. Jack and David were 14 year old twins, followed by 11 year old Liam, and the other set of 8 year old twins, Tyler and Logan. Allie was 3 years old.  Each of the kids had their own huge, wondrous rooms. Each child had decorated it in their own special way. 

Jack looked much like his father, and all of his siblings looked somewhat like a copy of him. They all had the same light brown hair and blue eyes. They were all adventurous and mischievous, and it looked as if they were all looking for trouble. But no matter what, the brothers were very close with each other. 

Allie was a beautiful girl, with long, blonde hair, just like her mother’s. Her straight hair fell just above her hips. Her huge hazel eyes were usually full of mischief, and adventure. She loved her oldest brother, Jack, the most. She was literally a counterpart of her mother, and loved her most after Jack. 

Allie had always been into playing with dolls. Her first doll’s name was Emma. Allison took Emma everywhere. One day, Allison was tired of playing with Emma, and went to Jack, her favorite brother, for help. 

“Jackie, could you take me to the mall to get Annabelle?” asked little Allie.

“Annabelle?” asked Jack. “Who’s Annabelle”

Allison explained, “My new doll.”

“I’ll take you tomorrow afternoon”

“Are you sure you don’t have school tomorrow?”

“It’s Saturday tomorrow, and it’s summer break. I will definitely bring you, after asking Mom.”

“Okay, Jackie”

The next day, Allison asked Jackie again in the morning.

“You remember you have to bring me today, right?” she asked. 

“Yes,” responded Jack, “I will bring you for sure.”

That morning, it was really sunny and hot. Allison got ready to go, and was dressed in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, by the time the afternoon came around. At 12:00, Allie went and knocked on Jack’s bedroom door.

“Yes?” asked Jack.

“Are you ready Jackie?” inquired Allie.

Jack opened the door, and Allie saw that David, Liam, Jake, and Logan were all inside playing video games, building forts, having fights, and blasting the music. She also saw that Jack and Michael were on their phones.

“Are you going to take me?” questioned Allison

“Maybe later.” responded Jack, and shut the door in Allie’s face.

Disappointed, and angry with Jack, Allison went to her mother’s room and had a tea party with her. At 1:00, Allie again went to ask Jack, and was met with the same response. Finally, at 2:00 Allison tried for the last time. This time though, she opened the door without asking and stepped inside. Jack was really mad at her for doing that, and Michael, along with Jack pushed her out the door so hard, that she lost her balance and fell down to the floor. She rolled a few paces, and then tumbled down the stairs. Liam, Jake, and Logan just laughed. Michael was hard-headed and went back inside, but Jack took pity on her and rushed down the stairs to ask if she was okay. Allison was mad at Jack and Michael, for Jack had never done anything like this before. He watched as Allie painfully stood up, and just as he was about to ask her if she was okay, Allison pushed him away.

“No,” she sobbed with tears running down her face. “Leave me alone. I’d rather be by myself than be with you.”

Jack was hurt. He had never been so mean to Allie before. He was mad at himself, but just as he was about to say sorry, Allison fumbled up the stairs and rushed off to her room, locking it with a click. Jack was baffled. He had never seen Allie so hurt with him, both physically and emotionally. True, Michael had never really loved Allison, but Jack loved her dearly, more than anything or anyone else in the world.  

Jack went back to his room but was ashamed of himself, and felt bad about what he had done. After an hour, Jack stood up definitely, and his brothers asked what he was about to do.

“I am going to do what is right, and fix things with Allie,” Jack replied in a strong voice.

He went to Allie’s room and knocked once, twice, three times. When she didn’t respond, he unlocked her door from the outside and slightly opened it.

“May I come in?” he asked

He saw that Allie was sitting on her bed, curled up into a ball and crying. She had put her hands on her knees and was rolled up into a ball. Seeing her, Jack felt really bad, and went in, closing the door behind him.

She immediately sat up, and Jack could see her tear-stained face. 

“Please,” she whispered. “Don’t hurt me. Just leave me alone. You’ll hurt me.”

Jack was distressed after hearing this. He had never known Allison to be scared of him. She had just always loved him, been there for him, and had listened to him. Despite what she said, Jack went and sat on the edge of her bed. She scooted away from him and choked down a sob.

“Please don’t hurt me.” she tried again. “I can’t take any more.”

Jack was silent for a second and then said, “Allie, will you please listen to me?”

After a minute’s hesitation, she looked up at him through her huge, hazel, tear filled eyes.

Jack was speechless after seeing her. He wanted Allie to hug him, say that everything was okay. But she didn’t. Instead she asked him something that surprised him. 

“Why are you here?” she asked in a quiet voice. “I know you hate me. You didn’t take me to get Annabelle, you pushed me out of your room, and you shoved me down the stairs. So why are you here?”

Jack was bewildered, and then whispered in a quiet voice, “Because I can never stand to see you hurt, or upset. I hate it when you’re upset with me. I’m sorry Allie, I really am.”

They were both quiet for a  moment. Allie didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t stand seeing Jack so upset. So she climbed up onto his lap and tightly hugged him. Jack was surprised and happy at the same time. He hugged her back and they sat like that for a long time.

After a minute, Jack looked at Allie and asked, “Are you okay? You fell onto the floor, slipped on it, and rolled down the stairs.”

“I guess,” Allie responded. “But thank you for coming back Jack.”

“Your welcome. And again, I’m really sorry. So do you want to go get Annabelle now, Allie?” Jack asked his younger sister.

“Yes!” she gleefully replied. 

“Allie,” Jack started slowly, “Do you want to bring Mike with us to the mall so that we could have some extra company? We’d also take your stroller with us in case you get tired.”

Allison looked up at Jack, and he realized what she was thinking. If the two brought Michael with them, Mike would do his best to make Allie cry, or make sure that she wouldn’t get what she needed. 

After a moment of thought, Allison replied, “Okay, let’s bring Mike and the stroller, but you have to make him promise that he won’t hurt me.”

Holding Allie on his hip, Jack went to his room and opened the door. When Michael saw Allison, he jeered at her,

He snickered, “So now the little baby is feeling okay? After hours of crying?”

Allison hid her face in Jack’s arm.

“Quit it Mike, that’s enough already. All you’ve ever done to Allie is put her down. Have you ever looked at the way she sees things? Maybe if you stopped bickering bad things about her, you would know what a wonderful person she is.” Jack responded sharply.

Mike was surprised at what Jack had said. Sure Jack had always been on Allie’s side, and had always protected her, but he had never told Michael to stop while protecting Allison. He immediately understood that Jack was serious and not joking around. Jack pulled Mike outside, explaining everything that he and Allie had talked about, and what they wanted from him. To Jack’s surprise, Michael agreed, and swore that he would not annoy Allie at all. 

“Allie, do you agree?” Jack asked.

“I guess,” Allison responded. 

Jack went to his mother, and explained what they wanted to do. His mother agreed, and gave Jack $200 to buy Allie a doll, and something for himself and Mike. She was surprised that Michael had agreed to go, especially since he was the kind of kid that never listened.

While Jack talked to Mom, he gave Allison to Mike, trusting that he would take care of her. Surprisingly, Michael was actually really nice to Allie, and was surprised when she asked him a question that he didn’t really know that answer to.

“Mikey, why are you so mean to me?” Allison asked him.

“I . . . I . . . I don’t know,” confessed Michael. “It’s just . . . well, I might know the truth. Before you were born, Jack and I were best friends. We would play together, eat together, make up games to play with Liam, Jake, and Logan together. We did everything together. But when you came, it was like I was nothing anymore. Jack loved you more than he loved me. And I was . . . well . . . jealous of you I guess. And I didn’t want to be mean, but I guess I had to. 

“I wanted Jack to spend more time with me, especially since we’re twins. I wanted him to just push you out and pull me in. But that never happened.”

By now, Mike was in his room, sitting on the edge of his bed, with Allie next to him. She climbed onto his lap and looked at him in the eyes. HIS blue eyes were full of tears of shame. Allison tightly hugged him, and he did the same back.

“I’m sorry Allie. I was so mean to you that I didn’t realize the person you really were. I’m really sorry.” Mike apologized.

Jack, who had been listening to everything, came in and closed the door behind him.

“You know,” Jack said in a quiet voice, “You could have just told me.”

“Really?” asked Michael.

“Really.” responded Jack.

And for the first time in a really long time, Jack, Mike, and Allie all hugged each other. 

 

Chapter 2: Annabelle

When Jack told Mike what Mom had given, and why, Michael’s eyes lit up. 

“So,” he said slowly, “Does this mean that we can get the new video game by Amazone that just came out?” 

“Sure,” replied Jack, “As long as we both agree.”

The mall was about a 5 minutes walk from the family mansion. Dad was at work today in the Silicon Valley, about 30 minutes from where they lived, even though it was a Saturday. If he had been home, he would have given the kids a ride. Liam, Jake, and Logan begged to go, but Jack told them that they wouldn’t be able to go until they cleaned the messes they made in Jack’s room and their own rooms. Everyone knew it would take Liam, Jake, and Logan hours to clean the mess.

Jack, Mike, and Allie had decided to take Allie’s stroller in case they needed to put anything in it. Jack got a few snacks for himself, Michael, and Allison. He knew that Allison would get hungry, especially since dinner would be in two hours. He had also decided to get a surprise for Mike, since their birthday was coming up in about a week. To get it, Jack had gotten an extra $200 from his piggy bank. Jack didn’t know this, but Mike had done the same. At about 4:00, the three left for the mall, and Allison talked about how Annabelle, or Belle, would look.

“She will have long blonde hair, just like me. She’ll also have hazel eyes like me. Oh, and she also needs a whole wardrobe!” 

The twins just looked at each other and smiled.

When they reached the mall, Jack noticed that Allie was tired of sitting in the stroller, and took her out of it. She almost ran the whole way to the mall! By then, she was hungry, so Jack gave her a quick snack, while the brothers talked.

They didn’t realize that the reached the mall until Allie squealed with happiness. After a while Allie pointed to a doll and said, “There’s Annabelle! That’s her! And look, she also has a whole wardrobe!”

The doll and her wardrobe didn’t cost more than $50, and the boys got $150 to spend together. They bought the new video game “Portnight” for $15, and Jack gave the remaining $115 to Michael to spend.

Allie was more than delighted to finally get Belle, and Jack put her back in her stroller. After she again complained about being hungry, so Jack gave her a bag of chips and she happily accepted. 

Jack said to Mike, “Use the money I gave you to get whatever you like. Allison wanted to look around the mall for other dolls, and I told her yes. So I’ll give you a ½ hour to do whatever you want to do with that money. If it’s going to take longer, just text me.”

As soon as Jack left, Mike took out the other money he brought, and decided on what gift he was going to get for Jack. Jack did the same, and Allison ended up going to sleep while Jack got what he wanted to for Michael. Little did Jack and Michael know that they were doing the same thing. After about a ½ hour, Jack went back to where he told Mike to meet up and carefully hid Michael’s gift inside Allie’s stroller. Mike did the same, but acted as if the gift was for him. Michael had also gotten a gift for Allie, to hide the fact that he had gotten something for Jack. Jack was fooled. By the time they left the mall, Allison woke up with a yawn.

“Jackie, Mikey, are we home yet?” asked Allie.

“No, but I did get something for you that you would like.” answered Mike.

“Really?” asked Allison.

“Yes, really”

The kids stopped by the park to give Allie her gift. She laughed gleefully when Michael placed the tiara on her head, and put a different one on Belle’s. She jumped out and hugged Mike.

“Thank you, Mikey! Thank you!” she cheerfully said.

Allie ran around the park for a while with Belle, while Jack and Michael talked together. After a while, the twins happily watched their younger sister run around, and after a few minutes she ran to Jack.

“Jackie,” asked Allison, “Can we go home?”

“Tired already?” asked Jack.

“Yes, I don’t want to play anymore.”

“Okay, if you say so.”

On the way back, Allie insisted that she walk, instead of using the stroller. She happily bonded all the way home. 

When the boys got to the family mansion, Allison rushed to see Mom and showed her Annabelle. Jack also brought up Belle’s wardrobe, and Allison quickly got busy getting Belle dressed for dinner. Mom smiled happily at Jack and Michael, who had also come in after putting away the stroller and his gift for Jack. 

Mom said, “I am really proud of you Michael, of getting yourself together and helping Jack and Allie.” 

And she added, “Dinner will be in an hour. Please get your brothers and make sure they are ready and their rooms are clean. Today is family game and movie night.”

Jack peeked into his room. Everything was clean, and Liam, Jake, and Logan had fallen onto the bed and into a deep sleep. Jack motioned for Michael to come over and they both looked at the boys’ rooms. They were spotless and clean. The beds were made and everything was neat and clean. Then, they looked into Allison’s room. Their exhausted little sister was asleep on the floor with Belle next to her. Jack lifted her up and laid her into bed, making sure Belle was next to her. They also woke the boys up, who were energized after their nap. Jack and Michael also made sure to tell them to stay quiet because of Allie. They talked until Mom called them for dinner. 

Jack woke Allie up who made sure to bring Annabelle with her to show Dad. Jack also made sure that his sister was neat and clean, and changed her clothes. She ended up wearing a pair of tights with a cute dress, and dressed Belle up the same way. 

When the kids went downstairs, Dad was surprised to see Mike holding Allison.

“Daddy!” Allie squealed.

“Hi sweetheart! What do you have there?” asked Dad.

“This is my new doll, Annabelle. Jackie and Mikey got her for me.”

Dad was extra surprised at the fact that Michael would do anything for Allison. He had always neglected her, and made sure to annoy her any time he got.

At dinner, Mom asked, “Come to think of it, I heard a lot bang when I was in the basement, making videos. Does anyone know what that was?”

“Um…” started Michael. “That was All-”

“My toybox,” finished Allison. “It fell from my closet. Michael put it back up.”

Michael and Jack both looked at Allison gratefully.

That night before bed, Allison pulled Jack and Michael into her bedroom and pleaded, “Could you guys tell me a story? Please?”

For the first time in his life, Michael shrugged and answered, “Sure, why not?”

He then told the story of that day to Allison, and Jack added anything he thought Michael left out. Happy and content, Allison quickly fell asleep, Belle on one side, and Michael and Jack sitting on the other. They looked at each other and smiled happily, as they were remembering the brotherhood that had built during that day. 

 

Chapter 3: The Birthday

It was the day of Jack and Michael’s birthday, and Allison was really excited. Allie made gifts for her brothers and decided to add candy to make them extra sweet. She went to Liam’s room and took some candy from his stash. Little did she know that Liam would be really upset with what she did. 

Jack and Michael had decided that they wanted to have a small party with a few friends. By 1:00 PM, most of the guests had arrived. Each of the birthday boys had invited five friends. By 1:30 PM, everyone was there. The boys had mostly planned to play sports, but had added a pinata for Allie. Jack, Michael, Liam, Logan, and Tyler were all invited to play outside, but Allison was sent in by Liam because she was too “little.” She slowly backed inside, and was about to run upstairs to her room when Michael stopped her.

“Where are you going, Allie?” he asked.

She answered, “Liam told me to go inside because I am too little.”

“No you’re not. Come outside and try to break the pinata. If you don’t want to, at least sit outside.” said Michael

“I want to break the pinata!”

“Okay, come on!”

As soon as Allison went outside, Liam started to give her dirty looks, thinking that no one would notice. Instead, Jack saw everything and put an end to it.

“Stop it Liam. She’s your younger sister, not your enemy.” said Jack.

With that, Jack walked away.

“I have to go . . . er . . . inside.” said Liam. “Be back in a minute.”

And with that, he ran inside.

Allie soon got tired of hitting the pinata, and went to sit on a porch chair. She soon fell asleep, bathing in the warm June sun. The next thing she knew was Jack shaking her awake.

“Wake up, Allie! Time to break the pinata!” Jack said.

“Maybe . . . later, Jackie,” Allie said, drifting back to sleep.

All of a sudden she sat upright.

“Where’s Annabelle?” Allison cried. “I know I brought Belle outside! Where’d she go?”

“I don’t know, Allie. Are you sure you brought her outside?” asked Mike, dribbling a basketball.

“I remember that I had her when I came outside, but when I went to hit the pinata, she wasn’t with me.” 

“Maybe someone took her?” Jack suggested. “But who?”

“Liam was the only one who went back inside. Maybe he knows where Allison’s doll went.” Mike suggested.

Jack and Michael asked Liam, but he just shrugged in response. Allie ran inside to look for Annabelle. She first rushed up to her room, in case she had left her there. But there was no sign of a doll being there. Allison then decided to go back downstairs, and look in the kitchen, in case she had dropped her there. When she got to the kitchen, Allison looked above the refrigerator. There was Belle, sitting in her party dress. Allie decided to try to get her doll down by herself. She dragged a chair over,  and started to stand on top of it, when Liam came back inside.

“What are you trying to do? Huh? Take more candy from me?” Liam jeered.

Allison asked, “How do you know I did that, Liam?”

“I know EVERYTHING,” he answered.

He watched as she fell down from the chair and hit her head on the refrigerator door. She tried again and again, but her efforts were all in vain. No matter what she did, she could not reach and get Annabelle from the top of the refrigerator. Liam would watch Allie fall and laugh at her, over and over again. All of a sudden as Allison got really close to Belle, she fell down onto the floor with a loud crash. 

She shrieked with a sob, “Jackie, Michael, HELP!”

Jack and Michael came running in, and Jack gasped when he saw Allie. She was curled up on the floor and her arm was twisted!

“Mom, Dad, come quick!” hollered Jack.

Dad came running down the stairs, and Mom came from the living room. Liam, who had been watching everything, rushed upstairs to his room without saying a word to anyone. 

“What happened?” asked Dad, surprised.

Mom ran back to the living room with a sob. 

“I’ll take her to the hospital with Jack, just in case she broke her arm.” instructed Dad. “Michael, you stay home with Mom, Liam, Logan, and Tyler. Tell your friends to not worry about Allison. She’ll be fine.”

Jack quickly picked Allie up off the floor, who winced in pain, and started crying.  He also took Annabelle off of the refrigerator, and gave her to Allison. Then, Jack and Dad rushed outside to the car, and to the hospital. 

Once in the car, Jack, who was still holding Allie, who had stopped crying, asked her, “How did this happen?”

Not wanting to tip Liam off, Allie bit her lip and turned around. 

“Allie,” said Jack, “Tell me.”

“Promise you won’t tell anyone?” Allie asked Jack.

“Okay…” responded Jack, a little unsure.

“Well, Liam threw Belle on top of the fridge and I had to get her. And when I tried, I kept falling off and hitting my head. When I got really close, my foot slipped and I fell on top of my arm.”

“So that’s why your doll was on top of the refrigerator?” 

Allie nodded in response.

“But why don’t you want me to tell anyone?” asked Jack, confused.

“I don’t want to get Liam into trouble,” she responded, looking down.

By then, the three had reached the hospital, and they went inside. Jack was still holding Allie, as she was really scared. Soon, the doctor came, and took an x-ray. The family realized that Allie had broken her arm, and would need a cast. Not long after, the doctor got ready to put it on.

Allie tried to be brave, but Jack could see that she was frightened. Surprisingly, when the doctor put the cast on, Allison was calm and she didn’t wince one bit. She also chose a salmon color cast, which went perfectly with her hazel eyes. 

Towards the end, Allie asked, “Can Annabelle get one too?”

The doctor laughed, and answered, “Sure, why not?”

Belle ended up getting the same color as Allie. Tired from everything that had happened, Allison fell asleep in Jack’s arm, before they even reached the car. 

It was about 5:00 by the time Jack, Allie, and Dad got home. Everyone was calm, but worried. Michael ran inside when he heard the car in the driveway, and gasped when he saw Allie.

“She got a cast?!” Michael asked, shocked.

“Allie broke her arm,” answered Jack, nodding his head.

Hearing this, mom ran to Allie and almost fainted when she saw her.

She hugged Allison and said, “My poor baby! My poor, poor baby!”

Michael took a sleeping Allie from Jack’s arms, and went upstairs to tuck her into bed.

When Michael went outside, he said to Jack, “Liam’s up in his room, but won’t come down. He also didn’t say why. Why don’t you go check on him?”

Jack answered, “I know why. I’ll go talk to him.”

Jack went upstairs to talk to Liam, and when he opened the door, he was surprised. Liam looked depressed, ashamed, and disappointed in a way that Jack had never seen before. 

He sat on the edge of Liam’s bed and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Liam didn’t look up, but said, “I just want to be alone.”

“Come on,” pleaded Jack.

“No, I won’t say anything.”

“You know,” Jack began quietly, “I know why.”

Liam’s head jerked up to look at Jack and said, “How?”

Jack explained what Allie had told him and asked, “But why would you?”

“I . . . I  . . . I don’t know why,” confessed Liam. “I don’t like it when she is the same as all of us. I want her to be younger, and, well, not be so loved.”

Liam hung his head in shame.

He continued, “So when she took some candy from my stash, I thought it would be the perfect time to annoy her and let her know that she won’t always have anyone with her. I thought that I could get you to be with me the same way you are with Allie by hurting her. But this only increased the way you hold her dear to your heart. It doesn’t help me at all. I was jealous. Just like Mike.”

Jack was surprised after hearing this. Were ALL of his brothers jealous of the way that Jack treated Allison? If so, did they all want to hurt her? 

“You could have just told me how you feel, Liam,” said Jack. “I’m here for a reason. And the reason that I love Allie so much is that she needs to know that there is someone that will always be there for her. Michael realized that too. She has five older brothers for a reason. You shouldn’t be jealous. Instead, you should try to be there for her. She’ll know that there will always be someone there for her, and will respect that. But I don’t blame you for being jealous, Liam.”

“Really?”

“Yes. When you were born, Liam, I was jealous of the way Mom and Dad loved you. Michael and I had always been the stars of the show, the masters of the house. We were always praised for whatever we did. But when you arrived, we became nothing. Mom and Dad did that with Allie, but not as much. So I decided to do that for Allison.”

“I never knew that, Jack.”

“I guess I never knew your side either, Liam.”

“I’ll say sorry to Allie when she wakes up. It’s my fault that she got a cast and has to stick with it for a month and a half.”

Suddenly the brothers heard Allie’s call, “Jackie? Are you upstairs? Could you come here for a minute?”

When Jack went to Allison’s room, he found her in tears.

“Allie?” asked Jack, alarmed. “Are you okay? What happened?”

“My . . . my . . . my arm hurts really bad!” answered Allison, choking back a sob.

Jack went and picked Allie up. She sobbed into his shoulder and held her arm at the same time.

“How about we get a glass of milk?” suggested Jack. “Milk will help your arm get strong.”

Allie looked up with her big, hazel eyes full of tears and nodded.

When the two got downstairs, Liam was in the kitchen. When Allison saw Liam she turned to look away from him and hugged Jack tightly. All of a sudden they both heard Michael call Jack.

“I’ll go outside, Allie. Michael’s calling me. Liam will get you a glass of milk. Okay?” Jack asked. 

Allie thought for a moment, then looked at Liam.

“Okay,” she said. “But tell him to not hurt me.”

“He won’t,” Jack assured Allie, and went outside. 

Allie tried to not look at Liam, and fiddled with Annabelle, but Liam brought a chair up to her and sat down.

“Allie,” started Liam. “I’m sorry.”

“I know you’re happy after breaking my arm. What are you going to do next?” asked Allison.

“Oh Allie!” cried Liam. “I’m sorry! I was jealous of you. I won’t do that again.”

He longingly looked at her and added, “Please?”

A llie looked skeptical, but she finally said, “Okay. But can I have a glass of milk now?”

Liam gave her a glass of milk and said, “Do you want to go out now? Jack and Michael are about to cut the cake?”

“Yes!” she gleefully replied.

And Liam and Allie went outside together, and their new friendship continued to flourish like flowers in spring.

 

Chapter 4: Trouble for Allison

Two weeks after Allie got a cast, she turned four. It was an exciting time for the whole family, and a birthday party was thrown. About four weeks after Allison’s birthday, school started. Jack and Michael started high school, and were the second to leave the house. Dad was first, as usual. Liam was starting middle school, and always left about an hour after Jack and Michael. And Logan along with Tyler were starting second grade. Mom had decided to get a PhD, and would be the last to leave with Allie. Since Allie was too young to start school, or stay home alone, she would go to daycare. And she loved it. Since everything was new, Mom also decided to start Allison on ballet. Her daughter was beautiful as well as nimble and graceful. Ballet fit her perfectly. 

But something strange started to happen. Jack started falling behind in his grades, and was struggling with his work. He often worked till 10 P.M., and was always tired. It seemed that Jack was not keeping up with his work. 

One day, after everyone came home, Allie was going to ballet class. Because of her cast, she found it difficult to change into her costume, and would often ask her Mom for help. It was that evening that they were running late. Mom changed Allison, but told her to tie her sash by herself, and to get her tiara. Since she couldn’t do it herself, Allie asked Jack for help.

She rushed into his room and asked, “Jackie, could you tie this for me please? I am-”

Allie saw that he was on a video call with Miles, his best friend. 

“Not right now, Allison. I have a lot of work to do,” he responded.

“Please?” Allison begged. “I am getting-”

“Not right now! I am busy.”

“Please?”

“No. Get out.”

“Jackie? Please?”

“I asked you to get out. I am too busy to help you, Allison. And since you didn’t, I am going to have to kick you out by myself.”

And with that, Jack jumped up from his seat and shoved Allie out the door, causing her to trip over her tutu. She almost rolled down the stairs, but Michael, who had heard that commotion grabbed her just in time. Jack did nothing but slam his door closed.

Michael pulled Allie into his arms and asked, “What happened?”

“I asked Jack to tie my ribbon, because I am late to ballet. But he said that he has too much work to help me, and kept talking to Miles on his phone.” Allie quietly said to Michael.

“How about I come with you to ballet class?” Michael asked Allie. “It’ll be fun. I’ll watch you dance.”

“Will you? Really?” asked Allison, a smiling appearing on her face. “Thank you!”

With that, Michael and Allie rushed downstairs after Michael got his phone and told Liam where they were going. Michael got Allison into her dance shoes and they ran into the car. Mom was surprised with who Michael had changed into, but didn’t say one word about it to Mike. He used to be a bully to Allison, until Jack helped him to see who Allie was, and changed the way Mike thought about her. The three weren’t late to Allie’s rehearsal, but weren’t early either. 

At Allie’s ballet class, Michael watched Allison dance gracefully, but deep inside, he was worried. What was going on with Jack? And his grades? He had always been a Honors student, being first in everything. Now, even getting into the top three was a struggle for him. Michael decided that he would talk to Jack when they got home.

While Allie was dancing, Mom asked Mike, “Can you come with me after school tomorrow? Allie’s getting her cast off, though she doesn’t know yet. She might need some help. So can you?”

“Sure Mom,” responded Michael. 

After dance rehearsals, Allison asked Michael, “Am I a good dancer?”

Michal responded, “You are really good. You’re really nimble and graceful, which makes you amazing.”

Allie glowed with happiness, and asked, “What does nimble mean? And can we stop at Mickey D’s to get a Happy Meal? Please?”

“Nimble means to be quick and light when you move,” explained Michael. 

“So could we go to Mickey D’s? Please?” Allie begged.

Mom laughed, “Sure Allie. What would you like, Mike?”

Michael was surprised. Mom had never called him anything besides Michael. He was really happy that Mom was in a good mood, and decided to keep it up.

“I’ll get a soda, some fries, and a chicken sandwich, please, Mom.” Mike answered.

When the three got to Mickey D’s, they quickly got their food, and sat down to eat. They were all hungry, and quickly finished their food. Allie fell asleep on the way home. 

As soon as they reached their residence, Allie woke up. 

She yawned and asked, “Are we home?”

“Yes Allie. We’re home.” answered Mom. 

When Allie went inside, the first thing that she did was change into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Again, Mom helped her because of her cast. At dinner that evening, Jack tried to talk to Allie, but she ignored him, for she had already forgiven him once. Not wanting to create confusion, Jack stayed silent for the rest of dinner. 

It was his turn to do the dishes, so Jack couldn’t talk to Allie until after everything was cleaned up. After cleaning up, an ashamed Jack went up to Allie’s room.

“Can we talk, Allie?” Jack asked, looking down.

Allie did nothing but ignore him.

“Please, Allie? I’m really sorry. Please?” pleaded Jack.

“No,” responded Allie.

“But-” started Jack.

“Nope. I am not listening to you, no matter what.”

Jack sighed, and left the room. A minute later, Michael came in.

He started in a quiet voice, “You know, Jack is going through a tough time. His studies are only getting harder. You not forgiving him is only making it harder for him.”

“But do hard times make you push someone out the door?” Allie asked, a questioning look on her face.

Mike sighed, “I guess not. But he needs help. Support him. He’s your older brother.”

And with that, Mike left the room to talk to Jack. When he got to his room, Jack was sitting on the edge of his bed, tears in his blue eyes.

“Can I come in?” Mike asked.

“I guess,” Jack answered. 

“Are you okay?” asked Mike.

Suddenly Jack blurted out, “I don’t know!”

Then, in a much calmer tone, “It’s just . . . I don’t know what’s going on. We’re in the same grade, and I shouldn’t be the one struggling, but I need help. I don’t understand what we are learning at school. It’s too hard for me. I’m not getting good grades, forget Honors. Homework takes me hours while it takes you minutes. I don’t know what happened to me. I try harder each day, but each day it gets harder and harder, not easier at all. School days are long and dragging. And I don’t get any breaks. Maybe I should drop out.

“And then on top of all this, Allie won’t talk to me. She’s my sweetest friend, and I can’t stand her upset with me. Life’s getting harder and harder. I feel like I’ve lost my best friend. I can’t stand it any longer.”

“Maybe I could help.” suggested Mike. “All our classes and teachers are the same, except in different orders. I could explain it all to you.”

“Sure, but what about Allie. I feel so bad that I neglected her. It’s not her fault that I need help. She was only asking for a favor.”

“Go talk to her.”

“But she won’t even look at me. And I still have a lot of homework left.”

“Go tell her you’re sorry. She can’t stand if either of you are upset with each other. I’ll help you with homework when you’re done. Just tell me, though.”

As soon as Michael left, there was a knock at Jack’s door, and Allie, who had been listening to everything slightly opened the door.

“Can I come in?” she asked softly. 

Jack looked up, “I guess.”

Allie went in and climbed onto Jack’s lap. 

She looked into his eyes and asked, “Are you okay?”

“I . . . I’m fine, Allie.” Jack quickly answered.

“I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you when you came to my room before.” Allie said, looking down. “I should have talked to you then and told you how I felt.”

Jack looked at her and stammered, “Allie, I . . . I . . . I’m sorry I shoved you out the door before. It’s just. . . I’m having trouble at school, and I need help. I was talking to Miles to see if he could help. I am really sorry Allie.”

“It’s okay Jack. I guess I was mean too, when I ignored you before.”

Allie hugged Jack and the happy siblings embraced each other until Allison fell asleep. When Jack realized that, he carried Allison to bed and tucked her in. 

Before he went back to his room, Jack stopped at Michael’s door and asked, “Mind helping me right now? I could really use some help.”

Michael smiled and explained everything to Jack and over time, Jack started to understand everything that he was learning. He was soon back on track to getting Honors. He also learned to ask for help when needed. 

Right before Mike went back to his room, he asked Jack, “Allison’s getting her cast off tomorrow, so do you want to come with Mom and I? She asked me to go with her tomorrow.”

Jack answered, “Sure Mike.”

The next morning, Jack and Mike left almost as soon as Dad did. Allison woke Mom up before Jack and Michael left. Allie also woke Liam up as soon as Mike and Jack did, and woke Logan and Tyler after Liam left. Mom got Allie ready just before Logan and Tyler left. For breakfast, Mom gave her a yogurt parfait, and a muffin, along with a cup of orange juice. At about nine, Mom and Allie drove to Allison’s daycare center. After dropping Allie off, Mom drove to her university to continue her education. 

That afternoon, Mom picked Allie up earlier than usual, and went to pick Michael and Jack up.

“Where are we going?” Allie asked Mom, after they picked Jack and Michael up.

“Honey, we have to go to the doctor. . . for an appointment,” answered Mom.

“Whose appointment is it?” Allison asked.

“Yours,” Jack responded. 

When the four got to the hospital, Allie sat on the chair next to Michael’s while Mom and Jack signed in. 

In a quiet voice, Allie asked, “What are we here for?”

Michael answered, “You’ll find out why soon.”

Allison rested her head on Michael’s shoulder. Soon, it was Allie’s turn.

“Allison Johnson?” the nurse called out.

Michael scooped Allie up and the four followed the nurse into a big room, and were told to wait for the doctor. It was clear that the room was meant for kids, especially because of the decorations. The room was beach themed, and each wall was a pale blue color. There was also a soft sand line painted on top of the walls. Along with this, there were bold colored beach umbrellas, and beach chairs of all shades. The palm trees were tall, strong looking, and elegant, in a way. It was a comfortable setting, and was a relaxing environment to be in. 

Not long after, the doctor came in and examined Allie’s arm. 

He also took an x-ray and said, “Let me take a look at her x-ray, and then we’ll decide if she gets her cast off today or not.”

A little while later, the doctor came back and said that she was ready to have her cast taken off. He brought the family into a different, and larger room. The new room was more professional looking. The walls were a soft, pastel green, and all the equipment was a light blue shade. 

The doctor seated Allison on a large, medical chair and explained how a small vibrater would take the cast off. But when the doctor brought in a small pizza cutter-like instrument, and said that it would take the cast off, Allie ran into Michael’s arms and refused to get up. After convincing her to look up, the doctor turned on the cast saw, and rubbed it on his hand to show Allison that there was nothing to be scared of. She agreed to have it taken off on the condition that she would stay in Michael’s lap. 

When Allie said that, Jack’s face fell. He realized that no matter what, it would take a long time for him to earn Allison’s trust back. He would never be able to force her into trusting her, except gaining it back. He promised himself that he would do whatever he needed to, in order to get Allie’s trust back. 

The doctor agreed to Allie’s condition, and started to take the cast off. She was soon laughing from the vibrations, and in no time at all, her cast was off. In the end, the doctor gave Allie a small stuffed animal to keep her company, and some stickers. The stuffed animal was a cute little hedgehog that was a light brown shade. Allie immediately named it ‘Joy.’ She happily returned home with a new toy and no cast. She had never been happier.

TO BE CONTINUED . . . . . . . .