Chapter 6: Deal

Tara's POV

I didn't sleep. Not even for a minute.

I spent the entire night staring at my ceiling, watching the shadows shift as cars passed by outside, thinking about how my life had just taken a turn for the absolute worst. Living with Xavier and Jasper Williams for a month? It felt like some kind of cosmic joke.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw their faces from dinner, that look of horror that probably mirrored my own. We were all trapped in this situation, but that didn't make it any less terrifying.

"Tara, sweetheart, time to get up!" Mom's voice cut through my spiral of dread as she knocked on my door.

I groaned and pulled my pillow over my head. "I'm sick."

"No, you're not." She pushed open the door and walked in, already dressed for work. "The boys will be here soon, and your father and I need to leave for the office. I need you to make sure they get settled properly."

"Can't they settle themselves? They're seventeen, not seven."

Mom sat on the edge of my bed and pulled the pillow away from my face. "Tara, these boys are our guests. Their parents are trusting us to take care of them while they're away. I need you to be responsible."

"Why can't you just stay home today?"

"Because your father and I have important meetings, we can't reschedule." She stood up and smoothed down her skirt. "I've prepared breakfast for everyone, just make sure they feel welcome, okay?"

I blinked at her in surprise. Mom never cooked elaborate breakfasts. We were usually lucky to get toast and coffee before everyone rushed out the door.

"You cooked?"

"Of course, I cooked. The Williams are very important to us, honey. Robert and your father are discussing a potential business partnership, and Linda and I go way back. I want their sons to feel comfortable here."

Important. Right. That explained the sudden domesticity.

"Great," I muttered, dragging myself out of bed.

"I'm counting on you," Mom said, giving me a quick hug. "Be nice, be welcoming."

After she left, I trudged downstairs in my pajamas. The kitchen smelled amazing, which was definitely not normal. Mom had made pancakes, bacon, eggs, and what looked like enough. 

I was still standing there in disbelief when Dad appeared, already dressed in his suit and tie.

"Morning, princess," he said, giving me a quick peck on the cheek. "Your mother outdid herself, didn't she?"

"She sure did something," I agreed, still staring at the spread.

"The boys should be here any minute. Take good care of them, okay? And remember, they're going through a tough time with their parents being away. A little kindness goes a long way."

"Define 'a little kindness,'" I said dryly.

Dad gave me a look. "Tara."

"Fine. I'll be nice."

"That's my girl." He grabbed his briefcase and headed for the door. "We'll be home around six. Call if you need anything!"

And then I was alone, standing in a kitchen that smelled like a restaurant, waiting for my worst enemies to show up with their suitcases and move into my life.

I slumped into a chair at the kitchen table, put my head in my hands, and tried to figure out how I was going to survive this. Maybe I could convince them to spend the entire month in their room. Maybe I could spend the entire month in mine. Maybe I could just run away and join the circus.

The doorbell rang, jolting me out of my spiral.

For a moment, I considered just not answering it. Maybe if I pretended no one was home, they'd go away. Maybe they'd find somewhere else to stay. Maybe….

The doorbell rang again, longer this time.

With a heavy sigh, I dragged myself to the front door. Through the peephole, I could see two of them standing on the porch, each carrying a large duffel bag and looking just as thrilled to be there as I was to see them.

I took a deep breath and opened the door.

Xavier and Jasper stood on my doorstep, both dressed casually in jeans and t-shirts, their hair still slightly messy from sleep. They looked tired, probably hadn't slept much better than I had.

"Hi," I said awkwardly.

"Hi," they replied in unison, which was somehow both annoying and endearing.

We stood there for a moment, none of us quite sure what to say. This was so much weirder than our usual school confrontations.

"So," Xavier said finally, "are you going to let us in, or are we supposed to live on your porch?"

"Right. Sorry." I stepped aside and watched as they wheeled their luggage into my house. Into my space. For the next month.

They paused in the entryway, taking in the surroundings like they were memorizing escape routes.

"Your parents leave?" Jasper asked.

"About ten minutes ago." I closed the door behind them, sealing our fate. "They won't be back until six."

"Great," Xavier muttered. 

That's when they noticed the smell coming from the kitchen.

"Is that food?" Jasper asked, his expression brightening slightly.

"Mom went a little overboard with breakfast," I admitted. "She wanted to make sure you felt... welcome."

Both twins looked genuinely surprised, and I caught something that might have been relief in their expressions.

"She didn't have to do that," Xavier said, and for once, his voice didn't have that mocking edge I was used to.

"Yeah, well, you guys are apparently very important to my parents," I said, leading them toward the kitchen.

They followed me, and I watched their eyes widen as they took in the feast Mom had prepared.

"Wow," Jasper said softly. "This is..."

"A lot," I finished. "Trust me, I'm as surprised as you are."

"Or maybe you’re lying. You’re the one who prepared the food," Xavier said, setting down his bag and giving me a look I couldn't quite read, "you couldn't wait to see us, huh? Made us a welcome breakfast and everything?"

I stared at him. "In your dreams."

"Our dreams would be more like you moving to another country," Jasper replied, but there was less venom. 

"Keep dreaming," I shot back.

Jasper cleared his throat. "Look, since we're going to be living together for the next month, don't you think we should strike some kind of deal?"