Free Five Sisters by Leen Elle

one broken. Although he didn't grimace or frown at the sight of Gail, he wasn't exactly smiling either.
    "I thought you might like some company," said Gail. She held up the box, "We could play a game, if you want."
    Nathaniel's eyebrows slanted inward and he crossed his arms across his chest
    "I don't need any company," he said firmly, "And besides, I detest that silly game. I'm perfectly fine by myself, thank you very much."
    "Well I just thought perhaps . . ."
    "You thought wrong! I don't need any company, especially of the likes of you."
    "I'm sorry about what happened the other day," Gail murmured, stepping closer, "I didn't mean to . . . I didn't know that you . . . that you couldn't . . ."
    "I could have gotten up by myself if you hadn't ran off for Charlie!" Nathaniel interrupted, his cheeks reddening as he recalled the embarrassing situation he'd been in three days ago.
    "I'm sorry the cup broke."
    "It was just a stupid cup, I didn't care about it anyway," Nathaniel affirmed, "And why are you still here? I told you I didn't wish for you to stay and I hate that silly game!"
    "You do not," Gail disagreed, sitting down in the chair beside his bed and setting down the game, "You're just determined to be rude to me, for a reason I have yet to find. I'm tired of all your useless rants and no matter what you say you have to be just a little bit lonely! And don't try and deny it! I know you're obviously not the type who wishes to identify their faults, but just this one admit that you might, just possibly actually want me to stay!
    "Now," she continued, her voice calmed, "You don't have to vocally admit it if you don't want to. I'm just going to pull over this table," and as she spoke Gail began to drag over a wooden table from the corner of the room, letting it rest between his bed and her chair, "And set up the game," she did so, dropping yellow marbles in the triangle nearest hers and red marbles into his. She took a seat and sighed, "You can go first, if you like, Mr. West."
    Nathaniel looked at her quizzically. Although he was slightly disconcerted, knowing that every word she'd spoke was true, he also held a bit of respect for her, for he'd never known a girl who was almost as equally stubborn and determined as he was.
    Without a smile, or even a nod, he leaned forward and moved one of the red marbles.
    Gail knew that if she showed her pleasure that he'd given in, even if it was only a tiny grin, Nathaniel would most likely back out. So instead she followed suit and simply moved her marble without looking up.
    The game commenced quickly and before Gail knew it, Nathaniel had won and another game began. She'd expected to be the victor from the moment she suggested the game since she'd always been the best checkers player in the family, and was surprised when Nathaniel excelled over her. Instead of angering her though, it intrigued to Gail to play someone as good, if not better, than she.
    They rarely spoke, but perhaps that was a good thing, she thought, for she was afraid if a conversation did begin they might start to argue, as they always seemed to do.
    As they played, Gail began to notice little things about Nathaniel she'd never had the time to notice before. The few times she'd come to see him before she'd never seen him as weak. How can you classify someone as weak when they're always yelling and shouting and so seemingly confidant? In fact, except for the moment she'd seen him lying helpless on the floor, he'd never struck her as being outwardly unhealthy. And besides his skin, he'd never looked terribly ill either.
    But now she began to notice little obscurities that had been invisible to her before. His eyes seemed more sunken in and dark shadows lay beneath them. He always seemed to be sleeping during the day, so she wondered how he could appear so in need of rest. Little did she know, Nathaniel had always had trouble sleeping, ever since he was a little boy. He often awoke in the middle of the night from