11:37

Britany lay awake fuming. Alvin could be such an arrogant, self-centred jerk sometimes! She turned over. If only she didn't like him so much, it wouldn't matter. Like today, when he blew her off to go play basketball. Anyone else and sure she'd be annoyed, but it wouldn't hurt. She glanced at her clock. Dammit! If she didn't get to sleep soon she'd be tired in the morning and then she'd be irritable.

She wondered why her sisters never had this trouble. Because Simon and Theodore aren't jerks, she thought bitterly. Why couldn't she have fallen for someone sensible, like Simon, or sweet like Theodore? Because Simon's dull and Theodore's simple, a mean part of her mind added. Sure, Alvin was unreliable but wasn't that what made their relationship exciting?

And he could be really romantic some days, sweeping her off her feet. Simon never did that for Jeanette. In fact Britany wasn't even sure if Simon and Jeanette were boyfriend and girlfriend. And she could never love someone who couldn't give as good as they got. She was feisty and any boy she went out with had to be able to handle her. Alvin could certainly do that. Poor Theodore couldn't take criticism and Britany was always impressed that Eleanor didn't get fed up with him.

Yes, she thought, I picked the best of the three. She rolled back over and relaxed. Tomorrow she'd make him pay for ditching her. She smiled as she thought of the coming fight. Because the best thing about fighting, is making up afterwards.

3:33

Jeanette woke up and looked at her clock. Why did she always wake at 1:11, 2:22, 3:33… throughout the night? She stared up at the ceiling. Her sister's gentle breathing was the only sound. They never have trouble sleeping, she thought bitterly. That's because they have successful relationships. Jeanette cursed the part of her mind that always criticised her, which seemed to be louder at night.

She'd been having a good dream. She hated it when that happened. It made waking up so painful. She couldn't remember any details but in the dream she'd known she was Simon's girlfriend, and he loved her. When she'd woken there was a brief moment when she still felt that. Then reality had hit. He was her best friend, who sometimes took her out, and gave her a valentine's card out of friendship. Sometimes she thought perhaps they were becoming more and then he'd do something that reminded her how unsure their relationship was. Like dating someone else.

She just didn't understand why it was so difficult. Britany and Alvin managed and most of the time they were barely speaking to each other! They'd have a romantic evening and it was like they'd never been fighting. And Theodore and Eleanor had the perfect relationship. They were always so happy! She wished she didn't love Simon as much as she did.

No, she didn't mean that. She closed her eyes and saw his face. He was everything she ever wanted, and one day everything would work out. She just had to keep believing.

6:32

Eleanor slowly opened her eyes. She knew as she saw the time that it was another morning she'd be unable to get back to sleep. Why did she always have to wake up so early worrying. How could her sisters sleep so soundly when they had such problems with their boyfriends? It wasn't fair that they slept easy and she got to be up by herself worrying what might go wrong. What if Theodore fell for someone else? He liked her she knew, but he was emotional and fell in love very easily. So far they'd been temporary fancies, but what if he met someone great? She'd still have to see him because her sisters were dating his brothers.

Although she worried about that too. Jeanette had very delicate, but very strong, feelings for Simon yet he didn't seem to reciprocate. He was a good friend but Eleanor worried Jeanette would wind up heartbroken. And was it really good for Britany and Alvin to be fighting as much as they did? Their relationship was either great or terrible and could switch from one to the other in seconds.

But then what if their relationships all worked out and they all married? What would happen to Miss Miller? Someone would have to live nearby to take care of her in her old age and Eleanor knew it would have to be her. Jeanette would do it of course, but she was too clumsy and forgetful. Britany, well, she just wasn't cut out for that sort of thing.

As she pulled herself out of bed to go start making the breakfast she wondered how the others would ever manage without her anyway. At least they don't have trouble sleeping.