10.5: A Walnut Allergy and That Jock Guy

   "Hadley did you pack the Adele CD- what are you doing?!" I asked, opening the door to her sparsely furnished room. As soon as she graduated in May, she was planning on going to NYC, where she'd been accepted in NY3C's, New York City Community College, fashion design program. She was posing promiscuously in her hot pink bikini, her hair curled, her makeup too thick, in front of a camera.

   "Oh, like you can judge. You're in sweats, you hair's a mess, you've been, like, weeping over, like, your ex-boyfriend for months."
   "It hasn't been months, my hair always looks like this, and I was just wanting to know what your doing and ask, uh, have you ever considered not?"
   "Ugh, God, like are you stupid?"

   "I like to think my 4.2 GPA and ACT score, prove otherwise... Do you have the Adele CD? I need to burn it to iTunes so I can get it on my iPhone and listen to it while eating that ice cream mum bought."
   "Fine, since your so pathetic and your life's, like, ohmigawd, stupidly dull, I'll tell you what I'm doing."
   "I- CD, please."
   "Okay, so this weirdo who smells was able to hack ACT's website and he raised my score! That's how I got into NY3C, so this is like a, like, thank you."
   "Thank God you didn't bother thanking me when I did your English essay."
   "I only do it for people I know appreciate a hot girl."
   "I'd hate to see your attire and pose when someone actually does something that makes your grade decent, not that raising your ACT score seven points to a sixteen isn't valedictorian worthy."
   "Ugh, look I've only done this... The quarterback, that one nerd, that other nerd, that geek, the chess team, the basketball all star, the swim team captain, the guy who sits across from my in Algebra 2... That's only twelve this semester, plus last semester and junior year..."
   "Do mom and dad know?" She stared at me for a few seconds, before laughing- cackling, perhaps,  would be a better word to describe the noise that she emitted.
   "Ya, right. Like I'd tell them."
   "What if someone leaks your pictures?" She rolled her eyes, before the camera's flash went off, capturing her magnificently putrid attitude and my lack of enthusiasm for said attitude.
   "I don't know where your CD is. Besides, who uses CDs anymore?" She replied, ignoring the question.
   "I'll listen to the Mowgli's instead." I turned, before I heard her shrill insult.
   "Uh, pity party much?"
   "The Mowgli's are kinda upbeat and wonderfu-"
   "Shh! Interrupting? Look, you're pathetic and ugh, I mean, are you sure your hair always is that ugly?"
   "I'm positive and might I add, gee, thanks, I'm flattered."
   "OMG. I wasn't done! I have a friend, well, not friend. He's totally hitting on me and he plays, like, football or whaterver. Basketball? A ball thing game. And I've set you up."
   "Pardon?" I asked, turning back to face her. "Set me up, as in a date?"
   "He's super smart, he has like a twenty-two on the ACT."
   "Call, Einstein! I think we've met someone-"
   "Ugh, I know right? Anyways, meet him at That One Place."
   "Which place?"

   "That One Place. The new, trendy place, they only take cash, we went once and you were all bitchy cause you wanted the Italian vinaigrette with your salad but they only did low-cal, organic, lavender, mint walnut dressing."
   "Considering that I've got a tree nut allergy, despite it being rather mild and manageable I still try to avoid eating walnuts."
   "Ugh, just go. Four, okay?"
   "No, thanks."
   "Like, whateves, you're going."
   "I-"
   "Nope, or whatever. You're going."

__________________

   "Twenty-two..." He said, looking as if he was struggling. Our date had been an awkward one, That One Place hadn't had any allergen friendly foods, he refused to pay, despite me only having a bottled water, then, for fun, he suggested we hit up his favorite LA gym. So far, the afternoon hadn't been worth changing out of my sweats into a skirt.
   "Look, I think I'm going to go, you seem a bit preoccupied."
   "Wait, you haven't seen me do pushups yet."
   "I think, while it may be challenging, I'll live without seeing you sweat while on the ground."
   "That's what she said."
   "That's not even relevant here." I sighed, staring at him. Sure, I hadn't really gotten to know Vance, and it had been very award at Remy's wedding, since he was the best man and I was a bridesmaid, but at least we had our geekery in common.
   "Look, Russo-"
   "Ryelynn."

   "Okay, Gluten, you said you liked astronomy." He stopped lifting waits and walked over to me.
   "Physics."
   "Well, my dad donates a lot of money to this one research company, they do, like, quantum physics crap-"
   "It isn't crap."
   "Whatever. And I could get you an internship."
   "Really?" I gasped.
   "Yeah, I mean, I want your sister to send me one of her pics, but other than that, yeah."
   "I think... If she's okay with it, a bikini shot."
   "Alrighty! And I need you to do my college essay."
   "Seriously?" I looked at him. "Anymore catches?"
   "Nah..."
   "Promise?"
   "Uh... Yeah."
   "Thanks." I sighed, but what could I say? An internship was an internship and I was dying to get one.

NOTE: I've published two chapters of With Love, my new legacy, also The Mowgli's are a real, amazing band that I love. I recommend listening to their album Waiting For the Dawn.

Guess What! (Big News!)

   Guess what! No, seriously guess. Done guessing? You never guessed? You just want me to tell you the ne- ahem- the big news? *long, drawn out sigh* Fiiiinnne. I've created a new story! That's right your favorite (and very modest, might I add) author who's created a multitude of failed stories, excluding this legacy, has a new story! I promise you, it won't fail, because a) I'm successful with legacies and b) It happens to be a legacy. Since I'm on the Janes' last generation and I've managed to publish four chapters within a week or two, I figured I needed something to keep me from posting the whole generation in January, therefore With Love was born. Hopefully you'll click the link and check it out, I'm rather excited about it!

xo,
TheJanesLegacy

P.S. Can we start calling me TJ or Jill? I don't want to give out my real name because blah blah I'm part of that generation where everyone actually owning a computer and being able to use the internet was fairly new and everything and ohmygosh you'll be hunted down, kidnapped, and murdered if you give out your first name. So, yeah. Call me TJ (the first two letters of TJL which is an acronym for TheJanesLegacy, so essentially TheJanes) or Jill (what I think the second two letters of TJL, JL, JanesLegacy, sounds like). There'll be a poll.

10.4: Revelations

 WARNING: A bit of innuendos/promiscuous content ahead.

   "It should be in here..." I said, glancing around my parents' bedroom, for dad's copy of I, Robot.
   "Rye, if you don't see it, it's okay." Vance said, nervously. "I thought it's be neat to see, but-"
   "You're just scared that you'll be caught in a bedroom that's door is closed door with your girlfriend." I said, chuckling slightly, taking his hands.
   "Can you blame me? The three men in your family have all promised to kick my arse if I hurt you or mess around with you."
   "Trust me, daddy's bark is worse than his bite, Felix wouldn't hurt a fly, and Chester's in Chicago with that modeling gig."
   "I think you're underestimating them."
   "Aw, your so cute when your worried." We'd been dating for almost seven months and I was still in utter bliss. "I can't believe you're going to the UK for college... I'll hardly get to see you."
   "Don't sulk, I'll come home every chance I get."
   "I know..." I sighed. "Hey, maybe when I visit I'll get to see some Harry Potter or Doctor Who sites."
   "Maybe." He agreed, glancing around.
   "They're not going to come looking for us, they think we're packing up Had's room while she's off at that friend of hers."
   "Which friend?"
   "Blonde, bitchy, named Madison or Samantha."
   "Isn't that the whole cheer leading team?"
   "Adorable, smart, will fangirl with me over books, James Bond, comics, Freaks and Geeks... And people wonder why we date."
   "We'll keep dating, even when I'm in college, too. Don't worry; long distance will totally work."
   "It will!" I full heartedly agreed. People may presume from our matching 4.2 GPAs, ACT scores, love of all things science- except for physiology and geology- and geekery that we'd be a very logical, factually couple, however they should learn not to be presumptuous; I was seventeen, he was eighteen, we were teenagers who thought that our first love would be our only love, an eternal love. We leaned forward, our bodies melding together as we kissed.

   "I can't believe it..."
   "Did you here that?" Vance whispered, breaking away from me. "Someone's in the hallway."
   "My mother and father."
   "What are we doing to do? Oh, God! I'm too young to die! I have college and-"
   "Shh, calm down. They'll hear you. If we're quiet, maybe they won't come in."
   "But, I, death! Arse kicking." He kept sputtering on, a panic jumbled mess of syllables, so I leaned forward, kissing him once more, which aptly shut him up.
   "We'll get in the wardrobe." I gestured to it, as we quietly scuttled to it, like mice. Just as I'd shut the doors, I heard the bedroom door open, my parents in the midst of their conversation.
   "-empty nest. Xavier, soon it'll just be me and you."
   "Oh, oh, it's alright, look, don't cry? I'm sad too, but think about this, we've given them the roots they need to support themselves, now they have to grow wings and fly away, but their roots will always keep them coming home."
   "You're right."
   "And they'll still visit us."

   "I-I know, but married life?"I glanced through the keyhole, seeing my father holding mother.
   "Married life?" I whispered to Vance. "Who's getting married?"
   "I dunno." I heard a dress hanging on a metal hanger rustle, as he scooted closer to me. I felt him reach his hand out for me, probably trying to hold it, however it wasn't the hand that was squeezed. "Second base in the wardrobe." I murmured, amused.
   "Sorry!"
   "Just, calm down, let's go prepare dinner, they'll be here in an hour." I heard the door open, the squeak shut, as Vance moved his hand away from me.
   "Shh, I didn't say stop." He continued, before we knew it, I'd managed to quietly remove my green t-shirt and his pants. We kept kissing, squeezing, as it elevated, soon we were both bare. They say when you make love, if you could call what we were chaotically doing that, your bodies fit together perfectly, like two puzzle pieces destined to click, however with us it was the complete opposite. If was messy, sweaty, his hand caught on my hoop earring, causing me to let out a small shriek, and not one of pleasure. When we finally did reach that one moment, he had to cover my mouth with his hand, which I accidentally bit, which caused him to be even more turned on. It was awkward, weird, and dark, yet simultaneously wonderful, since I loved Vance.
   "That was something else." He said, his breaths deep, husky.
   "It... Indeed. We probably should go back to Hadley's room, finish packing it up before they get suspicious."
   "Alright..."

________________

   "We have a big announcement!" Remy said, standing next to Zander, the boyfriend she had sneaked out to meet three years ago, when I was selling lemonade.
   "You're, like, pregnant?" Hadley asked.
   "No." Remy sighed, her smile appearing to be much more forced. "Hadley, I'm not."
   "Oh... This is boring."

   "Anyway," she continued, "I'm getting married! Eek!" She hugged Zander, whose face was the dictionary definition of blissful joy.
   "I proposed last night, so we haven't worked out any of the details, the wedding probably won't be until both of us finish college, but we're very excited. We do know one, thing, though, I want Vance to be my best man."
   "Huh?" I asked, taken aback. He was my boyfriend, why would my sister's fiancee want him to be the best man at his wedding? "Why?"
   "Rye!" My mother exclaimed. "Don't be rude, besides it makes sense."
   "How?" I calmly asked.
   "You're joking, right?" Vance looked at me funny, from across the room.
   "Yeeaah. Joking." I nervously looked at Hadley, who seemed to be enjoying my confusion a bit too much.
   "Rem's baby daddy-"
   "I am NOT pregnant! We aren't even going to move in together until after the wedding."
   "Whateves. He's your geek's brother."

   "Pardon?" I said, wishing that I could travel through time and space, so I wasn't here and I also had bothered learning about my boyfriend's family relations.
   "You didn't know?" Vance asked. "Can we step out in the hall?" I nodded, standing up, as my family's eyes followed me.
   "So..." I started, once we were alone. "My sister's marrying your brother."
   "How could you not know? Did you not pay attention? That was one of the first things I said to you when we went to get milkshakes on Remy's graduation day. You asked who I was with, I said Zander Kapaldi, you said that names sounds familiar, I said yeah, so does Janes, then we realized he was dating your sister and Felix's friend."
   "Huh."
   "Do you listen to me? How much about me do you know?"
   "A lot! In-"
   "That doesn't involve general geekery."
   "Your name's Vance. You wear glasses."
   "What's my last name? Am I near or far sighted?"
   "Well, you just said your last name. It starts with a... C or K. And you can't see things that are either far away or close up."
   "I know your favorite color, that embarrassing story from third grade, who your first celebrity and non-celebrity crushes were, the first comic book you owned, I know what animal you would be, what you want to be reincarinated as, that you want to travel forward in time-"
   "Okay, okay, you know more about me then I do about you. So? I love you."
   "You barely know anything about me! What college am I going to?"
   "It's... It's in the UK."
   "What am I studying?"
   "Stuff... Look, please don't be upset."
   "Rye, I don't want to be, but I feel like you haven't been paying attention to me at all! I'm leaving to go to college and I'm not sure if long distance is the best things for us. I thought we were serious, but... I don't know."
   "We had sex in my parent's wardrobe, how much more serious can ya get?"

   "Really? Look, I think maybe we should reevaluate our relationship."
   "Reevaluate? As in- No! Please, don't." I loved him so much, I thought I knew things about him, but I suppose I only knew the things that involved things I could fangirl about.
   "I'm sorry." He shrugged. "Hey, with the wedding and all, we'll be brother and sister in-law, that might have gotten awkward." He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.
   "Not yet." I said, grumpily. My first ex-boyfriend. My first love. My first time. My first brother in-law. This, for lack of a better phrase, blows.

10.3: A Date? My Sister? Sure, Why Not?

   "Hey, Rye, I've got a show at seven-thirty, do you wanna come?" Chester asked, as I sat on my beanbag chair in my room, reading. When Felix graduated and moved out, I still had to share a room with Hadley, because the two boys shared a room, since there were only four bedrooms in our home, however after Chester moved out, Hadley moved into his old bedroom and had dad and mum paint it pink. Then, when Remy moved out, to go to uni, Hadley moved into her already pink bedroom, which was slightly smaller then hers, so mum and daddy could make it into an office slash home gym.
   "Sure..." I said, looking up from my book. "Where is it?"
   "Fluke, that small run down club. A record company rep's suppose to be there, we're hoping 63 to 7 will be discovered."
   "You changed the name?"
   "Twenty-First Centruy Screw Ups didn't represent our style that well."
   "Ah." I said, skimming the page of my novel. It was decent, written by an up and coming scifi author, however it didn't compare to the classics.
   "It was 63 to 7 or Panic and Hell Hounds."
   "Panic and Hell Hounds sounds edgy."
   "63 to 7 isn't good?"

   "Oh, oh, that's not what I meant! I like it, it's just not as catchy."
   "Dammit, I'll call Cam, we'll redo the posters."
   "No, no- I didn't." I said, feeling horrid. "Besides, your name doesn't matter, it's the music that counts."
   "True. Anyway, I've got two tickets and I wanted you to come."
   "Aw, that's so sweet, thank you. Can I bring a date?"

   "A Date? My sister? Sure, why not? But I'll kick his-"
   "If he messes up, no need for language." I smiled, feeling flattered that my big brother was so protective of me, though I doubted he'd get to actually kick anything, considering that the date I had in mind was Vance. Since our first date in May, we'd studied together, gone to the comic book stored, talked during school, however it was September and we hadn't gone on an official second date yet.

_________________

   "Your brother's band is good, thanks for inviting me."
   "No problem, I figured that it was about time for a second date."
   "A sec- da- us date?"
   "Erh, I was counting the chess and milkshakes in May as I date. Sorry, I didn't mean-"
   "No, no, don't apologize! You're intelligent and pretty and you listen to my rants about which comic book villains could beat each other and help me apply for colleges, it's just, I feel like I should be the one asking you out."

   "We're not in the 1800's, girls can ask boys out." I rolled my eyes, taking a sip of my virgin cosmopolitan.
   "I know... But, um, do you wanna go steady?"
   "Steady-like serious?" My heart began beating quicker, I'd never had a serious boyfriend, yet I liked him. "Alright."

________________

  "How was the performance?" Chester asked, standing in front of the club.
  "Great! Did the rep like you?"
  "Yeah..."
   "That's wonderful, why do you sound so glum?"
   "She liked me, but not the rest of the band. Or the band at all."
   "Solo career?"
   "No... Not music."

   "Then what?" I asked, curiously, befuddled. How could she like Chester, but not like the band, not like the music, and not want him to have a solo career?
   "Modeling."
   "Modeling? You?"
   "She's married to some big department store co-executive guy and wants me to interview with him."
   "That's... A career." I tried to thread carefully. "I mean, extra cash flow's good, while you're working on your bachelor's and stuff." He was taking online courses, trying to earn a bachelor's in instrumental and acoustical engineering.
   "The headquarters are in Chicago. She wants to fly me to Illinois. Illinois!"
   "So you won't take the opportunity?"
   "I don't know... I mean, the band's not doing well, maybe I need to do this. I could be a model."
   "You'd certainly be a chick magnet." I giggled.
   "Which is why we started the band and I could still play for fun or tips or something... Maybe, maybe I will."
   "You could still." I agreed. "You should do what's best." I said.
   "You're right." He agreed, hugging me. "Thank you, Rye."

10.2: Geeks and Graduations

   "Okay, okay, everybody stand still!" Mom exclaimed, ushering us into position. "Four seconds..." The camera's timer was counting down, as we glanced around, mom standing behind the sofa next to Chester, who was next to dad, who was next to Felix. I sat on the left side of the sofa, Remy was on the right, and Hadley was in the middle, between us.
   Click! The flash went off, as I attempted to smile pleasantly.
   "How's the photo look, Hadley?" Dad asked, as she stood up, glancing at the small screen.
   "Well, ohmigawd, my hair look fab."
   "And the rest of us?" Remy asked, irritated. We'd been attempting to take a photo of us on her graduation day for half an hour, so far none of us had managed to look at the camera, have our eyes open, and smile simultaneously.

   "May I see?" I asked, standing up, as Hadley fluffed her hair, handing my the camera. "We aren't looking at it!"
   "Well, it has to do, can we get going, please? I don't want to be late to my own graduation."
   "Relax, Remy." Hadley said. "I need to look good in this photo, it isn't all about you."
   "That's ironic." Felix muttered. "Beside, Rem's right, we gotta get there, plus I have a customer at three."
   "I need to look!" The middle sister cried out, stomping her foot.
   "Your hair looks good, honey." Mom said. "Surely that's enough? Next year, we'll be taking a picture on your graduation day, the year after we'll be taking one for Ryelynn... Oh." She sniffled. "My babies are all grown up... I think I'm going to need tissues, Xavier, would you please-?"
   "Of course, darling." He said, kissing her cheek, before turning to go grab Kleenex from the bathroom.

___________________

   "That valedictorian's speech was rather..." A moderately attractive man with thick, black rimmed glasses said.
   "Pardon?" I asked, turning to face him, smiling.
   "Oh, I was just saying the veledictorian's speech-"
   "God, I'd rather be tied down and forced to watch The Phantom Menace then sit trhough that pain in the butt speech again."

   "I mean the first three episodes should be considered homicide, they slaughter the story so horridly."
   "Right?! Any self respecting Star Wars fan should agree."
   "Precisely. I'm Vance Kapaldi, by the way."
   "Ryelynn Janes, nice to meet you." We shook hands, his grip was firm, he made eye contact; a decent handshake, something my father said was important. When you're in a business meeting, your first impression doesn't come from your dress or how you introduce yourself, but from your handshake.
   "Janes... sounds familiar. Do you want, to erhm, I mean, uh, maybe, do you eat food?"
   "Yes." I said, chuckling slightly, presuming I'd know what he'd ask next. "I'm guessing you do as well, maybe you want to eat some with me?"
   "Sure! You're not busy, I saw your family?"

   "Oh, Remy, my sister, wants to go out with her boyfriend, my brother has to do a quick checkup on a car at his automotive shop, my other brother has a band practice, then we're all going to go to that Italian restaurant on fifth that was featured in the paper to celebrate around seven, so I've got time."
   "Great." He smiled

________________

   "Best out of seven?" I asked, looking down at the chess pieces. We'd gone to a diner, gotten milkshakes and curly fries, then, seeing the quaint park across the street, decided to play a few rounds of chess. We'd played five games, I'd won two and lost three.
   "If we keep doing best out of odd numbers, you'll miss dinner with your family." He said.
   "You're just happy that you won."
   "Wouldn't you?"

   "I suppose." I shrugged. "Congratulations." I clapped my hands together.
   "Thank you." He said, standing up, taking my hands. "You're very interesting, Ryelynn Janes."
   "Why thank you."
   "And I've had a very pleasant afternoon."
   "As have I..." I leaned forward, closer to him. We were centimeters from him, the guy who was in Hadley's grade, was a huge chess fan and loved Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Issac Asimov with the same passion I did. I looked at his lips, wondering if this is when we were suppose to kiss. This was my first date, this would be my first kiss.

   "Er, don't you have to go?" He pulled away.
   "Oh, yes! I do, I mean, yeah." I looked at my feet, blushing. "Thank you for the entertainment... And the chess lessons."
   "My pleasure, maybe we could, you know, again, you know, this, do it?"
   "I'd like that." And with that, I turned away, heading off to the restaurant, hoping I'd see the adorable geek named Vance again.

10.1: Lemonade Sales and Sisters

   I glumly stood at the lemonade stand, staring into the empty glass jar. I'd been standing her since morning, yet no one had come by, interested in paying seventy-five cents for lemonade. The only person that's passed me all morning was Chester, who was going to band practice; I think their name was Twenty-First Century Screw Ups, however they changed it so much, from Double X 12, to Sock Monkey Scream, to Flying Potato, to Dirty Sneakers, so I wasn't sure. I'd told mum I didn't want her or daddy to micromanage the stand, I knew that she loved coming up with proposals for expansions and drawing logos and creating slogans and he could strategically find the best place on the block, but I didn't want their help; I was in eighth grade for goodness' sake, I could run a tiny lemonade stand on my own.

   "Ryelynn!" I heard the shrill cry of my older, ninth grade sister and knew her face would be twisted into a look of disdain, without even having to turn around.
   "Yes, Hadley?"
   "You're blocking the entryway, ugh, my friends are coming over to my annual end of the school year sleepover, they don't need to see you."
   "And the potential customers don't need to hear you." I shot back, hearing her pad down the porch steps. "I'm trying to earn money for Comic Con in San Diego."

   "Look..." She said, staring off into the distance, over my right shoulder. "I know you're, like, mega, like, unpopular and that has to be hard, because I'm your, like, sister, but whateves, okay? You can't live your social life through me and my friends."
   "I have a social life; just because I'm not going to the pre- and post- football parties don't have a ton of guys, most who are from my grade might I add, asking me out on parental accompanied dates doesn't mean I don't have friends, I have several good ones."
   "Just don't talk to them, okay?"
   "No worries." I said, turning back to the stand.

   "Made any money?" I heard my other sister, Remy, who must have rushed out of the house when Hadley and I were having our tiff.
   "Sadly I haven't."
   "Tragic story." Hadley added under her breath.
   "Where are you headed off to?" I asked my eldest sister.
   "I was just gonna drive to the hospital, do a bit of volunteering."
   "Really?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. She never wore shorts to volunteer, usually it was a nicer blouse and a skirt or slacks, she never volunteered on weekends, also ever since she got her license three months ago she hadn't driven herself to volunteer, she said that the patrons of the hospital were reckless drivers and they might scratch her cherry red, two seats smart car.
   "Yeah..." She trailed off, looking from me to Hadley, who was examining her nails. "Come over her." She took my arm, leading me to the side of the house.

   "What are you really doing?"
   "Shh! Don't speak so loud, Hadley might overhear, you know how vindictive she gets."
   "Sorry." I whispered.
   "I'm not volunteering, I... I have a meeting."
   "A meeting?"
   "At the diner, with a guy."
   "What type of guy?" I asked, curiously. Hadley was a serial dater, if you even call what she did dating, she decided whoever was the most popular fourteen year old at the moment was her boyfriend, they'd hold hands in the hallway, eat lunch together, and that was pretty much it.
   "A friend of our brother's."
   "Oo! A band member?"
   "Not that brother."
   "One of Felix's friends? But he's enrolled in Los Angeles Community College." He was on his second and last year of study to earn an associate's in automotive technology, he wanted to run his own car repair shop and mom and dad, who both went to college, were pretty persistent about the fact that all five us were going to seek some variety of higher education.
   "I know..."
   "You're going on a date with a twenty year old?! You're sixteen."
   "Yeah, well I'll be a junior soon, so..."
   "Does that guy know your age? This is creepy, what if he's a pedophile?"
   "He's nineteen he doesn't know my age and this is why I was sneaking out. Look, we're going to be in a public space, if things seem to be going in a creepy, illegal direction I'll get out of there ASAP and tell mom and dad what happened."
   "Okay..."
   "Trust me, I asked Felix a thousand questions about him and he seems like a nice guy. Honestly. Besides, this is my first date-date, please let me go on it."
   "If Felix was wrong, you know what daddy's going to do to him and his friend, right?" I smiled. Daddy loved playing Mr. Tough Guy whenever the idea of his daughters dating came up.
   "Thank you." She said, hugging me.

10.0: The One With the Missing Shoes

  "How's this?" I laughed, holding up the video camera, filming Hadley spin around in her white and rose, lacy party dress.
   Hadley was, without a doubt, the social child out of me and my five siblings. She was the most girly, the one who insisted on owning a pair of shoes in at least two shades of every color, the one who spent an hour curling her hair, trying to maintain her position as seventh grade queen bee, which is weird, if you ask me, cause it's middle school.
   "No! No, ugh, you're not getting my good angle. I have to send this in to TEEN Fab Fashion mag, you're obviously not, like the right one to get it."
   "You're twelve." I pointed out. "Twelve doesn't end with teen."
   "So? If I send in my fashionable party look, I might get to go to NYC and do stuff."
   "What kind of stuff?"

   "Who cares? Only Jaynleigh Smithers has gone and she thinks she's so cool cause of it, this will take her down a notch." This is why I think it's so weird she's so competitive about her social status; my friends shift every school year, based off of who I have classes with, besides if you do something embarrassing, nobody remembers next week, why try so hard when you can focus on funner things?
   "Isn't Jaynleigh your friend?"
   "I have to be the most popular out of the group. Ashley gets it, so does Scarlet, Marie, and Olivianna. She doesn't."
   "Hadley." I heard mom say, before she entered our bedroom. "Are you ready to go?"
   "Almost." She twirled around once more, before gesturing to me to shut down the camera.

   "We have to get going, your father and I have an important business meeting at ten-thirty." She smiled, looking closer at my sister's face. "Are you wearing makeup?"
   "Yeah, just mascara, lip gloss, blush, and eyeliner, though."
   "Honey, you know I think your too young."
   "Mooom." She groaned, as I stifled a giggle; Hadley had this weird way of speaking that made her sound like she knew more than our parents, yet at the same time the way showed how she didn't. "You do."
   "Yes, well, I'm an adult. It's only because I want you to grow up and feel comfortable with your skin-"
   "Blah, yeah, blah, blah, if we don't we can talk to you or dad. Got it." Mom looked sad; she always talked about how she was there for us, about anything, so was daddy, and she seemed to have a reason for telling us that I didn't know the details about.
   "C'mon." She cheered up, taking her hand. "Dad's in the car, with the present. You have Janie-"
   "Jaynleigh!"
   "Jaynleigh's address, right? I'd hate for you to be late to her birthday party."
   "I do, God." She rolled her eyes, walking out of the room.
   "Ryelynn, Remy's volunteering at the hospital, CHester is practicing with the band at Cameron's, and Felix is out back working on a car. If you need anything, tell him, okay? Your dad and I should be back in no more than two hours."
   "Okay, mum, thanks." I smiled, as she walked over to me, kissing the top of my head. "Oh! And thanks for the music box."
   "What music box?" She asked, looking kinda confused- quizzical, my English teacher would say.
   "When I woke up it was on the table."
   "Hmm... It must be one of daddy's surprises for you, you know how he loves surprises."
   "Ooh..." I began pondering- another word my English teach liked- what it meant. Daddy had great surprises, maybe there was a new book in it, a comic, or something Star Wars or Trek related.
   "I have to go, I love you." Mummy called, as she sashayed into the hallway.

   I ran over to the music box, picked it up, and wound it up, excitedly. I loved mummy and daddy equally, but daddy was special. Mum didn't understand my fascination with Marvel or the Lord of the Rings or Issac Asimov or Neil deGrasse Tyson or Doctor Who, yet daddy inspired the fascination and fueled it. When the lid popped open, I gasped. A note was tapped to the top.

   "Ryie," I read- this note was from daddy, that was his nickname for me, "Prepare yourself, because the theater is having a Hobbit marathon! Get ready for eight hours of Tolkein, starting at one. Love, dad. Ohmygawsh!" I shrieked; I'd never seen the Hobbit movies, but I'd wanted to since the newest one came out.
   I needed to get ready, even though I had time, I wanted to now. I shut the music box, running into the hallway. I needed to find my shoes, where were they? I knew that I hadn't left them in the hall closet where we were suppose to and they weren't in my room.

   Eagerly, I perched myself on the spiral staircases' banister, ready to slid down. Dad said I shouldn't do it, since I could fall and hurt myself, so I didn't... When they were around. When they weren't, and none of my siblings could see and tattle on me, I did it anyways. So far I haven't gotten hurt, so I didn't think I would.

   Maybe my shoes would be in the kitchen? I had the terrible tendency of just dropping my possessions when I had an idea and rushing off, not remembering the location of the dropped things. Glancing inside the cabinets, in the sink, microwave, and garbage can, yet I didn't find them.

   "Dang it." I sighed, looking at the clock. At least I had two and a half hours to find them.

  I wandered into the dining room, not finding them here either. In fourth grade when we had to do a book report, my friend picked Ramona Quimby, Age 8, another kid picked The Cat In the Hat, another picked Nancy Drew, I picked The Hobbit. I guess saying that I liked things people consider geeky would be an understatement. I also didn't think geeky was an insult, it was like saying "Haha, you really like things." and I loved people recognizing that I really loved things.
   "Maybe they're in there." I said, speaking to no one in particular.

   The dress up chest, which was filled with Hadley's old princess costumes- she now considered dressing up like fantasy things babyish- and my astronaut and wizard costumes could easily be someplace I'd mindlessly drop my sandals.

  "Yay!" I exclaimed, finding them. beneath a pink veil. I'd found my shoes, now there was only a few other things to do before an entertaining movie marathon.

Side Note: Can you guess which TV show (that I'm currently binge watching on Netflix) is a reference to?