The Big Five

25. Several Reasons Why

Beep beep! Beep beep!

I grumbled and rolled over my bed to turn off the alarm. Winter break was way too short. I wished we could have more time off of school.

Groggily, I trudged on to the bathroom and washed up. My hair was a mess. I brushed it down. My eyes stayed half-closed while I brushed my teeth. I probably yawned at least ten times before going down for breakfast.

Pancakes. Thank goodness Mom decided to cook. I plopped down on the seat and poured the syrup over the delicious pancakes in front of me. It was a new year! Yay.

I was thoroughly exhausted. I managed to give all the Christmas presents away, and received quite a few for myself.

Joey, knowing me so well, got me a onesie. Yes, a onesie. It was one I didn't have. A kangaroo one. It didn't really look like a kangaroo, save for the ears in the hood, the color, and the front pocket.

Emma got me an adorable keychain she got when she went to Brazil for Christmas. Amy gave me a sweet drawing of a Christmas tree. Maggie, being the more fashionable one out of the three of us, got us some designer dresses she got from her cousin.

I didn't think I'd ever wear mine. I never like dresses, but it had more to do with how expensive it looked. No way I was going to ruin it.

So, Christmas whizzed by with me having to take care of Jack and Mike at Aunt Josephine's place and then having to put up with those annoying pranks Trey pulled. Seriously. He was supposed to be training to be a cop, not going around and dumping whipped cream in my lotion container.

And now I had to go back to school. Back to studying (yes, I'm a nerd but who cares anyway?), back to Sophie's drama, back to Creepy Caleb(although he's been leaving me alone for awhile), and back to the Big Five. Hooray....not.

I looked at the time. Maggie and Emma were supposed to be here by now. We were supposed to go to school together. Ah, speak of the devil. The door bell rang and I jumped up to answer it.

"What took you so long?" I asked. Oops. Not Maggie or Emma.

"What are you doing here?" I frowned.

"Hiya, Nick!" Joey grinned. "I just thought we could go to school together today."

"Why?" I asked suspiciously.

"The game?" He said.

"Still. I thought you guys quit."

"In your dreams."

I rolled my eyes. "How long is this going to take, exactly?"

"Probably until you give in to one of us."

"Until we graduate?" I sighed. "Why?"

Joey guiltily scratched the back of his head. I eyed him critically. "Joey. There's more to it, isn't there? What did you do?"

"Uh, so, you see....about that...." he smiled nervously. "The bet was that whoever you fall for gets our most prizes possessions. My RC collection, Eric's bike, Roger's paintings, Alex's trophies, and Sam's pocket knife."

"Why would you do that?" I asked incredulously. "You love your collection."

"That's why I can't lose," Joey said. "But neither can the others."

"And if no one succeeds?" I asked.

Joey shrugged. "We were positive one of us would win."

I rolled my eyes. Typical. "What would you need those things for anyway? You don't need the prized possessions of others."