Deciding on You || a.i. (Book 2)

27 | Ashton

Five is the magic number when it comes to groups of friends. If a group is smaller than that, it's boring as hell and people get left out and, if it's any bigger, everything becomes a shit show. Including the simple act of driving to a bowling alley.

"Shotgun!" Cooper announces loud and clear as he runs out my front door.

Reagan stands up straight in the midst of wiping any leftover s'mores from around her lips. She throws her napkin in the trash before rushing after him, yelling, "Not bitch!"

"Jesus, Rae, there's a seven-year-old in here," I cover my brother's ears, dropping my lanyard of keys onto the ground in the process. Harry rolls his eyes; he's already heard it from me plenty of times.

"You'd be saying it too if you weren't driving," Michael mutters, swallowing the last of his snack before running out of the kitchen, too. "Not bitch!"

Calum and Maddie lock eyes, glaring at each other while I pick up my keys.

She's too nice, though, really. He's nearly an entire foot taller than her, he'd be much more uncomfortable in the middle seat, and she knows it. He grins and leaves, saying the phrase only once he gets outside.

"Looks like I'm sitting pretty," Maddie says, and I take one last sip of water, shaking my head.

"See ya, Spidey," I say, patting Harry on the head. Without a word to her, I take her hand and we hurry to the front yard together. "Maddie's sitting shotgun."

She's been doing so damn well since her dad got back, and she seems to get happier with each day that passes. There's no way in hell I'm letting anything mess that up. I don't care how small it is.

"Uh, no. That's nepotism," Cooper says from beside the locked passenger door, crossing his arms.

"I don't even know what that means," I say, "So, it's not. Michael's always shotgun in Rae's car, anyway."

"We're not dating," The two say at once, like they always do.

Everything was figured out with Reagan's car: Michael got shotgun, Maddie sat on my lap, and everything was fine. But now I'm the only other person who feels like driving and apparently it's a disaster.

At this point, we might as well take two freaking cars. But Reagan had to annoyingly insist that we be as energy efficient as possible, even when her car is in the shop.

Cooper groans, "Well, I'm not sitting on anyone's lap."

"Reagan can sit on me, it's fine," Michael says, and Reagan's eyes widen. She covers her mouth with her hand, and Maddie turns away to keep from laughing with her.

"I'd rather sit in the trunk than watch that happen," Cooper says.

"Why do you always have to throw such a fit?" Maddie asks, and he snarls at her.

"I'm not getting another traffic violation," I say, slipping my sunglasses on. I tug Maddie along and unlock the passenger door for her personally. Cutely, she sticks her tongue out at Cooper before hopping inside. "So just sit somewhere and shut up."

Eventually, they figure things out: Cooper is stuck sitting bitch, with Reagan and Michael on either side of him and Calum plopped down on Michael's lap.

We make it through the drive, but not without several complaints about my music taste and Michael whining about Calum's butt.

I'm not worried, though. Everyone is sure to settle their differences once the drive is over. They always do. As soon as we're not in a car, we're a big, happy family again.