Toaster Notes From My Best Friend the Dating-Optimist (A Christian Romance)

Chapter Four

I'm jerked out of my nap by the weight of an eight year-old on my stomach.

"Noah," I groan. "Why are you sitting on me?" I open my eyes.

He's smiling.

"Dinner's ready." He chirps. He makes no move to get off of me - he knows I don't like it when he sits on me. I've lectured him multiple times on the fact that I have a personal space bubble.

I wonder if the information simply doesn't reach his brain, or if he chooses to disregard it.

My bet is on the latter.

    "Coming." I look at him pointedly. It takes him a few seconds to come to the realization that I can't go to dinner if he doesn't move.

He scrambles off of my stomach, glancing over his shoulder as he walks to make sure I'm following him.

My phone buzzes on the way by.

Asia W - 6:37pm

Hey! So turns out that Anton and I are going to go bowling instead - we both have homework to get done.

Me - 6:37pm

Cool! Have fun!

Asia W - 6:38pm

Want to join us? Anton said he can get one of his friends to come along for you.

I'm not surprised. It took her less than twelve hours to bring this back up. To try and make me back into some semblance of a normal human teenager. I smile a little - despite myself. I continue to text as I walk down the stairs - something that is explicitly forbidden in the Oswald house. If you have a cellphone, you use it responsibly. That includes not walking down the road and texting and not walking down the stairs and texting. My parents made a little list that Danny, Emery, and I all had to sign when we got our phones. Mine is a 4S, which was a few years old when I got it. Practically nobody has one anymore.

Me - 6:39pm

No thanks - you guys go have fun.

Asia W - 6:39pm

Are you sure? I think Anton already called his friend.

Me - 6:40pm

I'm sure. I've pretty much blown my 'Affordable Entertainment' budget for the week on a restaurant for my blog - sorry As.

    I feel a little guilty about the excuse I've just given. While it's true that I've already spent my Fun Stuff Cash (yes, I actually call it that. I've got a jar with a label on it and everything) for the week, I don't tend to use my I live in a house with eight kids so I can't do all the things that you can excuse - especially not with Asia. She understands that there are six more mouths to feed in my household than hers - seven if you count Hazelnut. She never wants to do anything expensive. Bowling is $5 an hour. It's not like I couldn't have scrounged up the money - had I really wanted to go.

Asia W - 6:43pm

    Okay.

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I know this is a bit of a short chapter, but the original chapter was a bit longer than I wanted it to be - so I was forced to split it into two short-er chapters.

Question - I'm still trying to decide who should be cast as Asia and Rory. I'm also at a loss for Emery. Any ideas?