At Aunt Amy's

Chapter 9: Guess Who's Back

 It's me again!

Now, this time I might take a little longer because God...I've had a long day.

On Friday, I walked to the bus stop earlier (without my sisters) to find an older girl waiting all alone. I hadn't seen her with either Avery or Brenda before, though she looked to be somewhere in between them age wise. And most importantly, she did not look to be a good mood. I did a protocol inspired by Avery on her period. One that I like to call, "Life sucks, amirite?"

Standing next to her and looking up, I groaned, "I actually got sleep last night, but now I have no excuse to be tired."

"Mood," she replied. We went on like that for a while, blabbering about how sucky school days are, and how both of us were apparently "whole moods." Of course, all that slowly subsided when other kids started to walk to the bus stop. But by then, I'd gained this girl's trust (and her Snapchat). Before my sisters could get to the stop, I slipped in a little, "9:30 p.m., Saturday, the pink house over there. Spread the word."

She winked in reply, and I pranced over to the kids my age, with whom I stayed with the rest of the day.

I brainlessly chattered with my fifth-grade friends for most of the day. The second day of school didn't feel too different from the first. It was a lot of "getting to know you," and not a lot of work. Basically, nothing of value really happened to us. So by the time recess rolled around, it was quite the relief.

We rushed and were the first to the swings. We each claimed a swing and we talked for ten minutes while swinging back and forth. I talked a great deal about the fluff they discussed, but always tried to rope it back to "how about another sleepover?" or "Aunt Amy loved having you over!"

They would always respond with something like, "Oh, I wish I could do it again sometime soon!"

But I needed to steer the conversation until they were flat out begging for me to come. So, of course, I started sprinkling in little hints.

"Y'know guys, I don't have anythin' after school tomorrow," I said while the swing rocked me back and forth, the chains squeaking. "And we don't have any dance classes or girl scouts yet!"

"Maybe we could come over!" Sadie called out. I silently celebrating, mouthing my own congratulations. For a second, I forgot to respond.

"Yeah, of course!" I squealed back. "I'll ask Aunt Amy!"

My mission accomplished, I organized times with the other girls. They didn't seem too smart, meaning that it was easy to convince them to show up way past their bedtimes.

"Just have another sleepover and walk over!" I told them, keeping my voice high. "Aunt Amy won't mind! It's just like what we did before!"

"Yeah! I'll ask my mom!" Mary chimed in.

"I think I could make it! Dance doesn't start for a week," Mads added.

"Ya think you guys could get there around 8:30?" I asked them. They all promised to text their mothers, as the pieces all started to be put into place. Once I got home, I took to Snapchat and Instagram. My friend from the bus stop (Lauren, I think her name was), had spread the word pretty nicely. I had about six people added as friends, most of whom were a little older than I. I set up a group chat for anyone who asked about the party, and gave them the information they needed: 9:30, Fern Lane, the pink house.

I asked Aunt Amy for a sleepover in the cutest manner I could muster.

"I know them pretty well by now," I squealed. "They're mothers all said yes!"

I practically squeaked out every single word as if I were a bunny. I almost made myself cringe but recognized that desperate times call for desperate measures.

"Fine, fine," Aunt Amy finally sighed, half from pity and half from annoyance. "You could have 'em over."

I grinned and her and gave her a big hug before running back to my room.

Friday rolled around, and I warned my sisters in advance.

"My friends are sleeping over," I called to Avery when we got home. Without hesitating, she threw her backpack in her "room," stepped inside and slammed the door. I heard her groan from all the way in the kitchen. I turned to Brenda.

"You should probably hide too," I advised.

"I think I'll be-" I cut her off by grabbing her sleeve. I looked her dead in the eye with dead seriousness.

"You. Should. Hide. Too," I stated, emphasizing every word.

"Okay! Okay!" She squealed, snatching her arm back.

"Okay!" I chirped, skipping down to the basement to see if there was anything in the basement I could use for the party.

My friends came right at eight, and by then the family had gotten the message. Aunt Amy left us a pizza and a box of Capri Suns, then told us not to stay up too late. She added in not to be too loud, then went upstairs (where she would stay for the rest of the night). Mads started to excitedly roll out her sleeping bag, but I told her not to break it out yet.

"Remember that video I showed you guys the other day?" I asked them. "The one about soundproofing a room?"

I grabbed a couple of throw blankets I'd hidden under the couch as tossed one to each girl. Locking the closet door, I said, "Let's get started."

After about forty-five minutes late, the stairway was blocked off, and blankets were stuffed into every nook and cranny. I'd stolen Brenda's cylinder-shaped speaker and put on a playlist of the loudest, most obnoxious, and trashiest songs out there. It seemed that the rest of my family had already gone to sleep or just didn't want to see us. Perfect, I thought. My friends were all lined up on the couch huddled around Sadie's phone. Every minute or so, they start laughing then go back to being silent.

While they were distracted I was struck with an idea. One of those ideas that you have to carry out as soon as you think of them. I yelled, "Guys, I'll be right back! Don't touch anything!"

I marched out the door, a few houses down, and right up to the window of that girl Jenna. I knocked on her window, hoping and praying that she was in the room. Luckily, she was sitting on her bed, typing away on her black Chromebook. My hand in a fist, I pounded on her window until I got her attention. She took one look at me and flinched so hard the laptop fell off her lap and landed on the floor.

She stomped up to the window and pushed it open.

"You again?" she demanded, her voice low. "This is the second time this-"

"I'm having another party. Wanna come?" I interrupted, keeping my cool.

"No!"

"Why?"

"Kid, you're like eleven! Why do you keep coming up to my window in the middle of the night and-"

"I'm ten, and how come you came with me the first time?"

Frustrated, she inhaled sharply and asked, "If I go with you this one time, will you never bother me again?"

"Sure, of course!" I squealed. "Come over as soon as your parents are sleeping!"

Once Jenna was over, she sat her ass down on the couch and huffed, "This better be good, or else I'm leaving."

All my friends were sitting in a circle, doing the cup song without any cups. Jenna took one look at them and rolled her eyes.

"When's everyone coming?" Jenna questioned, blankly. I whipped out my phone and checked the time. It was 9:27.

"They should be coming right..." The doorbell rang. "...now."

In walked the Lauren from the bus stop, followed by another girl, followed by a girl with a pixie cut, followed by a short blonde girl who stopped in her tracks when she saw Jenna.