Anonymous

Four

"Do you guys want to come over this weekend?" Caleb asked on Friday.

"Sure," Chris said. "Any excuse to not be home at the same time as Rowan."

"Your perfect, senior, graduate brother?" Caleb teased.

"That's the one," Chris agreed.

I can't blame him. Siblings are a pain. I could tell you stories about my brother, but no one cares.

"What about you, Jake?" Caleb asked.

"If I can," Jake said, reluctantly. "My grandfather's not in the best shape right now. I'll see if I can get someone to stay with him. Maybe I can talk Aunt Lucy into staying for a couple days while she's around."

"She lives in California," Chris commented. "What's she doing here?"

"She was speaking at the community college about summer internships with her journalism organization," Jake said.

"Has she stopped by?" Caleb asked and he stopped typing. Obviously none of them cared about the history project they were supposed to be doing because the rest followed suit.

"No," Jake sneered. "She left home as soon as she could. It wouldn't surprise me if she didn't show up until Gram and Gramps die."

Harsh, dude.

"Why would she stay, then?" Chris asked.

Honestly, I'm wondering the same thing.

"She tried to get custody of me back in fifth grade, remember?" Jake said. "I think she feels a sense of duty to my mom. Besides, if she thinks she can win me over, she will be all for it."

"Yeah, dude, you need to get out of that house," Caleb said. "Live a little without having to fear for your every move."

Didn't seem like you had much feared when you took spray paint to the wall, now did it, Jake?

"I'll stop by the nursing home as soon as school gets out," Jake promised. "If they can't have someone at the house, I'll call Aunt Lucy."

"Hey," Amie said to Eva and Maggie, "you guys can still come after school right?"

"Of course," Eva said.

"Wait," Caleb called to them. They were only sitting one table over. "You're going to Amie's house?"

"Yeah, why?" Maggie asked, blushing.

Seriously, girl. Why?

"We're neighbors, you know that, right?" Caleb asked.

"So what?" Amie asked.

"Chris and Jake are coming over this weekend," he said. "Do you know how chaotic this is going to be?"

Not chaotic! It will be awesome. Can't wait to see what you guys do. I propose pulling a practical joke on the others. Break into their house, put a remote control car in their room, and make it seemed possessed driving it everywhere.

"We don't have to even see each other," Eva argued.

"She's right," Jake agreed. "Besides, I don't even know if I can go."

"Why not?" Eva asked.

"Someone has to stay with my grandparents," Jake explained, very simply I might add.

"I could ask my parents to check in," Eva offered. "They're always saying they should get to know more people in the area."

"Wait," Caleb said. "Hold up. You guys live in the same neighborhood?"

"Not exac..." Jake began, but Eva cut him off.

"For the sake of simplicity, yes," she said.

"Well it looks like you've got your get out of jail free card," Caleb said.

Ha. Get out of jail free? Yeah, yeah, Eva does hold it. If she rats you out, you could get time. That's true in more ways that your friend knows, Jake.