Through Thick and Thin (Anthony Rizzo)

Family Intervention

Jazmyn

After being away for a while I haven't been up to date on all the fancy technology or pop culture or anything like that. We have phones and stuff overseas but it's not like I can pull out my laptop and keep up with the Kardashians while getting shot at. I have a iPhone but besides texting and calling I wasn't that good when it came to using it. I have social media but I wasn't allowed to use it much in the army, I never had a need to know how to do all this stuff. And this zoom thing... I didn't even know where to start.

So I go to Anthony's place and use his account for a scheduled family zoom my mom was forcing us kids to do. He helped me figure things out and even play around with the backgrounds a little. Anthony sticks around until everyone was on the call before he feeds me to the wolves.

Finally everyone hops on the call and I figure out how to navigate it thanks to him.

"Is that your boyfriend Anthony" my second oldest brother Nathan asks me as Anthony continues to help me find some keys and my eyes get big. I made the mistake of telling them about Anthony just so they can embarrass me in front of him.

"Did you ever tell him that you were born with six toes on one foot and had to get the extra one cut off" my other brother Malcolm chimes in as they gang up on me, like always.

"You had six toes" Anthony asks me and I roll my eyes.

"No, I didn't. I have five dumb ass brothers though" I mumble making him laugh.

"Language" my mom warns.

"Sorry mama" I giggle.

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you Anthony. My sister has said nothing but the best things about you" my only sensible brother, Franklin, says.

"Frankie... don't you start" I warn. He was a big baseball fan and he had been asking me a million questions about Anthony since I first told him about him. And I promised he would meet him but I didn't promise him anything after that.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too" Anthony says. "All of you really. I can't wait to meet you all in real life."

"You're willing to be around my sister that long" my brother Stephen chimes in.

"I surely hope so" Anthony claims as he smiles down at me. I smile back at him before he turns back to the camera. "I'll let you guys have your family time. I'm going up to Jazzies place and eating her food. Call me if you need anything" he insists.

"Will do" I nod.

He takes off and for the first time in my life my whole family was quiet. I know they were all looking at me just waiting for me to explain myself. But they all knew Anthony was my neighbor and that we were hanging out. There wasn't much else to tell them that concerns them.

"Sooo...." Malcom starts.

"I want new brothers" I announce making everyone laugh.

"And I want a sister who doesn't act like she's not totally in love with her neighbor" Malcom counters.

"What is this? Some really cheesy version of the boy next door" I question.

"I don't know... is it" he challenges.

"Listen, I don't know a lot about this Zoom thing but he did teach me how to hang up" I threaten.

"No" my mom demands. "It took us forever for everyone to get on this call we're not ending it."

"Then tell my brothers to stop being so impossible" I beg.

"Boys, behave yourselves" she warns.