FROZEN IN BETWEEN

BUSTED

JUSTINE'S P.O.V

"But honey, we gotta go to Tampa.  Your grandma needs me."  Mom spoke on the phone when we're on our way back from school.

"Mom, I'm like 5 minutes away from home!"  I argued.  "Can't you take me with you?"

"Maybe not now sweetheart.  Dad and I are already on our way now.  I'm sorry."  She sighed.

"Oh gosh...what am I supposed to do now?"  I stopped in the middle of the pedestrian path, which caused Toby to turn around.

"Can you stay at Toby's for a while?  I'll let you know when we'll come back."  Mom rushed to end the call.  "Okay?"

"Yeah okay, I'll just tell Toby or something."  I glanced at him.

"Great.  I'll keep in touch.  Take care, honey.  I've left you some bucks in your room in case you need it.  Bye bye."  She left me confused.

"Is there...something I should know?"  Toby grabbed my shoulders.

"Mom and Dad are leaving for Tampa right now.  She said grandma needs them.  I don't know.  Maybe I should stay at yours."  I bowed my head.

"Hey, what's so worry about that?  It's Friday night!  We can pull off a party or...barbeque night?  Let's ask Connor and Riley though.  I bet they'll love the idea."  He pulled my hands faster to walk to his house.

"Thank you!"  I decided to cheer the situation.  What else, my parents just liked to do that out of the blue.

"Chill, Justine.  You'll under our protection."  Toby smirked.  Look who's talking, this 13-year-old guy.

We walked as fast as we can to his house, to soon meet Connor and Riley.  I actually liked the idea of barbeque party.  Let's just not think of when my parents will come home because when they do, they will take me from the house.  It's literally across the wall too, what can go wrong.

"Connor!  Riley!  We're home!"  Toby put down his bag on the living room couch.  I followed her.

"Heeey, welcome home!  Why didn't call me to pick you up?"  Connor was the one who noticed us.  "Oh Justine!"

"Hey!"  I ran toward him and gave a hug.

"What is it about?"  Connor took the TV remote to start picking his favorite show.

"Do you guys have to work tonight?"  Toby joined him.

"Not really.  We're just gonna rest for the rest of the week.  Why?"  He replied.

"Justine and I really want to make a barbeque party!  Well, Justine's parents are in Tampa right now so she stays here."  Toby explained.

"Dude, you're brilliant!  I can just invite Thomas and Braiden here!"  Connor clapped his hands.  "You want to prepare it now?"

"Sure!"  I exclaimed.  "We should go shopping or something though."

"Alright!  I'll take the car key."  Connor and his license excitement.  "Hey Ri, we're going out!"

"Whoa whoa where you going?"  Riley just came downstairs right before we leave.

"Toby and Justine have an idea to make a barbeque party tonight.  We're going to shop."  Connor explained.

"Kids, hold on."  Suddenly Joan came up from basement.  "Let me go shopping.  You better prepare the barbeque stuff."

"Thank you Mom!"  Toby jumped around and kissed Joan's cheek.

"Is it okay to have a barbeque party?"  I asked Joan again.

"Sure, little girl.  Sure.  Your Mom just called me a while ago and yeah, you're staying here.  And yeah, a barbeque party is allowed."  Joan winked at me.

"Wow thank you Mom!"  I hugged her too.

"You're welcome!  Okay Connor, let's go.  Riley, take care of them."  Joan soon took her cardigan and walked with Connor outside.

"Ahh this is gonna be fun!"  Toby high-fived me.  "Let's go get all the preparation!"

Riley helped us to put down the barbeque equipment to its place nearby the pool at the backyard.  We also decorated the plates and glasses.  I also made chocolate milkshake to all of us, and some coffee for Mark.  An hour later, Mom and Connor arrived with a ton of food ingredient, so I immediately helped Joan to prepare them.  Right at 5 pm, Thomas and Braiden came over.  It's all perfect before dinner time.

"Come on guys, to the back!"  Joan shouted to Connor, Riley, and their friends.

"Alright Mom!"  Riley was the first landed nearby the barbeque stove.

"Start cooking!"  Mark added.

I just laughed with a glass of milkshake in my hands, seeing how they got every single trouble that might appear when cooking barbeque.  But the smell was amazing over here.  It's not that I don't care about my parents, but this 13-year-old girl needed a simple escape too at Friday night.

"Here."  Toby brought me some food.

"Thank you!"  I happily took it from him and started eating.

"Tonight is perfect."  Toby looked above to the sky.  "I'm glad you're here."

"Uhm...yeah dude, me too."  I burst out laughed.

"Oops!  Oh..."  Toby was shocked by the ringing phone.  It's only me who realized that because the adults were busy cooking.

"Who's that?"  I sipped my milkshake.

"Sheryl."  Toby giggled.

"Sheryl..."  I tried to remember the name.  It's Toby's friend.  I supposed to know her.  "Oh, that Sheryl from across the room?  Oh shoot!"

"Hahaha...  Do you miind?"  He pointed to the ringing call so I nodded.

It took Toby a while to talk with this Sheryl girl.  I tried so hard to remember and finally got a picture of her look.  That brown hair girl from our class but she was separated to another room, which actually across ours.  My mind was thinking of possibilities how Toby might end up having her number.  Also, for a 13-year-old guy, he was kinda too wise to think about that one happy family with 3 kids.