9

                                    

                                          
I sit on Michael's porch swing with his puppy in my hands. Jill and Andrew had shown up, and he explained to them that he was busy, but I don't think they care. They are talking him into going to a party. Doge and I sit with nearly zero cares to give.
                          
"That's fine with me, little puppy, I like hanging out with you." I say and sigh and the puppy looks up at me with understanding eyes, almost as if to say, I feel you, big human. "It's stressful having friends, I don't recommend it." I continue to pet the soft creature as he walks back up to the porch. He sits beside me and sighs, giving me that look. 
                          
"At least give me a ride home. I'm not walking." I say and he nods. 
                          
"Yeah, of course, but maybe you'd want to come with me?" He asks. "It could be fun." 
                          
"I don't do those parties, you know that." I say. He liked the big, extravagant parties where there are people basically having sex everywhere and it's way too loud. If I wanted to go to something like that, I would.
                          
"You sure? You might like it." He asks and I shake my head. "Okay, let's go." He says. I kiss the top of the dog's head and set him down. I follow Michael to the car and get in. "Last chance, babe." He says, hoping I'll change my mind.
                          
"I'm good, really." I say. 
                          
At my house, I get out and walk up to the door as he speeds away. I open it and see five people running up the stairs, Jasper and his nerd squad. My uncle is sitting in the dining room with a book and headphones. I walk over to him and sit in front of him.
He takes one off his ear and smiles. "Hiya." He says.
                          
"Hey. What're you reading?" I ask him and he holds up a Harry Potter book. "Ah."
                          
"Jasper really wanted me to read them, so I figured I'd give it a shot. This Malfoy kid is a total asshat and I'd have shoved my foot down his throat by now." He says and shakes his head. My uncle is a good dad, most parents don't read a 'stupid book' just because their kids would want them to. 
                          
"So. You like them, then?" I ask him and he shrugs.
                          
''They are pretty cool." He says. "Jas has a couple friends over, so watch out because that one kinda has a small crush on you. Jasper chewed him out for it." He says and laughs. "The little fugly ginger boy. Keep your door shut in case he has ill intentions." He says and I nod, trying to hold a giggle back at my uncle's slightly disturbed facial expression.
                          
"Gotcha." I say and walk to my room. I shut the door behind me and skip doen thr staira to fall flat on my bed. I kick off my shoes and sigh. "I need more than one friend." I mumble and as soon as I say this, my phone vibrates. 
                          
I pick it up and answer it. "Yeah?" 
                          
"I'm coming over." I hear Calum's voice and I sit up. 
                          
"When?" I ask him. 
                          
"Right now." He says. 
                          
"Oh, okay. Come to the front door." I say and stand. 
                          
"Can't." He says and I hear knocking on the door to my room. "I'm at your door, already."
                          
"Come in, then." I say and hang up. The door opens and I see his shadow quickly shutting the door and then he goes down the stairs. He appears in my dimly lit room and he hops in the chair by my desk. ''Hi."
                          
"Hey." 
                          
"What leads you to my door, traveler?" I ask him.
                          
"Life is boring, I thought I'd come see you, you aren't boring." He says.
                          
"Oh, how wrong you are." I say and fall back down on the bed. I sigh and look back over at him. He is leaning his elbows on his knees and looks at me intently. "What?" I ask him.
                          
"I'm just wondering why.... Uh, oh, um...." He stops himself and frowns deeply. "I'm just thinking about stuff." He mumbles.
                          
"Nice save." I say.
                          
"Thanks." He laughs. 
                          
"So, if I'm so not boring, what do you want to do?" I ask him and he smirks.
                          
"You wouldn't like the answer." He says and gives me a look and I roll my eyes. The basement door opens and many pairs of feet can be heard. Jasper pokes him head through the bottom and smiles. 
"I love you a whole lot, Molls." He says.
                          
"What do you want?" I ask. 
                          
"Do you have any extra controllers?" He asks. He steps down in my room and I point the black shelf in the corner of my room. He nods and skips over. "How many can I get?" He asks and turns around. He seemed surprised when he sees Calum in my room. "Oh, hi, Calum." He says nervously. 
                          
"Hey, Jasper." He says and gives him a small wave. Jasper goes back to looking through a box on the shelf and he pulls out four controllers. Two wireless, two not. 
                          
"Do you have an other battery packs?" He asks and I shake my head. 
                          
"No, that's it." 
                          
"Dammit, okay, thanks." He says. He looks at me suspiciously and raises an eyebrow toward the boy. I shrug and he leaves. 
                          
Walking across the room, Calum lays on the bed beside me, looking up at the ceiling. "Is he your brother or cousin?" He asks.
                          
"My cousin." I say. 
                          
"He is pretty cool." He says. "A little weird, but cool, I talk to him sometimes."
                          
"I guess." I say. "I find him annoying."
                          
"So, I might be going to a party tonight." He says and turns on his side to look at me. "How do you feel about those? I usually crash them and mess shit up." 
                          
"I've already been invited but I said no." I say and he frowns. 
                          
"Said no to who?" He asks.
                          
"Michael." I say and he mumbles something. 
                          
"Oh well, nevermind." He says. "Mind if I hang around here for a while?" 
                          
"Nor at all." I say.