Today, the sun hit at a different angle. It means Spring is coming, and the long nights of Winter are finally over. That's hopeful. One can get tired of the cold and the frost, ice, and snow covering the ground. I certainly was.

Something that's bothering me is that I was right. I thought that maybe I was just overreacting at the time, but I guess I wasn't. Last night, I let my friends tread on me again. They knew that I would show up even though I didn't want to be there. Even they know I'm a doormat. Also, they all knew that Mitch had lost his boyfriend, but of course, Kirstie 'forgot' to tell me.

I need to start standing up for myself. And I will. And I bet it'll hit them hard, but they deserve it. If I stop being such a doormat, people will start to notice me for who I am and stop cutting me out to get the others in the picture more clearly.

Kevin closed the journal, courage written all over his face. The morning was fresh and bright, and he was feeling great. Now all I've got to do is tell them I'm sick of how they treat me, Kevin thought, smiling. He picked up his phone and called Kirstie.

"Hi," her voice sounded slurred.

Kevin guessed she'd just woken up. Well, I do get up kind of early. "Hello, Kirstie."

"It's, like, seven and it's a weekend," Kirstie complained. "Don't get up so early!"

"Sorry," Kevin apologized. But she should be getting up this early, too. "No, actually, I'm not sorry. You should wake up earlier. It's good for you."

"Okay!" Kirstie said brightly. "Thanks. Is that why you called me?"

"No, I think that we need to have a meeting," Kevin said firmly. "Come over in an hour, okay?"

"What about breakfast?" asked Kirstie, wondering why Kevin couldn't wait.

"Eat now," Kevin suggested. "Just be here, okay?"

"Sure, cool," Kirstie agreed. "See ya then."

Kevin smiled. I feel so great and assertive. I'm on top of the world. Kirstie just totally understood that I wouldn't change the time for her. He called Avi with the same results.

Kevin called Scott. "Scott."

"Wha? Yeah," Scott answered. "I'm here."

"We're having a meeting at my house, be here at eight, okay?" Kevin asked.

"Um, that's in, like, half an hour," Scott protested.

"Your point?" Kevin knew that if he just kept pressing what he wanted, Scott would agree.

"I kind of don't want to come," Scott said. He sounded like he was dreading the meeting. "And anyways, what's the meeting even about?"

"We need to talk about working on new songs," Kevin said. "And why don't you feel like showing up?"

"I don't know, Mitch is still sleeping," said Scott, taken aback by the sharpness in Kevin's tone. "And I don't want to wake him up, and I don't want to go without him."

"Why can't you just shake him awake?" asked Kevin. Oh god, this'll take a while. When will Scott realize that Mitch doesn't need another mom? Kevin wondered.

"That's kind of mean, don't you think?" asked Scott, wincing. "I don't wanna hurt him."

"Seriously?" Kevin rolled his eyes. "Pick him up and carry him. Anything. Just be here, okay?"

"Ugh! Do I have to?" Scott complained. "I didn't even eat breakfast yet."

"Why didn't you? It's seven forty," Kevin said.

"Because it's seven forty!" Scott exclaimed. "I'm not usually even up by now! I'm not coming."

"You have to," Kevin insisted, a commanding tone in his voice.

"I don't want to," said Scott, sounding uncomfortable.

"Scott Hoying, you'd better be there," pressed Kevin. "Seriously."

"Uh, okay, whatever," Scott said. He was planning to say that to shut Kevin up and not go anyway. As they say, asking for permission is harder than asking for forgiveness.

"See you then," Kevin said firmly, and hung up. Why was Scott so unwilling? he wondered. It's a meeting for our group. Well, obviously, Mitch. I'm sick of how… protective he is of the little guy. They need to learn that they can be separated.

Later, Scott was thinking. He wasn't going to ditch Kevin like that. He decided that he needed to just tell the beatboxer that he wasn't going to go. He grabbed his phone. "Hey Kevin?"

"Yes?" asked Kevin. Why's he calling, everyone should be here in about fifteen minutes, he thought, confused.

"I, um, I can't go," Scott said nervously.

"Why not?" exclaimed Kevin, anger rising in him.

"Well, Mitch isn't up yet, and I don't feel comfortable leaving him alone," Scott explained. "I-"

Kevin couldn't hold it in anymore. "Mitch isn't the most important thing in the world!"

"What?" Scott asked, surprised. "I-I didn't mean that what you're doing isn't important!"

"Yeah, you did," Kevin said. I've gotta show him that he needs to listen to me sometimes, even if that means being a bit out of line, Kevin thought.

"Uh, no, you're taking it wrong," Scott said, trying to amend quickly.

"You need to come, for the group," Kevin insisted.

"Fine," Scott spat. "I'll go wake him up." He quickly hung up.

Kevin sighed. It took him a while to come around, he thought. But it was worth it. I think that I could get used to everyone else listening to me more. It feels great. I think that Kirstie's the most accepting of my new plan so far. But then again, she's really easygoing. But Scott… Kevin sighed. He's going to be hard to work with.