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THREE

"I am not anti-social. I'm just really pro-me."

: :

"I realized that this is where my heart is

Now is the time to finish what i started

Can't worry bout what other people might say

It's who i am

Gotta live my dream my own way"

I danced around the kitchen, waiting for my popcorn to cook as I sang. I glanced at the wall clock that read 6.30pm.

"Work work it harder

Gotta take it farther

No holding back

You know we gotta do it right now

Be even better

Work work together

It's now or never

Show em how we shine we gotta"

With my fist as a microphone, I sang with all my might.

"Push it, push it

To the limit, limit

'Cause we're in it to win it, in it to win it, oh yeah

Push it, push it

To the limit, limit

Give it all we can give it

We're in it to win it, oh yeah"

The microwave beeped and I danced over to it, opening its door by the push of a button and shaking the still-popping packet. Humming to myself, I grabbed a large bowl and poured the popcorn into it.

"Bubbles! I knew that was your delightful voice I heard."

My hand froze over the bowl and a slow grin lit up my face. I placed the half-empty popcorn packet onto the bench and slowly turned around to face my Dad, my grin now a beaming smile as I took in his tired appearance.

"Daddy!" I squealed like a five year old and took running steps to fling myself into his arms.

I felt Dad chuckle as he wrapped his strong arms around my body, lifting me up into the air and spinning me around slightly.

"I've missed you, darling," Dad murmured into my hair.

"I've missed you too Daddy," I whispered back, squeezing him tightly.

My father works for this huge science company down in Quaintsville, so he usually stays away for long business trips that could sometimes last for weeks on end. When he comes home, however, it's only for a few days or so, depending on how the company is.

"So, what have you been up to?" Dad asked as I pulled away from him. "How's school? How's Robin? Do you have a boyfriend?"

I laughed at his series of questions. "School's fine; I've been keeping up my marks just like you asked. Robin's fine as well, and no, I don't have a boyfriend. As if Brick would ever allow it." I laughed bitterly.

Dad, however, grinned. "Glad to see your brother's been keeping his over-protectiveness up while I've been gone." He chuckled. "Speaking of Brick, has he been suspended yet?"

An amused voice suddenly appeared from behind Dad and I: "Wow, Dad, thanks for the vote of confidence."

I glanced over at where Brick was leaning against the kitchen's doorframe, his arms folded and a smile turning the corner of his lips. Dad grinned at his only son.

"Only making sure, son," he said gruffly before walking over and embracing Brick.

I smiled, happy to have Dad back for however long he would be home, and returned to my task of filling the bowl full of popcorn.

"So, what are you two up to tonight?" Dad asked, leaning against the kitchen counter as Brick opened the refrigerator in search of a drink.

I shrugged. "Just a quiet night with me, myself and I. Oh, and the popcorn of course." I smiled and popped a piece of the delicacy into my mouth, savoring the taste as it melted on my tongue.

Dad laughed. "And you, Brick?"

My brother shrugged as he gulped down a glass of fizzy drink, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Probably the same. Maybe watch a movie or two… read a book…"

"Oh, yeah, that sounds exactly like my son," Dad chuckled sarcastically. His voice suddenly became overly-loud as he said, "Well, your Mom and I are going out to dinner tonight and we probably won't be home until late, so I don't want to come home and find you still awake at two o'clock in the morning. Also, I'd like the house to still be in one piece when we come back."

Suddenly, Dad cast a quick look towards the hallway before leaning towards Brick and whispering, "You can have a party if you want to, but don't let it get out of hand. We don't want the neighbours to complain. Also –" He lowered his voice even more so I could only just catch the next whispered sentence, "don't tell your mother."

Brick beamed at him, before nodding, his expression somewhat serious as he said, "As you wish, sir."

I grinned, munching on another piece of popcorn. That was the cool thing about our Dad. Even though he was serious about more important things, he knew when to be lenient on the strictness and give us a bit of freedom.

"John! We should be leaving now otherwise the restaurant will give away our reservations!" Mom called from near the front door.

"Well, I'd better get going then," Dad said. He gave Brick a one-armed 'man' hug and kissed me on the top of the head before whispering, "Remember, don't let it get out of hand." Grinning, he left the kitchen.

Brick sighed. "I love our father," he said as the front door closed and our parents' car sped off.

My eyebrows suddenly drew together in a slight frown. "You're not planning on actually having a party, are you? I already told you tonight's my Me night."

Brick laughed, shaking his head slightly. "I remember, I remember." He headed toward the kitchen door.

"Hey! You didn't answer my question! Are you having a party or not?" I called after him.

Brick simply flashed a mysterious grin at me over his shoulder and disappeared upstairs. I grumbled after him, grabbed my bowl of popcorn and headed for the living room.

I flopped down on the couch, emitting a long sigh of contentment. I snuggled into the pillows and glanced down at my clothing: an old blue oversized shirt and a pair of Brick's old black basketball shorts. Perfect for a night full of kicking back and relaxing… Oh, and watching some of my favourite movies, of course.

Grabbing the remote, I settled back for a long night of Me Time.

: :

I sniffed.

My eyes flooded with tears as Liesel finally kissed Rudy and declared her love for him. My popcorn lay forgotten next to me as a single tear slid down my cheek.

"Surrrprise!"

I jumped, a terrified squeal escaping from my lips.

Suddenly, laughter filled my ears.

I paused The Book Thief and twisted around on the couch to see Boomer standing in the living room doorway, laughing. My eyes narrowed in a glare and I picked up one of the harder pillows on the couch, throwing it with all my might at the still-chuckling figure of my brother's best friend.

"Ow, Blue, that hurt," Boomer complained, still chuckling with amusement. He straightened, took one look at me and his expression changed from laughter to seriousness. "Blue, are you… crying?"

"No!" I quickly turned away from Boomer, furiously wiping away the dampness on my cheeks.

Before I knew it, Boomer had jumped over the back of the lounge and was sitting next to me, his arm resting on the back of the couch and his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"What happened?" he asked quietly.

I sniffed and glanced toward the T.V. screen, where the picture of Liesel Meminger and a dead Rudy Steiner mid-kiss was still displayed. Boomer followed my gaze and I saw the corner of his mouth twitch.

"I should have known…" Boomer began, his voice lined with amusement again, "The Book Thief always gets to you, doesn't it?" Boomer was one of the few people who knew how much the book -and the movie- always made me cry.

I grumbled, "Shuddup!" Wiping my eyes, I asked, "So, why are you here anyways?"

Boomer grinned. "Do I have to have an excuse to visit my all-time favourite Utonium twin?"

I fought back a laugh and instead fixed Boomer with a serious look.

Sighing, Boomer said, "Fine. Brick's having a party. I'm one of the first to arrive."

My eyes narrowed. "That little asshole! He knew I wanted some Me Time! He knew tonight was my night!"

Boomer snorted. "Me Time?" he repeated, laughing.

I sighed, rolling my eyes as I turned off the T.V. and stood up.

"Hey! Where're you going?" Boomer asked as I headed for the stairs, taking my popcorn with me.

"Do you really think I'm going to stay down here and watch a group of drunk guys and girls rub up against each other? I don't think so. I'm going up to my room."

Ignoring Boomer's complaints, I turned to the staircase and headed up to my room.

: :

'Thump, thump, thump!'

I groaned and pulled my pillow over my head, trying to block out the loud bass that vibrated throughout the entire house, rattling my teeth and causing my headache to spike. Don't these people realise that it's a school night?!

Rolling over on my bed, I glanced up at my alarm clock. 9.14pm.

"Not cool," I muttered as the sounds of a high-pitched giggle and a deep chuckle reached my ears; obviously a couple looking for a private place.

Suddenly, my bedroom door burst open. Expecting the couple to be the ones intruding upon my privacy, I leapt to my feet and opened my mouth to yell.

"GET OUT OF MY BEDROOM YOU HORMONE-PUMPED – Robin?" I stopped halfway through my angry ranting at the sight of my beaming best friend.

"Hey girl! Why didn't you tell me you had a raging party at your house tonight?!" Robin said, her voice loud so I could hear it over the near-deafening music that had entered the room when the door opened. "I had to find out from your dear brother!"

I sighed, crossing my room and slamming the door shut, not wanting anyone to walk past and see me in my shirt and shorts. "I didn't want to invite anyone over when I am so obviously not in a sociable mood right now."

Robin rolled her eyes. "Oh, you're such a party pooper, Bubs! Come on, loosen up a little! You know what? I think I'm going to find you a cute little outfit and then your gonna strut your stuff all the way outside. That's where the real party's happening!"

Before I could protest, Robin had flung open my wardrobe and was flinging a large assortment of clothes my way. After a few minutes, I finally gave in to her love of dressing people up, after making her promise that she'd let me go to bed in an hour after socializing with the randoms downstairs.

Robin's hard to strike a deal with, I'll tell you that much.

Finally, after a few minutes of undressing and redressing, I came out of my walk-in wardrobe with the "perfect" outfit, according to Robin.

I was wearing a short sleeved black crop top with some blue shorts – "simple yet effective" being another short quote from Robin on the outfit. I, myself, was completely stumped as to why I was dressing up to go into my own backyard!

"I don't know if I want to go down there, Robin," I said, unsure as I glanced out my window at the mass of people milling around my pool outside. "I think I might just go to sleep…"

"No, Bubs, you promised!"

I turned to look at Robin to see her putting on her best puppy eyes, her great blue orbs pleading with me.

I let out a long sigh. "Fiiine," I gave in. "But not past an hour, like you promised!" I exclaimed as Robin grinned, clapping her hands together excitedly.

"Yeah, yeah, I hear ya," she said impatiently, grabbing my arm and tugging me toward the door. "Now, get your gorgeous self downstairs!"

Before I knew it, Robin had dragged me all the way downstairs and outside where most of the partygoers were gathered.

Some people were dancing to the blaring music on a stretch of grass next to the pool, in which some of the more daring people were swimming in the cold water. Most of the teenagers, however, were standing or sitting around in groups, drinks in hands as they talked and laughed loudly.

I spotted Brick and his friends sitting by the pool, surrounded by the largest group of people in the backyard. Boomer caught my eye from across the pool and grinned.

"Look who decided to finally show up!" he called, waving Robin and I over to their group.

"Well, well, well, doesn't someone seem happy to see you?" Robin murmured in my ear as we headed over.

I frowned. "What? Who? Who seems happy to see me?" I asked, utterly bewildered.

Robin simply giggled and pushed me slightly so that I stumbled in front of Boomer. He threw out his arms to steady me, chuckling, "Woah, steady there Blue! How many drinks have you had already?"

I simply stuck my tongue out at him and turned to Robin with a questioning look. She shook her head, smiling.

"Hey, Robin, you want a drink?" Mitch called from where he was sitting on a deck chair next to Brick.

Robin's cheeks suddenly flooded with colour, but I think I was the only one the noticed, what with the darkness and all. She opened and closed her mouth a few times before simply nodding. Mitch grinned and stood up to fetch her drink.

Brick and I exchanged a knowing glance. Everyone in our group knew that Robin and Mitch had had a "secret" thing for each other since eighth grade. It seemed as though it was just them that didn't realise it.

Hmmmm… I must remember to get them together before the end of the year…

Suddenly, Boomer held out a drink underneath my nose. One sniff told me it was alcoholic, but not too strong. Even though Boomer was just my friend, he was still just as protective as Brick.

"I thought you said I'd already drunk too much?" I teased, reaching up to take the cup.

"Well, if you want to be like that…" Boomer held the drink tantalizingly out of my reach.

I narrowed my eyes and lunged for the drink, catching it in my hand before Boomer could react. "Thanks!" I said brightly, sipping the alcohol.

He simply laughed.

I spent the rest of my hour sitting in between Boomer and Todd, joining in with the conversation and times, but mainly laughing at Mitch's jokes and stories. Finally, I decided I could escape the party without Robin noticing and slowly rose to my feet.

"Where are you going?" Boomer asked suddenly, noticing my sudden movement.

I pressed my finger to my lips, signaling him to be quiet, before gesturing to where Robin sat staring into Mitch's eyes and then up towards my bedroom upstairs. Boomer mouthed: "Do you want some company?"

I frowned. Why did Boomer want to come upstairs with me instead of staying down here where all the action was? Finally, I shrugged and nodded, allowing Boomer to stand and walk with me across the backyard.

"Why are you going to bed so early? It's only ten thirty," Boomer said as he held the back door open for me.

I shrugged. "It's a school night and, unlike you, I don't plan on falling asleep during my classes," I added before Boomer could say anything.

He simply grinned and shrugged. "Your choice."

We walked through the house and up the staircase to my room. I paused with my hand on the doorknob, turning to him.

"Do you want to come in for a while? To talk or something?" I asked.

Boomer sighed. "I would but I think Brick might kill me if I'm up here for more than five minutes. He'd think something was happening." He winked. "Besides, I thought you wanted to go to sleep."

"Well, I did… I do… shut up," I said, sticking my tongue out at him.

Boomer laughed. "Alright, I'll see you tomorrow then," he said.

Suddenly, Boomer made a strange jerking motion with his head, leaning down toward my face, before drawing back, his eyes wide with obvious shock.

I stared at him. "Uh… What the hell was that?" I asked, dumbfounded about his strange behaviour.

"I just – I mean, I didn't mean to… I didn't… Good night," he blurted out, holding his hand out as if he wanted me to shake it.

I looked at him strangely before grinning and hugging him. "You're such a weird one sometimes, Boomer. You know that, right?"

Boomer seemed to stiffen for a moment before relaxing and hugging me back with a small laugh. "Yeah I know… It's one of the many reasons you love me."

I snorted and pulled back from the hug, smiled up at him and entered my bedroom, closing the door behind me. I listened to his footsteps on the staircase before changing back into my oversized shirt and shorts and climbing into bed.

The party going on outside was quickly forgotten as I snuggled deep into my blankets, and fell asleep asleep almost immediately.

~End Of Chapter~

OMGGG! The Book Thief is hands down my favourite book and you have no idea how happy I was that the movie didn't deviate from the actual storyline :)) I recommend it 100%.

OK, so I know it doesn't seem like the story is picking up, but I promise you in the next chapter the plot will start coming out and things will start happening! Keep reading please and keep reviewing. It keeps me going!

BTW, the song is from Jump In! in case y'all didn't know :)

Thanks a bunch,

~Shiloh