Alice

…

I walk into the Shay's door with the key that Spencer has given me. Spencer has left for the afternoon for a fun filled afternoon of killing virtual zombies with his friend Socko. I've met Socko and his family, they are so weird. Spencer told me thought that it would be good tonight to make dinner for just him and Carly. Since her meeting Nick has been a complete downfall. I drop the groceries on the counter. It's around two thirty right now and I know that Carly is still in school. I open the bags and start pulling out the ingredients to make lasagna. Everyone loves lasagna, a person who didn't like lasagna should just be marked idiotic.

I look over to the computer and think to myself.

" Well, no one is around." I say to myself. I walk in front of the computer and hit the spacebar. I go to safari and type in pandora. I login and click on my 'The Ting Tings' playlist. The song 'Soul Killing' comes on. I get back to my ingredients and start on this amazing lasagna.

Ten songs later I was boiling the pasta and singing their classic song 'That's Not My Name'.

They call me 'hell',

They call me 'Stacey',

They call me 'her',

That's not my name,

That's not my name,

I sing along to the lyrics, completely feeling like Charlie Day's character in 'Horrible Bosses'. I continue to sing along to the song when I hear the front door slam shut. It causes me to jump and I see Carly standing by the couch looking really annoyed. I run to the keyboard and turn down the volume. It's then I notice that Carly is drenched head to toe.

" Oh my god! Carly what happened?" I ask frantically.

" Your brother." She replies. I take a mental step back.

" What?!"

" Spencer was supposed to pick me up from school and forgot because of Nicholas!" She yells.

" I don't think it's Nick's fault. You know how Spencer does have his stupid moments. Maybe he forgot."

" It's Thursday and he always picks me up on Thursday!" She does that annoying sigh and stomps up the stairs. I've never had a little sister before. Little brothers don't like to talk but I know us girls. My big sister instincts are telling me to go upstairs. I look up to the stairs, I'm going to. I first take a towel from Spencer's bathroom. I come up to Carly's door and knock on it. I don't hear a reply. I open the door a bit to see Carly sitting on the futon in her bathrobe.

" Carly." I say. She turns her head to me. I walk into her room some more. Wow, I wish I had a bedroom like this has a teenager. I look down to her face and see water rolling down from her eyes.

" Have you been crying?" I ask.

" No, it's the rain." She replies sarcastically. I take a seat next to her.

" I know the feeling." I say.

" What?"

" I know the feeling for being replaced." She looks at me in wonder. " I dated this guy a long time ago. I know it doesn't relate to your problem but hear me out." I take a breath and she turns herself to me. " We were dating for about three weeks when we both together bumped into his girlfriend from high school. They knew each other so well, like brother and sister, that he completely forgot I existed. It wasn't until a week later when she went off to a work conference that he had realized what he had done to me. What I'm trying to say is,"

" Spencer isn't doing this intentionally."

" When something has been missing, you pay it so much attention you forget what you already have."

" I understand."

" Good." I say patting her back. She dries her tears away with the back of her hand. She looks up at me.

" You broke up with him didn't you." Carly says bluntly.

" The very next day." Carly laughs at my remark. I offer to help dry her hair and clothes. I leave her to her school work. I put the clothes in the dryer. I go back to the kitchen and finish dinner.

Spencer

….

I walk down the hallway with Nick besides me with a smoothie in hand and helmet in other.

" That was so cool how you picked me up from school together." Nick says.

" Yeah, I'm cool." I say, realizing my awesomeness. The imaginary audience in my head laughs. I open the door and Alice is in the kitchen cooking dinner.

" Hey Alice." I say. She turns her head to me and bites her lip.

" Nick, go upstairs to the bathroom." She says.

" But I don't have to go." He says back. She just stares at him and he dashes up the stairs without a word. She walks over to me.

" What was that about?" I ask. She crosses her arms. I reminds me of when my mother used to scold me as a child.

" You know what today is?" She asks back.

" It's Thursday. Wait, is it our one month anniversary?" Being very scared.

" We've been dating for two weeks."

" Oh yeah." I sigh in relief.

" But you see, today is Thursday." So today is Thursday which means…..oh no! Dang it!

" Carly's upset. Isn't she?" She takes a deep breath.

" I think you should talk to your sister." She says. I put my helmet on the coffee table. I start up the stairs. Nick passes me as he comes down the stairs. I come to the second floor and walk down the hall a bit to where her door is. I knock on the door and enter. I turn my head to the bed. Carly lies on her belly reading a book.

" Hey kiddo." I say. She lifts her head up.

" Hey Spence." She says. I come and sit down next to her on the bed. She sits up and puts the book to the side. I quickly look at the title.

" Reading 'The Host' I see. Is it good?" I ask.

" It's good." She replies. I take a deep breath.

" I'm sorry for replacing my love for you with Nick. I've just never been a big brother to a brother."

" I understand. I kind of realized now how much I've wanted a sister."

" Trust me, when you were five you kept on asking mom for a little sister."

" I honestly don't remember that."

" That is because you were five."

" Yeah."

" So…..can you learn to love Nick?" She rolls her eyes and sighs.

" I guess I'll give him a chance,"

" Yeah!" I scream like a little boy. I give her a big hug and run out of the room. I'm gonna tell Alice the good news.

Nick

…

After dinner I stayed back at the Shay's as Freddie and I are going to see the new Chainsaw movie. I've been looking forward to that movie since the trailer on t.v. I sit on the sofa and stare at the black television screen. Freddie and I don't have to leave for another twenty minutes to get to the movie. Yet, I am so bored. Why does boredom have to be a continuous problem for us teenagers?

" Hey Nick." I hear. I turn my head to the stairs to see Carly in her pink cat patching pajama set.

" Hey Carly." There are a lot of 'hey's exchanged in this house.

" Can we talk?" She asks as she takes a seat next to me on the sofa. I move over a bit to give her space.

" I'm sorry." She simply says.

" Sorry for what?" I ask back jokingly. She death glares me. " It's really scary how you girls are good at the death glare." I comment. She laughs.

" I'm sorry for treating you like the devil. I knew you weren't trying to steal my brother away. I really am sorry for treating you like that."

" No harm, no foul. I understand. I've just never had a big brother before."

" And I've never had a big sister before."

" You see, we're both benefitting from this relationship." I say. Carly laughs again and punches me in the arm. We kind of sit in silence after clearing the air.

" So, what are you doing tonight?" She asks.

" Freddie and I are going to see the new Chainsaw movie together. Wanna get out of the pink cats and come?" I say.

" I puke at the sight of blood." She replies.

" Okay then." I say getting up. I think it's the perfect time to head over to the theatre with Freddie. I reach my hand out for the door handle when,

" Nick,"

" Yeah…" I say turning my head.

" We should bond more." She says. I smile.

" Perfect." I open the door and enter into the hallway. At the same time, Freddie opens his door.

" Ready to watch people die of a chainsaw?" He asks.

" You bet' cha brother from another mother." I reply. We walk down the hall in laughter.