Sorry it took me so long to get this up!

School had gotten out yesterday.

She would probably sleep until tomorrow.

Or at least, that was the plan, but after thirteen hours of sleep, something—be it your family, your stomach or your bladder—usually wakes you up.

It was the phone.

At noon on that glorious June day, her cell phone rang, stirring her from the most peaceful sleep she had enjoyed since September.

"Hello?" she sighed, rubbing her eyes.

"Del, it's Lori. It's summer!" her friend squealed.

"Yeah, I know…Goodnight."

"It's noon, Del, wake up!" Her friend sounded like she was hopping.

"I know it's noon. That means I've been asleep for less than twenty four hours, so don't worry about me. Goodnight."

"Del!"

"What do you want?" she whined.

"Wanna hang out?"

"Today?" she groaned.

"Today!"

"Fine." She sat up and stretched, yawning. "Swing by my house whenever. Just give me ten or fifteen minutes to get dressed, okay?" The phone on speaker, she set it down and walked over to her closet. "I swear you're worse than—"

"HAPPY SUMMER!" a bright, cheery voice called from outside her door.

"Ooh! Tell Blaine I said hi!" Lori chimed.

"Bouncy?" Del hollered.

"Yeah?" he called.

"Lori says hi."

"HI LORI!"

Lori laughed. "Why's he so chipper?"

"Well, for starters, his blood caffeine content is probably about fifty percent." She rolled her eyes and continued to shuffle through her closet. "And he's had some major cabin fever since Christmas break. I think another week and he would have blown up."

"Ew…would not want to have to scrape him off the walls."

"Nope."

"So I'll see you in fifteen?" Lori asked, as Del pulled on a pair of jeans.

"See ya."

Dressed, Del headed out to the kitchen and sat at the table. Her brother was doing the crossword, sitting sideways on the chair.

"Mom at work already?" she asked casually, flipping through the stack of read newspaper for the funnies.

"It's noon."

Del shrugged.

"So," he slapped down his pencil suddenly and looked at her intently. "Where are you and Lori going today?" He smiled cheekily.

"Um…I was thinkin' the couch." She raised an eyebrow and nodded towards the living room.

"Ha ha ha…" He laughed sarcastically and folded the newspaper. "See, that's not gonna work."

"And why is that?" Del sighed uninterestedly.

"Because. Del," he snickered a little. "Sis. Ol' buddy, ol' pal..." he went to pat her on the head. She grabbed his wrist.

"What?"

He sighed heavily, turned to face her and spoke very fast, "Kurt and I have had today planned for weeks, Del. Weeks! Please, please, please go somewhere else!" He looked across the table at her and pouted. "Please?"

"I don't know. Lori really just wanted to hang out…"

"Please!" he begged.

"Oh, come now! Why can't we all just all hang out together?" She smiled slyly.

His face went from pleading to serious, and he stared at her through narrowed eyes. "What do you want?"

"What ever do you mean?" she asked airily, fluttering her eyelashes.

"Money? A ride somewhere?" He hemmed and hawed for a moment, thinking. "Money?" he finally blurt out, his hands in the air. "What will it take to get you out of this house?" He fell limp on the table, looking up at her pathetically.

"Well, Lori should be here in ten minutes… What about Kurt?"

"Hmm?" Blaine muttered, his cheek still pressed to the glass of their tabletop.

"What time is Kurt supposed to be here?"

He popped up almost immediately. "Soon. Too soon for comfort actually."

"Oh. Just wondering."

"Please just go! Why is everything a battle with you?"

"It's my job. It keeps you on your toes." She stood up from the table and grabbed a pear from a bowl on the counter. "Fine," she spoke between bites. "If I can get a ride and, say…fifty bucks?"—he nodded furiously—"Then I will move our little party to the mall."

"DONE!" He bolted from the table and down the hall, making a beeline for his wallet.

Del sat back at the table, smiling contently to herself.

Then the doorbell rang.

"I'LL GET IT!" she screamed down the hall.

"NO YOU WON'T!" Blaine came running out of his room, around the corner to the kitchen and came to a screeching halt in front of Del, his back to the front door. "I've got it," he said breathlessly, handing her a wad of bills.

"Knock your socks off." She pocketed the money and watched as he turned around and very, very slowly cracked the front door.

"Hey!" she heard someone say cheerily as Blaine stepped back, looking no less than relieved, and let a tall, skinny, frizzy-haired girl in.

"Hi, Lori," Blaine sighed, checking his watch. "Alrighty! Let's go!" He grabbed his keys from the hook by the door and headed towards the garage. Del and Lori stood watching him.

"Where's he going?" Lori asked, thoroughly confused.

"Oh, he's bribed us into going to the mall today." She headed down the hall. "Tell him I'll be there in a minute. I gotta get my purse."

"Will do." Lori then followed the path from the front porch across the lawn, down a few steps into the driveway and over to the garage door.

Blaine was sitting in his car, clutching the steering wheel, his eyes darting back and forth between the space in front of him and the clock on the dashboard.

"Dude, chill," she said, opening the door of the car and taking a seat behind the passengers' side. "She's coming…just grabbing her purse."

"Oh…" he laughed nervously. "Okay." He looked at the clock again. "Do you maybe want to go and see what's tak—?" The door opened once again and Del walked in casually. "Oh thank God," he sighed.

"To the mall!" Del exclaimed, sitting in front of Lori.

The rest of the drive was filled with heavy, awkward silence.

"Now," Del began as they pulled into the parking lot of the mall. "Have a nice day. Don't get into any trouble." The girls exited the car. "Have fun—but not too much fun!" She winked at her quickly reddening brother.

"Goodbye, Del," he said through gritted teeth.

Standing outside of Macy's, the girls watched as her brother's car drove out of the parking lot and down the road.

"Oh yeah," Del said, turning towards the doors of the store. "He is so getting some today."

Lori trailed behind her, giggling wildly. "God, I love summer."

I apologize for the break in the uploading pattern! I spend my summers at an intense theater 'program' (camp) and came home on me knees yesterday. But, I have it for you now! (Yay!)

For all of my devoted followers who are/were wondering about 'Il Divo' I ask you not to worry. That is my major project for the time being and wish not to rush any of it. I will hopefully be writing/uploading the next chapter sometime this weekend, hopefully by Saturday night.

You apologize for long reviews. Why? They are amazing. They are how I start my day. They are what carry me through eight hours of vocal warm ups and a crazy choreographer. I love them. And I love you for writing them. (Feelin creeped yet? No? Good.)

I ask—nay!—request—nay!—implore—nay!—BEG you to follow me on Tumblr. (www . zoey21q . tumblr . com)

THANK YOU SO MUCH!