A/N: So the Indie Camp Rock Awards have started! You can find them on twitter as IndieCRAwards and www(dot)wix(dot)com(forward slash)indiecamprockawards(forward slash)website(hash tag)(Exclamation point)

I'd really appreciate a nomination or a review, just to know that someone is reading.


"Is it wrong that sometimes I think mom and dad will forget about me?" Amelia asked with a sigh, casting her line into the lake. The former Connect 3 guitarist shook his head.

"No, it's completely legitimate to feel like that Aims." He cast his own line and ran a hand through his graying curls. "I remember when my little brother was born. I was so jealous for no apparent reason." He gave a chuckle, leaning back and let his feet sink into the cool lake water. "This squirming, pooping, crying bundle of meat was distracting my parents from me."

She pondered that for a minute.

If her impossibly sweet uncle could dislike his baby brother, so could she, that didn't make her a bad person. Jason smiled again and nudged she shoulder. "But I eventually got over it, some how. I think I realized that he wasn't personally attacking my quality time with the parental units, at least not on purpose. However, he didn't realize that when our youngest brothers were born."

She sullenly swung her legs back and forth, her toes skimming the surface. "I don't know Uncle Jase, it's like mom and dad are so happy for this new kid. Was I not enough? I don't know." Her brow knotted and she stared at the water. Jason let out a happy laugh. "Well, I guess we know where you got your mind set from."

"H-hey now! I am not as pessimistic as my dad." Jason grinned and leaned back to the cooler, fishing around for a coke.

"Mia, when I was your age I didn't even know that word existed."

"But they're so old, they'll be like fifty something when it graduates."

"Your sibling." She stared at her uncle as he gently tugged on a strand of her hair.

"What?" He gave a small smile and cracked open his drink. "Your new brother or sister. They're not an it, thing, or a invader in your mother's womb. They're your flesh and blood." He took a sip, letting out a satisfied sigh before setting the can down. "Aims, I'm not telling you that this is going to be easy for you but you have to love your new sibling." She grimaces and crosses her arms. "Don't be like that, you're going to love being an older sister. You can show her all the things you loved when you were her age and actually give her good advice."

Amelia turned away from her uncle.

"I could write her an e-mail." She rolled her eyes and picked up her line, giving it a sharp tug for no apparent reason. Jason clapped her on the shoulder and shook her around with a wide grin on his face.

"Exactly!" He looked out to the water and down to his reel. "Oh hey, I've got a bite!" Amelia perked up a bit. "Really?"

"Yeah, help me reel it in!" Even though she knew the older man didn't need the help, she couldn't help the grin that came with being in the presence of Jason. She laughed as he made enthusiastic tugs and pulls, even though he probably just caught a rainbow trout.

When the fish sprang out of the water Mia gave a laugh, rainbow trout.

"Okay, you get to take it off." She stared at him as he held out the fish to her. Raising an eyebrow she looked at him skeptically. He appeared to be serious.

"Uncle Jason, I've never been fishing." But she took the clear string in her hand as the fish floundered in the air, thrashing wildly. His eyes widened and he looked between the fish, her and the lake with clear panic on his face.

"O-oh yeah, I forgot that..."

"You've never taken a fish off the hook, have you?" He tapped his foot nervously.

"No. Caity always does it..." She hated to point out the obvious, but her aunt was no where in sight.

"Why don't we just cut the line? Throw the fish back that way?" She offered with a shrug.

"Why are we throwing the fish? Can't you just set it back in the water and let it swim away?" Again she shrugged, but they set the fish in the water and cut the line.

"Well," clapping his hands together and plopping back down on the pier, "guess that just leaves you, doesn't it?" She smirked.

"You didn't bring extra hooks did you?"

"Don't tell your father."


Dear Amelia,

I want you to know that it's never weak to be afraid of how you feel. It's not something you need to run away from or hide from other people. More than likely there's someone who's going to understand how you feel, and are more than happy to listen. I know that I will always be there. That's what family is about, loyalty. Family is so much more than blood; It's understanding, complex, comforting, and loving. It's something that you should never turn your back on.

Your mother didn't really have that from her own mother, and it makes it hard for her to believe that she's worthy of a family and I hope that she learns that when you come around. She's like my little sister, your mom that is, and I'm trying my best.

Just know that when you finally exist, I'll be there for you too.

For whatever you need.

Love,

Uncle Jason


Jason's house was built for a family, Ella decided as she stared at the ceiling in his guest room.

Fully furnished, decorated, well lived in, and ready to move into. It didn't feel stuffy, like some houses did, it felt more like a home that Jason lived in every day instead of just a few weeks out of the year. The sun shone inside and Ella burrowed further under the soft moss green comforter, she didn't want to be awake. She wanted to pretend that she was already in her dorm room and living on her own. Not that she didn't like living with Jason, but she hated the unsettled feeling that she felt like she was taking advantage of their friendship. It was her day off, why didn't her brain realize that too? She really didn't need to stress out on her day off.

The door creaked and she peaked out from the comforter again. Jason grinned at her from the door and waved a bit.

"Did I wake you up?"

She groaned pathetically as she stretched and arched her back. "Nah, I was having problems sleeping anyway."

"Great, I made breakfast."

Ella bit back a sigh.

"M'kay, how much is groceries?"

Jason paused in the middle of shutting the door. "What?" His eyes narrowed as Ella swung her legs out the bed and headed towards her purse. She had to be joking.

"How much were the groceries, Jase."

"You've got to be kidding me." Jason groaned, slamming the door behind him and brewing on his way to the kitchen. He could hear her feet dashing after him and Ella rounded the corner in time to watch Jason dump his chocolate milk down the drain.

"Jason, seriously! What did I do?"

Jason turned away from the sink with a grunt and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't want you to pay for groceries, Ella. You don't have the money for that and it's not like it was expensive anyway. Can't you just accept my help?"

Ella stiffened.

"Well, I'm sorry that I'm being such a pain." Jason sighed rolling his eyes with a small smile.

"I'm sorry, I didn't phrase that right. Usually it's just Nate that has that problem." She couldn't help the tiny grin that blossomed because, despite what the other two Gray brothers thought, they all had their verbal short comings. But Ella nodded her head anyway.

"Okay I'm just a little annoyed that you seem to think that you're taking advantage of me and my home, because you're not and I invited you to live with me. You think that you're being a hassle, when you're totally pulling your own. Don't think I haven't seen you cleaning." Ella's blush spread from the tip of her nose to her hair line.

"I- I just..."

"I get it Ells, for you everything has always had a price." She nodded reluctantly. "We're friends, friendship is free." Ella grinned slightly.

"Are we going to hug this out?" She asked, holding her arms open.

"Don't we always?" Jason laughed, squeezing her tight. "You can always count of me, Ella. No matter what, you can always believe that."