Beeeeep.

Ok. Dad, and Kevin are probably home now.

Austin grudgingly rolls off my bedspread and yawns.

"Maybe we shouldn't have texted so long last night." He said, obviously sleepy.

"Yeah. Especially since you're here now." I say, getting to my feet and following him downstairs.

I hear everyone's voices in the kitchen, and see that Ellie is still watching TV in the living room.

"You're back." Austin said, then placing his arm on Corey's head like an arm rest.

Corey fought off his arm and Austin smiled.

"Yeah. Thank you." Kevin smiled at Mom and Dad.

"No problem honey. Good game." Mom said.

We just got back ourselves from his game about 30 minutes ago.

Kevin should feel better now. I know he's mad about what happened the other day with his girl, but he took out his frustrations today.

Before the game it was obvious he wanted to play well and dominate. It was just obvious by how he was walking around.

Austin thought it was funny, but pulled him aside and told him to take his time.

He did. Went 3-3.

All 3 home runs.

He came up to bat 4 times, but got walked like Austin did.

Ellie said just that as it was happening. Austin just sipped his raderade and frowned as they put him on base.

But Matt bailed him out by hitting a home run of his own.

Dad wasn't thrilled by the little jump celebration thing they did at the plate, but I think he earned it.

He did great.

Afterward Austin, Ellie and I decided to come home.

Matt's parents took him home, and Mom and Dad took my brothers for frozen yogurt and promised to get us some.

"For you." Austin presented me my treat, complete with spoon.

"Thanks." I smile, then open the container and take a bite.

Mmmm…

"Thank you." Ellie said happily behind me.

"No problem angel. Happy to do it." Mom said.

"So what are your plans for the rest of today?" Dad asked.

"I don't know. Maybe a nap. I was up too late last night." Austin said, covering up a yawn.

Mom smiled gently.

"Texting Sydney, yeah." Ellie quipped.

I spin around and glare at her.

"You just love doing that don't you?" I ask.

"Yup." Ellie smiled.

"That's why we have unlimited texting." Dad said simply.

"I don't have unlimited texting." Kevin said.

"Because you never have texted much. And if you don't text, better to just save even a little money." Mom reasoned.

"Well can I get it? I'm going to be texting a lot soon I think." He said.

"Sure. You're due for an upgrade anyway." Dad said.

Kevin lit up. "Really? That easy?"

Dad laughed and Mom asked "Who said it had to be hard?"

"I still can't get a phone can I daddy?" Corey asked.

"Nope bud, sorry. You have to be 10 at least."

"Hey. I got mine at 11!" Kevin said.

Mom and Dad both hit him with a quick glare.

He smartly shut up fast.

"Aww. You sure daddy?" Corey looked sad.

"Yeah bud. Why do you want a phone?" Dad asked.

"For all the fun games."

"You don't have to have a phone for the games." Ellie blurted out as Mom looked to me.

"Do you still have your pearTouch?" She asked.

"In my room, yeah."

"Ok. C'mere. You left something down in the studio."

"I did?" I ask, following mom.

"No, you didn't. But you did leave a bag of pretzels on my switchboard a few nights ago." She softly frowned at me.

I cringe.

Uh oh.

"I'm sorry."

"It's ok. No harm no foul. But if you do cause harm, it's coming out of your first song alright?" Mom said.

"Ok." I say.

I don't really have any wiggle room.

"Great. Now, I'll give you $100 if you give your pearTouch to Corey."

What?

I don't use it, haven't since I got a new phone.

Only reason I got it was because I broke my old phone and had to wait 2 months for the newest model to come out.

Mom and Dad refused to buy something that was about to be rendered useless.

"Deal!" I yelp, shocked.

"Great. Now, I have an idea for what you and Austin can do today."

"What is it?" I ask.

"Go onto splashface and answer some questions. It's fun and your fans will get to know you a bit."

They know me.

I post 3 or 4 times a day. Sometimes more.

"They know me already."

"You think so, but you'd be surprised what they ask. It's interesting to see what people come up with." Mom said, then started leading me back upstairs.

I take the lead and walk back to my fro yo and start eating again.

"You can have my pearTouch." I smile at Corey.

"Really?" He beamed, then put down his snack and tackled my waist.

"Thank you sissy!"

I smile and hug him back. "I'll get it late this afternoon ok?"

"Okay!" He beamed, then raced back to his snack.

"Hey, Mom gave me an idea on what we can do today." I say to Austin.

Ellie gives me an odd look, but I ignore it.

"What is it?"

"See what questions people can come up for us on Splashface. Like a Q & A session." I say.

"Great idea!" Ellie and Austin say simultaneous.

"JINX!" They yell.

"DOUBLE JINX!"

Austin takes a quick step towards Ellie, and she flinched.

"Triple jinx!" Austin beamed. "I win."

"I…that's not fair!" Ellie appealed to Mom and Dad.

"Nice jab step." Dad said to Austin.

"Sorry, you lost." Mom said.

"Some help you guys are…" Ellie grumbled.

"Well, while you guys do that we're gonna go play NextBox. Bye!" Kevin said, dumping his trash in the trash can and racing after Corey.

"No running!" Dad yelled after them.

"And you need to change Kevin!" Mom added on.

"Okay!" Kevin replied.

Austin took the final bite of his treat then took my trash and his, combined them and threw them away.

Ellie moved to throw hers away, but Austin also took care of hers.

"Aww. So you two do get along after all." Dad teased Ellie.

She stuck out her tongue and said "I think I'll do the fan thing too. But I'll be on my phone watching TV." She said, then walking over and plopping down onto the couch.

I grab Austin's arm and start pulling. "Come on."

He dragged his feet and said "I guess I'm going."

Mom giggled. "Yeah."

"COME ON!" I yell.

He's heavy.

He took one step, then picked me up and tossed me over his shoulder.

"This is better." He said, as Dad pulled out his phone.

I smile and Austin did the same as Dad took the picture.

"I'll post it. Go." Mom said.

"On it." Austin said, and then whisked me upstairs.

He gently deposited me onto my bed and kissed me softly.

"Can I borrow your hat?" I ask.

He grabbed it and slipped it onto my head.

"Thank you." I say, then grabbing my laptop.

"This is a good idea your mom had."

"Yeah, I—"

Beeeeep.

I stop and look to Austin, who looks confused.

"I thought everyone was home." He said to me.

The sound of someone running up the stairs makes me turn to the door in time to see somebody wearing a backwards hat rush by.

I turn back to Austin. "It's Matt."

"And me too." I hear someone say softly.

Out of shock and surprise, I scream and fall off my bed.

The sound of laughter makes me pop up and see Austin smiling at me.

Then I see Aunt Jade.

"Hi!" She smiled.

"Hi. You scared me!" I say, climbing back onto my bed.

"Sorry. I heard your mom talked you into doing a Q&A on splashface." She smiled.

"Yeah. About to start it." I say.

"Cool. Just wanted to warn you that people will start flamethrowing since they know you'll be online."

"Ok." I say.

"I'll protect her." Austin said, typing into his phone.

"Smart man. Now if you'll excuse me—"

"Are you even TRYING?" I hear someone yell from the media room.

"I'm going to go tell my son to stop running up the stairs." She finished, frowning and walking away.

Austin chuckled and I opened my laptop.

Don' look at my password.

Oh who am I kidding? You'd probably guess it right away.

I smile and look up at Austin.

"What have you been doing on your phone?" I ask.

"Telling my mom to stop bargaining with me."

"Why's she bargaining with you?"

"Court next Monday."

Today is Saturday.

"This coming Monday?" I ask.

I want to come.

I am coming. He has no choice.

"Yeah. I was just about to ask if you would come with me. I could use the support."

Aww.

I slide off my bed and hop into his arms as he smiles in the beanbag chair.

"Thank you." I say softly.

He rested his head on mine and whispered "No problem. I was just about to tell you all that before you asked what I was doing. Hope you're not mad at me."

"I was for a second, but not anymore."

He laughed and kissed me quickly.

I hear Kevin bargaining with Aunt Jade.

I stop kissing him in time to hear "I was about to change…"

"I don't care. Your mother told you to do that right away. Now go." Jade ordered Kevin.

"But I—"

"Fine. We'll go downstairs."

"Aww man…" Kevin groaned, just before Aunt Jade appeared, dragging him by the collar to the stairs.

"Guess he didn't listen." Austin said.

"He usually doesn't the first time around." I say, climbing off him.

"Obviously."

I slide back over to my laptop and pull up splashface to see that Ellie has already started.

I quickly type "You we're supposed to wait for us." To her then send it.

"Ellie already started." I tell Austin.

"That's no fun."

A message pops up on the side from splashface.

"Well you and Austin took too long." Was Ellie's reply.

"Your mom came and talked to us." I say, as voices float up from downstairs.

Then I put "Ok everyone, Ellie spoiled my surprise, but Austin and I are answering questions for the next hour. Can't wait to talk to you. Go!"

I pull up my homepage and start scanning for questions.

There's too many.

Knock Knock.

I look up to see Mom in the doorway.

"What goes on?" I ask.

"Nothing. Just making Kevin change and wanted to give you a tip on how to see more questions." She smiled, then walked over and sat on the bedspread.

I hand her my laptop and she pulled up a separate browser and put it on splashface.

"One for replying, one for reading. Makes it simpler and you'll see more people." Mom said, as a message from Austin popped up on the side.

Mom clicked it and we both read.

"What is Sydney doing right now?" Someone asked.

Austin replied with a picture of me listening to Mom from just a second ago, with the caption "Talking to her mom. Hopefully not laughing at me haha."

We're not laughing at you.

I start to type out a message, but a message from mom popped up.

"We're not laughing at you. And you look comfy on the beanbag."

Below was a picture of Austin absorbed on the phone."

I laugh and smile.

"Nice mom."

"You're sneaky. Very sneaky." Austin said to us.

Mom smiled and asked "Do you guys want something to drink?"

"Can I have lemonade?" Austin asked.

Mom nodded and looked to me. "What do you want?"

"Is it too early for coffee?"

She giggled and said "No, it's fine. How late were you guys up?"

"4. We had some stuff to talk about." I say.

"Like what? It couldn't wait?"

Well…when you say it like that…

We were just talking. We didn't even realize it had gotten late.

"Yeah. By the way, if you don't mind I'd like to borrow her Monday."

"For the whole day?" Mom asked. "What about your music?" She looked to me, surprised.

"This is more important." I say.

She has an odd luck, but Austin spoke up.

"My parents…are in court Monday. I asked her if she'd come for me."

"I…oh. Sure, absolutely. No problem. Uhm…court huh?" Mom asked, clearly thrown off.

"Yeah. Woo hoo." He replied, clearly not happy.

"I know what will help. We'll get everyone together and make dinner Monday. What do you want?" Mom asked.

"I…uhm…" Austin looked to me.

"Not her. You." Mom cut in.

Austin bit his lip, then said "One of the first times I was here you guys did stuff on the grill. Steaks and stuff. That'd be nice."

"Sure. Got it."

Then Mom walked over, plopped onto the bean bag and hugged him, whispered something into his ear then kissed his cheek, ruffled his hair and walked out.

Austin was still frozen in the same position.

"I…whoa." He said.

"You ok?" I laugh.

"I will be. Can you come over here?" He asked.

I set my laptop aside and crawl into his arms.

"Love you." He whispered, then kissed my ear.

"Love you too." I smile.

"Now as much as I'd like to stay like this, your brothers will come see, and we have questions to answer." He said.

I giggle, sneak kiss then go back to my laptop.

I post "Sorry guys, my mom came in and was determined to distract us. Back now. Thanks. :)"

What artists inspire me?

I reply "Rihanna, Mariah Carey and my mom."

Austin posted something.

"What is Sydney's best attribute?"

He replied "Her personality. Makes my day every day."

Before I can reply, he replies to another one.

"What is the favorite thing you like her to wear?"

Pushy.

And sexual overtones.

"Clothes. And a smile."

I smile and look over to him.

"You're too sweet."

"I had to had the clothes qualifier. Otherwise people would have sent tons of stuff." He said.

"True."

Mom.

"Your drinks are downstairs for you and Austin sweetheart."

Then I'm airborne and in Austin's arms.

"Let's go. Come come."

I giggle and let him carry me downstairs.