Chapter 5: Of Dr Suess and Invitations

Hey thanks for the reviews, Mesaqt and loudgirlkate. Hey loudgirlkate, I'm not sure, and if I were to tell you, it'd ruin the story now wouldn't it?

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I hated what I'd done to Mariah, but I still didn't know what I'd done wrong, so I don't know how I was supposed to apologize.

A whole week without her and her little sister was driving me insane. Mike was constantly either with Isabel, doing something for her, or at practice, and if he was with me, all he talked of was her.

And that got me to missing her, Mariah, that is.

When I woke up this Saturday morning, I hurriedly got in the shower and dressed.

Today was when Magnet was supposed to come. Oh, and I couldn't forget the mystery person, whom I still didn't the identity of.

Well, anyways, I stayed out back all day by the pool. It was fun, and reminded me of the heat of the desert. I don't know how I'm going to survive the Ohio winter, just thinking about it makes me shiver. Horrid weather!

After an hour or two, I got bored, so I headed off to the park. It wasn't too long of a walk, but all the while there, I was reciting The Cat in the Hat. I don't exactly know how that got stuck in my head, but I just kept reciting it aloud, and got people looking at me like I belonged in the nut house.

"Thing One and Thing Two screwed in a shoe." Okay, so what if I revised it a little bit? I mean, come on, how many teenagers do you know who can recite the book from front to back? Yeah, I don't know any either, and I have some crazy friends.

When I got to the park, I sat down on an old swing. I just started swinging and swinging, just like q\when I was really little. I used to want to swing so high to pass the bar and fly to the moon. Yeah, I know, I sound cheesy.

Soon, I left to go back home, since I was bored yet again. I have the attention span of a gnat sometime. But I went the long way, the way that passes Mariah's house.

I don't know why I do the things I do sometimes. That's why I was really good friends with ZigZag, I think. He would point out the obvious and even though he was weird, he had his logical moments.

I swear that kid was like a brother to me. It really sucks, not being able to talk to him everyday. I always had his back, and he always had mine.

Well, as I passed the conservative tan house that my friend lived in, I noticed Monica outside, playing in the yard.

I looked around for Mariah and didn't see her, so I went to the little blonde version of her.

"Hey, Monica, how are you?" I asked, squatting a bit to be more at her eye level.

"Hiya, AJ! Where have you been? I'm fine, but I've missed you bunches!" She was playing on the ground with little miniature dolls.

I chuckled at her enthusiasm and told her that I was fine as well. I gave her a small hug and asked where Mariah was.

"She's inside, getting me some strawberry Kool-aid." She had a huge grin on her face like she'd just robbed the candy store, which was totally possible since most people could not say no to the squirt.

"Sounds like you hit the jackpot."

"Mmmhmmm. Why haven't you come over in awhile, AJ?" She looked up at me with her Cookie Monster blue eyes, making me feel guilty for not coming to see her.

"Ummm, your sister isn't too happy with me right now" I stammered.

"Why?"

"I...I really don't know, Monica. When I find out, I'll let you know, okay?"

"I guess so. Do you like like my sister?" I gulped nervously, and she giggled.

"Ummm." I didn't, did I? No, I can't. Anyways, how can you answer that?

"Monica, who're you talking to?" Out of the dark brown door came Mariah. Her wavy hair was pulled back in a half ponytail and a smile was on her face. Saved by Mariah! Once again.

"AJ, who likes you!" I could've strangled her! I didn't like Mariah like that!

"Don't be silly, Monica. AJ knows that I'm ticked at him, so he wouldn't be coming to my house. Now get in here for your Kool-aid before I drink it all." She leaned against the doorframe, her light blue tank top contrasting well with the dark brown color of it and her arms crossed over her chest.

At the threat of someone taking her Kool-aid, Monica jumped up and raced into the house, forgetting about her dolls and me. Before Mariah pushed off the doorframe and headed into the house, slamming the door, she glared at me with her dark blue eyes.

I sighed and started home since I felt like everything just hit the fan. I knew I shouldn't have come this way.

When I got home, there was a slightly rusted station wagon in the cement driveway. I took a deep breath and walked through the door. Well, I opened it first, then walked through. Yeah, I've always thought about walking through walls. Maybe that was because it definitely would've come to my advantage when I was a theif.

Seth was in the kitchen, doing something, I wasn't exactly sure what, I just know he was on his laptop and every few minutes, his deep chuckles would echo throughout the Haven's walls.

Beyond the laughing, I could hear splashing and more, well, laughter. And since I'm curious, I went to investigate. Yeah, I know what you're thinking, curiosity killed the cat, but guess what, I'm not a cat. Plus, satisfaction brought it back anyway.

So as I got to the sliding glass door, I looked through the transparent gate and saw two guys my age, laughing and dunking each other. One was tall and his usually frizzy blond hair was dark and wet, cling to his scalp. The other was of a stockier build that the blond with extremely short-cut black hair and a deep Mexican tan.

I hurried out the door, flinging it open causing it to bang in its groove and the two "invaders" to jump and freeze.

"Hey! When'd you get here?" I asked excitedly, walking out to the pool.

When they turned to face me, their faces held huge grins. They hopped out of the pool as I came up to them.

The shorter guy and I gripped hands and patted each other's backs in a sort-of embrace.

"Hey, Squid."

"I haven't been called that in awhile, but good to see you too, Mag." I told him before full out hugging the taller blond. Hey, it was a very manly hug.

"Hi, Buddy," the blond greeted.

"Hi, Ziggy," I replied as I pulled back from the hug. I couldn't keep myself from smiling. Two of my best friends from Camp Green Lake finally came to see me! It felt good. "So when'd you guys get here?"

"Like a half hour ago, Man. You knew we were coming, why didn't you stay here?" Magnet asked.

"I got bored," I answered bluntly, running a hand through my hair sheepishly as they burst out laughing.

"AJ! Phone for you!" yelled Seth from inside the kitchen.

"Damn, what's up, Man? You a stud now, or what?" Magnet was laughing.

"Oh yeah, such a stud," I muttered as I left them outside to go and take my phone call.

"Hello?" I questioned when I picked up the high-tech silver cordless.

"Hey, AJ, you're invited to my party tonight." It was Isabel.

"Ummm. I don't think I can make it. See, I've got a few old friends over-"

"They can come too. Look, I wouldn't ask if Mike didn't want you to be there. So you're coming." she said, cutting me off.

"Fine, I'll come, but my friends are too!"

"Whatever, bye." With that, she hung up on me. I held the phone away and glared at it like it was Isabel herself.

When I turned around, after setting the little phone back in its cradle, Magnet and ZigZag were there. ZigZag had a blond brow cocked up in question and I noticed that his hair was already starting to frizz again.

"So, ummm, guys, would you like to go to a party tonight? We really don't have to if you don't want to, I mean, it's up to you." I wondered if they'd catch the hint that I absolutely wanted to go.

Don't you love sarcasm?

"Are there going to be girls?" Ziggy asked. I laughed and answered yes, that there would be.

"Hot chicks?" Magnet perked up.

"Yes," I sighed.

"We're in!" they both said in the same enthusiastic tone at the exact same time. I wonder when they became twins?

They'd make an odd set of twins, don't you think? I think so. C'mon Ziggy's got blond hair, blue eyes, and is as tall as the empire state building. Magnet's got the deep Mexican tan and accent, and dark brown eyes and black hair. How much of an opposite can you get?

"Hey, Seth! I guess we're going to a party tonight at Isabel's!" I called to the tapping sounds that I knew were from his keyboard.

"Okay, just be home by one!"

I sighed as I listened the excited chit-chat of Ziggy and Mag and Seth murmuring about his good ol' high school days.