A/N: I'm still on an inspiration streak. Ha. So... Someone reviewed for me to update early. IS THIS EARLY ENOUGH FOR YA!? So I had some sugar. I'm not going to skip to the ball scene, but I don't think this chapter is boring. So go ahead and read.

(Stevie)

Someone help me. I'm being held against my will. I'm cold, hungry, and this is the worst thing ever.

"That's because you are under the AC vent, we didn't eat lunch yet, and seriously? Is dress shopping that bad?" Kacey asks.

Oops. I probably said that out loud.

"Come on. What do you think of this dress?" Grace asks holding up a green dress with a silver belt with it.

"It would be nice, if it was pink." Kacey says.

"It can't be pink. It has to be green." Grace says.

"Why green?"

"Because..."

"Because?"

"Because I told my SYF buddy I would be coming in a green dress."

"You could have told him pink." Kacey says.

"I know, but that's just way too predictable. Besides, pink is obviously Gracelike." she explains. So she didn't want to reveal her obvious identity.

"How about this one?" Kacey asks handing me a sparkly pink dress way too short to even wear in public.

"Wear are we going? A club? Kacey, I don't want to dress like a Perf." I say.

"Emma!" I hear someone say. Then I see a little girl run into the store and hide behind one of the dresses hanging nearby. Zander runs into the store trying to catch his breath.

"Have... You... Seen... Water..." he says trying to catch his breath.

"The water fountain is near that falafel place." Kacey says pointing outside to a place that I think is rumored to be home to a goat.

"No... That's... Emma..." he says. He must be really tired.

"You sister is hiding behind that green dress over there." I say pointing to the green dress with a flash of pink due to Zander's little sister.

"Thanks." he says and walks up to his sister. Well, at least he could talk again.

"Come on Emma." he says trying to grab her hand.

"No! You can't make me!" she says and runs around the store.

"Emma," he says and his little sister runs up to me. I carry her. She is very light. "Help me." he says.

"Anyone know how to deal with little kids?" Kacey asks. I reach into my pocket to take out a green lollipop.

"Darling, you see this lollipop?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well, if you follow your big brother, I'll give you this lollipop." I say. Emma thinks about it.

"Fine," she says. I let her go and give her the lollipop. "Thanks." she says and goes over to Zander. Zander just gives me a weird look.

"What?" I ask.

"How did you do that?" he asks.

"I have a way with kids. And besides, having four brothers comes in handy when you need experience with kids. I always keep a lollipop with me." I explain.

"Oh. Well-"

"Lollipops!" Emma says escaping Zander's grasp and runs around back into my arms.

"She must really like you." Zander says through a strained voice. I guess things were still really awkward around us. Emma whimpers, and goes to Zander to whisper something in his ear.

"Really? Now?" he says to Emma.

"Stevie? Can I ask you a favor?" he asks me.

"Yes?"

"Two things. One, Emma needs to go." he says.

"Number two?"

"Exactly." he says handing Emma over to me.

"Come on sweetie. Let's go." I say taking her arm and we go.

To be honest, being in here feels better than dress shopping. I'm just waiting for Emma to finish up when-

"You two are in a band together, right?" Emma asks.

"Umm... Yeah. You mean Zander and I, right?"

"Yeah. Do you like him?" she asks through her stall.

"Of course I like him. I have to like him since we are in a band together-"

"That's not what I meant," she says and she flushes and goes out of her stall. "I may look like the stereotypical naive little girl, but I'm a secret genius." she says.

"You're like, six."

"Age is just a number. Zander thinks I'm just a six year old, but he doesn't know what I do." she says.

"Why are you explaining all this to me?" I ask. She washes her hands in the sink and keeps talking.

"Studies show that most girls feel good when they tell someone about what's going on in their lives. Since I don't have any friends, and you seem nice, I thought I should tell you. You know, to relieve some stress." she says.

"What's so stressful about being a six year old? You only have one class, the homework is easy, you have recess-"

"I hate recess." she pouts. I give her another lollipop.

"Why do you hate recess?"

"In class, I feel like I can actually belong. You know, not look like the girl who sits in the corner waiting for the stupid bell to ring. I won't look out of place." she says. I feel sorry for her.

"So what do you do in your room?"

"Hmm... I'm developing a levitation device. I'm going to prove to the world that I can beat gravity," she says. Funny, I'm in a band called Gravity 5. I wonder if she could actually get her device to make people levitate. Maybe the band could float during a gig. Nahh... This girl was smart, but it wasn't like she could beat gravity. "So far, I got an apple to levitate three inches off the ground." she says and smiles a little bit.

"So you are just a six year old genius."

"Pretty much."

"How do your parents not know about that?"

"They think my teleportation device is just a toy gun I made with macaroni." she says and we laugh.

"Let's get out of here." I say.

"Sure Steves." she says and we go.