I bite my lip and try to restrain myself from rolling my eyes as Mom and Aunt Jade are still messing around with the pitch of that 2 second sound bite.
It's annoying me to no end.
Can't we just get a groundwork built first, before we pull out the microscope and go thru everything at that level of detail?
I glance at my phone to see Ellie texted me again.
We're sitting next to one another, but can't be critical of our moms with them in the room.
"I wonder if this is just the pitch on its own, or combined with the vocals you guys recorded yesterday?"
"No idea." I reply back. "If it's pitch and vocals, I might go get a snack from the kitchen."
…
"If you go, can you get me some grapes?"
"Sure."
…
"And a Raderade?"
"No. Get your own drink."
…
":("
I get to my feet and start to the door.
"I know you girls are annoyed by us being so obsessive. We're getting there." Mom suddenly said, as Ellie and I are about halfway to the door.
"We know. We're just getting a snack." Ellie said.
"Is it just the 2 second clip, or the vocals with it?" I ask.
"I don't know…I'd have to check. Or you can if you'd like. We're 11 seconds in."
I physically have to hold back my groan.
Ellie looks appalled that we've been working for 45 minutes and are 11seconds in.
It's a 4:20 song!
Well…like 4:22. But it may get cut down, according to mom.
"We'll be right back." I spin on my heel, and then walk upstairs to the kitchen.
I grab the grapes and celery sticks with ranch for me. Ellie meets me with a peppy cola and a raderade and follows me downstairs.
She quietly shuts the door behind us to the basement, then we creep into the studio area and shut that door quietly too.
Mom and Jade are just like we left them, analyzing a tiny piece of this song.
So I grab a celery stick, dip it in some ranch and open Splashface on my phone and eat.
Hopefully Austin posted something.
He's been awful busy, between seeing family, this massive national tournament and catching up with Samantha.
From what it sounds like, he's having the most fun just being her brother. Taking her for ice cream and playing at the park.
The story of when they saw each other at his game was a good one.
The way the timing worked out, Austin didn't get to see her before the game, and it started before she and her aunt could get there.
Austin told me she's a shy girl, but can be talkative at times. And isn't afraid to support him.
Apparently she got kicked out of one of his games for yelling at the umpire, but that's a different story.
A few innings had passed, and Austin had finally gotten to the plate. He said that he saw her when he was in the on deck circle and waved, but she didn't see him. So when he knew he had her attention, he winked at her.
But somebody in the crowd yelled "CALL ME!" as he got his first pitch.
Samantha hopped up and yelled back "Shut up he has a girlfriend!"
Crowd laughs.
Next pitch, Austin hits a home run.
These pitchers don't know how dangerous of a hitter he is. At least not yet.
Once Austin rounded the bases, he bowed to Samantha.
Then the stupid pitcher took issue to it and threw some bag of white powder at him. And yelled that he'll make him regret that.
Austin being Austin of course, warned him not to pitch to him at all.
Somehow, the guy didn't get kicked out.
Fast forward two innings. Tie game. Nobody on.
Austin up.
And the next part is online as a video clip.
Somebody was smart enough to film their next confrontation.
First pitch could have shaved Austin if he had just stood there. But he wisely got out of the way.
Second pitch…
PING!
Home Run.
Austin, in one smooth yet violent motion went from swinging, to flinging his bat towards his dugout defiantly.
And he yelled something that…well, has received mixed reviews.
"THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR FUCKING PITCHING TO ME BITCH!"
I liked it, Ellie cracked up and Aunt Jade enjoyed it.
Mom and Dad were more upset that Kevin, Matt and especially Corey heard that. I don't know what they actually thought.
On splashface, people think he's a douchebag and too cocky.
My reply to that is…well, he did warn him!
And if you asked me to answer objectively, I'd tell you to NEVER pitch to him! Walk him every time! He has 13 Home Runs in 47 at bats. He's 30-47 overall.
If you pitch to him, he makes contact. And he always hits it hard.
Over 40% of the time, you never see that baseball again.
"Ok, now we're done. Let's run it and see what you girls think." Jade said, and Ellie and I perk up.
Robbie POV
…
…
This movie isn't as good as advertised.
Corey and the boys would love it, but it's just like a bunch of other action movies.
The fighting robots trying to prevent the apocalypse are in the end just window dressing.
Once, just once I'd like for a movie that ended badly for the main characters and the good guys. Just once.
Then you could create a series out of it and base what happens next off what transpired on screen. Like dealing with the pain, etc.
But then again, maybe I'm getting old.
Corey jokingly said it when I brought them home from a weekend with my parents on the coast at their beach house.
I…
I pause the movie and start towards the bathroom and start messing with stuff.
Cat left her towel out as normal.
I smile slightly as I grab it and hang it on the rack as normal.
That's one of the key things to a good marriage. Accepting your significant other's flaws and just learning to live with them.
Leaving her towel on the floor is one of Cat's.
The only other one that is really of significance is her double standard when it comes to sleeping with me.
It's fine for her to work late into the night/morning on her music, but she gets mad at me if I work on my stuff past like 1 AM.
Oh well.
I hope they're getting good work done down there. I heard Sydney and Ellie come up for what I presume to be a snack, since I heard the refrigerator open and close.
Oh, that reminds me. I need to talk to Jordan about this college fund thing.
Cat says she's going to do it, but hell will freeze over before she willingly reaches out to him.
It's fascinating how similar she and Sydney are getting.
Syd isn't nearly as bouncy as Cat was at her age, but she's got almost all of the underlying characteristics, including a willingness to do anything for her friends/family.
I just can't believe the time has gone so fast.
Seems like just a few days ago that I walked her into her first kindergarten class, and she hugged me goodbye.
And now she's all grown up.
Almost.
The day of reckoning is almost here. Most of her childish habits and behaviors are disappearing.
Including us watching a movie together and talking.
Just us.
…
I knew telling her the truth about her father would cause her to distance herself from me.
I…I guess it's normal. But I really can't describe how much it hurts to know that my little girl won't come into my room and say "Daddy, can we watch TV together pleaseeee?" with her perfect little smile and pleading expression ever again.
…
…
Pull it together Robbie.
You have 2 other kids that need you, and everyone else is depending on you to be the framework for everything.
I freeze as I hear the doorbell.
"I got it!" I call out upstairs, so that the boys don't came careening down the stairs.
Whoever it is, they're not much older than Kevin.
Not an adult.
I grab the handle to the door and open it.
"Hello?" I ask, seeing a brunette girl with perfectly straightened hair.
"Hi Mr. Shapiro, is Kevin here?"
"I…uhh, yeah. He is. Who are you?" I kindly ask.
How does she know who I am?
"My name is Ashton. Can you tell him to come out here please?"
"Sure, just a second. He'll be right out." I smile.
She nodded, and I shut the door behind me.
I quickly make my way up the stairs to the game room.
I knock on the open door, causing all 3 boys to turn around.
"Sorry to interrupt guys. Kevin, there's somebody at the door for you." I say.
He gives me a baffled look.
"Who is it?" He asked.
"A girl named Ashton. Is that familiar?"
Immediately, both he and Matt look shocked.
Kevin turned to Matt and asked "How did she find the house?"
"I don't know! Don't look at me!" Matt said, looking stunned.
"Is she important? I can bring her inside. She's at the door right now." I offer.
Instead, both boys dash downstairs.
"Daddy? What's going on?" Corey asked me.
"I have no clue bud. But we do have some fresh watermelon you aunt brought over. You want some?" I ask.
He nodded and hopped to his feet.
By the time we get there, Kevin is already gone, and Matt is getting a drink from the fridge.
"We're having some watermelon Matt. You want some?" I ask, entering the kitchen.
"Yes please!" He poked his head out of the fridge, then leaned back in and came out with his mother's watermelon.
"Thank you man." I say, and then grab a big knife from the holder on the counter behind me.
When I turn back, Corey is heaving the cutting board up.
"Thanks Corey." I smile at him.
He lights up and smiles back at me.
…
"Ok, here you go Kevin." I hand him a gigantic slice and a plate.
As I'm cutting Corey's, the front door busts open.
"Uhh, hello?" I call out, as Corey is peeking around to see who it is.
"Matt, turn on the TV to channel 495!" I hear Tori order him.
I finish cutting Corey's piece, then call out "Who's there?"
"Tori, Andre and Olivia! Get in here Robbie!" Tori demanded.
"I'm a little busy right now! Be right there!" I give Corey his plate, and he starts towards the living room.
…
"Uhh…Uncle Robbie?" I hear Matt call out.
"Almost in there." I say, finishing my slice and grabbing my plate.
I walk into the living room and say "What?"
Matt simply points up to the TV.
WHOA.
Three huge buses are totally engulfed in flames with cars scattered here and there.
"Where on earth is that?"
Doesn't look like a local highway.
"That's about 20 miles out of DC." Andre said.
WHAT?
"You're kidding." I say quietly.
"No, we thought you had heard by now, and came to see Sydney." Tori said.
"I had no idea. What happened?" I ask, as the camera pans to a large group of emergency vehicles and personnel in the area.
"They showed security video before we left home. Massive accident on the other side of the highway spread into the other one, one of the buses got clipped, causing a domino effect with the other buses."
"Why are you guys so worried? That's not Austin's buses. We don't even know if they have buses." Corey said."
But the graphic that popped up on screen answered his question.
"Buses were holding players from nearby baseball tournament, going to local hotel."
Uh oh.
"Daddy?" Corey said quietly, sounding scared.
I bend down and pull him into a hug. "It's ok bud. It's ok."
He squeezed me tightly as I hear Tori say "Austin didn't answer his phone when I called him. I rung twice, and then said the number I called wasn't available."
That would imply he's in there somewhere.
"Whatever you do, don't tell Sydney that. We don't want her worrying too much." I say.
"What don't you want me to worry about? And who is here?" I hear Sydney's voice coming from the basement.
Andre and I exchange worried looks.
"Uhm, Sydne—"
She turned to the TV, then seemingly froze.
The graphic on the TV cycled again.
11 miles outside of DC.
Buses were holding players from nearby baseball tournament, going to local hotel.
I vaguely hear Ellie yell "Mom! Get up here!" with a worried expression.
"Hit the volume." Sydney ordered.
Matt didn't hesitate.
"—that was the scene shortly after we came on the air, 3 dachshund buses all ablaze after a 20 car pileup caused a collision between two of the buses." The news anchor read.
"What's going on?" Jade appeared, with Cat on her heels.
I hear her gasp as she sees a view from the air that apparently was just as the authorities arrived.
There isn't any fire.
What the heck?
There are teenagers getting out pretty smoothly, with what looks like coaches directing them to a safe distance.
Then—
BOOOM!
A fireball erupted, causing Ellie to scream in fright, and Olivia to cry.
Tori quickly started to the kitchen, and soothing her daughter.
"WAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
I look to Sydney and she doesn't even look like she's here.
Corey crept behind me and hugged his mom, as the news anchors kept talking about the accident, but in the past tense.
"Why are they acting like this happened several hours ago?" Jade asked, totally bewildered.
Tori and Andre shrugged. "We saw the fireball on TV, grabbed Olivia and came here, thinking you guys already knew."
"Why didn't you call us up immediately Robbie?" Cat snapped at me.
"I just saw this myself. Ellie beat me to it." I say defensively.
I glance over in time to see Sydney give me the nastiest look I've ever received from her, then go to her mom for a comforting hug.
Damn it.
She's pissed.
And not even for the right reasons.
Awesome.
"Robbie, where is Kevin?" Cat asked, now looking furiously at me.
"Some girl came and asked to talk to him. I don't know. I was cutting watermelon for Matt and Corey when all this shit happened. And I'm getting more." I say in frustration, and then walk back to the kitchen.
Corey came up shortly afterward, and I hand him what was going to be my piece.
He smiled and said "Thanks Daddy."
I smile back, then cut two more and make my way back to the living room.
I place one on Matt's plate, and he turned and smiled.
"Thank you."
"Does anybody else want any?" I ask.
"SHH!" I get shushed by Ellie, as Sydney has her phone to her ear.
…
Then Sydney flung her phone onto the couch, and looked near tears.
"The number you've dialed…" her voice quivered. "Is not available at this time."
Cat pulled her back into another hug, and Sydney grabbed on for dear life.
I silently turn back to the kitchen, and start cutting 3 pieces of watermelon if anybody wants them.
Halfway thru, I hear Olivia giggling coming from the guest bedroom, and then appear.
"Can we have some?" Tori smiled and asked.
"Sure." I smile, then wiggle Olivia's arm that she's waving at me. "But I thought she was too young for solids?"
"Eh. It's just watermelon. Plus she enjoys pureed carrots, so she'll be fine.
"Fafa!"
"Okay. Watermelon coming right up!" I smile, and then finish cutting the piece.
I quarter it, and then hand it to Tori, who broke off a piece and gave it to Olivia, who snatched it from her and chomped on it, causing juice to splatter her face.
"Silly bear…" Tori said softly, then grabbed a paper towel and wiped her face as Olivia chewed.
A giggle made me look back up to see Tori giving Olivia more.
"She's a big girl." I say, as Ellie comes in and snatches the full piece I just cut.
"Yup."
I cut another piece, then wrap the rest up and stick it back in the fridge.
"There's 4 pieces out if anybody wants it." I say, then registering that the video now say live, and that the flames are out.
"Apparently the flames happened 45 minutes ago. This is live." Andre updates me, as Cat still has ahold of Sydney.
"Ok." I say, as the reporters are shuffling papers, and trying to figure out what hospitals everybody is getting sent to—
Riiiiiiiiiing!
I freeze as the cell phone keeps ringing.
Riiiiiiiiiing!
Sydney was almost like a blur as she didn't even look at the number and says "Hello?"
Then relief flooded her body, her shoulders relaxed and she hung her head.
"It's so good to hear from you. It's on TV right now."
I hear Cat, Jade and Ellie and let out a breath.
"Yeah, I'll put it speaker." Sydney said.
Jade muted the TV and Sydney tapped her screen.
"It's on!" She called out.
"Cool. Hi!" Austin's voice rang out.
"Austin!" Corey cheered.
"You scared us." Jade said.
"I imagine. I'm sorry. The last hour has been insane."
"What happened?" Cat asked.
"Were you in it?" Sydney added on.
"Yeah, I was in the last bus, the one that fishtailed." He said solemnly.
"Fishtailed?" We all echo.
"Yeah. And rolled over. Felt like I was in like a dryer or something, becoming a human smoothie." He said.
"Are you ok?" Ellie asked.
"Yeah, I'm ok. Everybody is for the most part."
"Did you get out before the fire?" Andre asked.
"Yeah, but I was trying to help make sure everybody got out when it blew. Luckily I just got thrown out of it."
Everybody else cringed.
"Are you like hurt or anything?" Tori asked, sounding worried.
"Not really. Scrape on my head since I landed on gravel, cut arms, burn on the back of my calf. But I'll be ok. Some other people have worse burns, a few people busted arms. No legs. And most importantly, nobody dead." Austin said.
"Where are you?" Sydney asked.
"Johns Hopkins Medical Hospital in Arlington, Virginia. We were going back to the hotel, and I was going to meet my sister there, then have dinner with the rest of the family. Now that's kind of up in the air."
"What about your phone?" Sydney jumped in. "I called, but it immediately cut off."
"Oh, definitely. I didn't have it on me after we rolled. And I didn't look for it or anything, I was looking for people. So I think it's gone."
"Probably a crisp." Jade said, and Cat and Andre nodded.
"Wouldn't surprise me. I'm borrowing somebody's mom's phone. So thanks for picking up Syd."
Sydney smiled softly. "No worries. How'd you know my number?"
"I have it in my wallet, which stayed in my pocket the whole time."
"Smart man." I say.
"Thanks Mr. Shapiro. Anyway, I gotta go. I have to call my uncle and tell him where I'm at, and then go back inside so they can look at me."
"Ok." Sydney said.
"Do you have the rest of our numbers?" Cat asked.
"No, but I can make a list later. Syd, I'll call you later using my uncle's phone ok? It'll be a 202 area code."
"Got it." She said.
"Great. Talk to you all later."
"Okay!" Jade said.
"Glad to hear you're ok." Cat said.
"Bye." Austin said.
Sydney didn't say anything, and then the sound of Austin hanging up caused her to end the call.
Then she plopped face first into the couch.
"I am so done with today. And it's barely 1." She groaned.
Her mom laughed.
"You hungry? We have watermelon." I joke.
This time, everyone laughed.
"That actually sounds nice. I'm going to change into a bathing suit and do nothing for the rest of the day." Sydney sat up.
"I'm on it!" I say peppily.
When I look back, everybody else is following me.
"What? Watermelon sounds good right now." Andre said defensively, causing everyone to laugh.