Chapter Sixteen: Girl Meets Brother
"Well another year we're not going to be cheerleaders." Riley said to me and Maya as we got off of the subway. "Why do you make me do these things?" Maya asked. "Pom poms are stupid and pyramids made of humans freak me out." I giggled at Maya. I saw her look down at her legs like she's never seen them before. "And what are these?" she asked. "These are your legs." I told her. "Have you ever seen anything so white?" she asked. "One time when I looked into the sun." Riley answered.
"These need to be put away. We have to go to Demolition right now and get clothes." Maya declared. "Because you know they're gonna find out we took these things." "But our curfew is in fifteen minutes." Riley told her. "But they're having a sale." Maya replied. "Vintage t-shirts." "Ooh I do love t-shirts that other people have already loved." Riley stated. "You two are the only people I know who has to be home by seven." Maya informed us.
"It's ridiculous they treat us like babies." I stated. "Who?" Maya asked. "Mama and dada." Riley answered. "It's time we were treated like the women we are." Riley said and I agreed with her. They do kind of baby me and Riley. "We are going to Demolition." I added. "That's the spirit." Maya told us. She turned to walk away, but we didn't follow her. I think the reason had to be with I've never really disobeyed my parents.
Maya stopped and turned around. "You're not really coming are you?" Maya asked. "Nah." Riley said while I shook my head. "Wait you know what we are. We are old enough to stay out past seven o'clock." I said. "What the damage for this, in your professional opinion?" Riley asked. "Broken curfew? Chump change, whole thing blows over by Wednesday." Maya told us.
"Worth it!" Riley exclaimed. "Let's do it!" I exclaimed. We ran out of the subway station, but I heard Maya said, "Great see you Wednesday."
"We're late! We're late! We know we're late!" Riley shouted as we walked into the apartment with Maya. Cory looked at his watch. "Seven minutes." He told us. "Say nothing keep walking." Maya told us trying to pull us away. "No this is a thing. Deal with your bad girls." Riley told Cory and Topanga. "Okay we're were you?" Topanga asked. "Demolition, it's an alternative store." Riley answered. "Where rebels go and I bought this t-shirt I don't think you'll entirely approve of." Riley held up a shirt that said bleh! "Bleh!"
"Edgy." Topanga commented. "Um Riley, Caroline what's going on?" Cory asked. "We are too old for a seven o'clock curfew." I told them. We walked over to the table and put our bags down while picking up our pom poms. "We reject it, reject it, reject it. Won't even respect it." Riley and I cheered. "Didn't make the team again, huh?" Topanga asked. "No." Riley answered. "Every year." Cory commented.
"Okay look Riley, your father and I gave you a seven o'clock curfew because we knew even when you got all rebellious and you dragged Caroline along you'd still be home by 7:30." Topanga told us. "What?" Riley asked. "Yeah, so when you come in here at 7:07 acting all dangerous, it's hard," Cory started, but he stopped and started to laugh. "I'm sorry. I can't even keep a straight face." He told us. He and Topanga continued to laugh.
"What are you laughing at? I outta control!" Riley exclaimed. "Maya, you couldn't keep them out any later than that? I mean what kind of bad influence are you?" Cory asked. "You're right I gotta up my game." Maya said. "This'll look great in my room." Maya said grabbing a pillow off of the chair. She opened the door and grabbed two coats before leaving. "Now that's what I'm talking about." Cory said. This wasn't funny to me.
"I want to be taken seriously." Riley and I said in unison as we walked into the kitchen. "We deserve a later curfew." Riley added. "Okay fine, but I'm your teacher and I want you to get proper rest. I don't want your school work to suffer." Cory told us. "And I'm your attorney so please state you case Miss Matthews and Miss Howard." Topanga told us.
"We submit to the court ten o'clock." Riley and I said. "The court laughs in your face." Topanga replied. "The legal system is a joke." I told her. "Your new curfew is eight o'clock." Topanga informed us. "God bless America." Riley and I said. "I want a later curfew to." Auggie stated. "Why? Where do you want to go at night?" Topanga asked. "Wherever you go." Auggie answered.
"Aw." I said. Topanga gave him a hug. "Does that mean I can come to your nanoversary?" Auggie asked. "Sorry honey, mommy and daddy haven't been on a date for like-." Topanga started. "Three weeks and four days." Cory finished. "Guys, guys, guys it's not just the curfew." I started. "We want you to think of us as more of a grownup." Riley finished.
"I have an idea." Auggie stated. "Define grownup." Topanga said. "I can go buy t-shirts whenever I want." Riley stated. "And how do you make the money to do that?" Topanga asked. "I don't have to I'm a kid." Riley retorted. Come on Riley. "Riley grownups have responsibilities." Cory told her. "Idea, idea, idea, idea, idea, idea!" Auggie shouted wanting to get everyone's attention.
"What's the matter Auggie?" Cory asked. "Is no one believing that the little kid could possibly have an idea how we could raise our older children." "Let Riley and Caroline be my babysitters." Auggie said. "Holy moly!" Cory shouted. "All hail August Matthews! Yeah king of apartment 26!" "Long live me!" Auggie shouted.
"Auggie you think your sisters are ready for that kind of responsibility?" Topanga asked. "I would put my life in their hands." Auggie admitted. "Aw Auggie, you really want us to babysit you?" Riley asked. "Yes I trust you." Auggie told her. Riley turned towards Topanga. "Catch me." Auggie said. He was about to fall on the floor when I caught him.
"Ten bucks an hour." Riley told Topanga. "The king was about to fall on the floor if it wasn't for Caroline." Topanga retorted. "Five bucks an hour." Riley negotiated and Topanga agreed. "Hey Auggie, you really want Riley and Caroline as babysitters?" Cory asked. "Riley makes me smiley and Caroline makes my smile shine." Auggie answered in my arms. I giggled at what he said especially about me.
"Well how do I look?" Topanga asked. Riley and I were in Riley's room with Topanga. "Wow." Riley and I answered. "You look wow." "Wow is good?" Topanga questioned. "Wow is amazing. When am I going to look wow?" Riley asked. "Aw, honey you already do." Topanga told her. "Yeah, but not with the bam, and the boom." Riley replied. "And the you know."
"Daddies going to love the way you look." Riley told her. "Thank you honey, but do you want to know one of the reasons I married your father?" Topanga asked. "Yeah." We answered. "He loves me no matter how I look." Topanga told us. We gave her a hug.
"Wow." Auggie said when he saw Topanga as we walked into the living room. "Wow." Cory said. "And bam! Boom!" Riley added. "Absolutely. You look stunning." Cory complimented. "Happy anniversary Topanga." "You too, Cory." Topanga replied. They kissed and when they pulled away she noticed Cory's tie. "What's up with the uh?" Topanga asked motioning towards his tie.
"Oh Auggie did it." Cory explained. "It's magnificent." Topanga complimented. "No going to my room until I tell you. Okay Riley and Caroline." Auggie said to us. "Deal." Riley and I said. "Aw look at you two all dressed up." Riley said. "Going out for dinner?" "Ba Ba Sushi." Topanga replied. "Ooh you hipster." I commented. "And then a horse drawn carriage and a play." Cory stated. "Oh you eighty year old man." Riley commented. "And then jazz night at Mud Bone." Cory added. "No we're playing." Riley said giving Cory a fist bump. "That's why I married him." Topanga told us.
"Yeah we're sophisticated adults." Cory said. "With sophisticated babysitters, right?" Topanga questioned. "The kid's in good hands." Riley and I told them. "We're sure he is." Cory said. "We trust you completely." Topanga told us. "Goodnight." Cory said. They opened the door and walked out of the apartment. "Yeah I don't believe this for a second." I stated.
"I don't blame ya." Cory said as they walked back into the apartment. "Let's talk." Topanga said. "Man you just can't get out of here without the life lesson thing can you?" Riley asked. "Oh please like I have something planned." Cory stated. He then pulled out two eggs from his pants' pocket. "Say hello to your new best friends." He said. Riley and I both took an egg from his hands. "Hello egg." Riley and I greeted our eggs.
"You're gonna introduce us Riley and Caroline?" Topanga asked. "Okay, mom this is Amanda McScrambleface." Riley introduced her egg. "And this is her sister Amelia McScrambleface." I introduced my egg. "They are lovely." Topanga told us before pulling out two markers. "Oh mom you too?" Riley and I asked. "Yeah I'm with him." Topanga told us. "Draw a face on them." Cory ordered. Riley and I both drew faces on our eggs.
"Okay we're doing the whole take care of an egg thing 'cause I've seen this." Riley said. "Not the way we're going to do it." Topanga told her. "Yeah there's a big twist at the end." Cory added. "So tell us about your new friends Riley and Caroline." Topanga suggested. "What are their hopes? What are her dreams?" Cory asked.
"Amanda makes friends very easily. Everybody likes her, she's a good egg. We're going to go backpacking through Europe one day." Riley told them. They looked at me. "Amelia likes to try new things all the time. She also likes to help people. We're going to go around the world helping people in need." I told them. "Wow, okay well before you do, may I hold them?" Topanga asked.
"Sure she's a people's person." Riley and I answered. "Hi Wiley's mom, you wook wow." Riley said pretending to be her egg. "I agree." I said pretending to be my egg. We slowly handed our eggs to Topanga. "Thank you Amanda and Amelia. It's very sweet." Topanga said. Topanga looked at Cory. "Do it." Cory told her. Topanga threw the eggs at the table causing them to break.
"No what is the point of this horrible lesson?" Riley asked. "These are eggs you knew for a minute. We're giving you responsibility for our child." Cory explained. "We all love him, don't drop him." Topanga added. "So clean Amanda and Amelia up and have a good night." Cory told us. "Bye." Topanga said. They turned and walked out of the apartment.
Riley saw Auggie come into the room so she grabbed him. "You're my real brother." Riley stated. "I can't breathe." Auggie managed to get out.
"Okay we fed ya." I stated as I put Auggie's dishes in the sink. "PBJ." Auggie said. "We pajama'd ya." Riley stated. "PJ." Auggie said. "We sent ya to the bathroom." I said. "P." Auggie said. "So we get to see your room now?" Riley asked. "It's 'splode your brain!" Auggie told us.
We got up and were walking towards Auggie's room when the intercom buzzed. "What's up, weirdos?" Maya's voice asked. "Maya." Riley walking over to the intercom. "Maya?" Auggie questioned. "Every babysitter needs a babysitter's best friend." Riley told him. She pressed the button. "Come on up."
"She shouldn't be here on our night." Auggie told Riley. "Why can't it be our night with Maya?" Riley asked. "I haven't showed you my room." Auggie said. "Red Planet Diaries." Maya stated as she came into the apartment. "Tonight's the season finale." Riley and I said sitting next to Maya as she turned on the TV.
"Out here in space,
I kiss your green face.
But it feels like you're light years away."
Maya, Riley, and I sang together. "Previously, on "Red Planet Diaries"." The narrator said. "Oh Blarg, I know I'm from earth and not used to your Martian customs yet, but I think I'm in love with your other head." Ashley, the female star of the show said. "But what's he have that I don't have?" Blarg asked. "Uh, I'm right here." Blarg's other head said. "I'm going to my room now. Riley, Caroline are you coming?" Auggie asked. "Yeah, yeah, just gimme a sec." Riley and I answered.
"Oh Blarg's other head if only we could run off together without you know." Ashley said. "Actually there is a way." Blarg's other head told her. Ashley gasped. "What is it?" Ashley gasped. "What is it?" Riley, Maya, and I asked. All of the sudden the TV turned off. "No!" We shouted.
"No more TV!" Auggie shouted. "Auggie we were watching that." I told him. "Give it back runt." Maya said. She got up and took the remote from Auggie and gave it to Riley. "You're a runt and you two are the worst babysitters in the world." Auggie told us. Auggie snatched the remote out of Riley's hand. "You shouldn't watch TV when you babysit your brother."
Auggie started walking over to the open window. "Auggie where are you going with that?" Riley asked. "I'm going to throw it out the window." Auggie told us as he put his arm out the window. "You wouldn't dare." Riley and I said. "I will do it, I will do it ladies!" Auggie shouted at me and Riley.
"You're the worst babysitters in the world!" Auggie shouted at me and Riley. "You're the worst baby in the world!" Riley and I shouted. "I'm not a baby!" Auggie retorted. "You ruined my night, you shouldn't watch TV." "You turned it off at the best part." Maya told him. "Easy there put the remote down nice and easy and nobody gets hurt, buddy." "You're not my buddy. You shouldn't even be here." Auggie retorted.
"Auggie, what's the matter with you?" Riley and I asked as we sat next to him on the couch. "You're what's the matter with me." Auggie told us. "You know what Maya you can have Riley and Caroline, they rather be with you anyways. They're your sister now." Auggie handed Maya the remote before he got up. "Auggie." Riley and I said. "This is the worst night eve." Auggie told us before he walked out of the room.
Riley, Maya, and I were in Riley's room. Maya was seated at the window and I was on Riley's bed, while Riley was pacing. "Now will never know is Ashley the astronaut ends up with Blarg or Blarg's other head." Riley ranted. "Gee if only something existed where we could type in a few words and." Maya said opening the laptop. "It's not the same." I told her.
"We were really looking forward to this night and Auggie ruined it." Riley said. "I think Auggie could say the same thing about me Riley and Caroline. He just wanted to spend time with you. You're really lucky to have that." Maya told us. "I know." Riley and I said. "It's like we don't pay attention to the people who really care about us." Riley said.
"Hello ladies." Farkle greeted from outside Riley's window. "Get lost Farkle, we can't pay attention to you right now." Maya told him. "But I feel like when we don't have school I'm not even part of the story." Farkle explained. "There's someone who really cares about me and Caroline and we're not letting him now that we care about him to." Riley said.
"Ooh, maybe I am part of this story." Farkle stated. "And I really love the little guy." Riley said. "And all he wanted to do was show us his room." I added. "How did you know?" Farkle asked. "I got to go talk to Auggie." Riley said. "Come on Care." Riley and I got up and walked out of the room.
"Okay Mr. Googly, you're my sister now." Farkle told Mr. Googly. "Don't you want to give Riley and Caroline one more chance?" Riley asked pretending to be . "No it's you and me." Auggie told Mr. Googly. Riley and I stood up from behind the couch. "Oh it's you two." Auggie said. "We went in your room looking for you." I said. "We saw what you did." Riley added. "I'm so sorry." Riley and I apologized.
"Could've been the best night ever." Auggie told us. "Maybe it still can be." Riley and I replied. "How?" Auggie asked. Riley and I both held a hand out. Auggie grabbed both of them and we led him to his room. When we got to his door I opened it.
"Arrgh!" Maya shouted. "How did you do this?!" Auggie asked looking around his room. "Demolition, opened late tonight and I have no curfew at all." Maya answered. "No where's all your treasure matey?" "We're being boarded by blonde beard!" Auggie shouted. Riley and I had taken off our robes to show we were wearing pirate costumes.
Riley handed Auggie a sword and we both grabbed ours. We got on Auggie's bed and started fighting with Maya. Auggie knocked Maya down on the bed. "Thanks for letting me stick around tonight Auggie." Maya thanked. "You're not such a bad pirate." Auggie told her. "So can we keep her?" Riley and I asked. "Yeah, but you and me our brother and sisters again." Auggie told us.
"Then who am I?" Maya asked. "You're the one who walks the plank." Auggie declared. "I can't swim." Maya said as she jumped off of the bed. She grabbed a glass of water and threw it up in the air. Auggie, Maya, Riley, and I continued to have a sword fight.
I walked into the kitchen the next morning and sat down next to Riley. "Smells good." Maya commented. "What are we having?" Riley and I asked. "Cory's breakfast special, scrambled eggs!" Cory shouted. HE handed us all plates of scrambled eggs. "Seriously? You cooked up the entire McScrambleface family?" Riley and I questioned. "Yeah. Yum yum. Eat 'em up." Cory told us.
Before Maya could eat her eggs Riley said, "That was Amanda and Amelia's best friend she used to come in through Amanda's bedroom window every night and they'd talk for hours." "Okay." Maya said. Maya, Riley and I all handed Cory our plates of eggs. "That was momma McScrambleface. She used to look wow." Riley told Topanga. Topanga handed Cory her plate back.
"Who'd I get?" Auggie asked. "You got baby brother McScrambleface, he was our favorite." I told him. "You monster." Auggie said to Cory as he gave him his plate back. "Out for pancakes?" Cory suggested. "Yay!" We all cheered as we got up from the table.