Chapter Thirty: Girl Meets Tell-Tale-Tot
My family and I were eating breakfast when Maya runs into the apartment. "All right, weirdos. Listen up and listen good. I got like a minute before he walks through the door." She told us. "Who's coming through the door, Maya?" Riley asked her. "Your uncle boing." Maya replied. I rest a hand on Maya's shoulder, "Oh Maya, you've got to get off of this." I told her. "Nope. The reason he's not interested is because I've been playing it all wrong. See, my strategy of turning into a total nut job at the mere sight of him ain't working out as planned." Maya explained. "Maya it's nothing you're doing, it's the age difference." Riley told her. "Three years older. Your dad married your mom he's like twenty years older." Maya told us. "We're exactly the same age." Dad pointed out. "What?" Riley questioned in shock. "Oh come on how is that surprising?" I asked.
"I just need to be caszh. How's this?" Maya asked as she sat on the bench and put her feet on the table. Mom got up and walked over to Maya while laughing. "Yeah, how's this?" She asked as she pushed Maya's feet off of the table making Maya turn so she was facing the door. "Hey, family." Josh greeted as he walked through the door. "Yeah, hi. I don't care." Maya said while twirling a piece of her hair. "My brother." Josh stated as he put his bag in a chair. "My brother." Dad replied pointing at Josh. "So, Riley and Caroline shouldn't we be like heading to school now, since there's nothing here for me of any interest?" Maya asked me and my sister. "Sure let's go." We told her. Maya got up and we turned to look at Auggie.
"Think she'll make it out the door?" Auggie asked us. "I give her ten seconds before she jumps on his head." Riley replied. "I think she's going to make it out the door, but quickly come back in and attack him." I predicted. Riley and I got up and walked towards Maya. "I came up here because I wanted to do this in front of all of you." Josh explained, telling us why he was here. "I hold in my hand an envelope from New York University." Maya stopped walking when he said that causing us to bump into her. "Oh, are we stopping?" Riley and I asked with smiles on our faces. "I'm not stopping, I'm resting." Maya corrected us. Then we continued to walk towards the door. "What's in this envelope tells me where I'm going to be for the next four years." Josh continued and once again Maya stopped. "Oh, are we stopping?" Riley asked. "I'm not as young as I used to be." Maya retorted and we started to walk again.
"Good luck Josh." Riley and I called out. "Yeah, hi. I don't care." Maya said before she opened the door and we walked out. When the door closed we could hear Josh talking. "Is it just me or is there a new maturity in Maya that I haven't seen before? I find it intriguing." Josh said. Oh Josh you shouldn't have said that. "Where will you be?!" Maya shouted as she ran back into the apartment and jumped on to Josh. Josh moved around the apartment trying to get Maya off of his back. "Hold on to your dignity, woman!" Riley and I told her. "Too late for that!" Auggie commented. Josh continued to try to get Maya off of his back but he was having no avail. "Get off of me you little ferret!" Josh shouted. "Give it!" Maya ordered. "It's my life!" Josh shouted. "It affects me too!" Maya retorted as she opened the envelope and pulled out a paper.
"Dear applicant boing." Maya pretended to read. "It doesn't say that." Josh snapped. "This year we're only accepting married applicants." Maya continued. "It doesn't say that." Josh repeated. "So we regret to inform you that..." Maya stopped in the middle of her sentence. "Regret to inform me." Josh said. "We regret to inform you that you will be spending the next four years in New York with Maya!" Maya cheered. "I got in." Josh stated. Maya finally got off of his back. "I got in!" Josh repeated. "We got in. Congratulations, Josh." Maya said trying to give Josh a hug, but Riley and I pushed her out of the way. "Yay." We all cheered as we all gave him a hug. "That's so great." Mom commented. "I don't know what this means." Auggie said as we let go of Josh. "Congratulations, buddy. I'm so proud of you." Dad told Josh. "It means a lot, Cory." Josh replied.
"All very exciting, I'm sure. But Riley, Caroline, and I have out own educations to which to attend... to which." Maya explained as she took mine and Riley's hand and we walked towards the door. "This is so great and my buddy who goes there invited me to his dorm tonight to meet some college friends if I got in." Josh explained to mom and dad and once again we stopped. "Oh, are we stopping?" I asked with a smirk. "Nope, we're doing something else." Maya told us. We walked over to the couch. "When is this little party? Yeah, whatever. Hi, I don't care." Maya asked as we walked towards the hallway. "Uh. Ten o'clock tonight." Josh answered. We stopped in front of the entrance to the hallway. "Where's this little party? Yeah, whatever. Hi, I don't care." Maya asked. "Greenwich Hall." Josh answered and Maya smiled. "Are we smiling? I'll smile. I'll smile anytime. What are we smiling about?" Riley asked. "Bay window. Bay window right now." Was all Maya told us before she grabbed us and ran towards Riley's room.
"Can I sleep over at your house tonight?" Maya asked us. "Yay." Riley and I said. "But not really." She said. "Oh." We said disappointed. "I'm going to that party and Caroline's coming with me." Maya told us. "Ooh, you're going to sneak out? But he said it could go till ten o'clock." Riley said. "No, it starts at ten." Maya told her moving towards the bay window and I followed. "It starts at ten? Who's ever heard of such a thing?" Riley questioned in disbelief. Maya and I sit in the bay window. "That bothers you, huh?" Maya and I asked her. "It starts at ten!" Riley exclaimed in disbelief before she joined us at the bay window. "There are going to be college girls there and they're pretty, and they're smart, and they're witches." Maya explained. "I don't like witches." Riley commented.
"We can't let Josh fall under their spell. Riley. I'm sneaking out with Caroline." Maya told her. "You will be grounded forever, and I will lose my best friend and sister. Don't do this." Riley told us. "Riley, I have to help her out." I told my sister. "No. I'm not gonna look back and regret the things I didn't do. I want to look back and regret the things I did do." Maya said, the last part not sounding right to her. "You two can't do this. Your conscience will always bother you." Riley told us. "But I'm doing the right thing by helping out my best friend." I told Riley. "I don't have a conscience." Maya added. "Everybody does, and until yours shows up, I'm going with you two" Riley decided. "Oh, really? You're ready to sneak out this window and crash a ten o'clock college party with me and your sister?" Maya asked her. "I'm so ready." She said before she realized something, "It starts at ten." I shook my head at my sister.
"Okay, how are we pulling this caper off?" Riley asked Maya as we sat in class. "Riley, if we snuck out for an adventure, I know you'd tell your parents." Maya told her. "I promise I won't." Riley retorted. "Who's talking?" Dad asked. "We are. It's us." Riley answered as she raised her hand. "You ain't going." Maya stated and Riley lowered her hand. "What is a lie? What are the effects of a lie on the human soul?" Dad asked. "Why are you looking at me?" Riley asked which caused Maya and I to roll our eyes at her. "The man who summed up the price of a lie was Edgar Allen Poe in the Tell Tale Heart." Dad told us as he walked in front of his desk. He pointed at Farkle, "Farkle."
Farkle was about to talk, but someone interrupted him. "So," Zay started as he stood up. "This guy chops somebody up, hides him in the floor. He's cool for a while, but all of a sudden, boom, boom. Boom, boom. Boom, boom!" Zay slammed his hand on to his desk. "His guilty conscience made him hear the heartbeat under the floorboards. So, he gave himself up. Some people just ain't cut out for this stuff." "He called on me you know." Farkle told Zay. "I know stuff." Zay said as he started to walk towards Farkle. "I know a lot of stuff. I know stuff about you." Zay stopped at Farkle's desk. "You don't know anything about me." Farkle retorted.
"Boom, boom." Zay said. "Why would you do that?" Farkle asked. "Boom, boom." Zay repeated. "I don't understand. Why would you do that?" Farkle asked again. "Boom, boom!" Zay repeated as he hit the two desk with his hands. "All through kindergarten, I never fell asleep once. I was faking all my naps. Faking them. I can't do it. I don't know how Maya can just fall asleep anywhere." Farkle admitted. I looked over at Maya who was sleeping with her eyes open and snoring. "Okay guys, so the story is that the conscience is more powerful than we realize." Dad said before he put his hands on Maya's desk loudly. "I never wake you up." Maya stated.
"For those of us who have one. Now, just as the truth comes out, so too will a lie. How will you live your lives? How strong is your conscience?" Dad asked. Riley had this guilty look on her face and I swore I could hear her heart beating. "We haven't done anything yet." Maya and I told her. "Oh yeah." Riley said. A goofy look found it's way on to her face and for some reason some music was playing in the background.
"Before you give up on me completely, you've gotta give me a trial run at least. You gotta, Maya. You've just gotta especially since you're letting Care go." Riley said to Maya and Maya groaned in response. "Yay, if I succeed..." "I take you, and if you fail..." Maya trailed off. "I'm out, and out like a light." Riley told her. "Okay." Maya said. "What's he doing?" "He loves his tots." Riley answered. "Eight, nine, ten?" Dad counted his tots as mom sat down. "Ten tots. Auggie, how many you got?" "Twelve." Auggie answered. "Gimme." Dad ordered. "Do I have to?" Auggie asked as he handed dad the tater tot that he held in his hand.
"He counts the tots on everybody's plate to make sure nobody gets more than him." I explained to Maya. "That's not what I do. I know one thing for sure about life." Dad started to explain. "Ten tots is one tot too little, and twelve tots is one tot too much." "Watch this, Riley." Maya told Riley. "Mr. Matthews, you're looking good. You wearing your hair different?" "How would that even be possible?" Mom asked. "Thank you, Maya. A lot of work." Dad said. While he wasn't looking Maya took a tot off of his plate and put it on Riley's. "This doesn't just happen." I turned to my left to see Riley just staring at her plate.
"What's the matter with Riley?" Auggie asked. "I don't know, Auggie. Riley is there something wrong?" Maya asked. "Yeah-huh." Riley answered, not taking her eyes off of her plate. "You know what? I'm not really hungry. Does anyone else want this?" "No, Riley. It's yours. Eat it." Maya told her then she growled, "Eat it." "Riley are you going to eat this or are you not going?" I asked her. The last part referring to the party. "I'm going." Riley answered. Maya picked up the tatter tot that she put on Riley's plate, opened Riley's mouth, and put it in her mouth. Then she made her chew it. "Swallow it." Maya told her and Riley swallowed it.
Later we were in Riley's room sitting at the bay window. "So I'm in right?" Riley asked. "Yes." Maya answered. "Squee!" Riley exclaimed. "All right. First thing we're gonna need is another Riley and Caroline. Since Caroline told your parents that she was sleeping in your room." Maya explained. "Why?" Riley asked. "Our parents are going to open the door to check on us, and it needs to look like we're in here." I explained to her. Maya started making mine and Riley's bodies on Riley's bed. Riley got up and walked over to the bed. "Maya, how could it possibly happen where anyone would ever believe that was actually me and Caroline under the covers? I mean, who would be dumb enough to fall for-" Riley stopped when she looked at her bed. "How did we get over there?" "Cause I'm the best there is at what I do." Maya answered her questioned.
"Night, night, fake Riley. I was once as innocent as you, but now all I have to do is climb out that window and then I am," Riley put an arm around Maya, "just like this wicked woman over here." "Riley, if you just let it happen, there's a chance we can actually get away with this." Maya told her. "Right, sure, I'm letting it happen. First time I ever try something like this and I am going to get away with it. You know why? Because I, like you two, have no conscience." Riley said. "Great, let's go." Maya and I said before we climbed out of the window.
"I can't believe we snuck out the window. I've never been to a college before there going to know I don't belong here." Riley said as we walked into Greenwich Hall. "Don't talk. Just act like you fit in." Maya told her. "I want to talk so bad." Riley told her. "You don't know what to say. You've never been to a college before." Maya told her. "Beat Norte Dame!" Riley yelled and the next thing we know she is picked up by some football jocks. "Maya! Caroline!" "Give her back." Maya and I said. They came back and put Riley down before running off. "See you at the game boys." Riley called out to them. "Riley." Maya said. Riley turned to look at us. "If you talk here, they pick you up and they carry you." "That's ridiculous." Maya commented. "I wanna try." I stated. "Caroline." Maya said. "What it sounds like fun." I told her. "That's ridiculous." Maya repeated. "Oh yeah." Riley and I said. We turned and saw a sorority poster. "Gamma Gamma Nu!" Riley and I yelled.
I hear screaming college girls and then Riley and I are picked up by them before they run off. "Give them back." Maya said. The college girls ran back towards Maya and put us down. "We just pledged." We told Maya. "I don't want to wait for college to be real. I'm staying." "We're leaving." Maya told us sadly. "Why?" We asked. "We got here too late." Maya answered. Riley and I looked into the dorm room and saw Josh with another guy and two girls. "So how long did it take for you guys to get comfortable around here?" Josh asked the girl he was sitting next to. "It's about the people you meat, really." She answered. "It's nice to meet you." Josh told her as he shook her hand. "You too." She replied. "How did I think I could ever compete with them?" Maya questioned.
"Maya..." Riley started, turning Maya towards us. "A Gamma Gamma girl does not let her sister give up at the first sign of trouble." I told her. "You're not a Gamma Gamma girl." Maya told us. "Ry-Ry and Care! You totally ditched us." Harriet, a Gamma Gamma girl, told us. "We're dealing with some stuff, Harriet." Riley told her. "I shouldn't tell you this, but you two were already voted best friend to have." Harriet told us. "I thought Gretchen had that." Riley and I said. "Nope. You two! Gamma song?" Harriet asked. "Of course, Gamma song." We answered. "We are the sisters of Gamma Gamma Nu. We are humble, but we're better than you. We help people everywhere, but we still love our hair. 'Cause we're Gamma Gamma Nu. Whoo!" We sang then we did Riley, Maya, and I usual handshake. "Stop it." Then Harriet left us.
"That's ours." Maya said in shock. "Grow up." We told her. "I'm leaving." Maya told us. She moved to leave, but we stopped her. "You're not." We told her. "Riley and Caroline, how do I even begin to compete with those girls in there?" Maya asked. "See Josh, nothing to worry about at all. You're going to fit right in here." The other boy told Josh. "Yeah, you've got new friends already, and a new life waiting as soon as you get here." The girl sitting by him added. "Yeah, he's gone. Please take me home." Maya said to us. "Bold women make bold choices." I told her. "What does that even mean?" Maya asked. "It's a Gamma thing." Riley answered. "It's what we say right before we shove a sister into a bold choice." Riley and I pushed Maya into the dorm room and we followed after her.
"Maya, Riley, Caroline?" Josh questioned in shock as he stood up. "You know these girls, Josh?" The other boy asked as he stood up too. "How you doing?" "I have a boyfriend." I said. "We're in middle school." Maya added. "Oh, they can't be here, Josh." He said. "No kidding, Riley and Caroline, what are you thinking? You have to go." Josh told us. "You're right Josh. We're sorry. This was a bad idea." Maya said before we turned to leave. "Wait." Riley, Maya, and I stopped. "Intrigued." The girl who was sitting by Josh pushed him out of the way. "Maya, what was your bad idea?" She asked. "He's their uncle Josh. I call him uncle boing, because look at him." Maya told her.
"She made us sneak out a window to come here. That's how much she likes him." I stated. "Because she was afraid that you guys were witches, and that you would steal him from her." Riley added. "They're not witches, Riley. They're girls who don't live at home anymore and know a lot more than we do." Maya corrected Riley. "Sorry we interrupted your evening." Riley and I apologized then we turned to leave again, but the other girl stopped us. "Oh, I think our evening has just begun." She said. "Initiation." Harriet said as she came into the room. Riley and I started to scream with her and then she put blindfolds on us before we left the room. "All right bring them back." I heard Josh say.
Josh finally got us and took the blindfolds off of us and we walked back towards the room. "I just thought if I did something like this, then he might take me seriously and then maybe we could come to some kind of understanding." I heard Maya say as we got to the room. "We have an understanding. U stay here, you go home." Josh told Maya. "Sit down." The two girls, who names were Jasmine and Charlotte, told him. "Okay." Josh said as he and Andrew sat down. "I'm just stupid right?" Maya asked. "Hey. I would love if somebody did something stupid for me." Andrew said. "Yeah, it's not the big gestures that we do for other people that help us grow up." Jasmine started. "But the small choices you make for yourself." Charlotte added.
"Ohh. Maya told you guys about her crush." Riley realized what they were talking about. "It's not a crush." Maya said as she stood up. "Maya, can you name one thing you know about him that you love?" I asked. "He's part of your family, Riley and Caroline. I love your family." Maya told us. "And we love you." Riley told her. "What about Josh in particular?" I asked her. "Yeah, Maya, you don't- you don't even really know me." Josh pointed out. Maya turned to look at Josh. "Yeah, you're right. I don't pay attention to anything you do." Maya started walking closer to him. "I don't know that you'd drive from Philadelphia to New York, not even looking if you got into NYU just so you could open your acceptance letter in front of your older brother because you love him, and you want him proud of you." Maya stopped walking, but she continued speaking. "And I see the way you are with Auggie. A little kid who looks up to you who you always have time for. And I know that even though you'd rather stay here with these girls, you're going to walk Riley, Caroline, and me home. Because that's just the kind of guy you are. I like you."
"Dude, what is wrong with you?" Andrew asked Josh. "She's three years younger than me." Josh answered as he stood up. "Sit down." Jasmine. Charlotte, and Andrew ordered as the two girl stood up. "Yep." Josh said and sat down before he stood back up. "No, no because I sat down the first time, and I feel like if I sit down this time it won't reflect well on me." Jasmine walked up to Josh. "Yeah? How's this reflect on you? If you don't sit down, I'm gonna tell every girl on campus that you belong," she put her arm around Maya, "to the bravest girl that I have ever met. I'll make sure that no one goes out with you the whole time you're here." "Okay, I'll sit down. Only because I want to." Josh said as he sat back down.
"Maya, he's seventeen and you're fourteen?" Jasmine asked. "Yeah." Maya answered. "That might seem like a really big age difference now, but here in college, we learn a really difficult math." Jasmine explained to her. "Yeah, and when you get here, you'll be eighteen and he'll be twenty-one. And the good news is that he'll be smarter because he'll be in college." Charlotte added. "And he just may be smart enough to look at you differently." Jasmine finished. "Okay, thank you guys for figuring out my entire life for me. But this has been the worst party of my life." Josh said. "Come on. Let's go." He said to me, Riley, and Maya. "Oh, you're leaving?" Jasmine asked him as he stood up. "I'm gonna walk them home." Josh said as we left the room. As we walked I bumped into someone. I looked up and saw someone I hadn't seen since I found out most of my family had died.
"Chase." I stated. "Caroline." He said in shock. "What are you doing here?" "Just helping out a friend." I answered. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" Chase asked me. I turned to look at Maya, Riley, and Josh. "You guys go ahead. Chase will walk be home." I told them. "Are you sure?" Riley and Maya asked me. "I'm sure." I told them. They left and I turned to Chase. "Let's talk."
We were sitting at a café, but neither one of us was talking. "You know I should get home." I told him as I began to stand up. "Wait Caroline, I'm sorry." He apologized. "What?" I asked. "I'm sorry for the way I acted at the Matthews after you found out your parents died." He explained his apology. I sat back down. "Why did you act like that?" I asked. "I just thought that since after the whole Jenna thing that you would have come with me since we had a connection. After you gave me the necklace and slammed the door in my face. I went back home and told my parents what I did. They were angry at me for acting on impulse and assuming that you would come with us. I was angry at them and yelled at them. I asked them why would you stay with the Matthews and they told me that they were your family. I realized that though you may have been my sister's friend you were around those people more than me. Jenna told me about you and Lucas in Texas and I was jealous because of that."
"Chase, I understand why you felt like that, but you know about me, Maya, and Riley. You should've known that before you came there I wasn't going to leave people I've known forever just because I was your sister's friend. I've always seen them as my family and now they are my family." I told him. "What are you talking about?" Chase asked. "Well sometime after my birthday the Matthews adopted me. I am now Caroline Matthews, not Howard." I explained to him. "Oh." Was all he said. "I'm glad you told me this, but I wish you could've told me sooner." I said. "I know, but I was afraid you would hate me." Chase said. "I would never hate you." I told him. "So I was wondering that since you don't hate me, would you want to go on a date with me?" Chase asked.
"I can't." I told him. "Great, I'll pick you up at- wait did you say you can't?" He asked. "Chase, just because we weren't talking didn't mean things weren't happening in my life. I can't go on a date with you because I have a boyfriend." I explained to him. "Who is he?" He asked. "Lucas." I answered. "You mean the Lucas you met in Austin?" Chase questioned. "Yes, that Lucas." I answered. "Well, just break up with him. I mean you've had a crush on me since Jenna introduced us." Chase said. I knew it was time for me to leave. "Chase, I have to go." I told him. "Wait aren't you going to give me an answer?" He asked. Instead of answering him I ran out of the café and all the way home. I climbed up the fire escape to Riley's room, took my shoes off, and got into bed with my sister.
"What's wrong?" Was the first thing she asked. "I talked with Chase like he asked. He explained why he acted the way he acted." I told her. "But what's the problem?" Riley asked. "He asked me out on a date." I answered. "What?!" She shouted. "Be quiet or they'll hear you. Yes he asked me on a date, but I told him I couldn't because I have a boyfriend. Then he told me to break up with Lucas." I explained. "What did you say?" She asked. "I told him that I had to go and didn't say anything before I ran out of the café." I told her. "Riley what if he starts bothering me and Lucas and we have to break up?" I asked my sister as I felt tears coming to my eyes.
"That's not going to happen." Riley told me and she wrapped her arms around me. I laid my head on her shoulder and wrapped my arms around me. "Do you know why that's not going to happen?" She asked me. "Why?" I asked. "Because Maya and I won't let it happen." She told me. "I am so lucky to have you." I told her. "I'm lucky to have you too." She told me before we went to sleep.
"This is just how you live? You just do bad stuff and you get away with it?" Riley asked Maya, the next day in class while I just looked at her. "Is something bothering you, darling?" Maya asked her. Riley raised her hand as dad walked into the classroom. "Good morning." He said. "What happened to the guy?" Riley asked. "What guy?" Dad asked. "The Tell-Tale Heart guy. What happened when his conscience got the better of him?" Riley asked. "Oh, the 'boom, boom' guy. Yeah, he went crazy." Zay answered for her. "Crazy? What do you mean went crazy?" She asked. "He freaked out from a guilty conscience." Farkle told her.
"How do you get your conscience to stop making you feel guilty?" Riley asked. "Well, the best way is to not do the things you should do, but if you do do something wrong you have to understand, that's just your conscience trying to take responsibility for it." Dad explained. "Why?" Riley asked. "Because when you take responsibility for things you do, that's when you finally begin to grow." Dad answered. "So, listening to your conscience helps you grow?" Maya asked. "Yeah, you might want to try it sometime." Dad told her. "Hello, Caroline." Someone said. I looked on my left shoulder to see a tater tot. I'm guessing that's the form my conscience is taking right now. "What took you so long?" I asked with a smile.
"I want to tell my parents what I did." Riley said as we sat in the bay window. "Too late." Maya said. "I want to tell them how I'm looking forward to going to college someday." Riley said. "Because you love those college girls you met there?" Mom questioned as she stood by the door with dad. "They were so great." Riley commented. "What?" Riley questioned. "Because one day you hope to be those kinds of girls yourselves?" Dad asked. "You knew." Riley said. She turned to look at me and Maya. "They knew. Parents know everything." "No someone told us." Mom corrected her. They came over and sat down with us.
"I just want to say goodbye." Josh said as he entered the room. "Very interesting visit." He came over and sat down between me and Maya. "Josh, you told them." Riley said. "Told them what. Riley? That nothing happened? Why would I tell them nothing happened if nothing happened? Why would I tell them that?" Josh asked. "Was it you, Care?" Riley asked me. "No, because then I would have to tell them about the Chase thing." I told her. "It's okay, Josh. Maya told us." Dad said. "And we'll talk about that Chase thing later." Mom told me. "What?" Riley and I questioned. "Maya told us everything." Mom explained. "Why?" Riley and I asked.
"I wouldn't rat you out, Riley and Caroline. Sorry, Cory. Guess I'm still your little brother, huh?" Josh said. "No, Josh. You were so looking forward to making new friends at that party. But you left. Just to make sure that Riley, Caroline, and Maya got home safely. You're not so little anymore, Josh. I guess I have to stop looking at you that way." Dad told Josh. "Thanks. That means a lot to me." Josh told my dad. "Maya, why did you tell them?" I asked her. "It was a choice I made for myself. I thought it was the grown up thing to do." Maya answered. "It was. You're not so little anymore, Maya. I guess I have to stop looking at you like that." Josh told her. "Thanks. Means a lot to me." Maya replied.
"Riley and Caroline, are you ever going to pull something like this again?" Mom asked us. "No." I said and Riley added, "Even though it may have been a great night, it wasn't worth how terrible I feel for not telling you." "Riley and Caroline, we're happy that you liked you college experience." Mom told us. "And we're sad to give you a grounding experience. Two weeks." Dad added. "It should be three." My conscience said. "Deal." Riley and I said. "Don't forget about the Chase thing." My conscience told me. "Get a life." I told it. "Good night. I brushed my teeth." Auggie said, coming into the room.
"Auggie, you are grounded for one week for not telling us your sisters snuck out of the house." Mom told Auggie as she pulled him towards the bay window. "How's that a bad thing? I was protecting them." Auggie defended himself. "See you guy in a year." Maya called out as she left the room. Then my parents looked at me. "So what's this about Chase?" Mom asked me. I sighed and told them what happened. "And I'm afraid that he's going to do something that's going to break me and Lucas up." I finished and I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. I felt someone move and saw mom sitting where Maya was. "We know how important Lucas is to you and we will be there to make sure nothing happens that can hurt you." She told me as she gave me a hug. I hugged her back. "Yeah, I told you that last night. Nothing is going to happen." Riley said, joining in our hug. "And if I have to then I will talk to Chase's parents." Dad added. "And no one messes with my sister and her happiness." Auggie added as he and dad also joined our hug. "I'm am so lucky to have you." I said. "We are too." They all replied.