I don't leave my bed all weekend.

I stay miserable and irritable so no one tries to bother me. No one besides Ashton, that is. I don't know why he chooses to hang around when all I've done is be a frump but he keeps coming back, dealing with all my moods with a smile. On the bright side, we've completely finished the Harry Potter movies.

Sunday afternoon I shower, finally feeling like a human being again. The warm water fogs up my mirror, taking a hand towel, I wipe a section dry.

The first thing I notice is my hickey, still vibrant against my skin. Uncle John's coming over for dinner tomorrow night so I guess I'm gonna have to cover it up. Who knows what fit he'll have this time around.

Throwing my hair in a bun, along with one of Ashton's shirts and a pair of shorts, I go back out to my room to find Ashton staring at a picture of my parents on their graduation day. It's one of my favorites of them, so young and hopeful.

"What were they like?" He asks, scanning the wall for more photos of them.

I stand in the doorway, trying to figure out the best way to describe them. Words don't really do their memory justice, but video does. I get my computer and plug it into the TV, scanning my files.

"What are you doing?"

"Just sit down."

He does what I say as the video pulls up. I run to the bed, sitting myself between his legs. "What is this?"

I shush him as an image of a garage fills the screen.

"Is this thing on?" My dad asks, wearing a ridiculous flannel. Uncle John sits behind the drums a bandana tied around his head. They look like idiots.

"Yes, now play your song." My mom demands from behind the camera.

"Is that?"

I nod my head as the scene changes. Ashton doesn't say anything else, resting his chin on top of my head as he wraps his arms around me.

The scenes shift through the years. Their wedding clips play and I'm shocked to see how beautiful my mom looks every time I see this part. Watching their first dance I can't help but think about our night of dancing in the snow.

After a while, Uncle John appears on the screen blindfolded, a bowl of dry beans in front of him. Mom sits next to him, a hand on her barely noticeable bump.

"Go." Dad calls.

Uncle John pulls his blind fold off, looking at the bowl in confusion before turning to mom. He notices her hand and his eyes widen. "No way."

Mom laughs, nodding her head. Uncle John freaks out, flipping the bowl off the table before tackling her in a hug.

Sage comes along and then the twins. Plenty of embarrassing videos show, Ashton chuckling from time to time. It feels weird for him to watch me grow up but this expresses things better than anything I could say.

"You were a really cute kid." He teases, I just flick his nose.

I'm holding up really well until moms face appears on the screen, her blonde hair all piled on top of her head in a wild mess, bags evident underneath her eyes.

"Today has been hell." She says, looking directly at the lens, momentarily freaking me out. "Matty is out of town on an inspection, leaving me all alone. Scarlett and Sage got into a fist fight. The twins refused to talk to each other and everything has made Saffron cry. And just when I think I'm over this whole parenting thing, I see this."

The camera peers into my old bedroom, showing the five of us asleep in my bed. All drooling and entangled in the sheets, Sterling's fist on my face.

"That right there makes it all worth it."

And for some reason, that resonates with me. Everything in the past two years decides to hit me at once. By the time the video ends I'm crying my eyes out, trying my best to quiet my sobs.

"They seem wonderful." He whispers in my ear, squeezing me a little tighter.

I try to subtly wipe my face, his hands stop mine. Ashton turns me around, my arms wrapping around his neck as he rubs circles on my back. Of course he won't let me pretend everything's ok. "They were."

We sit there for awhile and the tears keep coming. Eventually, I pull back, feeling stupid for being so emotional. "I miss them."

"I know." He says calmly, using his thumb to brush the tears away.

I've never actually gotten to miss them on my own. I've always had to console someone else, let them know it's ok.

And in all that time no one's told me it's ok to cry.

*****

The next night at dinner, Uncle John makes tamales. A real treat since he only ever makes them on special occasions.

"Boys when are your games?"

"Monday." The twins say in unison.

This is their first year back after they choose to take last year off. It was a difficult decision for them to make but Silver wouldn't have been able to do much anyways since he was so under weight. Sterling wouldn't play since he couldn't.

While they're glad they did it, I can tell they're ready to play again.

"Tuesday." Sage says calmly but I know he's beyond excited.

Sage enjoys football. He does basketball to stay in shape. But nothing beats the love my brother has for baseball. I cheer to be close to mom but Baseball was always something he shared with Dad.

I play with the food on my plate. After our parents all the boys quit summer ball since we weren't able to travel every weekend. They pretended it was ok but I know they missed it, Sage especially.

John takes a sip of drink, "Who's replacing RJ as catcher?"

I perk up at the mention of RJ. He grew up on the same street as us in Oak Hill, testing into Riverview so he didn't have to go to Steinborn was his parents proudest moment. That and him getting into Duke. Originally, they didn't think he would be able to go, his dad unable to afford losing the extra hands in his mechanic shop. But right before he was going to decline, they worked everything out so he could go.

He's also been the only person capable of catching Sage, together they work almost as well as the twins. It's terrifying almost.

"Ashton." And when John makes a face Sage continues. "He's amazing, I might even say he's better than RJ."

"Scarlett, what's your opinion on Ashton's catching?" Silver asks smugly.

I glare at him, sending a kick under the table. They've been taunting me all weekend, the picture Ashton posted of us sleeping last night doing nothing to help my protests. Sterling hisses in pain instead. Whoops, it looks like I missed.

"I think she's more concerned with how he uses his lips." Sterling adds with a screw you attitude.

I accidentally kick you and this is how you get back at me. So much for sibling love.

Uncle John eyes the twins in confusion before looking over at me, narrowing on my short sleeve turtleneck.

"Ay dies mio." He mutters, looking up at the chandelier.

Sage laughs so I dip my napkin in my drink and rub it on his neck. A hickey beginning to show through the concealer. "What the hell?" He demands, covering the spot.

I take another bite of my food. "Next time use the right color to cover it up."

John looks at us in horror, "Saffron's the best behaved child here."

"No, I'm not." She says seriously, causing us all to laugh. The email I got from her teacher today confirming her declaration.

As the boys clean the kitchen I pull John aside, anxious to share my good news with him. I want to run my decision by him before I tell my siblings, his opinion matters more than anything else.

"Are you here to tell me your brothers were lying?"

I roll my eyes, "No, now get over it. I actually have something important to tell you."  He purses his lips but eventually gives in. "I read the Will."

It takes him a moment to digest my words, his eyes going wide. "And what did you decide?"

So he already knew, I figured there was a reason he was so persistent. "I'm getting custody."

Placing a hand on my shoulder he looks me dead in the eyes, "Are you sure you're ready for that?"

I nod my head confidently, "Of course, there's no one better for the job."

And there isn't. No one knows how to handle my family better than I do.

Uncle John hugs me tightly, cutting off air circulation. Something tells me he's been holding that in for a while. "I'm so proud of you, Bean, you have no idea."

Slapping his back, I smile as sense of relief fills me. "Thank you, the kids don't know yet so keep it quiet." He nods, finally releasing me. A thought pops into my mind. "There was another part of the Will I found interesting."

"What's that?" He asks, fixing his tie.

"Something about me owning a portion of your company."

He smiles down at me, "I always knew you'd be a good business partner but if I find out you have another hickey I'm going to kill the punk. Then you're fired."

I roll my eyes, popping the back of his head. "Not if I don't fire you first."

*****

Hours later I'm in the kitchen grabbing a snack when the twins file in behind me. "Hey, Scar, can we make cookies?"

I'm about to say no simply because I still don't feel good but they give me puppy dog eyes. While I've managed to resist Ashton's, I'll never not be a sucker for the twins. I blame it on the fact there's two of them.

"Sure."

I get the stuff out as Saffron and Sage join us, almost like an announcement went off to hound me in the kitchen. Chaos starts before I can even preheat the oven. Saffron thinks the powder is like setting powder and puts it all over her face, I get puffed with little myself. The twins throw an egg back and forth across the center island, moving further apart with each toss, Silvers phone recording them from the counter.

"So, Scarlett." Sage prompts, eating chocolate chips straight from the bag. Not like I need them to bake or anything. "Will you be wearing Ashton's jersey Tuesday night for the game?"

I throw a handful of powder on him. "I figured you would want me to wear one of yours."

I've always worn Sages number, it would be weird if I didn't. Although, Ashton did leave his jersey for me upstairs, waiting until he left to put it on my bed so I couldn't say no.

My brother shrugs, "I'd be willing to hand the honor over."

I roll my eyes, how generous. King Sage is willing to loan out his sister for jersey wearing.

Watch this. Sage mouths, taking an egg from the counter. Sneaking up on Silver, he crushes the egg into his hair.

All hell breaks loose after that.

Silver turns and chucks his own egg at Sage but misses, hitting Saffron on the head. She screams, throwing the entire bag of flower on the boys as yolk gets into her mouth.

"Oh, it's on now!" Sterling hollers, using the spray nozzle on the sink to spray us. The powder becoming pasty in the floor.

I run around with bowl of cookie dough, throwing chunks as I go. Laughter and screams fill the air and I'm reminded of how much I love my family. Saffron climbs up onto my shoulders, crushing an egg into my hair. Her hands doing a thorough job of rubbing the shell into my scalp.

This is a perfect moment.

"I'm getting custody." I blurt out, spitting yolk from my mouth. I was planning on waiting to tell them but right now just feels right.

The chaos stops, an egg falling from Silvers hand onto the floor.

"What?" The twins ask, Sterling releases a handful of powder onto Sage's head in shock.

"Are you for real?" Sage questions, not even bothered by the powder.

I nod my head, "We have to wait until I turn 18 but the process should be smooth and quick."

I'm tackled to the ground with hugs. Sage begins to cry, repeating "Oh my God" over and over again.

Laying on the ground of my very messy kitchen, underneath a dog pile of my siblings, a mixture of egg and tears running down my face I decide I couldn't be luckier.

After we clean up and shower we spend the night talking in my room about what life will be like with no Karen around, momentarily forgetting that we have school tomorrow.

"We could go on vacation." Sterling sighs wistfully, the others perking up.

I run my fingers through Saffrons hair, picking out a stray egg shell. "We could, where do you guys want to go?"

We haven't been on a family vacation in two years but we used to travel everywhere. We went skiing in Colorado. Snorkeling in Hawaii. Hiking in the Smoky Mountains. Jet skiing on the lake in the summer. I'd be willing to take them anywhere they wanted to go.

"The beach." Sage says, munching on the chocolate that survived the kitchen massacre.

Everyone agrees and I'm not surprised. We used to take a trip to Miami every year to see where dad and John grew up, dad claiming it was good to experience his roots.

"The beach it is."

*****

#23 in teen fiction! I couldn't be happier. Thank you all so much!
Xo-Mo