He Always Wanted More

Let's skip to step number 8. 

Ashton and I dropped off the boys (with much hesitation from our sweet Laiken) and headed for mom and dad's (and yes, I suppose mine) house. 

He had everything he would need for the stay. When we got home, all of the lights were off. Nobody was home. 

Laiken and I turned the key and walked into the dark house. 

Pause

I know your expecting me to say that my parents were going to give me a welcome home party or something-but they weren't. 

Just-listen.



Actually they weren't home. I put Ashton's crap in his old bedroom and my current one. 

We sat down on my bed and turned the TV on. Nothing that good was on so we settled for an old episode of Hannah Montana. 

Sitting with just my brother was nice. No Laiken, no Preston, and no Carl-as much as I had grown to love them I loved my brother and me being together alone. 

I turned the show on mute and turned toward Ashton. 

"What's the band's name?"

Ashton grinned. "It's a tie between 'Toxic Valentine' or 'Hiding from Monsters'."

"Hiding from Monsters?" I asked. Ashton nodded furiously. 

"I like it."

"I was hoping you would say that about one of them-so that we could finally have a band name."

"What are you talking about?"

"The guys really love my baby sister. Especially Laiken." Ashton said. "And I told them I'd mention the names to you and have you pick." Ash chuckled. "They want you to be our manager-for a while. Until you brilliantly come up with one of your songs."

Pause

I guess I never mentioned the key part of my life. 

I love writing songs. Like, really I put lyrics to them on Youtube and have Ashton sing them, since I have like really bad stage fright.

Resume

I looked at my brother. 

Managing. 

"Why can't I just write the songs?"

"Because we need a manager."

"But you need songs."

"Laiken sometimes spills them out of his guts."

I sighed. "Fine."



I heard the front door open. Mom and dad were home. 

"Kids?" I heard my mother's voice. 

I followed Ash downstairs. Mom was wearing a purple coat and carrying a Wal-Mart reusable bag in one hand and holding my dad's hand in the other.

For once, my father wasn't on his stupid Palm Pilot or his iPhone. 

"We ordered pizza."

My dad held up a Pizza-Hut box. "Ashton, could you go out and get the other box of pizza?"

Ashton nodded and walked out the front door. "Arabella, we missed you."

My mother hugged me.

I awkwardly hugged her back. My mother was being sickly sweet. 

I was scared. 

And for the news coming during pizza and breadsticks, I had every right to be.