Infinite

"Max, just shut up and come get Frida. She's driving us all crazy," I demanded of my brother on the phone, hoping he would get off his friend's couch and do us all a favor.

Max laughed darkly into the phone. "Come on, Atticus. That wasn't the deal. You bring her here and Dad picks her up from here. All I do is sit and watch her."

"Jackass," I replied, rolling my eyes. "Get up and get her. I'm already watching Nico for the night. The least you could do is jump in your car and come get our sister so that she will be happy and so I'll be happy, too," I replied, almost begging the younger, frustrating boy, "Do your sisters a favor and please come get her."

"Atticus, why am I always cleaning up your mess?"

I was about to argue angrily, when he started laughing. "That's not funny, Max. It's ridiculous how immature you still are." I scowled, sighing as Ronnie rolled his eyes and laid back on the bed again, having already given up the hope that my brother would be selfless for just one night. "Dad bought you that car for a reason, now please come get your sister."

I paced the floor at the foot of the bed, between the dresser and the blankets that hung down in front of our foot board. Ronnie crossed his ankles and folded his arms under his head, watching and listening to my side of the conversation as I argued with my younger brother through the phone.

"Atticus, relax. It's not the end of the world if Frida has to sleep on your couch for one night," he replied, missing the point of our entire conversation. "If she doesn't like it then who cares? She's getting spoiled. Someone needs to break it to her that she's not the Queen of England."

"Well, then you be that person, Max," I growled, "because she's bothering me and it's your responsibility to come get her tonight." I hung up the phone knowing that he wouldn't be here. I smacked Ronnie's jean covered leg before I headed back out to the living room that my sister had claimed the second she walked through the door.

She sat on the couch with Nico next to her and flipped through the channels on Ronnie's flat screen. I crossed in front of the TV and sat down on the other side of my baby sister, feeling Frida's unhappy gaze boring into the side of my head as I tried to focus on the channel she'd left it on when she stranded the remote on the coffee table.

"Well?" she asked impatiently, reaching out to roughly press the button on the remote that cause the TV to shut off, turning the screen entirely black and reflecting the image of us sitting on the couch back at me.

"Max isn't coming," I stated, leaning my head back against the couch.

Frida groaned loudly. "That's not fair!"

"You've said that ten times already, Frida, what do you want me to do about it?" I questioned, becoming frustrated with my sister more-so now that she was blatantly whining about being trapped in Los Angeles with us.

Frida sighed angrily and crossed her arms over her chest. "Can't you take me home?" she questioned, "I just want to sleep in my own bed tonight. I don't want to be stuck on Ronnie's couch."

I closed my eyes and ran my palms over my face, annoyed at this family at this very second. I ran my fingers through my hair. "I'll try Dad one more time and if he doesn't answer I'll take you home myself," I promised, nodding unenthusiastically when she grinned and reached over Nico Moon to wrap her arms around my neck.

As I stood up to head back into the bedroom and glared at Ronnie as he leaned against the end of the wall where the living room met the hallway. He shrugged in reply to my glare and followed me as I passed him and marched into the bedroom to try and get ahold of my more and more absent musician father.

"Hello, this is Brett Gurewitz, please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. If this call is pertaining to Epitaph Records, please call the office number at . . . and leave a message with the receptionist. Thank you."

"Dad, it's me," I said into the phone, "You're supposed to pick Frida up at the apartment tonight but I can't get ahold of you. Please call me back soon." I ended the call and frowned at Ronnie who was already frowning at me.

"You don't have to take her," he said, knowing exactly what I was about to do.

I shrugged my shoulders and moved my eyes away from his gaze. "She's my sister and she doesn't want to be here. It's the least I could do."

Ronnie shook his head. "No, the fucking least you could do is call Brett. And you did that. So let her camp out on the couch tonight and you can take her home in the fucking morning," he vented, growing angry that I was once again doing more favors for my dad, who was no where to be found at this moment.

I crossed my arms over my chest. I didn't know what to do. Sure, I could just take her home but that would cause more of a stir between Ronnie and I, and if I didn't my sister would throw a fit and remind me that she didn't enjoy spending bonding time with Ronnie. Especially now since he "embarrassed" her by showing up outside her boyfriend's house and "flaunting" his fame.

"I'm just going to take her home, Ron," I replied, shaking my head and running my fingers through my hair. "It'll be better for everyone if she can lock herself in her room."

Ronnie rolled his eyes. "Fine, Atticus," he stated, although the look on his face made it obvious that everything wasn't fine with me doing another favor for my dad.

I bit my lip and took a few steps towards Ronnie. I stood right in front of him with our chests almost touching, and looked up into face. Ronnie stared down at me as I wrapped my arms around his slender waist. I sighed when Ronnie just stood still and leaned his head back against the wall.

"I'll try to call Gina, alright?" I questioned him, waiting for his reaction.

He nodded slowly and leaned down to press his lips against mine. I moved my hands up his side and over his shoulders until they were tangled in his hair. Ronnie shivered slightly at the lingering contact and then froze as he deepened the kiss by parting his lips slightly and wrapping his arms around my hips.

"My sisters," I breathed against his lips as his fingers slipped under my shirt and pressed against the skin above my hips.

He shook his head softly. "They're in the living room," he uttered, "We're just kissing."

"Actually, you two are making out and I'd appreciate it if someone would take me home before you two escalade to making an un-wanted almost-famous child."

Ronnie groaned under his breath and dropped his head onto my shoulder as Frida leaned against the door frame with her arms crossed over her chest and a glare in her eyes.

"Shut up, Frida," Ronnie replied, stepping away from me and over to her, "Our child would be entirely wanted and plenty famous. Like me."

Frida gave him a look. "You're so full of yourself," she retorted, "And someday Atticus is going to get sick of it and you're not going to like it when she walks out on you."

I shoved Ronnie back towards the bed before he could reply. "Okay, that's enough sibling rivalry," I demanded, trying to push Frida away from the bedroom, "Go watch TV. I'm going to call Gina."

"We will never be siblings," Frida said in response to my remark. We headed down the hall to call our step-mom and Ronnie leaned out of his bedroom when we went.

Ronnie chuckled and stood in the middle of his hallway. "We will be someday, Frida. Atticus will be a Radke sooner then you think."

"Shut up, Ronnie," I called over my shoulder, feeling Frida's shoulders tense as I lead her back into the living room and away from the man who continuously tried to rile her up.

I pushed Frida to sit back down on the couch and plucked Nico Moon up from the cushion next to her. "You need to use the potty, Nico?" I questioned, already heading down the hallway with the little girl in my arms.

"No," she said, shaking her head.

"Well, lets try anyways, Baby Girl," I suggested, turning into the bathroom and closing the door behind us.

"No, Atti, no." She grabbed onto the top of her pants when I set her on her feet.

I chuckled and tried to loosen her grip off of the fabric. "Come on, Nico. Momma and Daddy want you to start using the big girl potty. You are a big girl, aren't you?"

"No!" Nico shouted loudly, shaking her head and ruffling her short, brown hair.

I crouched down in front of her and looked into her eyes. They were the same as mine, with only a slight variation from Gina's side of the family. But other than the miniscule green tint in Nico's eyes, all of the Gurewitz children had the same dark brown eyes and hair, and light skin that made us look distinctly related.

"Alright, Nic," I sighed, "But you let me know if you need to use the bathroom, because we're not changing any diapers, okay?"

Nico nodded quickly and reached for the door handle. I stood up and opened the door, making sure that the wooden door didn't hit her as we stepped out. Nico tottered down the hall and threw her small frame against the large couch cushion as she tried to climb up onto it.

"Be careful," I demanded, chuckling despite my warning.

"Are we leaving now?" Frida questioned, pushing Nico back farther on the couch as she stood up and headed for her bag that she'd brought with her from Caleb's. She'd dropped it beside the couch when she came in and now she pulled her jacket from the bottom

"No, just let me see where Gina is," I said, grabbing the phone from the side table.

"She's not going to answer, Atticus!" she shouted exasperatedly, "I don't understand why nobody will just take me home. Gina, Max, and Dad are obviously too busy, so can you please just drive me back to my house."

"Just shut up and let me try," I demanded, pointing my finger at her, "And don't yell at me."

She rolled her eyes. "You're not my mom."

I lifted my eyebrows in surprise. "What has gotten into you?" I questioned, folding my arms over my chest. "You've been snippy since Ronnie picked you up."

"He's shouldn't have picked me up, then," she retorted, "He's not even family."

"He's the closest thing you've got, Frida!" I shouted, growing angry with the selfish girl, "Your own father won't even pick you up from his house so you shouldn't complain when someone who actually cares about you picks you up without complaint!"

"I don't care," she yelled back, "Ronnie Radke is not family. He's just your stupid boyfriend. Just because you've been together one year doesn't make him family, Atticus!"

I smacked the back of the couch and stepped towards her. "He's my family, Frida," I growled, "And you need to stop acting like you have a problem with that because someday he's going to be part of your family too!"

She pushed her dark hair out of her eyes and let out a frustrated groan. "You're not marrying him!"

"I just might!" I yelled, "And you have no right not to be okay with that!"

Frida didn't reply. Instead she lugged her bag onto her back and folded her arms over her chest. She tipped her head to the side and asked, "Can you take me home now?"

"Why do you want to sit home alone anyways?" I questioned, reaching for the cell phone that I'd dropped on the couch next to Nico Moon. "Nobody is there and you're not allowed to have friends over past seven thirty."

"Why do you care?" she questioned rudely, "I just want to go home."

I shrugged my shoulders and tossed her the phone. "Then you better call Gina, because I'm going to spend some time with my family tonight." I waited until she caught the cell before I plucked Nico Moon from the couch and headed back into the bedroom that Ronnie and I shared.