It Had To Be You

God, that was so bad. Kenzie just had to go off on a teenage girl tangent, right when I was going to ask him on a date. And I should really say sorry to Justin, he pretty much pretended not to listen when she pointed out who he was. Maddie didn't look to thrilled either. For the rest of the night I just couldn't talk to Kenzie, Ian and I stayed in my room and ate supper together.

This is what I cannot stand, either I'm big sister, or mom. Sometimes I admit my emotions get the best of me, if only Kenzie would say the same. Then there was poor Ian stuck in the middle of all this, I just hope he doesn't turn out to be some maniac serial killer. You know, who kills sisters because the both of us traumatized him so much with fighting. Ok, so the next day I decided to talk to Kenzie, maybe find out more about Justin.

"Ken?" I knocked on the door. Hopefully she heard it over the music the was blasting. "Open zee door!" I pounded a little louder. It quickly opened with a dolled up Kenzie, she was playing dress up again and taking photos.

"What?" She said overly dramatic. I just love teenagers, haha-no. We were all there once, just now everything has changed, everything has gotten even suckier.

"So, about the whole Justin, Motion City thing….." How do I break this to her, without her going into girly scream mode again? "Got any songs I could listen too?" Kenzie's face brightened as she turned to dig through something to get her iPod. She attached it to her alarm clock/radio. Immediately a poppy up beat song started playing through the speakers.

'I'm on fire and now I think I'm ready to bust a move
Check it out I'm rockin' steady
Go!'

The song was already stuck in my head, even before the guitar started.

Betty won't stop listenin' to modern rockers
I try to compensate her lack of love with coffee cake
Ice cream and a bottle of five dollar wine

Sounded like something Justin would say. His singing voice sounded a little different from his regular voice, I was still taking it in. Kenzie smiled seeing the approving look on my face. Ian came in ready to dance along. Cutie. We were all jamming, soon the song changed. Not to anything I expected.

'Let's get fucked up and die
I'm speaking figure…..

My hands cupped Ian's ears. "Oh, God! Change it Kenzie!" She nodded and rushed to the paused button. Ian was squirming and finally broke free of my grip around his head.

"Mommy what did Justin say?" This kid of mine is crazy. Well, that or obsessed, we sure as hell didn't tell him Justin was singing. He looked at me with his famous serious face.

"Huh, um he said let's get sucked up and die." Kenzie's eyes widened, "Yeah, he is talking about tornados….." She's is good for coming up with stories on the spot. For once, I thank god for it. "Justin almost got sucked up by a tornado when he was younger!" Ian's eyes grew big, maybe a little glazed over at the thought.

"No! Tornados are scary!" He hopped up and down. They were in the weather unit in school, seeing as how the leaves were changing it was the perfect time.

"That's why you'll have to smile extra big when you see him next time!" Corny I know, on the spot, good. "Now go brush your pj's on hun." And for the super corny finale: a giant fake smile. Either way he believed and ran to his room to start the nightly routine. Kenzie was in the corner of her room by her iPod still, muttering things about 'how she was going to be in so much trouble' and 'should have been paying more attention to what song was next on the play list'. Honestly I was still curious about their songs.

"I take it I'm in trouble?" Kenzie twiddled her thumbs and picked nervously at her fingernails.

"No," I paused the started laughing, "That was a pretty good save." She looked up her eyes were laughing.

"It was! Tornados…..HA!" Now the room was being filled with giggles. I heard Ian in his room singing it to himself. 'Let's get sucked up and die' Kenzie heard it too, we began to laugh even harder.

"Qu-question though," I got out between breathes for air, "Can I still borrow the CD?" Kenzie's face changed slightly to a surprised, suspicious look.

"Sure, just don't take it to secretly throw it away or something." She really thinks I'm that much of a Nazis? I've gotten bad. Kenzie walked over to the small bookshelf that was hidden in her closet and took out a box. It was full of CD's and DVD's. After about a minute of searching she found the one she was looking for.

Commit this to Memory. Boy did I ever, I held the case in my hands looking over the front, back, pictures, even the colors. Everything. On the front was a perfect cartoon for Justin. Kenzie sighed telling me I should get out, and I Ian called for me from down the hall. Time to go back to reality.

So I tucked Ian in, and got everything ready for tomorrow morning's mad house, did some bills, the 'norm' . Then my two hours before bed came. Tonight wasn't a movie night though. Even if Joe had sent me some new ones I was itching to watch. Tonight was for reading and listening to the CD.

I walked into my bedroom and got under the covers, then pulled out my book and CD player. Yep, I still party hardy with a walkman. Between the book and disc I was completely distracted, I was busy looking through the lyrics and then getting drowned out in his voice. Actually reading was pretty much out of the question. So I gave up and set it down.

By the time I was done with the all the songs (maybe repeats of some) it was eleven o' clock. Crap, I stayed up an hour later then I should have. I scrambled to get my CD player put away, to and to get comfortable again. In the process of putting my walkman away I managed to knock the book off my nightstand. Fantastic. Great, now I had to take more time to find my page again.

I bent down to pick it up, the cover was the only thing that fell open. And there his number laid open to stare at me, maybe I should call him to apologize for Kenzie. Considering I'd probably never be able to face him again, sounded like a plan. Then I once again got comfortable, still wasn't tired. I sat there for half the night just staring at my ceilng, thinking aboutJustin nothing.

The next morning I was regretting staying up half the night. I was grumpy. I was groogy. I looked horrible, and there was no way I was subjecting Justin to that. The call would have to wait until tomorrow. Great, it gave me time to think about it even more! This was going to give me an ulcer or something……

Sadly the day went by slowly. I almost called Jolynn or Joe during one of my breaks, but that whole 'they work too' thing made me think again. Ha, Joe and Jolynn. I must like Jo's or something! At home it was the same, slow and definitely not fun. Kenzie didn't have a good day and Ian didn't have anything to talk about, which meant no laughter at supper's story time. Uplifting, I know.

Now, today was going to be different. I tried to call during one of my morning breaks, I got the answering machine. On top of that I did the girlish thing I can think of, hung up once I heard the 'beeeeeep'. Ok, tried it again. This time after dinner.

It was ringing, once, twice, I should just hang up. Halfway through a ring, someone picked up.

"Hello?" It must have been Maddie. Too high pitched and child sounding to be a girlfriend.

"Hi, is Justin there?" I heard movement, then a static sound. She had put it to her shirt.

"Dad, someone's on the phone for you!" She shouted, I was dancing in my seat. Justin mumbled something I couldn't understand. "May I ask who's calling?" Ah, yes the 'well who is it?' question. So, I told her it was me, then when she put the phone back to her shirt there was a squeal. I'd like to think it was from him. If only.

"Hi, Lane." Justin actually sounded excited to hear from me. But with a tad bit confused tone under it, here goes nothing.

"Hey!"