All Time Low and Cricket

The boys of All Time Low were sitting around Zack’s living room pondering what to do with their time until Zack’s sister Cricket got out of school, bored out of their minds, there was absolutely nothing to do at one in the afternoon.

“Hey! I got it, let’s go surprise Crick and pick her up from school!” Jack exclaimed excitedly. Jack had always liked Cricket, nobody quite knew if it was just platonic or not.

“She’s seventeen, she drives, dumb ass.” Zack said looking disdainfully at Jack; they kept forgetting that Cricket wasn’t a baby anymore.

“Well, we can go chill at The Diner ‘til she gets out.” Rian reasoned. Everyone agreed to that idea and they all piled out of the house and into Alex’s car.

My name is Cricket Merrick. Yes, my name really is Cricket, and no, I don’t know what my parents were thinking. And yes, that was Merrick, as in Zack Merrick, as in bassist of All Time Low. Yeah, my brother’s in All Time Low, and I’m totally friends with them, okay, maybe they think I’m just Zack’s cute, little sister, but still I know all of their deepest darkest secrets, little sisters are awesome spies. I walked into my empty house after school. My dad was a lawyer, and my mom taught preschool, and did after-school care, and obviously Zack was off touring with the band. So I clomped up the stairs to my room and blared We the Kings, my brother’s “rival band”, they “forbade” from listening to them, but whatever, they weren’t here, so I can listen to whatever I want. I decided to take a little nap before heading up to the barn, when all of the sudden, my door was flung open with a bang. I bolted upright and screamed bloody murder to see Jack dramatically flinging his arm towards me and pointing an accusing finger.

“Traitor!” he yelled just as dramatically.

“What the fuck, Jack!? You scared the shit out of me!” I yelled back, and then I realized that Jack was in my room, my boys were back! “Jack! You’re back!” I jumped up on my bed and Jack jumped up with me and we jumped up and down and squealed like girls.

“Ello, Hoppet!” Sa-woon. Alex was leaning against the door smiling at me. I had always had a crush on Alex, and he had given me the nickname Hoppet, people used to call me Hopper, and he thought Hoppet was funny because it sounded like Poppet. Obviously, it was my favorite nickname! “Jack, stop that. You look like a fag.” He said laughing while Jack was still bouncing on my bed.

“Hey! I’m still mad at you for listening to them!” Jack said remembering he was supposed to be mad at me, then turning to me and wrinkling his nose in disgust. I ignored him.

“Alex!” I screamed jumping off my bed while Alex easily caught me and spun me around in a hug. “I missed you!” He laughed and set me down and gave me another bear hug.

“Missed you too, Cricket.”

“Little Sister!” Zack said walking in my room.

“AH! Zack!” I ran and tackle-hugged him. I missed him, the whole band, really badly. Truth be told, I basically had no life of my own when the boys were still in school. In fact, on my first day of high school I followed Zack around all day until he told me to go away and never talk to him again and made me cry. I don’t know why I was that way, my life was their life, but I was just the little girl sitting on the sidelines hoping they might notice me and let me tag along. Things have changed though, I’m a senior, and have had to make my own way since they left, and I’m doing all right, better actually. Although, it looks like I’m going to fall right back into my old habit with the boys by the way things are already going.

“Hey, where’s Rian?” I asked.

“Downstairs. Eating.” Alex said rolling his eyes. “Let’s go find him.” All the boys agreed, of course, so I had no choice but to follow along. As usual.

We found Rian in the kitchen and soon all migrated to the living room, everyone took their same spots, just like old times.

“So, some chick invited us to the VIP section of some club, should we go check it out?” Rian lazily asked the guys, like this happened all the time, it probably did.

“Hell yeah!” Jack said high-fiving Rian.

“Soooo, can I come?” I asked sweetly, batting my eyelashes.

“No.” Zack said with supreme authority.

“Fine, I have to ride today anyway, and I’m meeting someone there.” I stood up and stuck my tongue out at the boys. Bastards. I should totally be allowed to come.

“Who are you meeting?” Alex asked.

“Adam Reed, this guy from school.” I said trying to be nonchalant, when I was really thinking, in your face Alex Gaskarth, I have a date.

“No you’re not, no boys.” Zack said seriously.

“You have got to be kidding!” I said indignantly. “I’m seventeen, a senior! I think I can go on a date if I want. It’s not like you’re Dad!” Now I was pissed, he’s home for five minutes and he’s already treating me like a baby. I swiftly spun on my heel and stormed upstairs. I heard Jack stupidly state: “Dude, I think you pissed her off.” Idiots. I’m not a little girl anymore. I crouched at the top of the stairs to listen to the rest of the conversation.

“C’mon, Zack, she’s right. She’s not twelve anymore.” Alex reasoned. I knew there was I reason I liked him.

“Yeah, but she’s Cricket, she’s my little sister.”

“I think she’ll be fine, they’re going to the dirty, nasty barn, it’s not like they’re going to a hotel.” Rian said. Hey now, the barn is not nasty! I am offended.

“You should go apologize.’ Jack said sagely, and then he ruined it. “Unless…it’s too late to apologize!” he sang out. They all cracked up and I heard Zack sigh and stand up. So, I booked it to my room, shut the door, threw my shirt off, and shimmied out of my pants so it looked like I had been in here changing the whole time. Zack threw open the door and stood in shock because I was in a bra and underwear.

I screamed, pretending to be surprised, I mean I was a little, I really thought he would knock. “Zack! Knock!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” he yelled covering his eyes, but he did not leave, and all the guys came to see what we were screaming about. Shit. I stood stock still in shock. Alex Gaskarth was staring at me practically naked! Bad! His eyes were huge, just like the other two; Zack was still hiding behind his hands. I snapped back to reality.

“GUYS! Leave!” I shouted dramatically pointing to the hall. They all filed out, still in shock. I shut my door and sighed. Having the boys back was about to make life a lot more interesting… and loud.