The Norm Games

Chapter 30: Be surprised

Josh's POV

If I had to choose one word to describe my family, it would without a doubt be crazy, and that's not because they're crazy rich. It's because they're crazy everything else. Crazy loud, crazy annoying, crazy noisy, crazy competitive, crazy loving, crazy friendly, crazy kind, crazy beautiful, and some are even crazy in the head.

With a family like mine, you never know what's gonna happen when they all get together. Like they're fine in small amounts but like everything good, you never want to much of it at once.

Sadly, I got no choice in the matter of how much of my family I wanted to see.
Nope. They all decided that they wanted to see me at once, and that was it. Now I'm stuck hanging out with nine people against my will...ok. So it wasn't exactly against my will, I was actually excited to see them at first, really excited actually. No matter how crazy my family drives me, I still love them.... Or least that's what I keep reminding myself.

Chloe and I's families arrive in about five minutes and I really want to freak out, The last time our families got together, it was in a hospital with me blacked out and Chloe doing...well I don't actually know what Chloe was doing, but I can't because Chloe is doing enough of that for the both of us.

"You know, I totally won't blame your family or you, if they start booing me or whatever." She blurts out, pausing her pacing, and then resuming a second later with quick steps as she runs her hands through her hair in quick motions.

"They won't boo you. Sure they don't love you right now, but they're not that bad....well most of them anyway." I add the last part thinking of Volate's hatred for Chloe.

"What do you mean by most of them?" She walks over to the couch, and takes a seat by me, and by that I mean practically on my lap.

"I mean exactly what it sounds like. Some of my family has got over that, some never will, and some will get over it the second I say I'm over it." I wrap my hands around her small body, pulling her on my lap. Her head rests on my chest as she thinks of what to say next.

"So their reaction is gonna be a surprise?" Chloe pushes herself away from me.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Aarrgghh." She groans, dramatically flopping her head back on chest and sinking down, so that she's curled like a little ball on my lap. "I hate surprises." She mumbles into my shirt.

"No you don't." I gently run my hand up and down her back for a couple of seconds before realizing what time it is. "Better get off of me. Our families will be here any minute."

"Fine." She takes her arms out of their folded position, and wraps me in a tight hug, before getting off me and standing up.

"Theirs nothing to be nervous about." I lean like a foot down -the girl is really short- and kiss her smooth cheek.

"You're right. Nothing to worry about." She genuinely smiles, her cheeks turning a cute pink color.

We stand at the door for about a minute before we hear a knock. "Let's do this."

"Right behind you." Chloe answers, before pushing me out of the way and opening the door herself.

Women. They say one thing, then do another.

"Cupcake!" Chole's mom's accented voice breaks through the crowd of families as she rushes to hug her daughter. "Oh, I missed you so much..."

I don't get to hear the rest of what Chole's mom says because I hear the cute little voice of my little sister, Ally, yelling my name.

"Little monster!" I gush in the voice people usually reserve for taking with little kids or cute little puppies.

"Joshy!!" Ally squeals in her adorable little voice as I pick her up. "Guess what? Guess what??! Mom and Dad are taking us to get ice cream! But it's a surprise for you, so be surprised."

"Ok." I laugh, kissing her chubby little cheeks.

I'm about to put her down when the rest of my family spots me, and my mom says the words I usually dread:

"Group hug on Josh!" At her command my family does as she says, and forms a circle around Ally and I, hugging us in. Ally giggle at the attion we're getting while I, for literally the first time since I was like twelve, actually enjoy the group hug.

"Baby boy! I've missed you tons." My mom hugs me tightly after everyone else has pulled away. She's a pretty tall women at 5'9 with short brown hair styled in a bob.

"I missed you too." I was going to tell her to stop calling me baby boy because I'm obviously not a boy anymore, but decide against it last second. I know she's never going to stop, so why bother... Right now at least

"Son." My Dad's hug is a lot quicker than my Mom's. The second he pulls away, he starts directing us towards the elevator. Yes, Dad is a bossy control freak.

"Doofus." Violate punches me in arm before squeezing the light outta me. Like my mom, Violate is also tall, standing at around 5'7 and 23 years of age. Violate has long black hair twist in so weird braid, that I probably couldn't name to say my life.

"Meanie." Ally sticks out her tongue, to make the meaning of my word clear.

"Little brother." Jack also punches me, but unlike violate's friendly punch, his actually hurts. Jack looks to be the same height as me,6'3, with a forest of dark brown curls.

"Big son of a bad person." We get out of the crowded elevator and get in the limo they arrived in.

"Good to see ya." Brody -thank goodness- doesn't punch me. He's 21 and also Jack's intelligent twin.

"Josh." Leah actually takes the time to look away from her phone and nods at me, before resuming her texting. She's 5'4, 14 years old, and has unrealistic shiny black hair.

"Um...well...Everyone has used every form of greeting so, um...hey?" Reese shrugs his shoulders, like it's not his fault he's got nothing better to say. He's 14 and bone thin even through he eats like a pig.

"My turn. Finally. Sooo I missed you tons and I had no partner for game Sunday since you've been gone and I hate to partner up with Jack and his really mean." Meghan somehow managed to say everything in one breath. She's 8 and a total chatter box.

"Alright. Now that that's done, let's get in to the other topic: ice cream. In honor of you becoming a norm, your mother is forcing all of us to go to a 'normal' ice cream place. In other words, we will be eating at that place with the big tacky M." My Dad actually shivers thinking of the restaurant will be dining at.

"Ok." I used to feel the exact same way as my dad about cheap fast food places, but the past month of being a norm has taught me to appreciate them.

"In the words of Meghan, I told you so." My mom teasingly smirks at my Dad's groan.

They probably had a bet on if I'd argue to go to a better restraunt, and I guess Dad just lost.

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(For now)

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Question: What did you tho I of Josh's family?

♡, Livia~

DF: Dec.27.16
DP: Jan.20.17
WC: 1,294