Backyard Serenade

twelve - gives you hell by the all-american rejects

"Autumn, wake up sleepy-head!" I feel a weight on top of me, and it's shaking my shoulders. "Wake up!" The weight on top of me moves over, laying next to me. Poking my cheek, the voice says, "Autumn, our cousins are arriving today!"

When I finally open my eyes, I look over and see Brandon, who's wearing a stupid pouty expression. As he goes in for another poke on my cheek, I take my hand off my soft comforter and slap his hand away.

"Violence! You haven't even been awake for a full minute and you're already hitting me!" Brandon accuses.

"No one should be woken up like that you bloody idiot!" I exclaim in an exasperated tone.

"Are you British now?" Brandon snickers, "No, have you been reading Harry Potter again?"

My hands move of their own accord as they shove Brandon off the bed. The satisfying thud when he hits the floor is music in my ears.

"Why must you be like this?" He moans in pain, "You like hurting people don't you? What happened, Autumn? You used to be so innocent!"

"And there was a time where you were actually mature for a minute," I drawl. "Guess we both thought we were in easier times."

I can almost feel Brandon roll his eyes. With a groan, he launches himself up from the ground. Brushing imaginary dust off of his arms, Brandon repeats, "Our cousins are visiting today. Get your ass out of bed."

"C'mon!" I groan. "I'm tired after last night."

"Yes, we all know that you made out with your lover boy last night," Brandon retorts. I reach for my giant pillow, so that I can throw it at him, but he's already scampered off.

"That's right, you little butthole. Fear me," I grumble.

Yesterday was a whirlwind. From hanging out with Brandon and Lacey, to babysitting the twins and Grayson, and also having a deep heart to heart with Colton, I'm ready to take an eternity long nap. But the strangest thing is, I wouldn't take it back for anything.

Colton and his family didn't deserve what happened to them, but it's those certain things in life that make us stronger. When Colton broke down, it didn't show he was weak. As cliché as it sounds, he was too strong for too long. He didn't know it was okay for him to grieve, and by then it was almost too late. I'm so proud of him and how he let all his feelings out, it only makes me like him more.

Stretching my arms, I shake my head and try to think about the upcoming day. I almost forgot that our cousins were visiting today. Jackson and Michael were twins, just like Brandon and I. They were coming here for the weekend while their parents, Molly and Arthur, were on a weekend getaway. Everyone in our family knows they can't be trusted alone, they're the most immature seventeen year-old boys I've ever met, and that's saying something considering that I know Brandon.

I was super close with Jackson, and not so much with Michael. The good thing was that Michael was very close with Brandon, so it all works out in the end. We've all been having fun at family get-togethers, confusing adults just happened to be all of our favorite pastimes.

The last time we all saw each other was last year, and it just happened to end with all of us drenched in orange and grape soda. Gracious, I think I smelled sickly sweet for at least a week.

"Autumn!" Brandon yells from downstairs, successfully snapping me out of my reverie. "Get your butt down here or I'm burning your pancakes!"

Throwing the covers off my body, I hop out of bed and brush my hair with my fingers. After having that special Ariel the mermaid moment, I go downstairs to eat some mouth watering pancakes. Taking a whiff of the air, I smell something weird, maybe smoke?