Page 5 of Another Love, Another Time

After glancing at the shop, I recognize the girl from school. I’m not sure what she is doing here since it’s typically only the families that our parents know. You never know with my mom, though. She always says, “The more, the merrier.”

Melissa is the first to speak, “Hey, you all know Meredith, right?”

“Hey,” Logan calls.

I wave at the girl while River introduces herself. “Hey, I’m River. Nice you meet you, Meredith.”

I point to the table that has the graham crackers, Hershey bars, and marshmallows. “Do either of you want to make a s’more?”

“Oh, yes. I’d love to have a s’more.” Meredith approaches the table.

“Meredith is staying the night tonight,” Melissa tells me. “Are you all staying at your house tonight?”

“Yeah. Logan is staying the night, and River and her family are staying,” I answer. “Do you think that Meredith and I could stay the night?” Melissa asks.

“I don’t think our parents will be okay with that.” I tell her.

“Why, because we’re girls? We can just tell our parents we are going to stay and hang out with River.

” she shrugs her shoulders like it’s no big deal.

I laugh. “You know that our parents won’t believe that.

Even if they do, you will have to get River to agree to it, and we both know she won’t. ” I raise my brows at her.

“You’re right. River will not go along.” Melissa pouts and then seems to change tactics.

Melissa looks at me nervously. “If River wouldn’t mind, would you be okay with us staying the night?

I’m hoping maybe you can talk her into letting us stay.

I would like to prove to her I can be her friend.

I only get to hang out with her when she is in town, and she only cares about hanging out with you.

I really would like to get to know my cousin.

Can you help, Auggie?” She holds her hands begging me to say yes.

I cock my head to the side. Something is off, but she if she is willing to get along with River?

“What about Meredith?” I ask. “I don’t know if our parents will let all of us stay.” I respond not giving in.

“I’ll ask my mom to talk to your mom and my Aunt Ashley,” she insists. Before I can stop her, she turns and walks toward our parents in the shop. I wipe my hands down my face. Great. River is going to be so excited.

River, Age 11

I’m currently sitting in the back of my parents’ van, where I’m packed beside Brock and Serena like sardines.

Melissa and her friend are sitting in the comfortable bucket seats.

I’m so mad at everyone (except Brock). He’s the only one who spoke up when he found out Melissa and her friend were going to spend the night.

All I wanted to do was go back to Auggie’s house, watch a movie with him and Logan, and go to sleep.

I really think my mom hates me. She knows how I feel about Melissa.

And what makes it worse is I can’t even act mad, or I’ll be the brat.

Ugh! I don’t have it in me to be nice anymore today.

“Aunt Ashley, thanks for letting us stay the night. I’m really excited to hang out with you all,” Melissa says, smiling. I really hope my mom isn’t falling for this stuff.

My mom turns in the passenger seat. “Connie has some games she’s pulling out for you kids to play until bedtime.”

I cross my arms. Now I’m going to be forced to interact with her. I’m going to have to ask my mom what I did to make her hate me so much.

“Oh, I love playing games! What kind does she have?” Meredith chimes in.

I roll my eyes as my mom starts rattling off what games Aunt Connie has and try to tune them out. At this rate, I think my eyes are going to get stuck in this position.

My dad pulls up in Aunt Connie’s driveway, and everyone starts to get out. I stay back for a minute to compose myself. I’m really not in the mood to play a game. All I want to do is go to bed at this point. I look up and see my dad poke his head in. “You coming in tonight?”

“Do I have to?” I ask.

“You know I’m not leaving you out here. You need to get your butt in that house.”

“Dad, I really don’t want to hang out with them. I think I’m just going to go to bed.”

“What about this makes you so mad?” he questions.

“I don’t have the energy to be nice to her tonight.

I had to be nice to her all day long. I don’t think I have any more nice in me.

Plus, all I wanted to do was come back here and watch a movie with Auggie and Logan.

Now, Mom is going to force us all to get along and play a game.

You told me I didn’t have to be friends with her, Dad. ”

“I did say that, and I’m not saying you have to be friends with her.

But she is your mom’s niece, and your mom would like to hang out with her, too.

Besides, what did you tell me?” He taps his chin with his pointer finger.

“Oh, that’s right. ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.’ She knows the last thing you want to do is hang out with her, and you will probably go to bed. Who misses out, River?”

I look down and mumble, “I do.”

“Excuse me. What was that?” he asks.

“I do,” I say a little louder.

“Exactly. You’re mad because she is taking your time with Auggie. What did I tell you last time?”

“Not to give her any more of his time. Just go in there, play the games, and hang out with Auggie and Logan. Be nice to Melissa and her friend. Be the bigger person.”

He gives me a pointed look. I look up and see Auggie and Logan walking towards the van. My dad holds his hand out and pulls me off the seat just as the boys walk up to the van. I put my best smile on.

I look at them both. “What game will we be playing?”

“I told my mom that we really didn’t feel like playing a game. With the party, hayride, and trick-or-treating, we just want to chill. My mom said we could pick a movie. Logan and I picked one of the Harry Potter movies.”

I put a real smile on my face and give Auggie a hug. “Have I told you how much I love you?”

He chuckles. “Come on. Our moms are setting up now. I told my mom to put us together. We are just going to put blankets on the floor.”

We get downstairs, which is where we usually watch movies. Our moms have all the blankets ready. Auggie grabs my hand and drags me down to his favorite blanket.

“I need to get changed real quick into my pajamas,” Melissa announces. “I hope you don’t mind, Auggie. Your mom let Meredith and me borrow a few of your shirts and shorts to sleep in.”

“Nope, not all,” Auggie responds.

I look at the clothes, hoping that neither is a shirt that I have bought him, and see that they’re not. I relax a little and head to the bathroom to change.

All the parents have gone upstairs to hang out. My sister goes up there with them; she’s too cool for us younger kids, and Ellie and my brother Brock have already passed out.

Melissa and Meredith keep talking throughout the movie, asking Logan and Auggie questions. I feel like the fifth wheel. They are all talking about people from school, so I don’t have anything to add to the conversation.

Halfway through the movie, I start to doze off. I roll onto my front and cover my face so that I can’t see the TV screen. Between riding in the car and all the activities, I’m worn out.

I wake up in the middle of the night needing to pee. Everything has been turned off, but I can hear giggling. I notice Auggie asleep beside me. He has his pinkie hooked onto mine. Logan is on Auggie’s other side.

That must mean the laughter is coming from Melissa and her friend.

“I can’t believe we are spending the night with Logan and Auggie,” Meredith whispers. “I can’t wait to tell everyone at school.”

“I told you I would make it happen,” Melissa responds. “What’s up with your cousin, River? Why don’t you like each other?”

“We both like Auggie, and she is jealous when I’m around because she knows Auggie likes me more. She guilts him into spending time with her since she doesn’t live around here.”

“Yeah, he would definitely hang out with you more if she wasn’t here.”

Am I holding Auggie back? Do Auggie and Melissa usually hang out more? Do I guilt him into spending time with me? I shake my head. I am done letting Melissa get to me.

I get up to go to the bathroom and notice they have stopped talking. I roll my eyes. What a couple of losers.

When I get back from the bathroom, I notice someone is in my spot. I lean down to get a closer look and notice that it’s Melissa.

“Melissa, get up!” I hiss.

She pretends to sleep. I wasn’t in the bathroom that long. I shake her and repeat myself, “Move, Melissa. You know I was sleeping here.” She rolls over and continues to act like she is sleeping. I roll my eyes. “Get up, Melissa, or I’m going upstairs to tell my mom.”

Her eyes widen before they change to slits. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Was that a dare? You know I don’t back down from one. You know I just got up. Go back to your blankets.”

“While you were up, Auggie asked if I’d move into your spot.” She looks at him.

“Let’s ask Auggie,” I say. “I’m pretty sure there was a reason why he had his mom make my blankets next to his.”

“He must have said it in his sleep, then. He must be dreaming about me.”

“Melissa, I’m tired. Get up.”

“Fine. I’ll get up. You don’t have to be so mean about it.”

“I’m tired. I went to the bathroom and came back to find you stole my spot. How else would you like me to act?”

“You could have said ‘please.’”

“Ask you to ‘please get out of my sleeping spot’? Not likely.”

Now, she’s back in her spot next to Meredith, who has been quiet the whole time.

I sit back down and pull the blankets over my shoulders.

I don’t have any more nice left in me. I roll over and close my eyes, hoping that when I wake up, I won’t have to deal with Melissa. I really wish we were not related.