• I wake up to the sound of birds chirping. It's the day after the Anniversary Party and I went to bed at one o'clock. Rubbing my eyes sleepily, I get up and took a hot shower. The warm water felt good against my skin. I quickly blow-dried my hair and threw on an Aeropotstale shirt and pajama pants with some old ballet slippers. I padded down the stairs besides a quick stop at the computer to alert all my friends on AIM I was awake. It was about 11:00 am when I entered the kitchen. There was a note on the fridge. I tour it off and read.

    Good Morning, sleepy head! I went out shopping for your cousins Birthday. I imagine you are reading this at 11:00, that's your usual wake-up in the summer time! I should be back by 2:00. There are muffins on the counter and I got more orange juice in the fridge. Help yourself to waffles if you don't want either of the other options.
    Have fun while I'm at the mall Honey!! Marco’s probably still sleeping too, tell him Good morning and that his car is still being waxed, and that he could use Dad’s extra.
    Love,
    Mom.

    I finished the note smiling. My Mom can be so weird if she wants to. I grabbed a muffin from the basket on the counter and poured a glass of orange juice. I brought my breakfast back to the couch and flipped through the channels. SpongeBob was on. I started watching. I may be thirteen, but SpongeBob still makes me laugh.
    When the show was over I went upstairs to my Marco's room. He was still sleeping as Mom predicted. I jumped on top of him and he jerked up. Marco is 4 years older than me. He has blonde hair like mine, which curves around his head but brown eyes, like my dad. He's really sporty and REALLY nice.
    When Marco saw it was me, he tickled my tummy until I couldn't breathe. "Hey kiddo, could you do this to me every morning when we have school again? You’re a better alarm clock then my real one" I laughed. "Sure. It gives me an excuse to hurt you!!" I start laughing again. Marco laughs too, then pushes me off his bed. "Mom left us this note" I handed him the letter. He read it quickly then smiled “She’s obsessed!” He went across his room to the bathroom. He came back in the room wet and in a towel. “Can a guy get a little privacy?” Marco said, smiling. “Who said you were a guy?” I asked, a blonde eyebrow raised dangerously. “Touché” he said “I’m a hot guy” As much as I hated to admit, almost all the girls in his grade DID drool over him. He was 6 foot 3, blonde like I said, a lifeguard at the local pool and the star player on the football team. “I would agree, but your eyes…” I circled him, studying his watery brown eyes. Marco leaned down until he was my height of 5 feet, three inches. “Are my eyes passable?” he said, his legendary lop sided grin starting, the one that made girls go weak in the knees. “Well…” I said. His grin was on full power adorable. He picked me up and slung me over his shoulder. My blonde curls fell over my face. I laughed and hit him “Put me down Marco!” I said, still laughing. “Na, I think I’ll keep you like this for just a little longer.” I could feel him smiling. “Marco, before you decide on that, think about ALL the girls in your grade knowing how you used run around in a diaper when u were 5” I folded my arms. “How do you know about that?” He asked “You were one year old Ivy Goods” I smiled “Lets just say that you shouldn’t let mom and dad put that picture of you on the fireplace, where EVERYBODY can see it, or in my case, TAKE it, for my own selfish reasons” Marco put me down. “Well done, Little Sister” It’s clear he IS impressed; “You’ve learned well” He smiled and kisses me on the forehead, “I’ll meet you downstairs for breakfast” “SpongeBob?” He asks. Marco is OBSESSED with SpongeBob “SpongeBob!” I agree, rolling my eyes. I follow Marco downstairs. He makes himself some blueberry pancakes’. “What happened to that ‘Balanced Diet’ your coach suggested?” I asked him “How do you KNOW these things?” He asks from the kitchen “I have my ways…” I said mysteriously. We watched SpongeBob until Mom got back. “Guys, I’m home!” She calls. “Moms’ home” Marco says, and we both go to meet her.