Live Without Warning

"Hey, dinner my house?" Tre asked, coming up behind the three of us. "My dad's making his famous Chicken Marsala.." He chose to accentuate his point by wiggling his eyebrows and pretending to stir a big pot with a stick.

"Will there be potatoes?" Billie questioned, actually considering it.

I cocked an eyebrow. "What is it with you and potatoes?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Dude, there are never any potatoes or potato-based products in my house because you've eaten them all."

Billie looked at Mike and Tre for help. They smartly looked away, Tre covering his face with his hand. "I don't have a potato problem!"

"Ramona?" Tre asked, ignoring the still muttering Billie.

"Can't. Really annoying family thing." I waved.

"Family thing?" They asked, for some reason in perfect unison.

I nearly stumbled back from the force of it. "I am allowed to have a family, right?"

"Two people don't really make much of a family." Mike pointed out.

"My parents ditched me and I live with my brother. That doesn't mean I don't have relatives. Aunts, uncles, grandparents." I stopped walking, squinting my eyes. "I don't even have any relatives. I lied, it's more like..well." How do you tell someone something that there's no nice way to say? "You know I love you guys to death. All of you. But, I just I need some time with Spencer..and..and Natasha. Okay?"

Tre and Mike looked at each other confused. "But we had plans? We always eat at Tre's on Friday nights."

"I just can't tonight, alright?"

"Well why not?" Billie asked in a way too accusatory voice.

"It's my brother's birthday, okay? Can everyone just give it up and allow me some privacy? I said I need some time."

I felt Natasha's hands around my shoulders, griping them. "You walked away from them, just like that?"

"You didn't have to cancel your plans for me, Ramona." Spencer lied, trying to sound empathetic.

"Sure you say that now. But if I'd never come home after school on your birthday, you'd never have forgiven me." I pointed out. "Besides, I sort of only used your birthday as an excuse. I really did just want some time to myself. All it is now is the three of them. I don't get any breaks with it. And honestly, it's driving me nuts." Natasha began to speak. "Nuts!" I emphasized, marching out of the living room and upstairs into my room. I just need time to think, by myself. I got what I asked for, the guys didn't even look at me for the first four days, and even when I got them to make eye contact, they refused to speak for another two weeks. They were mad at me for weeks for canceling dinner plans. For my brother's birthday! How screwed up is that?

"Hey Ramona." Mike replied monotone.

"Are we talking now?" He shrugged, Billie coughed while Tre looked away from me. "Great, because I've decided I'm failing this year."

"But you've got the best grades out of all of us." Tre argued, coming up at my other side, squeezing me between him and Billie.

I let out a laugh. "Since when? I've got like straight D's right now. And finals are next week. What am I gonna do?" I whined, banging my head against our lockers, making them echo and shake. "If I don't pass this year, Spencer's going to kill me. I mean hunt me down, burn me at the stake, fillet me and feast on my charred carcass before hanging my bones above the mantel so that for years to come he can point up at my limbs and laugh."

"Didn't your brother drop out of college?" Billie asked, opening his locker while I stuffed my head into mine.

My voice filtered though the empty locker, muffled and sounding like Darth Vader. "Sure. Spencer's still got a no-tolerance thing with school. It's the only way I'm allowed to live with him."

"I haven't seen him around much lately. Has he been out with Natasha?"

I grinned, hugging him by the neck. "Billie Joe I love you! If Spencer's gone, and I convince Natasha to keep him out, I can get to the mail before he does and change my grade and he'll never know!"

"I have a question. When did you get red hair?" I was asked by Tre as him and Mike lifted up the ends of my hair, studying it in the light.

I swatted their hands away. "It's naturally red. Now back off."

"You had blackish hair when we met." Billie joined in.

"It was dyed, dumbass." I rolled my eyes, shoving him into the opposite lockers.

He rubbed his shoulder, giving me a pouty look. "You're ultra-violent today."

"You can blame whoever thought to teach Chemistry for that."

"I can help you with Chemistry, if you want."

I looked at Billie shocked. Nice isn't something you'd use to describe him. "I'd take you up on that, but I am sorta going for this failing high school rebellious vibe. And getting an A on my Chem test would completely void that."

He gave a mysterious look to Tre, who raised his eyebrows. "It's Friday." Tre offered, changing the subject.

"I'll be there. Promise." I toppled my textbooks into my arms, slamming the locker shut. I turned around to three faces looking at me disbelievingly. "I will!"