The Trouble-Makers

"I vote that Stella makes us breakfast," Mike declared, sitting down at the dining table that overlooked the kitchen. All the boys had waken up besides Alex whom was still passed out in my bedroom.

"Yeah, that's our new tradition for new Trouble-Makers," Jaime added, sitting down beside Mike.

I rolled my eyes at them and stuck my tongue out. "I say you guys can make your own food." I stood in the middle of the kitchen with my back against the fridge.

Rian frowned at me, showing a puppy lip. "You're too mean now. Becoming a Trouble-Maker has changed you."

I chuckled at that, leaning away from the fridge now. "Oh my god, you are all babies," I said, grabbing a carton of eggs.

"But I didn't complain once!" Jack protested from behind me.

"But you were thinking it," Jaime spoke back, pointing a finger at him.

"Enough bickering!" I exclaimed, shaking my head at them. "I'm making scrambled eggs and you all better like it."

The boys cheered, happy to have finally gotten their way. I swear they were like a bunch of kids when you got them alone. Outside of our private time was a whole different ball game, though.

After I was finished cooking the biggest batch of scrambled eggs I have finally seen, I gave the Trouble-Makers the okay to dig in. They whooped and happily obliged, but since I wasn't exactly hungry, I wondered back into the living room and sat down on the coach. Jay was no where to be seen, probably in the kitchen begging for eggs, so I scrolled through my phone quietly.

"What's up?" I heard someone mumble and I looked up to see a half asleep Alex Gaskarth. I couldn't help but giggle at his messy lion hair. He smiled sheepishly at me. "What?"

I shook my head. "Oh, nothing. I've just never seen just-woken-up Alex before."

His smile grew and he walked over to me, sitting down. "I'm still tired," he complained, leaning his tall frame against me and causing me to lean against the coach's arm.

Normally I would've shoved him off, but there was something comforting about the way he was laying on top of me. "Then why did you get up?" I asked.

"Because I heard yelling."

I chuckled, letting my hand rest on one of Alex's arms. "That was the boys," I spoke. "They talked me into making them breakfast and I had finally finished."

At the mention of food Alex suddenly stood up straighter and he looked over at me. "What'd you make?"

"Scrambled eggs," I giggled. "I'd hurry up and get some before they ate all of it."

Alex happily obliged, standing up and running towards the kitchen. I just simply shook my head at him. What was I going to do with this group? As much of an outsider as they make me feel sometimes, I did feel like I belonged with all of them, and I really did appreciate being accepted into their group. I don't know where I'd be if I had stayed with the clique.

My thoughts were interrupted as I heard the boys clatter from the kitchen go suddenly quiet and a familiar voice yelled out, "what the hell?"

I quickly rushed into the kitchen, my eyes wide as I knew I'd have to explain what was going on because there standing in front of me was my dad.

***

All of us Trouble-Makers sat stiffly at my kitchen table, obviously uncomfortable. Even Jack and Jaime, the ones who seemed to care about literally nothing were sitting up straight with their eyes averted to the ground. After willing my confused father not to attack the random boys eating in his kitchen, I convinced him to hear me and my friends out, which he eventually went along with.

My father sat at the head of the table, with Jack and Mike closest to him. I sat on the opposite head, with Alex and Jaime closest to me. Since we didn't have a seventh chair Rian was left standing up with his arms crossed behind his back.

After what seemed like an eternity of silence, my father finally broke it up. "You know, Stella, when I heard you made friends, I didn't realize they would be boys," he said, and I saw a ghost of a smile come across Alex's face.

"You never asked." I shrugged my shoulders, pulling my sleeves down over my hands; a habit I did when I was uncomfortable. "Honestly, it's not like I committed a crime. They're my friends; they stayed the night. And then we were eating breakfast."

My father didn't bother looking at any of the boys, instead he just stared down the table directly at me. "Isn't that something you want to run by your dad first, don't you think? I'm not comfortable with you being home alone with one boy, let alone a whole gang of them."

I shook my head quickly. "It's not like that, dad, I'm serious. They're my friends," I stressed, leaning forward on one of my hands. My dad fell silent after that, and I knew he was mad at me so I bit down my pride to continue on. "Okay, dad, fine. I'm sorry. I should've asked you first," I mumbled, breaking eye contact and looking down at the table.

He blew out a sigh and I could tell he was weighing what his response should be. I was hoping it would be something that let me get off the hook since I did say I was sorry; something he wasn't used to hearing from me. "It's okay, Stella. Just don't let it happen again."

I looked up at him, a smile spreading across my face. "So, you're saying you approve of my friends?"

I could see Jack shifting uncomfortably next to my dad and Rian was beginning to bounce from foot to foot.

"I never said that," he said quickly, but I knew him too well.

"But you're starting to, and you don't even know them," I said, chuckling. With that, the mood instantly felt lighter and it was like all the Trouble-Makers let out a collective sigh of relief.

He shook his head at me, attempting to fight a smile. "Well, I can't say I don't like the only people you've liked enough to actually be friends with. But I'm going to have to get to know them, too, because just on that alone doesn't mean I trust them," he said roughly, probably attempting to sound intimidating in front of the guys.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say," I said through a smile, standing up. "Alex, come help me do the dishes." My father instantly locked eyes on Alex because just by that he knew what I was trying to tell him. That this one, this guy from the bunch, there was something more about him. Something more about him that I liked. Something special. And this was the boy my dad, unfortunately, would test the most.

Notes

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