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This chap was written by Alex and me. Thanks, Mama!



"Yes, Gram. I promise I won't give Uncle Howie too much of a hard time," Melicia grinned, snuggling deep into the crook of the corner of the couch. Worried Paula Dorough had called to check up to see how her son and granddaughter were settling in since they had arrived in Florida. Melicia felt relieved speaking to grandmother. She had always been an easy woman for Melicia to speak to. "Besides, it should be vice versa. You should be worried about Uncle Howie giving me a hard time. I mean, geez, the guy thinks he's a pro parent already!"

"Melicia..." Paula trailed with a laugh.

"I know, I know. Uncle Howie has been great towards me and I couldn't be more thankful," Melicia replied, sighing.

"He loves you, dear."

"I know, I love him too," Melicia choked.

"But you also know you can call us for anything."

"Of course."

"Unless you decide to go to another party and make some more bad decisions. Then it's still your uncle's job to tan your hide."

"Gram!" Melicia groaned.

"Well, make some better decisions from now on, and I won't have to bring that up again," Paula chuckled.

"It was one time, Gram, and I don't miss doing it."

"Good. So, how was your first day of school today?"

"Are first days of school ever supposed to be fun?" Melicia teased, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She quickly switched her attitude, knowing really that she had no reason to be unhappy with how her day went. "I guess it was a typical first day at a new school. Most of my classes were interesting, except for Anatomy and Physiology. I have a feeling that that class may become a drag. But choir was a blast, and I'm sure you're not surprised that Uncle Howie got me into that class--"

"It runs in the family," Paula smiled, knowing that all of the Dorough children had spent their school years taking a choir class. "And why should you not be singing in school? You have a wonderful voice. You got that from your mother."

"Yeah, I know. While most were having their children speak their words, Mama was having me sing," Melicia laughed as she remembered how happy her mom was when she sang her first song.

"You'll excel well in choir. Maybe you will give us joy in seeing you make it into choir concert your last year of highschool?"

Melicia smiled at the hopeful sound in her grandmother's voice. "I don't know if I can. I mean, it's October and they held auditions for the concert choir last spring before the school finished for the summer. I don't know if I can audition for it--"

"If you really want to, just bring it up to your Uncle and he'll speak to your choir director. He can have some strings pulled."

"I could talk to Uncle Howie about getting into concert choir. It would almost be like breaking a law if I wasn't in it. I mean, all the Dorough kids were in it during high school, right?"

"Yep. Although, your Uncle John nearly got kicked out of it during his senior year."

"No way! What did Uncle John do, flirt with the teacher?" Melicia giggled. Her Uncle John was like Howie, but with a twist of AJ that got him into trouble a lot of the time.

Paula laughed. "Not with his choir teacher. It was his English teacher, sophmore year, that landed him in detention for several days for flirting. As for almost getting kicked out of concert choir senior year, your Uncle John figured since it was his last year, he wouldn't have to give as much of an effort in the class, skipped out on alot of it. Cost him the prized solo he'd gotten the previous three years, though."

"Yikes. He's definitely the wild one in this family... maybe that's where I got it from," Melicia laughed. She heard the door open and guy's voices floated throughout the house. "Oh! Gram, Uncle Howie and the guys are here with dinner."

"What's your uncle making?"

"His famous quesadillas! He and the fellas went to go get whatever he uses to make them."

"A definite treat. Alright, let him know I called."

"I will and I love you Gram. And tell Pop I said hi and I love him too!"

"Love you, too, dear. Adios."

"Adios, Gram!" Melicia hung up the phone and ran into the kitchen where everyone was.

"Hey, guys!"

"It's my Mella!" Brian grinned in a cheezy manner as he pulled Melicia in for a tight hug.

Melicia gave Brian a questioning stare as she pulled away from him. "Wait a minute! What are you doing here?" she asked, noticing that Brian had joined the group that evening. However Nick was still missing. "Where's Nick?"

"The fellas picked me off the side of the road on their way here," Brian joked.

"Don't know where Nick is this evening," Howie answered his niece's second question.

Melicia rolled her eyes at Brian. "You mean Nick is missing? Oooh, I claim his PS2!"

"I don't think we're that lucky to have Nick missing long enough for us to get rid of his video games," Kevin chuckled as he pulled on Melicia's ponytail.

"Hey! Not the hair!" Melicia glared playfully as she swatted at Kevin's hands. That's when she caught AJ's gaze.

She gave a small smile before turning to Howie. "So, do I get to eat soon or do I have to go to Gram and Pops for some food?"

"If you could wait ten minutes, you won't have to go anywhere." Howie rolled his eyes.

"Good!" she smiled and kissed his cheek before leaving the kitchen.

Melicia was preparing to settle back into the couch when she heard a sharp knock on the front door and she quickly hurried over to it, glancing at her watch. It was 7:10, so she was guessing it was Ana on the otherside of the doorway. Unlatching the lock, Melicia tossed the door open and her suspicions were confirmed, with an addition. Ana was standing there with another girl.

"Hey, Clicky," Ana greeted in her laid-back style.

"Hey, Ana," she replied, gazing at Ana's friend before sticking out her hand to the girl. "My name's Melicia."

"The name is Kelly," the girl answered with an amused smile at Melicia's outstretched hand. She flicked a long golden strand of hair over her shoulder, her dark eyes twinkling, still amused. "Girl, it ain't the country south, so you don't need to shake my hand." Her voice gave evident to a rather southern accent.

"Oh! Sorry," Melicia's face blushed a little. "That's how we do it back in New York. I'm still trying to get the hang of the whole Florida thing."

"You're from New York, huh? I moved here about three years ago from Georgia."

"Yeah, just moved here last week to live with my uncle. Of course, everyone knows who he is," Melicia rolled her eyes a little as she let the girls into the house. "But don't bother to tell me they know. Right, Ana?"

"Nah, Clicky. I haven't a clue what you're talking about," Ana answered with a grin as she gazed around for a moment. "Like I said, it doesn't matter to me."

"I know," she smiled as she looked over at Kelly. "I'm guessing you know, too."

"If you're asking if I'm going to freak out and go into a spasm of convulsions..." Kelly joked. "Yeah, I know who your uncle is."

"Mella! Dinner's ready!" Howie's voice called from the kitchen.

Melicia turned to the girls. "Are you two hungry? My uncle made quesadillas."

"We'd hate to impose," Kelly answered.

"It's no imposition, we've got enough to feed an army. Brian, Kevin and AJ are here, too and they eat like pigs. C'mon." Melicia lead the girls towards the kitchen.

By the time the three girls entered the kitchen, AJ and Brian were already chowing down on several quesadillas, while Howie stood in front of the stove flipping several more. Kevin had disappeared from the kitchen, but Melicia soon heard him cursing in the garage, following a loud crash. She winced as Howie paused a moment to look in the direction of the garage. "We probably don't even want to know," she told Ana and Kelly with a smirk. "Uncle Howie, Brian, AJ... this is Ana, my friend from school, and her friend Kelly. Ana and Kelly, this is my Uncle Howie, Brian, and AJ.. .and the one cursing in the garage would be Kevin. But I guess you really didn't need the introductions... argh. Uncle Howie, is it okay if Ana and Kelly eat dinner over here?"

"Of course it's okay," Howie smiled at the girls as Brian and AJ waved, their mouths full of food. "Are quesadillas okay with you girls? There are other things I could make."

"When it comes to mexican food, quesadillas ain't a problem," Ana quickly answered.

"Sounds good to me," Kelly agreed as she, Ana and Melicia sat down at the table. By now AJ and Brian were able to give civil greeting as Kevin came back into the room, his face beet red.

"Having problems out there, Cuz?" Brian questioned, his expressions not the least bit serious.

"Ah, bite me, Bri--" he stopped as he saw the three girls looking at him and trying not to laugh.

Melicia shook her head, stiffling a laugh. "Do we even want to know?" she asked, smirking at Kevin's flushed face.

"No, no you don't," he replied before sitting down at the table. "And who are your two friends, Mella?"

"This is Ana, from my AP class and her friend Kelly."

"Nice to meet you both. I'm Kevin."

"The one having issues in the garage. Melicia told us," Ana grinned in reply.

"Oh, well, thank you for letting them know, Mel," he gave her a glare and Melicia just smiled.

"You're welcome, Kevin." Right then Howie came over with four plates of quesadillas.

"If I go out there," Howie started, first setting plates in front of the three girls. "Am I going to find a disaster area?"

Kevin's face immediately turned grim as he looked at Howie with utter most seriousness. "D, promise me you won't throw a lawsuit my way..."

Howie's eyes grew wide. "Kevin, what did you break?"

"He's in trouble," Brian whispered to AJ in a sing-song voice. The girls giggled as Howie continued to look at Kevin in disbelief.

"Well, you see...there was this," Kevin motioned wildly with his hand. "And then this..." He repeated the same motion. "D, man, I swear to God I didn't see your Vette behind me!"

"MY VETTE?! YOU DAMAGED MY VETTE?!" Howie shouted.

"Oooh," AJ and Brian hissed as Howie blew a gasket.

"Girls, duck if you need to, there might be bloodshed," Melicia mumbled.

"D, it was an accident, I swear!"

"Your uncle is very protective of his Vette?" Kelly stated the obvious.

"You have NO idea..." Melicia mumbled again.

"Kevin, you are SO fucking dead!" Howie ran into the garage to see what happened.

"Dude, what happened out there?" AJ asked as the house was silent for a moment.

Kevin leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest in accomplishment. "Nothing," he stated casually, rather amused at what he'd just pulled off.

"Nothing?" Brian clarified.

"Nothing," Kevin repeated.

"Then why the Hell did--" AJ began.

Kevin just shook his head with a laugh. "Lord knows he'll be occupied out there for a while checking his 'baby' out for the tiniest of scratches when he finds out there is no real damage."

"You mean you planned all that?" Brian asked.

"Yup, every bit."

"I don't know whether to high five you or say good-bye once Howie finds out that you played that trick on him," AJ replied.

"Uncle Howie is going to kill you. You know that, don't you, Kev?" Melicia answered.

"Mexi-fry should be happy that I really didn't hurt his beloved Vette."

"He'll be happy about that once you're six feet under," she quipped, taking a sip of soda.

"Is it like this every day, Clicky?" Ana asked before taking a bite of her quesadilla.

"Just be happy you haven't had to deal with the horror until now."

"I think I speak on behalf of everyone when I say I resent that!" AJ protested, shooting Melicia a glance that only she could seem to understand.

"You guys all say that when you can't think of anything else," she replied, shooting him back a glance of her own, taking a sip of her soda.

"KEVIN! TU ERES SUCIO CERDO!" Howie's voice shouted from the garage.

"Dun, dun, DUN!" Brian hummed.

"Mel, I can't help but ask," Kelly spoke. "Has your uncle ever, ya know... gone psycho on y'all?"

"I haven't witnessed it yet, but I think this might be the time," Melicia winced as Howie continued to swear in Spanish. "Once he starts being bilingual, you got something to worry about."

At that very moment, Howie ceased his yelling. Melicia jumped at the sudden silence, cheeks turning red as AJ chuckled at her. She glared in response. Kevin arched a curious eyebrow towards the door that led out to the garage, half a quesadilla raised half-way to his hungry mouth.

"The calm before the storm," Ana muttered, her eyes glinting with humor.

"Hey, Kev, could you come out here please?" Howie called.

"Um, why?" Kevin answered, unsure of whether Howie was okay to be near or not.

"If you don't want that lawsuit thrown at you, you'll be out here in three seconds flat! One--"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Kevin got up and went into the garage.

"If Kevin dies, I claim his car," AJ and Melicia called at the same time.

Brian raised his eyebrows at AJ and Melicia, who shrugged in reply.

"HOWIE, IT WAS JUST A JOKE!" Kevin's voice yelled.

"RIGHT! AND THIS IS JUST A JOKE TO!" Howie yelled in return, followed by a shriek of surprise that came from none other then Kevin.

"That wasn't Kevin, was it? That sounded like a girl!" Brian burst out laughing as he got up and went to the garage.

"Well, are you girls coming or not?" AJ asked before following Brian.

"Shoot, Clicky. If I'm to be your friend, I gotta see this," Ana said before jumping out of her seat.

"Your uncle may be nuts, but you're cool. I won't hold it against you," Kelly replied, following Ana.

Melicia shrugged and followed everyone else. AJ and Brian were on the floor, howling with laughter. "What happened?" she asked.

"L-L-L-Look for yourself!" Brian sputtered out, pointing to where the Corvette was parked.

Kevin was on the floor of the garage, tied up and soaking wet as Howie was leaning down to put makeup on his face. "OH MY GOD!"

Melicia shook her head in embarassment as the two girls she hoped would be her first friends gawked at the scene in bewilderment. "As funny as this is," AJ stated after seconds of Kevin's muffled protesting. "I'm worried about the fact that Howie actually had makeup on hand."

"No, you should be more worried that he stole it from his niece," Melicia groaned loudly as Howie placed some eyeshadow on Kevin's eyelids. "That's my good make-up, Uncle Howie!"

"I'll reimburse you!" Howie shrugged, backing away from Kevin and grinning proudly.

"Howie, let me up! Come on, this is 100 times worse than what I did!" Kevin pleaded, trying to get up off the floor.

"And maybe next time you'll think twice about pulling your joke," Howie answered and walked back into the house.

"Brian, help me!"

"Nah, cuz...I think I'm going to go eat your quesadillas."

"Somebody help me!" Kevin called, his face looking like a mix between Anna Nicole Smith and Mimi from "The Drew Carey Show".

"No, I think you're on your own this time, Kev. Sorry," Melicia answered, motioning for the girls to follow her back into the house.

Kevin was left helpless on the cold concrete floor of the garage.