Managing Boys

Managing Boys (4)

"You look tired," Parker said as he sat down beside me at lunch. "Is everything okay?"

I didn't lift my head from the table, only grunting as a response. I was tired, and I could have fallen asleep right then and there. I hadn't had one good night of sleep in over a week, and it was driving me absolutely nuts.

"I thought that babysitting teenagers would be a little easier, you know?" I started, closing my eyes when the light was beginning to be too much. "I thought that they wouldn't have as much energy as little kids do, but I was wrong. They have so much more."

Parker grinned at me. "Babysitting four famous boys can get really tiring, huh?"

I merely grunted.

"Everyone in school thinks you're the luckiest girl to ever live." Parker shrugged. "No one seems to notice how tired you really are."

"Because all anyone can ever think about is that stupid band," I couldn't help but snap, lifting my head only for a moment to say this before lying it back down on my arms afterwards.

"Hello, Aria!" I heard a person call out to me before Parker could say anything else, and I nearly groaned at what they had said. I also nearly groaned because I knew who that voice belonged to.

"Hey, Mae," I greeted the blonde as I lifted my head up, trying my hardest to look like I could actually stand her. I had never liked her, ever since I had met her in sixth grade. She was loud and annoying. She also liked to think that she was my friend.

"I was really hoping that you'd join the debate team this year, Aria," Mae smiled at me, a few of her just-as-annoying friends standing behind her as she spoke to me. "Since Zoey joined, I thought you might as well. It would have been really fun to hang out with you some more."

"Oh..." was all I was able to say at first, since I didn't want to be mean to her when she hadn't ever done anything too horrible to me. I honestly just found her annoying. "Well, the debate team just isn't my sort of thing. I don't really like talking in front of people at all."

Mae giggled. "Aw, that's too bad. A lot of different kinds of people have been on the debate team though. I'm sure we'd find the perfect spot for you!"

This girl just couldn't take no for an answer, could she? I already had enough to deal with, what with babysitting those damn boys and whatnot. I did not want to join a club that I didn't even like in the first place, even if one of my best friends was a part of it.

"Sorry," I apologized again. "I've been really busy lately. I just wouldn't have any time to join the debate team."

I just wanted her to go away and leave me alone. I didn't want to waste my time on the debate team when I had Hello Aria to deal with.

"Oh, yeah!" Mae seemed to remember now. "You have that job watching the boys of Hello Aria, right?"

I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from making a face at her as I said, "Yep."

She giggled, and it was probably one of the most annoying sounds I had ever heard in my entire life. I didn't understand why she was as popular with boys as she was. She had had about fifteen boyfriends while I had only had two, and one of them had only been for three weeks in the seventh grade.

"So you get to spend time with all of them?" she gushed now, clasping her hands under her chin as she giggled again. I only nodded. "Which one's the cutest up close?"

I blinked at her flatly. "I don't know."

"I bet it's Ben, right?" she guessed, and Parker continue to sit awkwardly next to me since he knew how irritable I was. "He has such a cute baby face compared to the other three! Ash is rugged, while Grim is handsome and Sawyer is smooth. You're so lucky to have the chance to be around them so much."