"Where are you going?" Harry asked after he finished his third root beer for the day. He threw it in the trash can like a basketball and it went straight to the middle. It made me wonder why he tried out for football and not for basketball instead.

He didn't get in the football team though. Only two spots were left and thirty guys tried out, so not getting in wasn't really an indication that he was a loser, but I did feel bad for him because I saw how much he wanted to get in the team when he tried to convince me to try out with him.

I finished tying my shoelaces and faced him. "I'm going to pick up Sidney first, then we're going to visit my mom. You want to come?" I asked. Harry had been a good friend to me and maybe I should let Mom meet him.

He shook his head. "I still have to practice for my audition to the play." He said waving the script in the air. "But maybe soon. I think I'd like to meet your mom soon."

"Wait, you're auditioning too?" I asked him in surprise and he nodded. I opened my backpack on my bed and took out my copy of the script. "I guess we'll see each other on the auditions tomorrow." I smirked.

He chuckled. "Yeah. Good luck to both of us." And then we had a fist bump. "I was bummed when it wasn't Harry Potter though. The play, I mean. I could've been a great Harry. Because I'm Harry." He wiggled his thick eyebrows.

I laughed at him and slapped him on the shoulder with the script. "You are so predictable. But Harry Potter isn't a root beer addict." I pointed out. I couldn't imagine Harry Potter defeating Voldemort with a root beer on his hand.

He shrugged. "Who knows. Maybe J.K. Rowling just kept that her little secret." He winked at me and grinned.

I shook my head at him. "I can't understand you. You weren't knocked with a root beer can in the head when you were little, were you?" I asked, because I honestly think that he had been knocked in the head with a root beer can. I've never seen anyone who's as addicted to root beer as Harry. "And maybe you're just hiding a scar on your forehead and covered it with the thing girls put on their face to cover their pimples."

He teased. "Maybe. Maybe not."

...

"I can't even say the words right." Sidney muttered. "Much less say it while acting."

Mom laughed at her and so did I. She was pouting like a kid, the script in her hand, and her eyebrows were all scrunched up that they looked like a unibrow again like every time she was annoyed. And every time, I want to take a picture of her not because I could blackmail her with it, but because she looked like a different person. A person that usually only I can see.

The script they gave us was two pages, and I already memorized all of it even though they only gave it to us that morning. I guess I was just used to joining extra curricular activities back in high school that everything went easy for me.

"I told you, let me help you practice. We can practice our parts together." I told her for the tenth time that day already.

And for the tenth time, she shook her head in disagreement. "No. I still can't memorize it." She complained. "I can't practice with you when you can say all the words without trouble and I on the other hand stutter trying to remember my lines."

"Practicing it with me will help you memorize it." I groaned. "I can adjust, you know. I can tell you when you said your script wrong or remind your next word. I'm willing to help you Sid but you're not letting me."

She looked down on the floor probably because she knew I was right. "But you're already so good and I don't even have the tiniest bit of talent and it's embarrassing, Ed." She said in a low voice and it made me shut up.

Was I the one making her feel down?

Mom was the one who answered her, and I was thankful for it. She placed her palm on top of Sidney's hand that was on the edge of her bed and made her look at her. "If you didn't have the tiniest bit of talent, then why are you recording artist?" She asked with a smirk and Sidney suddenly stopped complaining and started listening.

Mom was right. Maybe theatre isn't her thing, but it doesn't mean that she's talentless. She's a songwriter and a recording artist for goodness sake. I can't even write a chorus of a song without it sounding like poem of a two year old.

When someone says they're talentless, I don't believe it. God had given each and one of us a talent, but sometimes we abuse it or take it for granted. Some people don't know it, but having the ability to make friends is a talent. Some people can't even make friends. Even being talkative is a talent, because you can say the words you feel out loud. Some people can't even say they're hurt even in a low voice.

Even the little things a person do can be a talent. We just don't know it because we're too busy feeling insecure of others and seeing the bad in us than the good. We make the things don't matter, matter most.

"Of course every one isn't that great on their first try." Mom added, stroking Sidney's hair. "They have to practice and practice and practice to be the best. Even Dylan had to practice until three am on his first try as Peter Pan in his freshman year." She pointed me.

Sidney chuckled. "Yeah. I remember that play. He was sweating badly before the play started because he was so nervous."

I remembered that play so clearly like it just happened yesterday. I practiced my script all night, that night before the actual play. I was nervous because it was the first time I was going to act as the lead role and it was Peter Pan. Everybody loved Peter Pan. I only stopped practicing at about 3 am when Cassandra and Dad went inside my room to make me go to sleep because I was yelling 'Wendy!' way too loud. I still hated both of them that time so of course I acted stubborn. But since it was three in the morning, I started yawning the moment I said no to them, and I fell asleep on the floor when I tried to deny that I wasn't sleepy.

Because I had little sleep and I was so nervous, I wasn't really the most attractive Peter Pan the next day. I had bags under my eyes, I yawn every three minutes, and I was so nervous that my hands were shaking while I yawned like a zombie. I looked like a shaking green banana with rotten edges as my eyes. Luckily, I became awake, energized, and confident the moment I stepped on the stage. Lots of teachers noticed my skills that day, and started suggesting me for future plays.

Mom actually chuckled with her and I just stood there, listening. "See? Even he had to go through something." She shrugged. "Just practice, Sidney. With enough practice, I know you can do it."

Sidney looked at me, probably for assurance, and of course I nodded. "Will you help me practice?" She asked.

I smiled. "Of course, Sid."

...

"You haven't even memorized half of the script yet." I told her.

She pouted. "But it's hard and I'm hungry!" She complained. "Why isn't this as easy as memorizing a song? I can memorize a song in minutes. This?" She held out the script and groaned.

I laughed at her and she raised her eyebrow at me as if I was a lunatic. "What? You look cute when you're complaining!" I shrugged. "Anyway, about the script. I have an idea on how to help you memorize it."

She raised an eyebrow again. "Really?" She asked, obviously interested. "How?" She crossed her arms.

I smirked. I unzipped my backpack that was on her bed and took out the bag of gummy bears that I bought earlier. Sidney's eyes suddenly gleamed with excitement when she saw her favorite snack. "For every sentence that you memorize, you will get one gummy bear. Do we have a deal?"

She bit her lip first as if hesitating, like she would ever dare turn down a gummy bear. "Why do you always try to make me fat, Ed?" She complained and I laughed at her. "Stop laughing and let's start memorizing. I can't wait for that little fella to finally meet my stomach."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Short chapter, sorry. 😁😁

Since the chapter had Peter Pan in it, I made the song on the multimedia section Lost Boy by Ruth B. 💕 Gosh I love the song and Ruth B's voice so much.

Anywaaaaay, I just finished watching San Andreas. Don't complain on me why I watched it late. I didn't feel like watching it until now. 💁🏻 Sooo, to PJO fans, I just want to share this with you. Blake, Alexandra Daddario's character, was smart right? And she was hot in the movie. Let's admit it. When I saw her I was like, OH MY GOSH IT'S ANNABETH WHEN SHE'S FINALLY LIKE TWENTY-ISH SOMETHING. She was also smart in the movie, which was like soooooo Annabeth. Then, the movie really had to take place in San Francisco? ANNABETH LIVES THERE' ❤️❤️❤️ With the earthquake and tsunami, Demeter and Poseidon probably had a fight and Athena spared Blake and her loved one. Okay, I'm crazy.

Oh yeah. I know that I've been putting a lot of Harry Potter references on this book. I just want to let you know, to make it clear, that I am not a fan of Harry Potter. I watched the movies, yes, and they were great, but I never read the series and I don't think I have any plans at all. Sorry Potterheads 💁🏻

That's it! Ti'l next update.

Z.