"Harry turn this off," Liam complains running into the living room and jumping onto the sofa. "Let's watch Top Man movies instead."
He reaches for the remote but Aria smacks his hand away, glaring at him from over the top of her book. She's sat next to Sapphire on the sofa, the older girls feet thrown over her lap while Aria reads her book.
"No. Saph!" Harry whines, not wanting his program to be turned over.
"Let him watch it Liam," Sapphire demands, looking down at her phone. "Besides, when Gina catches you watching horror movies she'll confiscate it like that." She clicks her fingers.
"She's right," Liam says sitting back down next to Frank. "We should get our own TV and DVD player."
Sapphire laugh, "Good luck affording that."
"Yeah," Aria also laughs finally looking away from her book and placing the bookmark in. "Shouldn't of spent all your pocket money on sweets. That way you might already have a few quid saved up."
Liam sarcastically laughs before going serious. Aria mimics him, the two looking each other directly in the eye with straight faces.
Just then, Tracy walks past, stopping at the doorway of the living room. "House meeting guys. In the kitchen."
"But we're watching this," The group complain. Liam and Aria still holding intense eye contact.
"Now."
Once everyone (apart from Sapphire who's still in the living room) is settled in the kitchen, Tracy sits at the head of the table ready to in-force the cleaning rotor.
"As Gina says, let's think of the washing up like a game. Or tidying your room as a challenge."
"Why would i make that a challenge? I hate challenges," Aria grumbles to herself, her head resting on her hands, bored.
"That way," Tracy continues, raising her voice a little to speak over Aria. "It doesn't have to be boring. It can be fun!" But instead she's greeted back with bored faces. "Do you want to live in a pigsty?"
"Jeff doesn't feel like tidying his room today Tracy," Harry complains putting his and Jeff's faces down onto the table.
"Well we all have to do things we don't feel like doing, even Jeff," She pauses, quickly coming up with an idea to encourage him to participate. "I'll tell you what, why don't you both tidy your room and i'll put a gold star in both of your files and everyone will know what big help you have been today."
She must have convinced him as he jumps down from the table, rushing away out the kitchen and upstairs with a Jeff clutched tightly in his hand.
"Can me and Tee have gold stars too?" Johnny asks causing the rest of the table to laugh and for Tee to sink down in her seat.
"Shut up," Tracy demands once they don't quieten down. "Yes Johnny you can have gold stars." He perks up, happy. "That is the attitude I like to see."
"Oh," Liam says cheekily. "What can we have? A new TV set?" He rubs his hands together.
"And a new DVD player?" Frank chimes in.
"I want some comics," Toby joins in asking.
"A later curfew?" Aria throws in.
"No," Tracy denies everyone. "If gold stars are good enough for Johnny then they're good enough for everyone." Suddenly, a loud bang is heard from upstairs and a call for Tracy from Harry makes her jump up from the table. "You better get a move on you lot."
Once she's left, the table turn to glare at Johnny."If you hadn't said anything we could have had something better then stupid gold stars," Liam loudly whispers harshly to the younger boy.
"Yeah, what do you want baby stars for?" Carmen asks in disbelief.
"I just do alright."
"Okay well you can have all my stars... if you do all my chores," Carmen says quickly.
"Oh, me too!"
"And mine."
"Mine too."
The kids start to get up from the table before anyone could complain but Tee, who doesn't agree with her brother, refuses. "No. Get lost you lot. We're not stupid alright? Tell them Johnny."
Johnny, not listening to the pleas of his sister sits up straighter with a smile on his face. "We'll be more then happy to help."
That's enough for the for the others as they quickly leave the room, happy that they don't have to do their chores theirselves.
"You don't need to do mine," Aria tells the siblings, feeling bad for Tee. "Don't want anyone snooping through my things."
***
Liam and Frank sit in Franks room, looking through the TV catalogue.
"Integrated TV and DVD player. Large screen... only £199.99," Liams voice trails off in disbelief. "Only."
Frank picks up his piggy bank, shaking it around only for a single penny to fall out of it. The two look down at it before looking at each other sadly.
"We should have listened to Aria," Frank grumbles with a pout on his face.
"We should have listened to Aria," Liam repeats quietly.
A smirk soon falls onto his face as he dashes from his room, Frank trailing behind wanting to know what marvellous idea he has come up with now.
"I'm not helping you with another scam," Aria says towards the boys outside her door, both holding the same sad look on their faces while trying to convince the girl to help them. "Should have saved your money."
"Please Aria," Liam begs. "We'll do anything."
If this was a few months ago, she would gave jumped up at the idea.
"No," Aria still denies shaking her head. "Besides, i'm trying to go out so if you don't mind." She goes to shut the door but is stopped by Liam's foot.
"No yore not."
"What do you mean 'no you're not'?"
"I mean no you're not," Liam continues smirking. "You're grounded this weekend from your bad school report. Meaning if you were to go out you would be sneaking out."
"Okay? So?" Aria questions confused on why he's suddenly against her disobeying the rules.
"So... if you help us do this, we will cover for you." He grins sharing eye contact with Liam.
Aria sighs, looking between the two boys before slowly shaking her head. "What is it?"
***
"You've seen the care assistant, now read her book!" Liam says happily showing off Tracy's book towards Tee and Johnny who just walked out if the living room. Tee waves her book go show she already just got one.
"Er," Tracy's voice is heard from behind the trio causing Aria to jump a little from surprise. "What do you think you're doing?":
"Helping you sell your books," Liam tells her. "For a small profit of cause," he admits.
"Yeah," Tracy laughs walking between the three, the trio follow closely behind. "Thanks but no thanks. Anyways, no one wants to buy them, I can barely give them away. And i still got 2,000 copies."
"Two thousand books!" Liam and Aria say together is disbelief.
"Hmm, and nowhere to put them," Liam looks towards Frank and Aria for support. Frank nodding his head and Aria rolling her eyes. "You know Tracy, I think we can help you with that."
A few minutes later, the trio of friends are waiting outside of the house for Cam and Tracy to pull up with some books for them to look after.
"Do the maths Frank," Liam says passing up and down. "Tracy is paying us £2 a week to look after some books. How long do ya recon it would take for us to save for a TV?"
"Don't do the maths Frank. It would take a long time," Aria tells him with her arms crossed.
Cam honks her horn and Liam turns towards the car, "Oh yeah, ages. But don't worry. I got something in my mind."
"When don't you?"
"Hiya," Cam greets the children, getting out of the car herself to help bring the books out.
"I didn't think you'd bring all the books," Liam says confused.
"I didn't." Cam tells him, placing a large box down. "These are just the ones from our kitchen. Now, are you sure Mike is alright with this?"
Liam looks up and makes eye contact with Tracy who's nodding her head with wide eyes. "Yeah! Course he is. And, we'll find a place for these.... somewhere."
"Not in my room," Aria says.
The four help each other carry the boxes upstairs when Mike calls for Tracy making her panic a little. "Now, you find a place to stash 'em, I'll keep Mike busy. Alright ?" She dashes out of his room, closing the door behind her.
Aria flops down onto Liam's bed, her arms going behind her head to watch the two boys.
Liam chucks the two bean bags outside through the window while Frank stores the book inside the wardrobe.
Aria yawns, stretching out on his comfortable bed. Slowly, her eyes start to flutter shut, soon drifting off into a calming sleep. There is just something about Liam's bed that brings her comfort.
"What about Aria?" Frank asks, pointing towards the sleeping girl once the two boys start to make their way out of Liam's room.
Liam shakes his head with his finger on his lips, "She needs her sleep. Let her be." He pulls the duvet up her body more, making sure she's completely comfortable.
And with that, the two boys exit the room quietly, careful not to disrupt the sleeping girl.