Page 14 of Pretty Princess

Mitch kissed the top of Avery’s head. “Feel better?”

“Yes.”

“We really should celebrate,” Mitch told Avery.

“How?”

“Oh, My God!” Caleb screamed.

They all jerked away.

Caleb jumped up and started dancing around like his pants were on fire.

“It’s the mash,” Avery said with a laugh.

Groaning Mitch nodded. “The monster mash.”

Avery bounced up, pulling Mitch with him. “Turn it up! Turn it up!” Avery yelled. He looked over at Mitch. “It’s our celebration!”

Well, it was Halloween. So, Mitch did the monster mash with his friends.

Grant

Laughing, Grant shook his head before he turned to Jace. “See Avery is just fine.” He’s turned the music up but luckily it was louder on the lawn than it was on the deck where they were.

Jace’s eyes had all but bugged out of his skull. “What in the hell are they doing?”

“The monster mash,” Grant answered.

Pausing from lifting a beer to his mouth Byron squinted. “Are they doing it right?”

That set Grant off again. The four boys were jumping, bouncing, trouncing, and he didn’t know what else. “No, not at all.”

“Huh.” Byron returned to drinking his beer.

“It’s all that sugar,” Jace complained. “I’m never going to get Avery to sleep.”

“It’s Halloween,” Grant reminded him.

“Sure, you say that because your boy wasn’t sneaking candy all night long.”

True, but Grant hadn’t planned on pointing that out.

“Wipe the smirk off your face,” Jace grumbled. He picked up the coffee he’d been drinking before looking back at the boys once more time. “Maybe all that…whatever it is will wear him out. That’s a lot of jumping around.”

“I definitely wouldn’t call that dancing. I’ve never seen Mitch so…animated,” Byron said.

Grant popped open a fresh beer. Their chairs were set in a semi-circle so they could visit but still keep an eye on the boys. “I’m glad Hayley could make it.”

“Me too. Avery loves playing with Caleb and Mitch. He’s still having trouble making friends though. He’s finally coming to understand that no one in our group is going to judge him but he didn’t try at school. Meeting Hayley has opened his eyes that he could find people like him outside the clubs.”

“You know Hayley is the boy that Mac has his eye on, don’t you?” Byron asked quietly.

Grant choked on his beer. Jace’s coffee mug nearly slipped from his hand.

“What?” Grant barked.

Mitch chuckled. “I can’t believe the detective hasn’t figured it out.”

---