Page 8 of Never Quiet

“A gorgeous chick who kicks righteous ass? Hell, yes.”

An hour later, when Erick walked into his older brother’s house, he found them screaming at the television with a bowl of popcorn and giant finished bowls of ice cream on the floor between them.

“Love this movie,” he said as he threw himself across the couch behind them. “Davis.” They bumped fists.

“I’m so willing to watch it again.” Mandy looked at the sixteen-year-old boy who could have been her brother. “You good for a replay?”

“Oh, yeah. Let me take all our crap. Erick, you want ice cream?”

“I wouldn’t turn it down. Sterling is bouncing off the walls today and demanding Dakota show him how to make a fire. I needed a break.”

“I get it. Be back in five.”

Erick smiled at Mandy. “I hear Chaz is teaching you to dance. Did you get the important events in your future speech?”

“I did.”

“Dakota did that for me. I guess they’re kind of right.” He winked. “One day, when we win matching Nobel prizes, we can dance together so we don’t embarrass ourselves with other partners.” He extended his hand. “Deal?”

She took it. “Deal.” He held her hand for a lot longer than she thought he would. It made her stomach flutter nervously.

“Good.” He released it and propped his head in his hand. “Also heard you took Noel by surprise.”

Grinning, she whispered, “All luck but it felt awesome.”

Davis returned and sat with a tray that held ice cream for Erick, more drinks, and refilled popcorn. “Let’s do this, nerds.”

She frogged him in the arm. “You love nerds.”

“I wouldn’t trade you two for anything. Dead serious. Let’s watch this one and I brought the new X-Men movie.”

Mandy smiled. Davis was her best friend. Like an older brother. The way the two of them acted together reminded her of her dad and Noel. She never got butterflies around him and she was glad.

Butterflies should be reserved for something special.

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