Page 35 of The Haunting Plot

“They need to stop.”

“Sorry, RJ said⁠—”

“My brother is a meddling idiot.”

“Funny. He said the same thing about you minus the idiot part.”

“Look, I appreciate a good prank, but between the house, managing two kids, and my deadlines, I don’t have the bandwidth right now to deal with pranks and the planning and cleanup they entail.”

“If you think my pranking skills are superior, you can just say that.” I flash her a smile and enjoy the way her eyes linger on my lips a little too long.

Her responding laugh comes out as a snort, and she rolls her eyes, walking off with me trailing behind her. I really enjoy getting a reaction out of her, and I’m determined to spend the next six weeks getting as many as I can.

CHAPTER 11

RAVEN

Ispend way too long glancing at Sawyer out of my periphery as I attempt to write. His thick legs are distracting. And my God, his ass is obscene. It’s so round it makes the boxers he’s wearing appear snugger than they should be. Which only calls more attention to his sizable bulge.

Why am I thinking about his bulge? The only bulge I should be concerned with is Wyatt Walker, my current MMC.

My phone lights up on my desk, and I sigh, thankful for the distraction.

Lucy: Ladies! Just a reminder that the next PTO meeting is Thursday in my classroom.

Summer: How’d you get stuck with that?

Bella: Did Little Miss PTO President corner you?

Lucy: Haha no, Amber did not. I volunteered. I figured if I did, I’d be off the hook for all the other shit later in the year.

Me: Smart.

Lucy: We’ll be talking about the fall party.

Me: Please tell me you’re not planning a haunted house. Those are so lame.

Lucy: No. I’ve got too much going on for all that. It’ll probably just be a trunk or treat. Each grade can decorate a table and have an activity.

Summer: Do you need us to bring snacks?

Bella: I’ll bring cookies!

Summer: You don’t have to do that.

Lucy: Cookies or cockies?

Bella’s known for making phallic-shaped cookies she calls cockies and decorates for every holiday. They’re hilariously creative, wildly inappropriate, and make up seventy-five percent of her personality.

Bella: How many times have we gone over this? I’m not giving them to children.

Me: I don’t mind them. Jonah found the last batch you gave me. He had questions.

Lucy: I can only imagine!

Bella: I’m SO sorry!

Me: Really, it’s okay. He asked why they were shaped like his penis, and we had a whole conversation about body parts that laid the groundwork for the puberty talk later. So thank you.