Page 31 of Beach Bats

Instead of responding, Aries scrambled off the chair toward the back door. He’d left the hockey action figures on the coffee table that morning. Aries grabbed a box that the groceries had been delivered in the day before and started to place his guys inside.

“Finally!”

Aries screeched as Nix popped up next to him.

“Shh!” Nix covered Aries’s mouth with his hand.

“What are you doing?” Aries’s words came out muffled.

“Are you going to be quiet?” Nix asked.

Aries nodded.

Nix removed his hand. The look in his eyes was really concerning. Nix wanted to cause chaos.

“What are you doing?” Aries questioned.

“Trying to get you alone,” Nix replied.

“Why?” Aries asked suspiciously.

Nix rocked back on his heels. “Did you see the tree over where we’re all sitting?”

“Yes, that’s why we’re sitting there. The shade,” Aries said.

“And did you see the mangos in those trees?”

“I did.” Aries was starting to get it.

“And the ones right over Gem?” Nix was grinning now.

Aries giggled before slapping a hand over his mouth.

“Come on,” Nix coaxed. “It would be hilarious.”

Aries dropped his hand. “What if we hit Luka instead?” He really liked Luka and Aries didn’t want Luka mad at him. They were family after all.

“There is no way that Gem would allow anything to happen to his boy,” Nix said.

That was true. “How are we going to do this?”

“I left the back door open,” Nix said. “All we have to do is shift and fly into the tree.”

“We’re going to get into trouble for this,” Aries warned.

“It will be worth it.” Nix was bouncing on his toes. “Remember how smug he was telling Vin and Evan everything we did last summer? About the mudslide. He warned them!”

That was true. Aries had been lectured until Vin was almost blue in the face. Or however that saying went.

“This is the best revenge. No one is really going to be hurt. We get to shift. Come on!”

“Why do you even need me?” Aries questioned. This was something that Nix could do on his own.

“Here’s the thing,” Nix hedged.

Aries scowled.

“If I do it by myself, then I for sure will get in trouble. And Evan is diabolical sometimes when he comes up with my punishments. I can also guarantee it won’t be a funishment.”