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I laughed. It caused the stitches to tug, and I winced.
“This calls for desperate measures,” Ben declared, crouching in front of me while Matt pocketed his phone and picked up my crutches.
“What?” I asked.
Ben tapped his shoulder. “Up you go.”
I climbed on his back. I wasn’t about to argue against a piggyback ride. I liked them. I liked that he could haul around my five-foot-seven frame like it was nothing even though it was anything but nothing.
“Where are we going?” I asked when we stepped out of the building.
“I think you need a movie night,” Ben said, glancing over his shoulder.
“A movie night?”
“Mm.” He agreed. “Call up the Speedo gang, P. Let’s find out which Elite screams the loudest.”
33
Kruger
It’s Jamie.
Biggest bro in the room, and he screams like a little girl.
“You should be embarrassed,” Max told him from the other side of the giant gray sectional in his living room. “I’m embarrassed for you.”
“Bro, that clown dragged that kid right under the bed,” Jamie declared, stabbing a finger at the flatscreen. He shook his head. “Demons torturing kids. It ain’t right.”
Madison’s voice was nothing but a muffled rumble as her arm slid out from beneath Jamie to wave to the room.
“You’re suffocating your girl, bro,” I said, tossing some popcorn into my mouth.
The second the clown dragged the kid under the bed, he’d screamed and jumped on top of Madison, his bulky frame making her disappear completely.
Grunting, Jamie shifted back, revealing his girlfriend who was pancaked into the cushions. “Jamie Michael Owens,” she said, dragging in a deep breath.
“I had to do it, Maddie. You’ll have nightmares.” Sliding the rest of the way off her lap, he sat beside her, his wide shoulder pressed against her much smaller one. “Eyes as pretty as yours shouldn’t be seeing that.”
Face softening, she reached across his middle and gave it a pat. “Thank you for protecting me from the movie, J.”
He leaned in next to her ear. “Aren’t you even scared a little?”
She pressed her lips together, stifling a laugh. “I’ve seen Poltergeist before. I knew it was coming.”
He burst up, shoulders leaving the back of the sofa, feet hitting the floor. Rotating at the waist, he stabbed her with an incredulous glare. “Well, why didn’t you warn me?” he demanded.
“Because she didn’t know you were such a pansy,” Rush cracked.
Snickers echoed around the room.
On the other side of Max and Wes sat Win, and on his side was Lars. His white-blond hair practically glowed in the dark room, not needing the light from the TV to highlight it.
“Clowns are creepy,” he said, backing Jamie.
Jamie let out a noise and pointed to Lars. “Yes.” He agreed. “My bro knows what’s up.”
“Are you scared, angel?” Win asked, reaching under him to pull Lars into his lap. “I’ll protect you from the clowns,” he said, tucking a blanket around them both.
