A/N: BTW, I changed the hairstyle. Outfit's on the side.
"Alright guys, let's go!" I shout, walking into the family room. I look around for my ID. When I find it, I notice that Riley, Kristen, Toby, and Celsie are all staring at me. I smile at them. "What?"
"Nothing, it's just-" Riley starts.
"You look beautiful," Toby says, finishing Riley's sentence.
"Thank you. You all look amazing," I say, gesturing to the four of them.
"What about me?" I turn to the stairs to see Connor standing there, fixing his cuffs on his white button-up shirt. He then straightens his black blazer.
"You look nice," I say, turning away from him.
"Hey, where's your mask?" Celsie asks me.
"Oh, it's in my clutch. I'm putting it on when we get there," I explain. They all nod in understanding, and Mrs. McDonough walks into the family room to meet all of us.
"You all look stunning. Emily, you said that Ethan was going to take care of Tank while we're gone, right?" she asks. I nod.
"Mom, how's my tie?" Connor asks.
"It's fine. Thomas said that he's meeting us there, right?"
"Yeah. Now, we seriously need to go." The doorbell rings, and I check out the window before opening the door.
"Ethan's here," I say.
"Alright, can we go now? I don't want to make Braiden wait any longer," Connor whines. I roll my eyes and kiss Ethan's cheek before walking out to my car.
"Who's going with me?" I ask.
"Well, obviously, I am," Connor says, lightly placing a hand on the small of my back. I step away, and he frowns.
"We'll go with you," Riley says. He and Kristen walk over to us in the same position we were just in.
"Alright, that means I drive Toby and Celsie home. I know Toby likes my car, and he was about to come over for a ride," I say, glancing over at the sulking youngest. He perks up when he hears this and smiles before dragging Celsie into the SUV.
We pile into my car, and I follow the SUV to the venue where the party's being held. My ear wig starts to ring, and I touch it to answer.
"Freeman, I have Riley's girlfriend in the car, so unless you want her to know, I suggest you wait until we arrive at the party," I say, slowing down at the red light.
"You said it was masquerade, right?" he asks.
"Yes, sir. It's going to be hard, but remember that I can read body language," I say.
"What's she talking about?" I hear Kristen ask. I look in the rearview mirror to see her green eyes filled with confusion.
"Um, she's looking for somebody's sibling, and she remembers everything about him, so she reading body language to find him," Riley lies quickly, whispering. She nods, not buying it.
"Don't worry, Aaron. We'll find your brother," I say.
"That was a very good excuse. Tell Riley that," he says.
"Will do. I'm pulling in now, so I'll keep you updated," I say.
I park the car and get out, pulling my seat forward. I help Kristen out, and Riley appears at her side, holding his arm out. She cups the inside of his elbow, and they walk towards the doors. Connor does the same, but I ignore it and follow Riley and Kristen. His footsteps quicken as he reaches my side. He, once again, places a hand on the small of my back, and we walk through the front doors.
