The Life Of A Crazy Girl And Her 10 Brothers

Who Came Up With These Names?

I gaped. Those fuckers.

"Please tell me I'm hearing things?" I groaned, but Ember only smiled.

He was speaking through a megaphone but the playful lilt in his voice as he called out again. "Sweetness, they told me you're in here! Where are you?!"

"Kitten?" Another familiar voice joined in. "They said you were in here too, so come on out and play!"

Ember flushed a violent red.

I'm going to throw up.

The cafeteria wasn't dead quiet but quiet enough that they didn't have to shout anymore. People were looking around, trying to figure out who they were talking about.

"Oh, sweetness!"

"Kitten!"

Corey shook his head, scowling at the table. I wanted to join him until I saw Carter, Caleb, and Seth looking at the both of us with warning eyes.

Don't you dare do it, their eyes warned.

Fuck off. I'll embarrass them right back. I shot up out of my seat. "Pumpkin?" I looked over the eyes that shot to me the moment I spoke, searching for the voices.

"It certainly is," the voice answered.

"Muffin, that you too?" Ember searched alongside me.

"Yep."

My gaze darted to the direction of the voices and locked on the owners.

Sapphire blue eyes locked with the infamous hazel ones and suddenly I was sprinting over to him, dodging people and trash cans. "Pumpkin!" I cried.

"Sweetness!" He smiled, exposing perfectly set teeth due to almost two years of braces, as he started to take off towards me. He held his arms open and I jumped into them, latching onto him tightly.

"Oh my god," I breathed, my eyes clenched together. "I missed you so much." Those words were true enough that I decided that I would wring his neck for the stunt he just pulled later.

He tucked his head in my neck. "Me too sweetness. Me too."

Hugging him tighter, I breathed in his scent of honeysuckle and woodsmoke. I could almost feel the amount of eyes and phones on us and pulled back, staring at his face. He smiled and set me down, keeping me close.

Looking over to Ember, I saw that she had her arms around Milo's neck with his hands on her hips smiling and looking into her eyes. I pulled her away, who went to Calix, as I buried my face in Milo's chest, the feeling of his arms wrapped around me making me feel like I was at home.

"Okay, that's enough, no PDA allowed," Carter said, nose wrinkled.

I groaned into Milo's very nice chest, feeling my happy mood give way to frustration.

"It's nice to know your brothers and their significant other are still assholes," Milo muttered.

"Don't worry," I assured him. "At least Corey's not as bad anymore."

He scoffed. "Don't be too sure."

I frowned and peeled myself from his chest, to see Corey and the Three Musketeers standing with almost identical frowns on their faces.

I glared at Corey. The traitor joined the dark side.

"Go away. Can't you see we're have a moment?" Calix frowned.

Carter started forward, latching onto Ember's arm. "Well, let me stop you right there; moment's over."

Ember snatched her arm away. "Carter, this has nothing to do with you. Back off," she warned.

"This has everything to do with us." Corey stepped forward. "They're a bad influence on the both of you," he protested.

I held up a hand. "First of all, if you know anything about me, you know I'm a leader, not a follower, so I'm the bad influence, and second, Ember's right; stay out of it."

"Avy, they—" Caleb started.

I held up a hand, cutting him off as well. "We're not going to have a family showdown in the middle of the cafeteria over something that's already been discussed plenty of times."

Gripping Milo's hand, I pulled him towards the exit. "Come on," I motioned to Calix and Ember, who followed. "Let's go."

"Wait!" Carter stepped forward, gripping my forearm. "Where are you going? You're not allowed to leave the cafeteria."

I snorted at his lame attempt to stop me and kept moving, my fully assembled crew behind me.

"I'm telling Dad!" Carter yelled after me.

Flipping him off in return, I strode out of the cafeteria.