Page 52 of Hard Hitter

“How old are you?” Rae asked, now crossing her arms over her chest, one eyebrow raised.

Quinn ignored her and looked at Chris, “Seriously, take them down. We’ll go to Jett’s place and get new ones.”

“Uh, no way!” Rae interjected. “I’m not going to sit here and watch you guys flip through Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition- because I know you’re not actuallyreading,Quinn- surrounded by Jett’s wet-dream-stained sheets.”

“Hey!” Jett called out defensively.

Rae glared at the camera. “Tell me I’m wrong.”

There was a hesitation before Jett replied, “My mom washes my sheets…”

“That’s gross. You shouldn’t make her wash them. Your mess, you clean it up.”

A derisive laugh sounded from where Quinn was moving the couch around, “Says the girl who has a whole crew of maids cleaning up after her.”

Rae scoffed, “I don’t make disgusting messes in my bed sheets.”

“Of course not, Princess, what was I thinking?” Quinn replied, a playful smirk to his tone now.

“Don’t start.”

“I say if her highness requests the lilac sheets and twinkly lights, we should do as she says,” Chris chimed in.

“I hate you guys,” Rae dropped her arms to her sides in defeat. “You’re monopolizing this. I’m the one who started these forts and you guys just want to come in here and take over with your gross boy smell, your swimsuit model magazines, and your stained sheets. You know what you are? You’re all chauvinists. All of you.”

All three boys were on the brink of bursting out laughing.

“Who said anything about playingMonopoly?”Chris cocked an eyebrow.

Jett asked curiously, “What’s a show-van-ist?”

“Is it like a peasant?” Quinn asked, tilting his head to the side. “Rae, we don’t understand your fancy rich-people lingo. Gotta bring it down to our level, Princess.”

“It means you think you can take over because you’re boys!”

“I think we can take over because...well, you’re outnumbered by boys,” Jett said, then quickly added, “Princess.”

“Stop calling me that!” Rae shouted. She turned toward the stairs and yelled, “Daaaad!”

This brought all the boys’ held-back laughter out and Rae turned and glared at the three of them.

The sound of footsteps made their way down the stairs and a younger Mr. DeRose poked his head into the room, “What is it, Princess?”

At this, the boys all doubled over or collapsed with laughter as Rae sighed heavily, “That was the epitome of being unhelpful. Thank you, Dad.”

On the couch next to Rae, Quinn was again bursting with laughter, as was her entire family. “I’m sorry, but that’s gold.”

“I forgot what jerks you guys were to me all the time!” Rae exclaimed, though she was also laughing.

“I don’t know why you put up with us,” Quinn said, pulling her closer. He wanted to plant a kiss on her lips but knew everyone was watching.

“She knew you would all do anything for her when it counts,” Charlie cut in. “But see, even your friends could tell you two were like an old married couple.”

“If I remember correctly, we let you keep the purple sheets up,” Quinn said. “Which is what an old married man would’ve done for his wife.”

“You all knew I was right about Jett’s sheets,” Rae said with a laugh.

“You’d probably still be right about Jett’s sheets,” Quinn replied, grinning.

---