The Devil's PlayGround

Party Preparations

*Brie POV*

Tomorrow is not only my eighteenth birthday party, but also The Devil’s Advocates rally. I promised to help with the preparations, but he knew I wasn’t excited about it.

I hadn’t been back to school since the incident with Mr. Dugan. When Blaze had a meeting with Principal Vandenburg and the superintendent, it was decided that since I had enough credits to graduate, I wouldn’t have to go back. I would walk with my class at graduation, and call it finished.

I have talked to Erik every day, and when he told me that he had passed all of his finals, I got super excited for him. He was graduating, and moving on to Oregon State to play football.

I actually even invited him to the party tomorrow. I warned him about the crew, and he laughed and said he would be fine. He just wanted to see me in person, and maybe steal another kiss.

Now, I just have to talk to Blaze about it, and have him make sure the guys don’t shift or talk wolfie things around him. I also have to make sure that he is gone before midnight. The last thing I need is for him to see me shift into my wolf. It would traumatize him.

“Brie, I have the menu ready for tomorrow. Can you take it to Heidi in the kitchen? I was supposed to give it to her last night, but I ended up falling asleep on the sofa in the common room,” Blaze asked. I told him I would take it down to her. I had to meet with her daughter Sophia about my personal birthday cake anyway.

“I got you, big brother. Where’s it at?” I asked. He said it was on the kitchen island, and thanked me for doing this for him. However, before he walked away, I told him what I had done.

He wasn’t angry. He was surprised more than anything. He told me that if I wanted to invite anyone else I could. I just had to have them gone by 11pm. Other than Heather, I didn’t have anyone else in mind. So, I decided to let each of them bring someone.

I grabbed the list, and started across the pack to the dining hall. I read the menu as I walked, and I had to laugh at a few things on the list. I knew they were for me, and I also knew that these big ass burly men were going to b***h about some of the vegetable options being served.

For example, there are four dishes in particular that were my favorites. Grilled chicken fajitas with Mexican rice, with grilled tomatoes added to the fajita vegetables and guacamole. Then, spinach and artichoke dip with fresh tortilla chips, broccoli cheddar rice, and roasted potatoes, brussel sprouts, carrots and cauliflower.

All the dishes I was going to hear a lot of bitching about. If it isn’t meat and beer, these guys complain. Too bad the choices weren’t up to them this year.

I hadn’t seen Flynn since the day of the attack. Blaze said he was taking time to himself the rest of the week to get his head straight. I felt badly that my issue was now his. Apparently he felt guilty that he hadn’t gotten there sooner.

I made my way into the dining hall, and Heidi was preparing the buffet for the lunch rush.

“Hey Heidi, I have a gift for you from Blaze. Apparently Flynn will have the food for what’s on it here just after lunch. Is Sophia in the kitchen?” I asked.

She smiled and gave me a hug, and told me that her daughter was waiting for me. So I gave her the list, and went to talk to Sophia.

“Are you ready to design a cake?” I asked as I walked into the kitchen. She smiled and nodded, and told me she had been waiting for me.

It took us almost an hour for us to complete the plans for the cake, and I was really excited about what we had come up with.

It would be a four-tiered naked cake, each layer a different flavor. The biggest layer would be a triple chocolate, the next a vanilla almond, the fourth a Meyer lemon, and the top, my personal tier, a strawberry cream. Each layer would be iced with a very thin layer of icing, and the top of the cake would be a mix of different berries and fruits.

Instead of going to the house, I decided to go to the pond that sat on our territory. I went there often for peace and quiet. Right now, I needed the peace and quiet before the shenanigans of the weekend began.

As I approached my favorite spot, I saw Flynn standing there holding a fishing pole. I debated whether to approach him or not, but when he saw me, he pulled his pole out of the water, grabbed his gear, and walked away. Leaving me standing there with my feelings hurt.

As I watched him walk away, my heart broke. I just wanted to talk to him and make sure he was alright, but it was obvious I had made his life difficult. He wanted nothing to do with me.

I laid on the grass, and put in my earbuds. I turned on my music, and stared out over the water. It was so calming, and with the uproar in my body after seeing Flynn, it was something I needed.

At some point, I must have dozed off, because I was rudely awakened by the sound of my phone ringing. When I saw Blaze’s name flashing on the screen, I knew I was in trouble.

“Hello?” I said as I answered.

“Where the hell are you? You missed lunch, and I’ve been texting you for the past hour,” he said.

“I’m at the pond. Flynn saw me, he can vouch. I fell asleep while staring at the water,” I explained.

He asked that I come straight to the pack house. He wanted me to eat something quickly, because the police had summoned us to the station.

Why would the police need to see us again so soon?

I told him I would head that way, and I shoved my phone into my jacket pocket. The whole walk back, I kept trying to figure out what they wanted, but my mind kept coming up blank. I guess it was now a wait and see when we get there.

As I approached the house, Blaze was outside waiting for me. He handed me a sandwich, and then helped me up into his lifted truck.

I ate the sandwich as he drove, and he explained a little of what they told him.

“There have been other girls who have come forward. Some in your grade, some a little older. However, there is one girl who is a few grades under you. A freshman. They want to meet with you to see if you know them, and give your statement to another detective. They also said that he has court on Tuesday. They want you to testify. You will be an adult on Tuesday, so that choice is up to you,” he explained.

Me? Testify? I wasn’t sure if I could do that. I guess I will just have to wait and see what they say before I make that decision. If I didn't have to deal with this any further, it wouldn't hurt my feelings. I'm just ready for it to be over with. However, if my voice was needed to make sure he never got out of jail, then I would do it.