Covet (Clann)

pretending to consider it. “Hmm, I think I might have a little room left in the ole tank.” He patted his gut. “I guess it depends on what kind of ice cream. Are we talking Coke floats? Or brownie sundaes?” On that last part, his thick eyebrows dipped and wiggled.
    Mom laughed, a delicate hand rising to smooth back nonexistent wisps of hair at the side of her bun. “Oh, I’m definitely thinking brownie sundaes.”
    Dad turned his grin on me. “Don’t come home too soon, son. In fact, maybe you should take your girl here out for her own brownie sundae.” He leaned close to me and stage-whispered, “Women like chocolate. Remember that. It’ll make your life a whole lot brighter if you do.”
    Bethany giggled as my parents walked with their arms linked down the cement steps, stopping every few feet to say hello to at least half the crowd on the way.
    “Your parents are so cute.”
    I looked away from them. “Yeah. They’re adorable.”
    Her smile wobbled. “Is something wrong?”
    “Nope. Everything’s just perfect.” According to my parents.
    A breeze kicked up, brisk with the first snap of true fall. I tilted my head back and stared up at the sky, trying to see the constellations. But the lights of the stadium were too bright, blocking my view.
    I was still hot from the game, and I’d overdressed for the weather. Too many layers, and my varsity jacket was tight, making it hard to breathe. I unsnapped its metal buttons, and the wind snuck in past the open edges like familiar hands to soothe my burning skin. Better. I sighed, remembering another crisp October night like this one under the stars, and how a certain girl’s always-cool hands had rested at the back of my neck while we danced….
    “Tristan? Hello, earth to my little brother.” A small hand waved before my face, making me blink. It was Emily.
    “Hey, sis! What are you doing here?” I bent over and gave her a quick hug.
    “What, I can’t come home to see my baby brother shining on the battlefield?”
    I smiled. “I take it college life isn’t all you thought it would be?”
    “Of course it is! I just missed seeing you play.”
    Uh-huh. Then why did her smile look just a little too bright?
    She sighed. “Okay, you caught me. I also wanted to check in on my old cheer squad and see how my replacement’s doing.”
    “And how is she doing?” Bethany asked.
    Emily made a face. “Well, you know Sally Parker.”
    Bethany laughed. “Don’t we all.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Oh, there’s Jill! I need to get a pair of shoes back from her.” She leaned in toward us and whispered, “She’s the worst shoe klepto! She borrowed my favorite pair of sneakers over a month ago and keeps claiming she meant to return them but ‘forgot’ them in her car.” She made air quotes with her fingers. “I’ll be right back!”
    As soon as she was gone, Emily’s bright smile disappeared. “Tristan, there might be a small problem. I listened in on Sally’s thoughts a few minutes ago, trying to see how she’s really doing with the cheer squad, and learned she overheard the Faulkner twins planning to crash Savannah’s Halloween party tonight.”
    I glanced in the direction I’d tried to avoid all night, across the railroad tracks to a certain house. Unlike the last time I’d visited, the Victorian was all lit up, with cars filling its driveway and lining its curb. It looked like the party was already underway.
    I scanned the stadium’s front lawn.
    “I already checked,” Emily said. “I don’t see the twins anywhere. Think they’ve already—”
    I nodded. “We should go over there and take a look around. Just to be sure.”
    She stopped me with a hand on my upper arm. “Okay, but Tristan? Promise me you won’t do anything stupid if you see her.”
    Her meaning Sav.
    I scowled. “I’m good, sis.”
    We headed down the grassy slope to the street, dodging and weaving in between cars filled with local football fans hooting and hollering out open windows.
    Our final approach across the railroad tracks was too conspicuous under a bright streetlight, but there wasn’t much we could do about it. Thankfully the twins were too busy huddling behind a tree trunk near the curb and giggling as they fiddled with something they were holding together.
    “Dylan’s going to love this!” Vanessa said, making Hope giggle again.
    I realized what the object was as they threw it.
    “Hey!” Emily said, showing off her cheer yell.
    I