23. All You Gotta Do

Out here, the party is full-blown.

There’s a patio outside the French doors, with a few outdoor seats that are occupied by a bunch of kids. Then there’s a lawn after that, where more kids are milling around, drinks in hand and dancing to loud electronic music. Past the lawn is a huge swimming pool, where more partygoers are, in swimwear, lounging around or in the water.

But what catches my attention is the aroma in the air. Sniffing, my nose leads me to one end of the lawn to find a barbecue in place.

My stomach growls. “I’ll be back, guys,” I say, paying no attention to them as I make my way through the throng of kids and head for the barbecue.

Trent, one of the football players on the team, is behind the barbecue, turning skewers of meat on the hot grill. There are a few other people around, feasting on grilled skewers.

“Hi Trent,” I greet, eyes stuck on the sizzling meat.

“What’s up, Jo! You made it!”

“Yeah,” I nod. I swallow and point to the pork. “Can I have the next one?”

“Sur