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“What do you want to be for Halloween?” I ask, watching Grady pick up pinecones and then tossing them at the dog down the street. Get this. . . the dog eats them. Crazy fuck.

Do you notice the two kids beside me covered in dirt? Do you know what they’re going through? Aside from chasing a raccoon that might possibly have rabies earlier.

I do. I’ve been there. Their parents are divorcing, and they’re constantly being pulled in one direction after another and trying to make sense of the new arrangements.

And that is exactly why me and those boys are walking to get ice cream on a school night instead of making them eat whatever that shit was Aly had picked out for them to eat for dinner. It had tomatoes in it, so naturally I was all about not touching it.

Anyway, back to the Halloween talk.

“I want to be Dracula for Halloween,” Cash tells me, walking slowly and dragging his feet on the sidewalk covered in dead leaves. His cheeks are bright pink, and he’s quiet, but that’s pretty normal for him.

I want to be Dracula too and suck on your mom’s pussy, all night.

I don’t tell him that, but it’s a beautiful image that has me forcing my hands into my pockets to avoid the obvious semi I’m sporting.

“What about you, Grady?”

He looks up at me, blue eyes shadowed by his hat. “I think a pirate.” He nods. “Yeah, a pirate, and I want an eye patch.”

“Do you know why they wear eye patches?”

He shrugs. “’Cause they’re cool?”

“If you’re Johnny Depp, probably.”

He stops walking. “Who’s Johnny Depp?”

I motion for him to continue. “Not important.” Ducking under a low hanging tree, we approach the intersection. Both boys grab my hands before we cross the street. “Pirates actually wear an eyepatch to help acclimate their eyes to darkness. It allows them to see better when they go below deck on ships.”

“You’re really smart,” Grady tells me when we reach the ice cream shop on the corner.

I hold the door open for them. “Well, I am a teacher.”

Once inside, I’m wishing there was another ice cream shop in town because of who’s in there.

I haven’t told you about Emily yet. Mostly because she’s not important, but now she’s approaching me, so I kind of have to tell you. She’s Luna’s mom. You remember. The girl who told on Cash for spitting that first day of school? Anyway, she’s newly divorced too and guess who she’s interested in?

Ordinarily, I might say lucky me. She’s attractive, but she’s a clinger, and if you haven’t noticed, I’m bent on a girl already. Emily, she wants me to be her BFF and have my babies.

If anyone’s having my babies, it’s Aly.

Emily stands before me, licking her ice cream like she wants it to be my dick, and it’s too provocative in the presence of children.

While Grady chats with Luna and Cash ignores everyone, Emily leans in. “Are you going to the Monster Ball benefit?”

I look at her stupidly. “The what?” I know what it is.

Emily giggles, another lick. I watch her tongue glide over the ice cream. I have no idea why, either, but it’s not her I’m thinking of when she does this. I’m thinking of Aly deep throating my cock last night. And the semi returns. “The Monster Ball benefit at LSA next Friday night. Are you going?”

The Monster Ball is a charity event the school puts on every year for the rich to get richer, if you ask me. Everyone dresses up in fancy costumes, kind of like a mascaraed ball, and guess who hosts it? Madalyn and Brooks.

I’d rather be set on fire than go to that fucking ball.

“I hadn’t planned on it.”

Emily frowns. “I thought it was mandatory for teachers?”

I blow out a breath, watching Cash stare out the window at passing cars. “Then I guess I’ll be there.”