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            The girls woke up to a rainy Saturday morning.

            Heather rolled off the bean bag chair and found Lacy’s amber eyes staring her down.

            “It’s raining outside and I don’t want to go for a long walk. Go ask Aunt Kelshie if you could use the back yard.”

            Lacy got up and wagged her tail as she walked toward Kelshie who was lying on the couch. The red husky sat down and placed her paw on Kelshie’s hand. Kelshie peaked at Lacy and the dog whimpered.

            “You are too cute Lacy! You and the other Puppies can use the back yard.”

            “Thanks Kelshie,” Heather said. “I’ll clean up after them when it stops raining.”

            “There’s old towels in the mud room you can use to dry them off,” Kelshie yawned. She glanced around the room and asked, “Where’s the other two?”

            “Shep is by the stairs where he can watch over everyone. You know how protective he is. Hunter is… where is Hunter?”

            “She’s sleeping with me,” Jess smiled.

            “Awe Hunter you love Aunt Jess don’t you?” Heather crawled over and rubbed the beagle’s head.

            She wagged her tail and barked her answer.

            “Hey!” Heather reprimanded, “Use your inside voice.”

            In response Hunter barked softer.

            Melina giggled, “That’s so cute! All three of your dogs are so well trained.”

            “Thanks. I trained them myself.”

            “I want a dog of my own!” Jess pouted and hugged Hunter. “Hermie I’m stealing Hunter.”

            Heather smiled. “No you’re not,” she said as she took her beagle from her best friend’s arms, “She’s mine and it’s time for her to go out then have breakfast.”

            She walked up the stairs and Shep and Lacy followed closely.

            She opened the door to the mud room and all three dogs looked at her.

            “Go ahead. It’s only rain.”

            The three dogs stepped into the back yard as Heather prepared the old towels for when they came back in. The first to run back to the door was Hunter. She hated rain yet she loved taking baths and going swimming. Lacy was next and Shep took his time sniffing the perimeter of the yard. He was “making sure everything was safe” according to Heather. He was trained as a police dog but wasn’t put on a K-9 squad because of a skin condition he had. Shep was a brilliant guard dog but Heather loved his playful, sweet side. After Shep was toweled off she fixed the dogs’ breakfasts and waited for her own to be cooked.

            “Ah pancakes! I’m starving!” Heather said when she walked into the kitchen.

            The rain died down a little bit while the girls were getting dressed. Once they were ready to leave they dashed out to Jess’s car and jumped in as quickly as they could. Kelshie plugged her ipod into the radio connecter and played the This Is Us CD. The four girls sang at the top of their lungs all the way to the mall.

            They spent a few good hours at the mall searching for dresses to wear to the after party. Each girl had to try on at least five dresses until they each found the perfect one. Kelshie was the first to buy her knee length white dress with a black rose design on the bottom with a matching black half jacket. Jess found a fushia strapless dress that ended right above her knee. Heather fell in love with a pleated purple, strapless, one that ended just below her knees. Around the waist was a beaded sash. Finally Melina bought a very flattering dark green halter top dress that ended just below her knee.

            They walked around the mall for a little while until they stumbled onto a new costume store.

            “I didn’t know this was here,” Jess commented.

            “You of all people! You practically live at the mall Jess,” Kelshie scoffed.

            “Let’s take a look inside. Maybe they have masquerade masks,” Heather suggested.

            The girls entered the store and split up in search of masks.

            “Did you guys find anything?” Heather asked as she and her friends reunited after a few minutes of searching.

            Her three best friends shook their heads.

            “May I help you girls?” one of the employees asked.

            “Oh yes, we’re looking for masquerade masks. You wouldn’t happen to carry any would you?” Heather asked.

            “A matter of fact we do. Follow me,” the employee led the way to the back of the store where the jewelry and a few props were kept.

            The girls looked into the glass case and marveled at the hand crafted pieces of jewelry.

            “These are gorgeous!” Melina exclaimed when her eyes fell on the different masks.

            “Kelshie, this one would look awesome with your dress,” Heather pointed out a black mask with white detailing around the eyes and white scrolling.

            “I like it! I’ll take that one,” she grinned. The man behind the display case handed the mask to her.

            “What do you guys think of that mask over there?” Melina questioned.

            The other girls looked at the black mask with an elegant flower next to the right eye.

            “I really like the silver detailing on it,” Kelshie commented.

            “Do you think that will match my dress?” Melina asked.

            “I think it would. But I’m not the best one to go to for fashion advice. What do you think Jess?” Heather replied.

            “I think it would add a nice touch to your green dress. Go for it girl,” Jess advised.

            “Ok I’ll take that one please,” Melina said politely to the employee.

            “Ok you purple girls,” Kelshie said to Jess and Heather. “Are you two going to fight over that one on the end? I know how much you both love purple.”

            Jess and Heather looked at the mask Kelshie was talking about.

            “Hermie this one would match your dress perfectly! And the gold glitter adds a really good touch,” Jess said.

            “I like that a lot!” Heather smiled at her best friend.

            “I won’t fight you for it. You can have it Hermie,” Jess said. “Besides I really like that white and gold one next to it.”          

            The girls bought the masks then headed toward the food court.

            On their way home they stopped at an arts and crafts store to buy T-shirts and materials to decorate them. They drove back home just before the rain started to fall harder.

            “What do you guys want for dinner tonight?” Kelshie asked after Heather let the dogs out and fed them.

            “It feels like a soup and sandwiches kind of night,” Jess suggested.

            “Yeah that does sound good on a damp, crappy day like this,” Heather agreed.

            “Ok. How does soup and sandwiches sound to you Melina?” Kelshie asked.

            Melina nodded her head, “Sounds perfect.”

            Kelshie laughed, “Good less for me to cook!”  

            Heather shook her head, “You really are the happy home making hostess aren’t you Kelshie?”

            “That was sarcasm right Hermie?”

            “Do you not know me by now…” Heather paused as she thought about her best friend’s tone of voice, “wait that was sarcastic wasn’t it?”

            Kelshie nodded her head and Jess laughed, “You two are too funny!”

            “All the soup is in the cabinet go pick out which ones you guys want,” Kelshie said pointing to the cabinet she was talking about.

            After dinner and the movie they were watching ended Jess asked, “Do you guys want to play the BSB game?”

            “I haven’t played that in a long time,” Kelshie commented. “I’m in.”

            “You know I’m always ready to play the BSB game. Heck I created it!” Heather laughed.

            “Sis is this the same BSB game you and I play on facebook?” Melina asked.

            “Yes it is. Wanna play?”

            “Yes! Do you guys play the same why that Heather plays?”

            “Heather came up with the game in the first place,” Kelshie informed. “She usually starts off the game by singing a part of a song and then Jess or I have to guess which song it is. Then whoever gets the song right has to give a song clue to the other players.”

            “Oh ok it is the same game. I’ll play,” Melina smiled.

            “Before we start I need to get my score board and the song list and I have to tell you guys about the new addition to the game I call Guess the Guy.”

            “What’s Guess the Guy?” Jess questioned.

            “You have to guess which Backstreet Boy sings the lyrics given as clues,” Heather replied.  “You’ll get more points for guessing right.”

            “Hey I like this addition! Maybe I can finally win!” Jess laughed. She turned to Melina and warned her, “Just a heads up, whenever Kelshie and I play with Hermie she always beats our asses by hundreds of points. And Kelshie usually comes in second so I’m left in their dust! So good luck against those two.”

            Melina chuckled, “Thanks Jess.”

            Heather got up and ran to get the BSB Game score board and song list out of her backpack and once she returned they established that she would say the first clue.

            “Ok here’s your clue,” Heather cleared her throat and sang, “Go on and pull me under/Cover me with dreams yeah.”

            Melina exclaimed, “Drowning! And it’s Kevin’s part!”

            Kelshie and Jess looked at each other and nearly screamed, “Damn!”

            Jess pouted, “There is absolutely no chance for me to win this game now.”

            Kelshie and Hermie laughed.

            “I’m sorry Jess,” Melina said.

            “It’s ok.”

            “So Melina,” Heather said getting everyone’s attention, “Drowning is a 15 point song and with the Guess the Guy bonus you just got 30 points to start off the game. And now it’s your turn to give us a clue.”

            The game continued for almost three straight hours until all of the songs on the list were used only once.

            “Alright the scores are all totaled up,” Heather, the score keeper announced. “Keep in mind that the total game itself is worth 1620 points. First place is 780 points, second place 600 points, third place 140 points and forth place 100.”

            “Let me guess the 100 points is me isn’t it?” Jess questioned.

            Heather chuckled, “How’d you know?”

            “Gee maybe it’s the fact that you and Melina are friggin’ beast at this game!” She pointed fiercely at Kelshie, “There was a point in that game where Kelshie and I were going to just give up and let you two battle it out.”

            “Or we were going to team up,” Kelshie commented.

            “But you still would’ve won!” Jess exclaimed.

            “Ok I’m dying to know who came in second and third because I know that you came in first Hermie,” Kelshie commented.

            “Are you sure you want to know?” Heather teased.

            “Yes just tell me!” Kelshie got frustrated.

            Heather laughed then said, “You got third and Melina is second.”

            “Yay!” Melina giggled.

            “I have to admit that was a good game,” Kelshie said.

            “Can we play again? That was fun,” Melina asked.

            “We’ll play again some other day. It’s one of those games that gets tiring if you play it over and over again in the same day,” Jess replied. “Especially when Hermie keeps winning.”

            Heather stuck her tongue out at Jess.