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Anael decided that it was time for the boys to take a break from the exhausting schedule. She was thrilled that the boys had settled into a groove and were working as hard as they possibly could. They were finally joining together as an actual group like so many years before. They were finally acting like brothers, which thrilled Anael to death. However, Anael still had some problems to work on with AJ’s life. He might have been rekindling a fond relationship with the boys and slowly stopping some of his sinful acts, he still hadn’t accepted Jesus as his Savior. Anael hoped that as she slowly built a stronger relationship with AJ that he might allow her to speak of her love of Christ and His kingdom. She prayed every night for AJ’s soul, hoping that he would let her help him.

“Grace-Anne? You awake in there?” AJ called through the door to her hotel room. Anael smirked, pulling her pale lavender sweatshirt over her white tank-top. The sweatshirt hung below her hips, partially covering up her white shorts. She put on a pair of purple Adidas sneakers and tossed her curls into a long ponytail. She admired her reflection and then opened the door. She smiled brightly when she saw AJ in a pair of gray shorts and a blue tank-top. “About time you got up! We’re ready to go play!”

“What are we playing?” Anael asked curiously, stepping out of her room. She saw AJ toss Brian a basketball that he had been holding. Brian caught it with ease and began to spin it about his index finger. All of the boys were dressed in shorts and tank tops of different colors. She was thrilled that the boys wanted to include her in their off-time.

“We want to take you to the basketball court down a few blocks away. You interested in shooting some hoops with us?” AJ asked hopefully, tugging on one of Anael’s curls. She grinned, batting AJ’s hand away. She felt so much more comfortable with him near her now. She didn’t fear him or his tantrums. She trusted him and the boys were slowly starting to trust him, too.

“Woah, Mr. J actually wants to go shoot hoops with us today?” Nick asked in shock, glancing at his older friend curiously. Nick, Brian, and Kevin were always the ones wanting to go play basketball. Usually, Nick and Brian had to drag Howie along for four-person game. AJ was always too busy with bars to spend time with the others at the park.

“Yes, I want to go play! Dang, boy! Grace-Anne and I make an even split for teams. We’ll have even teams today, so it’ll be perfect I say it’ll be Howie, Kevin, and Brian against Nick, Grace-Anne, and myself!” AJ announced.

“Sounds good to me,” Kevin answered, glancing at his cousin.

Brian nodded. “We’re going to crush you.”

“Are you any good?” Nick hissed toward Anael. He watched Kevin, Howie, and Brian walk to the kitchen to grab some water bottles and things for the park. Anael smiled triumphantly as she glanced at AJ with amusement. Nick seemed worried that he was competing against Kevin and Brian.

“Why? Do y’all suck?” she asked sweetly. AJ burst into laughter, slipping Anael a slick smile. AJ loved that Anael always teased the other boys, no matter what the case. Anael had the ability to stand up for herself when it came down to what was right. Anael was like a wild card to AJ, because he never knew what she was going to do.

“I’m being serious, Grace-Anne,” Nick protested.

“I’m being serious, too,” she chirped.

“Girl”“

“I sign your paychecks, Nicky!”

AJ covered his mouth to smother his chuckles of amusement. Nick turned sour, biting back the words he wanted to say. He took a heavy breath, finding the right words. “Grace-Anne, I love you so much. You are a wonderful woman with so many talents. I am glad to be working for you and that you have a great sense of humor. I only hope that someday I will be half the man that you turned out to be!”

“Nickolas!” Anael growled, reaching out to grasp Nick. He squealed with laughter, ducking away from her. He dropped the basketball and raced toward the hotel door. He burst out and started tumbling down the hallway. Anael laughed as she watched him almost run into maid, trying to get away as fast as he could. AJ glanced down the hallway with Anael. He looked at her with a smile. “What do you want, AJ?”

“I can go get him for you?” he suggested.

“You’d do that for me?”

“Of course! That’s what friends are for!” AJ answered, racing down the hallway in search of Nick. The maid screeched in horror as AJ jumped over her and raced further down the hallway. Anael clapped loudly as she heard AJ’s voice echo down the hallway, “OH, NICKY BOY! I HAVE A PRESENT FOR YOU!”

*~*~*

“I can’t believe you won!” Brian complained for the millionth time that night as the boys and Anael sat around in the living room of their hotel room. Several boxes of pizzas sat in the middle of their circle on the floor. Anael, Nick, and AJ whooped with delight, slapping each other high-fives. Kevin rolled his eyes, reaching for another piece of pizza. AJ, Anael, and Nick had beaten Howie, Kevin, and Brian in a game of basketball. The gamed had ended with a fifty to twenty win. Anael had done fantastically on the court, showing up all the boys with her graceful moves. Brian was still bitter as he glanced at Anael in shock. “I didn’t know you were related to Shaq, Grace-Anne!”

“I’m not!” she protested with a smirk, biting into a piece of double cheese pizza. AJ snorted as Anael pulled a long string of cheese away from the pizza and hurriedly gobbled it up. AJ looked at her with a curious nature, making Anael blush slightly. “I’m hungry,” she explained.

“You’re a slob!” AJ teased, watching her lick the extra pizza sauce on her finger.

“Okay, okay, okay, so I’m a hungry slob with a nice lay-up!” Anael declared proudly, pushing herself up onto her knees and holding her piece of pizza high. “Bow to the Queen of Basketball! May all of you tremble in my presence of glory!” she declared loudly, causing the boys to chorus a round of groans. Anael ignored them, basking in her glory.

The boys all glanced at each other with annoyance at Anael’s grand announcement. They seemed to speak mentally and finally nodded in confirmation. The boys all set down their pieces of pizza, creeping toward Anael’s figure of power. AJ grinned, reaching out and tackling Anael before she realized what was happening. Howie, Brian, and Kevin hurriedly jumped into AJ’s pile, pinning Anael down to the floor. She shrieked in protest as Nick hurried to grab a can of whip cream. Anael screeched with protests, “I wasn’t bragging! Okay! I wasn’t bragging!”

“You know what you always tell me, Grace-Anne?” AJ asked her as Nick brought back the fresh can of whip cream. Nick shook up the cream and popped the lid. Anael glanced from Nick to AJ with fear. Howie and Kevin held her legs and Brian held her body to keep her from squirming. She shrieked again as the top of the can toward her face. “What’s the thing you told me, Grace-Anne?”

“To love one another forever and ever… And not attack the manager with whip cream?” Anael squeaked with mercy. All the boys broke into laughter at her lame attempt of being rescued. Anael whined with protest, knowing that she was quickly loosing the battle. “C’mon, AJ, I was just playing around about being the Queen!”

“Were you?” he asked with interest.

“Yeah, from now on I’ll just be Princess?” she guessed.

“Grace-Anne Marie Lupe!” AJ snorted, shaking his head. He motioned for Nick to prepare the cream. “You are going to get it, now just tell me what you told me before?”

“I don’t know, AJ! I don’t keep a mental tab on what I say every single day!”

“You told me that God don’t like ugly.”

“God don’t like ugly?” she repeated with question, but she didn’t have time to ponder the statement. Before she could react, a stream of sticky cream exploded from the can and onto her body. Everyone jumped off her as Nick continued to pour the cream onto her body. She screeched in fright, trying to protect herself, but the damage was done. The boys laughed hysterically as Nick finished the bottle and tossed it to the side! “YOU GUYS!” Anael whined.

“Poor Grace-Anne,” AJ cooed, bending down to her height. He reached down a swiped a bit of the whip cream away from her lips. He placed his finger into his mouth, sucking off the cream. He smiled in delight. “You taste sweet,” he told her softly.

Anael felt shivers creep down her spine from AJ’s touch. For once it wasn’t with fright, but with excitement. She was confused as she sat there with AJ looking down upon her. Something wasn’t right about the feelings building up in her heart. She had to do something before the emotions were too powerful to fight. She was blowing her cover and she knew it. She had to think of something fast as the boys watched her and AJ in inquisitiveness. Quickly, Anael reached up and grabbed AJ by the neck, smearing her sticky body against his. AJ groaned as Anael pulled away from him and flicked the left over whip cream at the other boys.

“GRACE-ANNE!” AJ roared with laughter.

“Now you can taste sweet, too!” she chirped, running to her bathroom to clean up.