The Prince Of Highland Park by Marilyn Faith

we landed on our asses.  Madi is holding me so tight as if she can’t bear to let go. I could feel my neck getting damp, and I knew she was getting emotional “Hey you, don’t do that, I miss you too.  I’m sorry I isolated myself from you guys.    You all are my best friends, I just needed some time to get myself together, I’m working on being ok, and you crying will only mess up your face and my top,” I say lighting the mood, trying to sooth her, by rubbing her back; I knew she would get like this.  Kyla, Jules, and Mel all wrapped their arms around us.  We stood there like this for a while until Madi could compose herself. When we finally pull apart, we were all wiping tears from our eyes.  Yeah we can all get emotional at times. I looked up just in time to see the guys walking up with water for us.  They are like that, they always look out for us and if I keep thinking like this I’m going to cry again because Kevin is not here. 
    “Thanks guy s, you’re the best,” I stuttered. 
    “Y ou know we got you, we’ve been doing this for a long time, it’s like second nature,” Jack states.
    “I just want to say I love you all and I didn’t mean to go M.I.A. on any of you. We being together like this, I just couldn’t handle it, and needed to get my head in the zone… you know.”
    “We feel you and we know what you mean . Don’t apologize, we understand, we love you too, just know we are always going to be here for you, we…meaning the boys…yes I’m speaking for them.  We will ALWAYS protect you no matter what.”  Jack finishes.
    “Hell yeah !” Eric, Brent and Travis all said at the same time.
     
    We all laugh and got a group hug in before we break and try to enjoy the rest of our night.    Travis is whispering something is Jules’ ears that makes her face turn a bright shade of red.  I smile, leaving them to whatever that was.  The music is turned up, the beat is booming, and I’m feeling it.   Grabbing Mel and Kyla we go on to the makeshift dance floor.  We start shaking our asses and getting lost in the beat.  Madi and Jules join us laughing, I knew they were about to start some stripper move without losing their clothes.  This was our thing, we started moving gyrating our hips and asses in a slow seductive way, circling each other with our hands in the air.   We joined hands while moving our hips around in a circular motion. We were just getting started when the music picked and the beats booming faster.
     
    I was the first to drop hands and start bouncing my ass, I was feeling it through my body, I drop it to the floor and bounce back up. When I came up I felt two hands on my hips.  I turn around to see who it they belong to, it’s some guy I didn’t know and didn’t want to dance with, so  shaking my head I said “Not right now,” and kept on dancing, as he walks back over to his friends.  Jack was dancing with Madi and Jules and Travis were grinding.  I kept swinging my hips when I felt two hands again, I turn to tell the person I’m not interested, when I turned around it was Eric that was dancing behind me. So I drop my ass low to the floor and bounce back, when I heard Eric whisper in my ear, “You still got it.”   Laughing I latch my arms around his neck, my back to his front and break down my ass while pumping slowly to the music.  We were dancing for a while when I told Eric I was going to catch my breath, and I’ll be back in a bit.
     
    When my eyes land on Sam and Michelle coming toward me, I must have said “Shit,” out loud, because Kyla asks if I knew them. I didn’t see her come up beside me.  “Sort of,” I answered.  Looking at me curiously, she asks “How can you sort of know someone.”
    “From the country club where I work” I answered knowing if I didn’t say anything more questions would follow.  All she said was “Oh” before they stopped in front of us.  “So what do we have here?  Did Ryan send out another pity