“Sure, you just need a hyperlink, share capacity, and we can even link the cells to feed into your master spreadsheet.” She was already reaching for the laptop. “And see here?” She pointed to a column I was totaling everything in. “Let’s make that a pie chart for easiness, and we can replicate that in each sheet so the players can see it too. Pictures mean more to some people than numbers.” She took a drink of her coffee and pushed her red hair behind her ears. “You have their email addresses?”
“Um, yes, I have all their details on” — I leaned over and scrolled to the first tab — “here.”
“Super.” She then quite effectively cut me off and started to get to work.
I looked at Ava, who smiled at me. “We’ve basically lost her for—” She poked Mia on the arm. “How long will it take?”
“Thirty, maybe thirty-five minutes,” Mia said absently as she clicked like a maniac on the mousepad. With a grumble, she was in her purse, and then fished out a wireless mouse as she set up the table adjacent to Ava and me.
“How are you?” Ava asked me as I watched Mia lose herself in my spreadsheets.
“I feel like I’m cheating,” I confessed to Ava as I turned my attention to her.
“For class?” Ava laughed. “Why struggle for hours when she enjoys this and can do it in a fraction of the time?”
“It’s true,” Mia told us as she carried on working. “This is like freshman year all over again.”
“You’re only a sophomore now,” I laughed.
“Yeah, but I’m wiser, more knowledgeable.”
“Well, it’s appreciated,”I told her honestly.
“Ash could have done this for you,” Mia said, not realizing what she said, and I saw Ava stiffen.
“I only thought of it today,” I replied, which wasn’t a lie. Turning to Ava, I forced a smile. “How have you been?”
“Good.” Her eyes were sad as she looked at me, but whatever she saw in my face made her reach out and pat my hand. “You look like you need a party,” she said with a wide grin.
“Do I?” I replied dryly as I heard Mia snort beside me.
“Yes, the basketball team is having a huge Halloween party, and before it, we’re going into Cardinal to the bar where Atticus Dawn is singing, and then we’re going to do the Halloween maze in the fields behind the grocery store.”
“Sounds exhausting,” I teased her as she playfully swiped at my arm.
“No, it’s going to besogood!” Ava leaned forward eagerly. “You’re coming with us,” she declared.
I felt my smile falter. “Who’s us?”
“Mia and me. The team’s away as you’ll know, so they won’t be there until the party later.”
Running my teeth over my bottom lip, I thought about it. They were away this weekend, and because Gray was injured, he wasn’t like Jett, he would be with the team. That meant the bar and the maze I could go to and not see any of them,andHalloween was my favorite holiday.
“Done,” I agreed as Ava beamed with happiness.
“I already have the theme of our costumes,” she exclaimed.
“Let me guess,” I said with a look at Mia. “You went Charlie’s Angels, didn’t you?” Ava clapped her hands with delight as I shook my head in resignation. “Because we have different colored hair?” I asked her in despair.
“Yes!” She was practically bouncing in her seat, and I noticed even Mia had raised her head and was shaking it in mutual despair.
“No.” Mia rolled her eyes and returned to the screen.
“Ghostbusters?” Ava suggested as she looked between the two of us. “The female one.”
“No,” Mia and I spoke at once.
“But I could be the green slimy one,” Ava protested, and I started to laugh.
