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I sat down next to Jacob and rested my head on his shoulder. “Your food looks better.”

Jacob laughed. “Eat as many fries as you want, Soph.”

“Score.” I grabbed one. “Okay, guys,” I said as soon as my little brother RJ and cousin Liam sat down too. “We need to finalize the plans for our party. We only have two weeks and we haven’t even announced it yet.” This party would cheer up Jacob too. I was sure of it. We both needed this.

Axel cleared his throat. “About that.”

He and Scarlett looked at each other.

I had a feeling that I was about to find out what they were whispering about earlier. And now I didn’t want to know. “Yes, about that. Operation Mascot is a go.” We’d already figured it all out. I was going to invite Mr. Halifax to the party we were throwing. Telling him to show up in his mascot costume so he’d be incognito. And then I was going to bang him in his mascot costume. It was simple and perfect. “I have Mr. Halifax exactly where I want him.”

“Do you though?” RJ asked.

“Yes.”

“Do you though?” he said again.

I turned back to my friends, ignoring the little menace. “So what time should we tell people to arrive?”

“About that,” Scarlett said this time. “The guys haven’t even reached the championship game yet. It seems weird to announce the victory party before they’ve even played in the semi-finals.”

“It’s a total jinx,” Jacob said.

I stared at him. “Traitor.”

“Sophie, we still have to win next week’s game before we’re in the championship.”

“Which you will.” They had a bye this week because they were the best. Next week they’d win the semi-finals. And the week after that the championship game. And I’d bang Mr. Halifax. What was a jinx about that?

“Soph,” Liam said. “We can throw the party another time.”

I stared at him. “Wait, have you all already agreed about this behind my back?”

No one responded.

I turned to my brother. “RJ? Tell me you’re not a part of this.”

He opened his mouth and closed it again. Speechless for once in his life. But his intent was heard loud and clear.

“I can’t believe you guys,” I said. “You know how important Operation Mascot is to me.”

“But we can throw the party another time.” Scarlett repeated what her brother had just said.

“Sometime after the season is over? Mr. Halifax showing up in the mascot costume won’t make any freaking sense then! The whole thing will be ruined.”

“I mean...the basketball season will start,” Axel said.

“Our basketball team sucks balls.”

RJ laughed. “They really do.”

“Look,” I said. “How about you just leave the rest of the planning to me? You don’t even need to think about it...”

“It’s still a jinx,” Jacob said. “The party has to be last minute in the woods like always.”

Everyone at the table nodded.

I sighed. “Since when have all of you gotten so superstitious?”