Free Weddings and Wasabi by Camy Tang

Jenn’s mom.

    “You let Aunty Aikiko take my cake pans?” Jenn’s voice screeched off the low ceiling of the living room just as Edward grasped her shoulders firmly from behind.

    “In the kitchen, Jenn,” he said.

    “You let—”

    “They heard you the first time, Jenn.” He pitched his voice firmly to cut through her shock and anger. Aunty Makiko looked faintly pleased. “Mimi?” He jerked his head toward the open doorway of the living room as he pulled Jenn backwards and out of there.

    He managed to zombie-walk her into the kitchen, followed by her cousin. She let out a weak, “I can’t believe she let … They were really expensive … special order …”

    Edward plopped her into a bar stool next to the island in the middle of the kitchen. “Do you need a glass of water or something?”

    “I’ll make tea.” Mimi bustled around, getting the teapot and mugs.

    Jenn stared into space, breathing heavily. “What am I going to do?”

    “Retaliate.”

    “Retaliate?” She turned a confused face to him. “How?”

    “Infiltrate and retrieve.” He hadn’t played all those Xbox games for nothing.

    “Retrieve the pans?” Mimi asked. “How?”

    “How many people in your parents’ house right now?” he asked Mimi.

    “Mom, Dad—no, he might be gone because Mom is going loco. And my four brothers.”

    “Ages?” He felt like a commando.

    “Sixteen, twenty, twenty-four, and twenty-eight.”

    Hmm, a bit more formidable than he had expected. “Give me the layout of the house and where the pans might be.”

    Mimi got a sheet of scratch paper and drew a diagram, putting a star next to the kitchen drawers where the pans would probably be.

    “What are you planning?” Jenn asked.

    “War,” he said with a grin.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

    Jenn felt like Charlie’s Angels.

    In honor of the rescue mission, the five cousins and Edward dressed all in black. Trish had showed up with a fire engine red tube of lipstick, which she made all the girls put on, and sunglasses for everyone, which would obscure their faces but not hamper their aim.

    They were armed to the teeth. Each one carried a SuperSoaker water gun or water cannon. In fact, Edward had two weapons, including a smaller water gun he’d tucked into his waistband.

    They met at Jenn’s house and crammed into her SUV. On the way to Aunty Aikiko’s house, Edward reviewed the plan with them all.

    “Mimi, you’re first wave, since you’ll need to unlock the front door. You said Ryden would probably be in the living room?”

    She nodded. “His computer is there. He’s always on Facebook at this time of day.”

    “He’ll give an early warning to the others.” Edward grinned. “Good. It’ll make it a more interesting fight. Jenn, you’re second wave. Head straight into that kitchen to find the pans. Trish, back her up to shoot anyone who tries to stop her. Lex and Venus, you’re with me. Once Mimi takes out Ryden, the other boys will come down the stairs to figure out what’s going on. We’ll have to be ready to take them down.”

    “Yessir!” Lex said. Her grin was a bit feral.

    They parked a few feet away from the house, just out of visual range of the second floor windows. They darted toward the front door, and Mimi shouldered her water cannon in order to slide her house key into the lock. The door unbolted easily. She pushed against it.

    It stuck.

    Her eyes were frantic. “It’s the weather. It makes the wood warp.”

    Edward positioned himself and whispered to them all, “On three. Ready? One, two, three!” He shouldered the door open.

    It crashed open with a bang! and they rushed inside.

    Just their luck, Rick was walking down the stairs as the door flew open. He took one look at them and flipped around, running back upstairs, shouting to his brothers.

    In the living room to the left of the door, Ryden sprang up from his chair at the computer and whirled toward them. “What? Mimi?” He saw the water guns.