Free Kissing Trouble by Airicka Phoenix, Morgana Phoenix

he swore under his breath.
    “What’s going on?” Wendy appeared in the hallway alongside Rick. A second later, Dustin and Shaun were also standing in the hallway with confusion and alarm on their faces.
    Mason came out of his shock first; he slammed the front door shut and turned to the crowd with a trembling and clammy Julie still clasped to him protectively.
    “Mouse,” he told them with a completely calm tone. He even sounded amused. “Girls,” he added and she could almost hear the roll of his eyes.
    Rick giggled.
    “I’m not afraid of a mouse,” Wendy declared, affronted.
    “But you’re brave,” Mason told her. “Julie ... not so much. Hey, I think I saw a box of cookies in the cupboard. Why don’t you guys wait for us in the kitchen, okay?”
    “Julie said we can’t—”
    “It’s fine,” Julie choked out, extracting herself from Mason’s sturdy hold. “Just stay in the kitchen.”
    “Come on before she comes out of her shock!” Rick hissed and grabbed his sister.
    Wendy didn’t need to be told twice. She chased Rick into the kitchen. A moment later, a new set of feet hurried down the stairs. Luis glanced anxiously from face to face with questions in his eyes.
    “What’s going on? I heard screaming.”
    Rather than answer his friend, Mason waved Dustin over. “Can you do me a favor? Can you keep an eye on Rick and Wendy for a few minutes?”
    “Why? What’s going on?” Dustin asked.
    “Some cat brought a dead mouse to the door. I don’t want them to see it when I clean it up.” Said so smoothly, even Julie, who knew it was a complete lie, almost believed him. Wanted to believe him. “I could really use your help, bro.”
    Dustin seemed to swell with the idea of being needed, especially by someone he considered as cool as Mason. He puffed out his thin chest and gave a terse nod. “No problem.”
    “Thanks, man.”
    With a shared fist bump, he darted into the kitchen with his siblings. And only when he was gone did the light fade from Mason’s eyes. He marched to the door and wrenched it open. Julie was prepared this time—she turned away. The hand she had no recollection of mashing into her mouth felt sweaty and hot against her skin, but she didn’t take it away.
    “Whose idea of a sick joke is this?” he growled in a low hiss, gaze darting between Shaun and Luis.
    “Dude, I was in the living room the whole time,” Shaun said.
    Luis just stared, open mouthed in horror. There was a green tinge soaking through his pale complexion. She prayed to god he didn’t vomit, because there would be no stopping her from following suit if he did.
    “Someone did this,” Mason said fiercely. “And since we’re the only ones tall enough to reach—”
    “Why are you looking at us?” Shaun snapped. “It could have easily been her.” He jabbed a finger towards Julie.
    “It wasn’t me!” Julie willed herself to say. “I would never do something so vile!”
    “Well, we’ve been in the house this whole time,” Shaun said. “One of us would have heard if someone was hammering kittens into the doorframe.”
    Julie’s stomach heaved at his blasé attitude towards the situation. She tasted bile in her throat when she swallowed.
    “Keep your fucking voice down!” Mason snarled. “We were out for most of the morning with the kids. You two were the only ones here.”
    “And we didn’t hear jack!” Shaun replied hotly. “Unless you’re accusing us of being psychopaths?”
    Mason straightened his shoulders and stared at his two friends. “We are the only people here for miles. It’s literally an hour drive into town. That’s how isolated we are. Someone here did this.”
    No one spoke, or looked at anyone else. The silence was deafening, overpowered by the stench Mason was letting waft into the foyer through the door he held open. Julie wished he would shut it. With every soft breeze, the limp little figures swayed and the sight was just revolting and heart wrenching.
    At long