Chapter 29

                                    

                                          
On Friday Roc Royal and Prodigy got a science project on insects.  Roc had the idea to search their backwoods for bugs so they could conduct experiments on them. (He really just wanted to play in the dirt.)
                          
So after school Roc Royal was digging in the dirt along with Perrie who'd woke up that morning completely fine as if she was magic.  Luke was there too.
                          
"Roc is this really necessary?" Prodigy was yelling from where he was many feet away from the digging. He hated bugs.  He thought they could just look this stuff up on the internet.
                          
"Of course it is man!  Besides I have to show Perrie and Luke the wonders of playing in dirt.  They've never done this before.  And who knows when Perrie'll be stuck in the house sick again." Roc answered back.
                          
"I like bugs . . . they're pretty . . . although I don't like spiders." Perrie shuddered. "Spiders are mean. Roc do you know that caterpillars turn to butterflies? I learned that in second grade. Second grade was no fun . . ." Perrie was yammering on as she pulled out a worm from the ground. "Are worms insects?"

                          
"I think they're scary." Luke said leaning away from the worm. "But I'll do anything with you Perrie."
                          
"Aww he loves you Pez." Roc said.
                          
Perrie nodded. "We're getting married."
                          
Roc Royal froze. "Whut?"
                          
"I proposed yesterday before we went to sleep.  She was tired and sick and I said Perrie will you marry me.  And she sneezed.  But I assumed that meant yes.  When I go back home I'll buy a ring."
                          
"Aww well that is just lovely." Roc said. "Am I invited to the wedding?"
                          
"Of course!" Perrie yelled. "Although I'm not sure the law says we can get married yet. I'll ask Jade when she's not so busy."
                          
"Why is your brother measuring a tree?" Luke asked pointing.
                          
Princeton was a bit farther into the woods with a cap on and a tape measure against a giant tree. He seemed focused.
                          
Roc Royal and Perrie turned to look where Luke was pointing.
                          
"Hmmm . . . I donno." Roc said thoughtfully. "HEY!!! AYE! PRINCETON!!! BRO WHAT YOU DOIN MAN???" He called.
                          
Princeton seemed to startle, he turned around and snapped. "None of you DAMN business you fool!!! . . . I mean . . . nothing oh little brother of mine whom I love." Saved it, Princeten said in his mind.

                          
Roc thought Princeton sounded kind of strange but he just shrugged it off. "OKAY MAN!! HAVE FUN!"
                          
"Maybe he wants to build another tree house?" Perrie suggested.
                          
__________________________________

                          
Nicki was cooking dinner with Leigh-Anne that evening.  Leigh had invited Michael over for dinner.  Garvin had said that he was the only person out of her classmates who came over during the course of the week who she didn't seem afraid of.  Garvin thought it was good for her and Jesy to have a decent male friend outside of the family.  It meant that they might start branching out and stop being solely dependent on each other -he hoped.

                          
"And guess what his favourite colour is Mum." Leigh-Anne was saying as she chopped onions.  She'd been rattling off random facts about Michael even as he sat right there at the dining table listening and contributing to the conversation.
                          
"Is it red like Jesy . . . since he is Jesy." Nicki answered thoroughly amused with how excited Leigh was about this new friend she made even though he was the boy who kissed Jesy.