Hearts, Roses, and Thorns (HR&T)

Chap. 13 "Guy Time"

"The girls kick ya out?" Junior asked.

"Did Dad tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

I glanced up at Clark's friends. Maybe one of them is the culprit. Sighing I sat down, "I'll tell you later."

"You sure? You look pretty upset and I got practice after school."

"Yeah, I'm sure bro."

"Anyways~" he introduced me to his friends, "this is Colton Boxwell, Clyde Willis, and Brad 'Trump' Barron."

"Hey, I told you I hate that nickname. They call me that because I'm student President. I usually go by BB. You are?"

"Allen Thorn."

"Ah, Clark's brother. It's a pleasure!"

So formal... I noted.

Boxwell drawled out the question, "Don't we have history together?"

"We do."

Clark smirked, "Allen's favorite topics are history and video games."

"Really?" Boxwell squinted his eyes at me, "Do you know about the Timurids?"

"Didn't they have a dynasty until the 1800's?"

"A prince established the Mughal empire, yes. We are going to get along very nicely."

BB arched a teasing brow, "You gonna recruit him for D&D as well Boxwell?"

"Pfft, do you play?" Boxwell asked me.

"No," I replied, "but I heard you can write pretty much your own stuff. Make a zombie apocalypse or something."

"I might be able to get you connected to our group." Boxwell said with a smile.

"So, Clark," BB said, "you gonna go with the guys to the swim party?"

"Swim party?" I asked.

"Yeah, just some guy time with the football team. Wanna tag along?"

"If you're okay with it." I answered.

"My brother is all about third wheeling." Clark teased and I gave him a flat look.

"Am not! You punk!"

He let out a laugh and then the lunch bell rang.

Sarah didn't seem to be in a talking mood in chemistry class and the day flew past me. I had returned to my worlds of writing. However, the events from the other day had cast a cloud of writer's block onto my mind. Then I remembered what Hannah had done and began almost seething.

However, was it her? Was there a slight possibility that the writer of the letter also somehow took my money? No, there wasn't a doubt. Was there?

My bedroom door creaked opened and Junior poked his head in. I tilted my head and glanced at him in my peripheral vision and he started saying, "Still thinking about that crap from yesterday? Try not to worry about it, broski."

That pricked me somewhere and I spat, "What do you mean don't worry about it? That letter could have been a death threat!"

"I didn't say to not be upset about it." He uttered coolly, "Bro, celebrities get death threats all the time. You listened to NF's song Therapy Session. Isn't there a line about someone writing about the intent to quote 'slaughter his family'?"

"Sarah isn't a celebrity though, Junior."

"You're right, I'm just trying to keep my mind open. Hopefully it's nothing. Or maybe she got in a political spat with the wrong people. I've heard horror stories about that stuff as well from people in both political parties."

I sighed, "Hopefully it's some petty squabble but I don't know. Something about this just doesn't feel right, ya know?"

"Yeah man, I hear ya." He smiled, "You were gonna go swimming right?"

I sighed again, "I can't think of anything to write so yeah, I'll go swimming."

While I was distracted with preparing for the swim party my phone buzzed. I never noticed the fact even when I was already out the door.