While I am away have some Fun and...Games!

Truman stormed down the path and past the guys he had been making conversation with earlier.  Coming to an abrupt stop at the parking lot, he swore when he realized Harper had his car.  Goddamnit!

Jerking his phone from his pocket, he hit the speed dial for his sister.  With no answer, he kicked out and sent gravel spewing.  Feeling slightly mollified, he hit the number again.  When she didn’t pick up, he left a scathing voice mail that wasted no time with a greeting.  “Jesus Christ, Harper.  I need my car.”  With that, he hung up.

Truman stuffed the phone back into his jacket pocket and decided he wasn’t done fuming.  How could she think, even for a moment, that he planned what happened between them?  Okay the Chrissy girl-or was her name Sissy- Grace scored points on that one.  So they hooked up.  So what?  It was before Grace.  Before their date.

Of course it didn’t help his defense that Sara had called.  And called.  And called some more.  God, he hated needy girls.  Wasn’t it just his luck that the one he had seen on more than one occasion had turned out like that?  

He wished he’d grabbed a beer after all.

Turning, he looked to the north side of the tower where Ridgefield students traditionally parked.  He could see the nose of her car, but no sign of Grace.  What was she waiting for?  What if that Lucky kid woke up?  He’d been pretty hammered.  He better not try anything with her or Truman would have too... How did he get the name Lucky anyhow?  Where the hell was Harper?

Truman’s temper was past simmering and on its way to a volcanic eruption, and he needed something or someone to take it out on.  Turning, he headed back to the bonfire with the intent of scoring a beer somewhere, and maybe if  Grace’s car was still there after that, he would go and check on her. 

                                  ***

The brothers were almost to the bottom of the path when Lucky stopped and grabbed Owen’s arm.  Looking his twin in the eye, he said, “We need to talk.”

“I know.  Let’s find Truman, get a ride and we can talk at home.”  Turning, he scanned the kids below trying to spy Harper’s brother.

“No.  Let’s do it now.  Right here.” 

 

Stuffing his hands in the front pockets of his jeans, Owen rocked back on his heels and agreed, “Okay.  You want to do it here?  Fine.  What the fuck were you thinking bro?  Do you have any idea how much trouble you’re in?” 

 

“Can you ream me out later?” Lucky tried to interject, “I need to tell you something.”

“Mom got called off work.  She had to come to the police station and pick me up.  Do you even understand how humiliating that was for her?”  Owen leaned in to make his point, drilling a finger into Lucky’s chest.  “After all the shit with Dad, you had to go and do this.  Why?”

“I don’t know.  I was pissed off, okay?” Lucky turned and paced away from his brother, embarassment coloring his words.  It didn’t escape his notice that Owen was more pissed off about their mother getting called to the police station than he was about being arrested.  “You’ve been mooning over this girl for weeks and for what?  To finally get close to her after some teacher assaults her?  That’s just bullshit O, and you know it.”  Completing an about face, he headed back in Owen’s direction.   “So I retraced your steps from last night, hoping to figure out what happened after you left the house, and I saw where the truck had been.  I didn’t have a plan.  I swear.  But when he came out of the house, not a care in the world, I snapped, okay?   I saw him–he’s a big dude–and I thought of how scared Harper had to have been and just…”  Stopping a foot away, he shrugged.

“Snapped?”  Owen finished.  He had never seen his brother look so horrible.  Of course, a big part of it was the hang-over he was no doubt sporting, but not all of it. 

 

Sheepish, Lucky acquiesced, “Yeah.  But I was wrong O.  I’m gonna make this right.  I promise. When we get home I need to tell Mom what happened.  But before I do there is something you should know…”

Lucky was interrupted by a voice that didn’t belong to his brother.  “I thought you were with my sister.”

The twins turned in unison and faced Truman, who had approached under the cover of noise from the party.  Both went on full alert, but for very different reasons.  Owen wondered how much of Lucky’s confession Truman caught, and Lucky just wanted to deck the guy for being such an ass to Grace.

 

Deciding to play it cool, Owen stepped forward and said, “Dude, we were looking for you.  Harper left with Grace.  She gave me the keys to your car and told me to come find you.”

Lucky snorted on that comment and looked away.

Truman’s gaze jockeyed back and forth between the two brothers before landing on Lucky.  “Last I saw of you, the football team was dragging you to Grace’s car.”

Lucky threw Truman a glance that sparked of dislike.  “Last I saw of you, Grace was showing you the door.”

Truman’s hands fisted at his side.  “My relationship with Grace is none of your business,” he snarled.

“What relationship?” Lucky shot back.

“Why don’t you guys just whip them out right here and let’s see who’s is bigger?”  Owen’s voice dripped with sarcasm. 

 

Truman transferred his look of pure disgust from Lucky to Owen and asked, “Why did Harper leave with Grace, and why did she ask you to get my keys to me?”

Lucky laughed snidely, “Actually, what she said was you have two feet and could find your own way home, but me, see I’m a nice guy.  So we offered to come get you instead of making off with your car.”

Pissed off, Truman butted up against Lucky, chest to chest.  “Well if you had made off with my car, you would have seen the inside of a jail cell today like you’re brother.”

   

Owen pushed himself between the two of them.  “Just stop it.  This is getting us nowhere.  Can you give us a ride or not, Truman?”

“Why should I?” Truman demanded.

“Because if you don’t, Harper will be pissed off, and besides, aren’t you even a little curious about what really happened at Mr. Haas’ house this morning?” Lucky asked.