DICE

Chapter 3, Wrong Place, Terrible Timing.

Laurence

My hand was resting on my left cheek which ends up covering my vision from my left eye. I let out a tired yawn, as I spin my spoon around in the milk of my cereal bowl. Watching the frosted cornflakes swirl and spin clockwise around the bowl, I wonder if Ian ever got his paper signed. Honestly, he probably didn't, but I cannot help to have a little hope. I couldn't think about being anyone else's partner on the field trip, just the thought of it made me feel uncomfortable. I sit there half-awake, letting my thoughts wander. Like how Lilly was killed, Ian and I's favorite Youtuber. How was she electrocuted in an alleyway? Her phone was fried, did it come from her phone? No way. She was brutally beaten, someone must've caused her electrocution? A taser? Can you die to a taser? There are too many questions yet so few answers. The most ominous about this is the random dice laying around her. Did they put it there? Did it come out of her? If they put it there could it mean something? Is that why they attacked her? Because they wanted dice? Possibly. Why would they want her dice? Crazy fans? They wouldn't kill her. Enemies? Vengeance? A mistake? An accident? Her getting electrocuted is still drawing a blank. Maybe it was her phone.

Phone

Phone...

PHONE!

Where's my phone? Did I even tell Ian about my dentist appointment? I swiftly leap from my seat and run straight for the stairs until I get stopped by him.
My older brother, Travis.
"There you are dweeb" He chuckled, and I gave him a blank expression. "Can you move..please." I say as nice as possible, " No can do man" he releases a loud burp and I step back in disgust, he then continues, "Mom's busy at the hospital, she can't take you to your appointment, therefore I gotta do it" My expression from blank into a horrid sadness. "You?!" I shout. "Yeah man, no need to yell it, I'm right here." He groans as he puts his pinky in his ear, twisting his finger. Why him? He drives like a brainless maniac, he has no sense of formality, takes any chance to lay one of his dumb insults, and smells like onions and rotten garlic To be stuck in a car with that man probably has to be the worse thing that has to happen to me in a long time. " I still need to go upstairs, I forgot my phone" I explained. "We don't go time, we are already 5 mins late" He exclaims, "plus do you even got anyone texting you there." " I've got Ian" I mumbled. "Oh yeah that dweeb friend of yours, well he'll live without you. Like anything bad is gonna happen to him if you don't text him or something" He horribly explains. "I'm just getting my phone," I grumbled, "It'll take like 5 secs max." He looks down as his eyes widen, "Listen dude if we get even more late because you can go to an appointment without your God damn phone, and they cancel on us, and I take the blame. I will make you suffer." That's what scares me about Travis the most, he's the most impatient and short-tempered guy I know. He always makes threats in that low, deep, stern voice. Usually punches first and asks for questions later, he can be extremely violent for no reason. I back off, "Ok, dude. Dang, I don't need my phone. Let's just go then.." He does his goofy smirk, usually when he's won an argument or just any little victory in general. How is the older one?He acts like a man-baby, but he's a violent strong man-baby. So, I can't mess with all that.

We both sit down in his 2021 Wolf Grey Kia 5, the only reason why I remember is that he wouldn't stop bragging about it when he got it. He plugs the aux to his phone and turns the volume knob to the max. You probably couldn't even hear the words to the song because all of it was just extremely loud bass. I rest my head on the car window, still being just as tired as I went to sleep. I wanted to sleep, but I could barely close my eyes to the vibrating window because of Travis's song. Now I just rest, just lay there as I lean my body away from Travis's atmosphere of body odor. I sigh and groan due to the uncomfortable environment. Travis didn't hear it because he was speeding to pass a yellow light, I grip the door handle for dear life. "CAN YOU NOT" I terrifyingly yell. He looks over at me, does his jerky smirk again, and continues to speed past all the cars as he blasts his music. In this state, I wasn't going to get a wink of rest either. I slowly lay my head back down to the car window. Ian will be fine, right? Maybe he is asking where I am right now? I probably told him and I forgot? I don't have the best memory after all. I'm can't believe I'm getting braces too, I've always been told I look like the generic nerd from Ian and my brother. I think, actually, I know. This is going to make things worse for me. My brother finally slows down and cusses under his breath because he wasn't able to pass the yellow light. I look over at the children playing behind the trees, behind those trees was a peaceful neighborhood. It reminds me of the hot summer days of running around in the streets with Ian, battling other kids in water balloon fights. It was just a dumb way to stay cool, without being inside. The shocked look my mother would give me when I came back, and I was completely soaked. I could feel the spray of water guns and my heavy and wet clothes afterward. Ian never failed to go completely try-hard during those fights. It's like I could hear him now.