Horseshoe Ranch

1: A New Home

It's been about a year since AJ Johnz and his friends got together. At first for a while, it was just AJ, a tall, around six-foot-three, African American man with an average build, with an Afro hairstyle. He was always the odd one out. Going back to his days of elementary, he would always play, read, and draw...alone. However, one day at recess would take a bizarre turn as he would get into a scuffle with another boy. Grant Matthews, a Caucasian with dark blondish hair and a more lean build. And the next hour, in detention, or time out in elementary school terms, Grant would approach AJ with a piece of blank white paper and a black marker. "What are you doing?" Young AJ asks, confused as Grant places the paper and marker on his desk. "Sign here." Grant says as he point to a signature line. Taking another curious glance at Grant, AJ would print his name on it, a little slop-ish English writing, but still readable to others kids their age. "What's it for?" AJ asks. "We're now friends for life." Grabs says simply with a smile. From that point on, AJ and Grant would become the best of friends, the dynamic duo. But their group would only grow and their bonds strengthen as they would enter middle school, the two would meet Liam Davis, a South Korean-American man with black hair, prescription glasses, a love for memes and anime. Standing with a robust build, hefty, but lovable and sometimes tolerable. For a while, they would be the trinity of them, until they met Brody Ferrari, a Caucasian Canadian immigrant with brown hair who previously had prescribed glasses but after receiving LASIK's surgery, will no longer require glasses. a wealthy family and with that, he has a knack for knowing how to handle and attain money. And lastly, Antony Russo, an Italian-American who is arguably and realistically smart when it comes to culture, literature, geography and especially in math. The friends would miraculously enjoy their company. Throughout the span of their time in middle school, they would have countless adventures. However, around the time of their graduation of middle school, they would unfortunately attend at separate high schools and it was then, AJ's doubts and fears would be implanted. Years later as the friends would grow into near adulthood, the friends would still acts as their group was exclusive to online only. Sure, they would have a Discord voice calls and some gaming sessions here and there, but, it's not the same as physically seeing one and another. After everyone has graduated, dropped out or not attended their respective colleges and universities, they've all moved on and gotten jobs. While they have their work their jobs and navigate their respective lives, every now and then, one of AJ's friends, Brody specifically, would occasionally setup Dungeons and Dragons sessions, mostly online. While AJ would feel glad to hear from his friends, whether it's them playing and acting as their personified characters or them catching up to what they've been up too. However, sometimes at the end of their online sessions, AJ can't help but wonder at the back of his mind 'when are we gonna meet up again?' And, 'are we ever gonna meet up in person again?' Some time has passed, and the group was still meeting online, coming and going, rarely making time to get together, and it was then AJ decided to find a solution. But what? What would he do? What could he do? For the past couple of days he would contemplate on what would help him think were taking himself on drives. Some in broad daylight, some at night. But, nothing would seem to come to mind. Suddenly, on a drive on the Texas country roads, he would come across a ranch. But not no ordinary ranch by the looks of it.