The Lords, Princes, and Kings.

Chapter Fourteen-

   "Maybe if I help another soul/Maybe if I helped you reach your goal/Life could be that bright/I could sleep at night" –EPIC: The Wisdom Saga- We'll Be Fine–

    "Shit!" I cried, pain spiking up me.

"Stormii! No kicking shins!"

Carter laughed as Dove scolded Ran. I joined in once the pain began to subside. I got a text.

[Peggy Von Jerk] favor?

[me] What?

[Peggy Von Jerk] Some guys are over. My mom doesn't like it and sent me to my room. Make sure Marcus doesn't come home early?

[me] Fine.

[Peggy Von Jerk] Read - (ignored)

It was Friday and we had barely spoken. Some clubs that Peggy wasn't part of were meeting.

"Stop texting the homophobe, Mickey," Carter snapped. Things had been tense when she found out.

"Be nice, Cars."

"I am nice."

"Always." Ran passed the soccer ball to me. I scowled, kicking it at Dove. She grinned like a child on Christmas and dribbled the ball. I moved towards the brick wall, becoming a spectator of the now heated match between Dove and Carter.

Ran fell backwards onto the brick so hard, she winded herself. I smirked, leaning back coolly.

"Marcus!" Dove barked from what seemed to be a strange distance away.

I looked up and saw Marcus being dragged down by Carter's arm. Dove was probably teasing him, head leaned down and face dancing with amusement and mischief. Ran elbowed my ribs and nodded to the person behind Marcus.

"His friend, doing NHS with him."

Ran gave a sound of appreciation, "sweet! Know what–or who–they are doing?"

"Still trying to figure it out. They might be doing the Testament of Peter the Great. I'm doing Roger Sherman or the Mirabel sisters."

"You're helping them?"

"Just with websites, citing, and structure."

"Hmm... maybe we should keep those two from killing them?"

"Or, we could go get donuts?" There was a Dunkin/Baskin Robbins, as well as some other franchised stores, just down the street from the school. Marcus wouldn't go home without me and Dove and Carter were there to watch him, nevermind the staff that stayed for the clubs.

Stormii was already stepping off the curb and onto the half empty parking lot. I threw my bag down next to hers, checking my wallet in my pocket, and jogging after her.

As we crossed the pavement, I clipped my wallet on my waistband while keeping it tucked away. The second our feet touched the peat in synchronous, we took off. We would run to the end of that park strip of grass, weeds, and wildflowers, pause at the curb in front of the parking lot belonging to the stores, and lightly jog–after looking both ways–across to either the next road verge or the sidewalk in front of the store.

Ran skidded to a stop, barely reaching the threshold of the store's rain canopy a split step before me. She just barely managed to not run into the old glass door. I shoved her lightly at her smug face and she clumsily pushed the door open.

The familiar warning, welcoming, chime of the door caused my lips to twitch up. Sasha, a college student who took night classes and worked three jobs, all of which Stormii and I knew the location of as well as her shift times. Sasha turned around and scowled at us, clearly light heartedly. "You two again."

"Your stalkers are back, Sash?" Micah, her coworker who went to the same school as Sasha did with only a year on her, laughed from the other side of the counter.

"Always." Ran shot back.

"And forever," I added with a slight kick/skip as we made our way over.

"'Til death do us part," she finished.

"So creepy..." Micah groaned, shaking his head as he put some donuts in a bag. He then handed it to us, leading Stormii to glare her brother, not taking it.

"Normal order?" Micah nodded, engaging Stormii in a staring contest. I slid Sasha my card but asked for an extra glazed for Marcus.

Sasha yawned and turned on her heels.

Ran slammed her palm onto the counter, practically growling at Micah now. With a roll of my eyes, I looked around to see mostly the regulars, no matter how few stayed to eat or chill, and waved at the ones not studiously staring at their screens and/or papers. I leaned my hip against the counter and closed my eyes, the sounds of people, sketching and typing. Sounds of the A/C, or heater, probably the heater, recently turned on, given the stench of burn and slightly smoother hum, still awfully loud. Clambering in the kitchen. The rhythm of the college senior tapping his foot and the junior with her pencil. A song only musical with familiarity and time.

My phone vibrated under my wallet, forever silenced. With no move to it, my eyes flickered open and down, peering at it, having placed it so I would be able to see who texted without interrupting my train of thought much. My mom.

Another breath, gaze upturned to the ceiling, the wall above the door. Again, eyelids hooding. One more, sight gone.

Heat rolled up my arms as I rolled around and stretched, brisk but stiff. The reminder vibration fitting its purpose but shortening my patience, sharp soundless song so different from the peace my body just allowed.

Pictures of Ace and Scottie, sprawled out on lush and green grass, different from the Kentucky blue grass that reigned superior here. Ace gnawed on his favorite bone, heaven knows how it wasn't flayed years ago, happy as ever, though somewhat on the defensive side. I hearted the image as Sasha sashayed out of the kitchen, a bag and coffee in hand. She gave me both and swiped my card in silence.

I grinned like a child when she passed me the coffee, skimming the payment information to see she wasn't charging.

"Love you, Sasha," Ran shouted, rushing for the door with the first bag in hand.

 I waved them goodbye and followed her, throwing my card and phone back in my pockets.

  Happy Halloween. May be late, but, check the time if you are EST. Closest I could get to     my hour. Lesbian chapter on Halloween, near the witching hour? 

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                                             -𝒳𝑜𝒳𝑜, 𝕯𝖊𝖑𝖙𝖆-