MISCHIEF NIGHT - Lyle menendez.

1

You carefully assemble your sandwich, layering on the fresh toppings—a crisp layer of lettuce, juicy slices of tomato, and a generous spread of mayo—each addition more satisfying than the last. As you place the top slice of bread on your creation, you can't help but glance over at your brother, who is engrossed in the game on TV, shouting animatedly at the screen as if it could hear him.

"Shut up," you mutter under your breath, rolling your eyes at his excitement. A quick look at the clock reveals it's already 7:37 PM. As you lift the sandwich to your mouth, the rich aroma wafting up entices your taste buds. You take a hearty bite, savouring the burst of flavors, when suddenly, the shrill ring of the phone cuts through the air, echoing in the otherwise quiet kitchen.

With a sigh of frustration, you set the sandwich down reluctantly and reach for the phone, bracing yourself for the likely chorus of chores from your mother. "Hello?" you answer, your voice lazy and still slightly muffled as you swallow the last bit of food.

"Hey, can you come to the movies tonight?" Lyle says as he watch Erik hold the gun pointing it at the wall as the lady tells him about what bullets to use in the shot gun.

"Why?-" you say and suddenly your brother starts yelling "No! I just pressed!" you cut off your brother and put the phone away from your ear and you yell back "Shut up! I'm on the phone with mom" you lie letting your frustration show and you sigh before bringing the phone back to your ear
"Sorry, my brother is watching the soccer game"

Lyle's lips curled into a subtle smile as his gaze remained locked on Erik "So, does that mean it's a yes?" he asked

You hesitate and furrow your eyebrows in thought. "I don't know... Maybe if..." you replied, trailing off as you shifted your weight, feeling the weight of uncertainty. As you stepped over the tangled mess of the curly phone cord that snaked across the floor, you could already feel a wave of overwhelm washing over you

With a sigh, you grabbed your sandwich from the kitchen counter, the thick bread pressed between your fingers as he took a generous bite. "I'll ask but right now, I have to keep an eye on my brother."

He sighs over the line "We were gonna go watch Batman screening at 9:50" Lyle says as he leans on the glass table his eyes glazing over the guns "You know how Erik is. He loves his movies"

"I can't buy a ticket, Lyle. You know that," you reply, your voice slightly muffled as you take another bite of your sandwich. The crisp crunch of lettuce contrasts with the soft bread, and you pause for a moment, allowing the flavours to linger. "Besides," you continue, swallowing hard, "didn't your dad say he didn't want us hanging out? He thinks I'm just *a scumb scrubber*." As you say this, you can almost picture the amused grin spreading across Lyle's face, the sound of his laughter echoing through the phone line.

He laughs "He didn't say that did he?" he looks over at Erik as he gives the gun back and pulls out his ID showing the lady while Lyle grabs the clipboard to sign "the agreements and terms" to buy both shotguns.
"I'll pay for you" he finally says as he hands the money to the lady and he hangs up.

LYLE.

"Erik grab both of them and bring them to the car I'm gonna finish up here"

Erik nods before walking outside with both shotguns in a bag ready to load them in the back of the car.

Lyle watches Erik leave and he gazes back at the gun lady "There not gonna go off and shoot one of us in the head?" he says trying to lighten to mood as if he were not buying shot guns to kill his parents.

"No they won't, just don't reload them until you actually start hunting" the lady replies in a lazy tone as she chews her gum.

Lyle stares at her with a slightly confused look and is amused by her lack of interest. He nods his head slowly and starts to walk away awkwardly. "Alright, have a nice day," he says.

8:00 pm. 1989.

As they drove closer to home Erik glanced sideways at Lyle, his brow furrowed with uncertainty. "Lyle, are we really going to go through with this?" he asked, his voice betraying a hint of fear.

Lyle kept his eyes fixed on the driveway. The familiar sight of their home coming into view. He could feel Erik's apprehension and tried to mask his own unease. "Come on, Erik, don't be such a pussy" he replied, as He slowed the car, parking just short of the curb, and turned his attention to the house. A knot tightened in his stomach as doubt crept in. "We can do this," he insisted, but even he could hear the wavering tone in his words as they both stared at the home.

Lyle slowly broke the tense silence that hung between them, "you shoot first"

"What? No!" Erik exclaimed, his voice laced with confusion as his brow furrowed in defensive disbelief. He shot a glance at Lyle, uncertainty flickering in his eyes, yet he slowly nodded in agreement to his older brother's request. "Okay..." he murmured, still processing the moment.

Lyle's voice softened as he declared, "I love you."

A slight smile Erik's face as he responded, "I love you too." as they both stepped out of the car feeling the weight of what they are about to do down on both of them.