Hearts, Scars & Horseshoes

Chapter 31 - Toby

"So where'd you meet this girl?" Mark asked as he boarded circles around me.

"The Grounds." I retied my shoe, looking up at him as he passed.

"Isn't that a bible thumper place?"

I rolled my eyes. "It's part of that New Hope Community Church."

"So yes." Mark said as I stood. He was still boarding circles around me. "Didn't take you for the religious type."

I shook my head. Mark was one of my best friends but sometimes he need a good punch to the face. "Are you done talking shit?"

He shrugged, stopping his board, the tail scraping against the cement.

"So when we get to meet her?"

"Meet who?" Perrin asked walking up with his board in his hand, Dylan and Lars behind him.

"Toby's little crush." Mark supplied.

"Fuck off." I told him. "And never."

"Aw come on, we'll be nice." Dylan said.

"You guys are a bunch of idiots." I folded my arms across my chest.

It was a true statement, especially for Dylan and Mark. Mark had literally no filter, most of the times he came off as a complete asshole. Sometimes I wondered if he was actually just an asshole or if there was more to him than that. Dylan was just clueless.

"Lars you meet her?" Perrin asked.

"I didn't really talk to her." He answered, looking at me as he spoke. "But she seemed too nice to hang out with a bunch of assholes like you."

I laughed, Lars always had my back. "Maybe if I could trust what came out of your damn mouths I'd reconsider."

"We aren't that bad." Dylan grumbled.

"Speak for yourself." Mark said. "I own that I'm a fucking dick."

Point in case. There was no way I was going to let Mark meet Faith.

"So how about she just meets all of us but Mark's not invited?" Perrin suggested.

"If you losers get to meet her so do I."

"No one gets to meet her." I said. "Now let's get some boarding in."

I kicked my skateboard out in front of me, taking a couple running steps before I jumped on. I looked back at the rest of them, flipping them the bird as I put more distance between us. We were here to skateboard anyway, not talk about my love life.

                               ———————

I left the park with Perrin, offering to drive him home because he rode with Mark. It worked out well, I had to go to work and he had plans. The rest of the guys stayed behind.

"What do you have to be home for?" I asked, pulling my truck out of the driveway to The Grounds.

"I'm meeting Aiden at the theaters."

"How is Aiden?" I glanced at Perrin he was staring out the window but a smile tugged at his mouth. "You should bring him around."

Perrin scoffed, turning his attention to me. "Just imagine me coming out to the guys for a split second."

I cringed a little as Mark came to mind, my own unwillingness to introduce Mark to Faith coming to the forefront of my thoughts. It wasn't that Mark didn't like gay people, it was more of he just said crazy offensive things. Constantly. Like calling them homos or fags. I hadn't quite figured it out if it was on purpose or if he was clueless.