A Time for Murder

The Morning After

Luke lay half in a sleep like state, having felt miserable all morning long, as he lay there tossing and turning, unable to get comfortable on the living room couch. One tiny, simple spring did it's best to rob him of any comfort as it jabbed him no matter which way he lay. The fact that the couch was being shared with someone nearly three times his size did nothing to help matters either. Never again would Luke pull an all day through the night video game session, he vowed. Luke yawned, as he stretched he looked about him, all three boys had fallen asleep in the very spots that they had been in last when playing their video games. Even the television remained on, a race car game still flashing on the television screen, the speakers hummed the catchy tune that played on a thirty second loop. He winced as a couch spring dug into his back.

"Mmmm." Dillon stretched his arms to the side, his muscles flexing as he moved. He wide mouth yawned, his pearly, perfectly straight teeth exposed. "What time is it?"

"I don't know." Luke responded honestly, as he fished in his pocket for his trusty cell phone. He checked it for the time, it's screen was black. Frantically he tapped the screen, nothing happened. Pure black. Luke began to panic, this could not be happening, practically his whole teenage life was tied up in that cell phone. Luke sat bolt upright, now wide awake. He tapped the screen once more. Nothing, still black. That's right, he remembered, the three of them had shut their phones off last night, avoiding any more unwanted and annoying phone calls. Luke powered on his cell phone, his eyes locked on his screen in anticipation. Relief washed over him as he seen the phone's familiar icon appear.

Dillon pushed off from the recliner, stretched a bit more, and stumbled half sleep like to towards the couch. Dillon narrowed in on the very spot where Kenny slept on the opposite side of the couch from Luke. Dillon gave Kenny a slight poke to the side. Nothing. Dillon jabbed Kenny's side a bit harder. Still nothing. Not even a moan. Nothing.

"He is out cold." Dillon noted, tossing a wicked grin in Luke's direction, a clear indication that he was up to no good. "We could probably do anything we want to him and he would never know it." Dillon tickled the side of Kenny's nose. Kenny swiped at thin air, letting out a low moan. Dillon tickled Kenny's cheek. Kenny swatted once again into thin air, his moan louder this time. Dillon tickled Kenny's cheek once more. This time, Kenny smacked his own cheek in an attempt to shoo away his early morning annoyance. Smack! Kenny, alert to danger, sat upright, giving Dillon and Luke both a good laugh.

"It's not funny." Eyes wide, Kenny whined, rubbing his burning cheek. "How would you like it if I did it to you?"

"But you didn't do it to me." Dillon pointed out as he chuckled. "You are just mad that I got you first."

"You wait Dillon Biller, I will get you." Kenny swung his pudgy legs over the side of the couch, his shewed feet hit with a thud. "I will, you wait and see."

"Oh no, don't get me." Dillon teased. Mockingly, he shook his body as though he were frightened. "Please don't get me."

Kenny tossed a couch pillow at Dillon, with all his might. Dillon side stepped, the pillow clearing his head by only an inch or two. Dillon brought his fist up to his eyes and began the motions of rubbing away his fake tears. For added effect he even curled his bottom lip.

"I'm serious.!" Kenny threatened, his face twisted up with a scowling look. "I will get you."

Luke's phone began to chirp uncontrollably as it had finally finished it's power on phase. The three boys glanced at one and another, their eyes finally fixed on the singing phone. It had not taken long for Dillon to break the silence. "You sure are popular." He cocked his head to the side. "Is there a girlfriend we don't know about?"

"Yeah, right!" Luke shot Dillon a look of disgust. "Girls are to much trouble."

"I hear that." Dillon agreed. Though Luke could not recall a time when Dillon had ever had girl problems, he nodded confirmation anyways. If anything, Dillon's biggest problem with girls was, who to date next, if one could even call that a problem at all.