Eight and ancients

Chapter Ten Destiny March 15 2026

I snapped the door of the Jeep shut. Beck and me still laughing until Thorne got in the car. I tried to straighten up, become less giggly and more confident, it didn't really work.

Beck eyed us both, I shrugged trying to avoid any and all conversation.
"Where are we going again?" Okay this is conversation I could handle.
"Guns before Roses, 21st and 3rd at least that's what Alex said. Also did anyone else think his name stared with a T."
"Yeah I did." Beck shrugged it off, I didn't want to over think it maybe the first guys shift was done and they sent us a new waiter.

We pulled into the small back alley parking lot, never a good sign. But it was a real place 'Guns Before Roses' pasted in neon above the door. I took a breath then stepped forward.

The door was heavy, so I was thankful when I passed it off to Zoey. I looked around there was anything from a shot gun to an automatic AK15. Well I think that's what was in the case.
"What can I do for you?" I looked up from the glass case I was starting at.
"Alex, but you were just at the dinner." Harper said this but didn't seem to mind the boy crazy look coming back.

Rolling my eyes very obviously at Harper I spoke up, "Yeah you told us to come here."
Thorne was eyeing him, but not with a form of rage but like he was invading his personal space. Except Thorne was the one invading.
"Yeah well my dad is Chuck so uhh Surprise." Alex gave a weak smile. I tied to give him a sympathetic smile back, but it wouldn't come. Thorne still had the look in his eye. As subtly as I could stomped on his foot, snapping him out of the trance he placed on himself.

Clearing my throat I said as calmly as I could, "Alex are you able to get me a hand pistol. With a clip and pull release." Alex look pleased to have a subject change.
"Yeah come on back." I followed him no one followed me.

"You know a lot about guns." He said it as a statement but obviously meant it as a question.
"Uh yeah my sisters in the police academy, and I seen enough TV to know what gun I would never want near me." He handed a smooth all silver gun, even though it was probably steel. Just like I asked, it holds a clip rather than a barrel and had a pull release trigger.
"No bullets right." He nodded. I raised the gun and pointed at the wall pulling back the safety and then pulling the trigger. I felt good holding it which only made me feel bad. I never wanted to be near guns growing up, let alone buy one.

I gulped, "I'll try one more if I don't like it I take this." I passed Alex the gun, as he grabbed a second one. Same type of gun but there was a little more weight to it. This one was also all silver but had little vines going up the handle. It felt more even in my hand like there was something there, rather than the empty weight of the last one. Once more I pointed at the wall and released the safety. This felt right which made me want to crawl out of my skill.

I turned back to Alex. "How much for this and bullets?"
"I know who you guys are, like I said Chuck is my dad, yes your Chuck. Take it free of charge I'll go get you some bullets."
"Wow umm thanks I think." I scrunch my eyebrows together.
"Hey Alex. How many bullets go in the clip?"
"20 a clip." I shook my head to tell him I understood. Even thought I'm over 90% sure that was way more than state regulation.

With two more full clips in hand we walked back to the front of the store.
"You all good?" I looked around everyone hand some sort of gun in hand most shotguns, they're safer so that was probably good but Sam and Zoey had hand guns. Both barrel pistols I doubted they knew how to change a clip so that was probably for the better.

"Ahh Destiny you meet my son." I peered my head up at Chucks voice
"Uhh yeah we all did." Everyone turned towards me then looked down at the gun in my right hand with a bag of loaded clips in my hanging from my wrist right above it. Georgia nodded at it as if to say care to explain.

"Oh uhh yeah steel, back weighted, clip, pull release pistol." I now sounded crazy for knowing that.
"Right well then uhh I think this is steel plated normal weight barrel hand gun." Zoey sounded like she had some control over her self. Even if her facial expression suggested otherwise.

I remember something, making me have to look at Harper, yep psycho in love was still plastered over her face. A crush was under way. I looked back at Alex who now had a dazed look in his eyes. I had to play matchmaker just not now. I looked back at everyone else and like more times than they should have my eyes landed on Thorne. He looked a little mad, like jealous mad. I stared to blush, I crossed my arms so my hand would lay over my face hoping that due to it no one could see the Extreme pinkness.

"So I guess if we all have a gun, we can head back to the room."
"We need a better name for that place." We all snickered a little and walked out of the store. I looked back at the neon sign hardly glowing in the daylight. I closed the Jeep door and we were back on the road. Head of all places a formerly abandoned room redone by a close to broke collage kid.