Short Story

(He again turns her head and tries to nuzzle in and she turns away from him, not with distaste but with momentary lack of interest: in a mood to pursue what they’re talking about)

His eyes immediately narrowed, and he stopped chuckling. “How you be knowin’ my name now?” he said with his deep

“Yeah he’s a good kid,” she said as if I didn’t know him. “It was nice meeting you” she extended her

“Oh, my apologies then,” I said. “You do seem much more mannerly and much less goofy.”

“Huh?” That got him to let up and look at her. He turns around and chuckled. He saw a

“You’re going to think I’m an idiot,” you sighed, wincing a bit, due to knowing what was coming.

“Ok, youngster,” he muttered playfully, just loud enough for me to hear. Though he couldn’t see it, I was smiling bright enough to ward off any lingering fear that I may have had.

“What is it? What did I do?” He titled his head slightly, making him look like a bewildered puppy.

“What’re you doin’, babe?” he chuckled, looking at you with one eyebrow raised. Apparently, subtlety wasn’t your forte.

Marinette slammed her cup plastic cup back onto the table, waiting for Alix (who seemed to gladly accept the position of bartender) to pour her another drink, the pinked-haired girl obliged seeming in awe at how fast Marinette had downed that first cup. Quite frankly, Marinette was surprised herself, she’d never been much of a drinker save for those night’s when she and Alya switched out ice cream for some wine Alya managed to sneak out of her house. Either way, she braved through the bitter taste of vodka, enjoying the warm feeling building in her stomach, at least now she could blame her flushed cheeks on the alcohol.

If. If this, if that. If not for that, I'd have had it in the bag. "I'd have won if he didn't topdeck raigeki." Ramram in the grave and a whiptail in hand and you choose to summon drident with your chakanine. If he didn't have raigeki though! Yeah I guess your double drident wins if he didn't have raigeki but he had no board wipes in his grave and you go for it anyway. "If he didn't have honest!" as you sit there with dimensional prison in hand. Yeah, good on ya. If.

“What was that?” he asked, a sly smile coming across his face. You sighed, standing up from your seat on the ground.

"Baby doll, I think you can open your eyes now." I opened my eye to see his smirking face.

The flight to Des Moines wasn't very nice but luckily it was over. We walk into his childhood home. Nobody is here to greet us. We make our way into the den where they are all sitting. They all jump up to kiss and hug on Andy. I can tell they missed him. I look over to his sister and see her glaring at me. “Maybe she just comes off really aggressive when she isn't” I thought, but something inside told me that was not the case. His mother walks over to me with a blank face. “So this is your little friend” she says. That comment is a bit off putting but I know some people aren't the best at first impressions. Things are so tense here. I don’t know how I’m gonna get through the week.

Slade Thorley peers through the grungy window of the apartment he shares with his friends. Several beggars sit outside, looking more dejected by the minute. None of them seem to notice the scruffy blonde Missourian. “When’ll this end?” he wonders aloud, as much to himself as to the other two.