“Weird. Anyway, let’s go then.”
“Where?” Brad said, standing.
“The park. Some of the guys are throwing the ball around. Nothing serious.”
He then took another Longhorns cap out of his back pocket and handed it to Brad.
“And I'm guessing those guys would be your weird friends?” Brad placed it on his head.
“The very ones. You can take me on the back of your bike.”
“I remember that about you too. The bossiness.”
“Eldest sibling, it's how we roll.”
He gave it some gas down the road, and Ethan whooped, making him laugh, the sound freer than he could ever remember it being. He'd found himself doing that a bit since he'd been here.
Newman, Jake, Cubby, and Buster were at the park.
Cubby was going up to receive a pass as they pulled in, and Buster hit him in the ribs, knocking him to the ground.
“Nothing serious?” Brad said as Cubby hit the ground hard.
“We hardly ever get hurt, and Jake's here if we do.”
“Reassuring.”
“You ever thought about buying a nice sensible sedan, TJ?” Cubby managed to straighten as he arrived.
“No, why do you ask, Sheriff?”
“Every time Maureen and half the women in this town hear your bike, they go all giggly, and I'd be lying if I said it wasn’t getting on my nerves.”
“Let the boy alone, old man. You're just pissed you've had to rein in your wild now you're hitched.”
“Wild? The only wild thing he's ever done is change up his sneakers for loafers.”
Brad laughed as the insults continued. He could tell by the ease with which they flowed that this had been going on for years. Interrupting each other, finishing sentences, it was entertaining to watch.
“Right, that shit’s done.”
“What shit?” Brad questioned Cubby.
“The insulting is foreplay, TJ, gets us in the mood.”
“That’s just plain wrong, and in the mood for what?”
“The hurt.”
He had a brief sense of impending doom when Buster roared at him to go long. He did, and took the ball and Newman at the same time.
“Well fuck,” he snarled, getting to his feet. Bracing his hands on his thighs, he hauled in a breath before straightening. “I'm now in a horn tossing mood!”
Ethan snorted. The others look confused.
“He's pissed,” Ethan translated. “That's when his Texan comes out.”
Sides were drawn. Brad, Ethan, and Newman versus Jake, Buster, and Cubby.
