TR 13
Authors: Marina and Casey
Story: Taking Root
Challenge: Coconut 1 (if you want it done right…), Milk Chocolate 24 (calculation) [Marina]; Blueberry Yogurt 11 (out of my hands), Pineapple 21 (wait until I give the signal) [Casey]
Toppings/Extras: Caramel, Chopped Nuts, Smoothie [both]; Banana [Marina]
Word Count: 624
Rating: PG
Summary: Stage 1 of the Grand Revenge Plan
Notes: In which Carrie breaks out the colored pencils for planning purposes.
“I like it.” Resh grinned. “So, Wednesday then.”
“That’s the plan, unless you want to wait another two weeks,” said Carrie, beaming proudly. “Think you can do it?”
“Got it covered. And Chase, you can make up an excuse to duck out of your TA period for a few minutes, yeah?”
Chase’s eyes narrowed at the page. “Think so. Did you draw bunnies on those boxers?”
***
PE on Wednesday was even worse than usual, between the swimming and Karl “accidentally” elbowing Dean in the face. He managed to keep a positive outlook anyway, consoling himself with mental pictures of Chase and Resh sneaking into the locker rooms to steal underwear.
“It’s not broken,” the coach said. “Just don’t fiddle with it. Sit off to the side for a minute and let it clot.”
Dean was more than happy to stay there the rest of class and let it run its course.
When it finally came time to change, his nose had stopped leaking and he barely managed to squash a grin as he trailed the others into the lockers. As he paused in front of his to change, he could hear the surprise and curses as Karl, Richard and the others slowly began to discover their missing undergarments.
Karl stepped into view a minute later, grabbed Dean by the collar and slammed him up against the lockers with enough force to momentarily leave him breathless. Dean made a mental note that if he bruised, he would have to make sure his dad didn’t notice. “Did you do this?” the bigger boy demanded.
“Do what?” Dean said, forcibly prying Karl’s fingers off his shirt.
“You know damn well what, pipsqueak.”
“I was with you the entire period. When would I have had time to do whatever it is you think I did?”
Karl stared at him through narrowed eyes and then finally stepped back, to Dean’s relief. “Fine.”
“It’s not like I’m the only one you’ve ever made enemies with,” he added, feeling satisfied as he spotted the first inklings of worry in the back of Karl’s gaze. He knew that expression far too well and it was the first time he’d ever felt gleeful about it.
“Yeah, well, stay out of our way,” Karl said, and vanished out of sight.
Dean finished tugging on his jeans, shut and locked his locker and then grabbed his bag, heading out of the gym. Resh was waiting for him, leaning casually against the wall, but he straightened as Dean appeared and winked. “Hey, got bored so figured I’d walk with you and say hi to Carrie on my way to class.”
“Thanks,” Dean said. He felt much more comfortable with Resh after the rescue on Monday and their revenge planning session. “So?” he asked as they put some distance between them and the group of bullies.
“Without a hitch as I’m sure you gathered. It’s up to the girls now. They didn’t give you shit, did they?”
“Karl tried, but even he had to admit I couldn’t have done it since I was in the same room with him the entire period.”
“Tried?”
Dean felt grateful for the concern. “I’m fine. Honest!” he added, at the older boy’s skeptical look. “I’m all in one piece.” His back didn’t even hurt any more, which gave him hope he wouldn’t bruise. It had been hard enough to explain away the split lip, which he now probed gently with his tongue.
“Good,” Resh said firmly.
“So when is the rest of it going down?”
“Next week sometime. Only Carrie and Kenz know that for sure. Gotta let ‘em squirm a bit.”
Dean heaved a half-faked sigh. “I suppose I can wait that long.”
Resh grinned. “You an’ me both.”
Story: Taking Root
Challenge: Coconut 1 (if you want it done right…), Milk Chocolate 24 (calculation) [Marina]; Blueberry Yogurt 11 (out of my hands), Pineapple 21 (wait until I give the signal) [Casey]
Toppings/Extras: Caramel, Chopped Nuts, Smoothie [both]; Banana [Marina]
Word Count: 624
Rating: PG
Summary: Stage 1 of the Grand Revenge Plan
Notes: In which Carrie breaks out the colored pencils for planning purposes.
“I like it.” Resh grinned. “So, Wednesday then.”
“That’s the plan, unless you want to wait another two weeks,” said Carrie, beaming proudly. “Think you can do it?”
“Got it covered. And Chase, you can make up an excuse to duck out of your TA period for a few minutes, yeah?”
Chase’s eyes narrowed at the page. “Think so. Did you draw bunnies on those boxers?”
***
PE on Wednesday was even worse than usual, between the swimming and Karl “accidentally” elbowing Dean in the face. He managed to keep a positive outlook anyway, consoling himself with mental pictures of Chase and Resh sneaking into the locker rooms to steal underwear.
“It’s not broken,” the coach said. “Just don’t fiddle with it. Sit off to the side for a minute and let it clot.”
Dean was more than happy to stay there the rest of class and let it run its course.
When it finally came time to change, his nose had stopped leaking and he barely managed to squash a grin as he trailed the others into the lockers. As he paused in front of his to change, he could hear the surprise and curses as Karl, Richard and the others slowly began to discover their missing undergarments.
Karl stepped into view a minute later, grabbed Dean by the collar and slammed him up against the lockers with enough force to momentarily leave him breathless. Dean made a mental note that if he bruised, he would have to make sure his dad didn’t notice. “Did you do this?” the bigger boy demanded.
“Do what?” Dean said, forcibly prying Karl’s fingers off his shirt.
“You know damn well what, pipsqueak.”
“I was with you the entire period. When would I have had time to do whatever it is you think I did?”
Karl stared at him through narrowed eyes and then finally stepped back, to Dean’s relief. “Fine.”
“It’s not like I’m the only one you’ve ever made enemies with,” he added, feeling satisfied as he spotted the first inklings of worry in the back of Karl’s gaze. He knew that expression far too well and it was the first time he’d ever felt gleeful about it.
“Yeah, well, stay out of our way,” Karl said, and vanished out of sight.
Dean finished tugging on his jeans, shut and locked his locker and then grabbed his bag, heading out of the gym. Resh was waiting for him, leaning casually against the wall, but he straightened as Dean appeared and winked. “Hey, got bored so figured I’d walk with you and say hi to Carrie on my way to class.”
“Thanks,” Dean said. He felt much more comfortable with Resh after the rescue on Monday and their revenge planning session. “So?” he asked as they put some distance between them and the group of bullies.
“Without a hitch as I’m sure you gathered. It’s up to the girls now. They didn’t give you shit, did they?”
“Karl tried, but even he had to admit I couldn’t have done it since I was in the same room with him the entire period.”
“Tried?”
Dean felt grateful for the concern. “I’m fine. Honest!” he added, at the older boy’s skeptical look. “I’m all in one piece.” His back didn’t even hurt any more, which gave him hope he wouldn’t bruise. It had been hard enough to explain away the split lip, which he now probed gently with his tongue.
“Good,” Resh said firmly.
“So when is the rest of it going down?”
“Next week sometime. Only Carrie and Kenz know that for sure. Gotta let ‘em squirm a bit.”
Dean heaved a half-faked sigh. “I suppose I can wait that long.”
Resh grinned. “You an’ me both.”