A cigarette box was in his weathered hand as he turned around. His bushy salt and pepper eyebrows rose, his mouth dropping open under the canopy of hi... graying mustache. A lanky African American boy stood in front of Darien. Leveled the muzzle of a gun to the older man' face. “No!” The sound burst out of Darien before he could think. The barrel swung in his direction, the face of a teenager looking back at him. His wide, dark eyes jumped back and forth between the clerk and Darien. The gun. “It wasn’t just because he thought you had been dumped on, he would have helped anyway. Though he would have been less angry about it,” said Nicola.“Should I check my breakables?” Alex asked, which made them chuckle.“No, but check your knickers, he has a growing collection of mine.”I smiled but it was a forced one, as the girls all laughed. Nicola caught the look on my face and squeezed my arm as if to say sorry. The conversation drifted across other topics like holidays and what they were. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________"HAH! Got you again Rick! What's the standing now..?? 3 - 0?" Jess celebrated with glee. "I guess I expected too much from someone who thought he was soooo good at the game." she followed up smuggly."Hey, he did let you warm up on his way here right? or maybe he's taking it easy on you," Ron said, looking at me encouragingly."Yeah... thats it, I was just getting warmed up, don't you worry. . And he's with his gf.. So Jake said "yeah anywhere you want" I smiled and said "your the best jakeyyy" and he opened the car for me the usual thing. So he asked me " where do you want to go b-b-ba nevermind where you want to go Maddy? So I coughed and said " why didnt you continue it? " he laughed and asked me again "where do u want to go?" I said " bring me to the nearest hotel." he said "why? Are u meeting someone?" I laughed once again and said "the both of us ?" so he brought me there we.