Open Bitter Satisfaction

[Francis Ruis]

Open after Maiya

The holidays always brought out the worst in Frankie. Watching everyone off on their breaks or out with the families made him feel bitter and sour and other messy feelings and Frankie just needed some way to get out all the excess energy. Picking up a few loose stones, Frankie found an unassuming roadsign, winging the rock into the sign with a satisfying crack. The stone had left a small dent in the sign,. He'd left a mark and the sight of it was satisfying. Weighing another stone in his hand Frankie threw it again, aiming for the same spot, feeling a tight grin when the rock chipped off another piece of paint before skittering away across the street. It was a bandaid over a lot of messing things Frankie didn't want to think about, and he was content to stand here, chucking rocks until the sign was nothing a huge dent.

 

[Thomas Barnwell]

Thomas hadn't planned to return here, but he had gotten there when he had to go to school to buy a new hair cat. Her legs crossed a certain path and she liked to go out there and enjoy her free time, but he really missed Greece. so as soon as possible he wants to repeat his business. he walked down the road and observed a boy who threw stones and decided to approach him. "Hey, don't mind if I join to?" Thomas always liked doing bad things and he was pretty strong enough to do and after that he wouldn't feel any sense and no harm.

 

[Francis Ruis]

Frankie paused when another boy approached, tossing the stone in his hand up and down idly. He was surprised when the guy just asked to join him, already ready to preemptively scoff at the other boy telling him off. "It's a free country." He said with a shrug, winging the next rock extra hard at the sign, just to see if the boy would try to match him or on the off chance he might get scared off. Frankie knew he wasn't really physically intimidating, but he liked to think his attitude could make people leave him alone when he wanted it too.

 

[Thomas Barnwell]

Thomas was never so easily intimidated. He smiled that the boy did not object to another presence. He lifted the stone and bent it slightly and then sat down and threw the stone. He had always succeeded in throwing stones, and just like this time he hit a tree.

 

[Francis Ruis]

Frankie had half been expecting the other kid to buzz off, throwing rocks was only so interesting for some. He watched the guy out of the corner of his eye, trying not to flinch when he did actually join in. "Hey, what'd the tree ever do to you," He asked frowning before throwing his own stone harder at the sign with a satisfying crack. Frankie wouldn't say he was trying to show off, but if there was a rock throwing leaderboard, Frankie would happily say he was near the top.

 

[Thomas Barnwell]

''So? Why does it bother you?'' He didn't understand him and why there was such a scream about the tree and he hadn't tried to hit him at first, but it happened by accident.

 

[Francis Ruis]

Frankie sighed at the guy's flippant response. "Look, I'm all in favour of baseless vandalism, clearly-" Frankie said, motioning between himself and the sign he was slowly trying to beat into submission, "- but the tree didn't hurt anyone," Technically the sign hadn't hurt anyone either, but Frankie felt weirdly protective of his neighborhood, especially against random guys he didn't know with funny accents showing up. He lived here, so he had the right to chuck rocks at anything he wanted. "Where'd you even come from anyway?" He asked, dragging his shoe along the ground to see if there were any good larger stones around.

 

[Thomas Barnwell]

''If you say so!'' Thomas didn't care about a dumb tree, but this time he decided to obey the other boy and stop doing stupid things, but as if he had never done a joke and he didn't believe in any of his names when he was a gift from a god. ''You are right, i made mistake! I don't do it again!'' He promised to him and look again to the tree and next listened what else he need to say to him. ''I'm from a place where is beautiful beaches. That place is Greece, Santorini and you?'' He asked to stranger boy.