Page 38 of Prospect Year

“Nothing has ever gotten under your skin,” King admitted, moving to stand next to his secretary and friend, “Remember the first time you brought Sunni around was the first time Lola joined us for a cookout. Both new and same age. You fumed when they spoke to each other. We couldn’t resist.” Then, he turned toward Sunni. “No offense, darlin’.”

“You’ll get used to their unsavory style at times,” Avery, King’s old lady, told Sunni. “Just overlook it and move along. They’re nothing but a bunch of overgrown kids.”

“Who’s up for some excitement this fine morning to begin our new year?” Rash shouted, breaking the tension of the room.

“I’ll take bets that this one can’t hang with you,” Cowboy challenged, signaling toward Lola with a thumb over his shoulder.

“I’m in,” Mac announced. One by one, the brothers chose sides until all bets were in.

“What are we doing?” Lola asked.

“Son, your dirt bike still behind the building?” KO asked Theo.

“Yes, sir,” the boy replied. “Mine and Zane’s are back there.”

“King?” KO asked as a request of permission.

“Loser repairs the bikes,” King announced.

“Oz and I will set up a course,” Nova said pushing from the table where he and Ruby had finished their morning coffee. Oz tossed his paper plate into the trash can and headed toward the door with Nova.

***

The first obstacle course wasn’t bad. Lola aced it with the small dirt bike over ramps and through mazes. Each challenge grew more intense, and now, Lola wondered if he’d survive the day.

“You sure you guys aren’t stringing me along just to see what kills me?” Lola asked, standing next to Mac, his focus on the ladder being secured next to the roof of the second floor.

Mac replied without looking his way. “No. You’ll be fine. You’re young. Bones heal.”

“I guess I know now how Rash ended up with so many scars,” Lola said under his breath, bringing Mac to cock his head toward him. “What?” Lola asked.

“He lived, didn’t he?”

“Well, you’re no help,” Lola told Mac and headed up the ladder with Rash.

“You’ve done this before?” Lola asked Rash as they stood on the roof, gauging the leap they were about to make.

“It’s been a while,” Rash said, smirking. “And it was with a bike.”

Lola cut his eyes toward his brother.

Rash laughed. “Yeah, brought up a bicycle and jumped it down to various levels.” He looked at Lola. “That one didn’t go too well.”

“Let’s go then,” Lola said.

Rash ran, leaping from the roof, catching a rope, and swinging toward the trampoline strategically placed in the open yard. He landed, hitting the black circle and pressing it into the ground before bouncing back to its intended height. He rolled to the edge and dropped to the ground.

“I’m haunting every single one of you if I die,” Lola shouted. Then he ran just as Rash had and leapt through the air. The rope seemed to bite and gnaw at his palms as he swung away from the building. He squeezed harder then opened his fingers wide. His stomach whooshed from his body as the target came closer, and he sucked in a breath. “Oh, shit!”

He had less momentum and weight forcing the swing out and the springs of the trampoline pinched his back as they broke the fall. He rolled onto the ground afraid to move. Lying on his back, he stared into the clouds, coaching the feeling to return to his legs.

“You’re still breathing,” Mac observed, standing over him, soon joined by everyone.

“Barely,” he forced out.

King dropped to a knee next to him. “How you feel? Anything broken?”

“Crap. I feel like Death threw me on a skillet to take me like a pancake, then laughed and said, no, let him live in pain.”

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