Drifts - 9. Shots fired

“What did you promise this time?”

Joel could still hear Lucas’ words, at the same time skeptical and amused. He had to admit it was an unusual suggestion, but it wasn’t until he opened his mouth that he realized today’s activity might not be everyone’s cup of tea. A glance in the rearview mirror brought out of his thoughts.

“Hey, hey! You back there! Cut it out!” Joel tried to keep his eyes on the road and the thankfully lazy Saturday traffic while admonishing the teens in the backseat. Mason and Brianna had been very busy in school the past week, which meant their cuddle account had a deficit. Apparently, they had decided to utilize the trip to make a deposit. Joel didn’t mind the youngsters making out as such, but they were getting a bit frisky for him to feel comfortable.

“Can you please stop? It feels weird to sit here and watch you suction face.”

From the backseat, Joel heard Mason break out in a laugh and Brianna apparently couldn’t stop a few giggles escaping.

“Suck face, Joel. You’re supposed to say suck face.” It was hard to hear Mason’s words through his snorting laughter.

“Whatever. Don’t suck face quite so vigorously. I’m only a meter away.”

He could see Brianna doing some quick math in her head.

“OK, three feet and three inches is cutting it a bit close. Sorry, Sir.” She didn’t look all that sorry. Joel knew she was secretly pleased with her rapid comeback.

“Joel, please.” It didn’t matter how many times he asked her not to call him Sir. She always had to be reminded again.

“It just feels funny, but OK. Joel.” Brianna’s face lit up in a shy smile. She was still slightly reserved around Joel and Lucas, but they were making progress. At least Lucas was. Joel still had to struggle to make conversation sometimes. That’s why he’d been so happy Mason and Brianna had agreed to go for this trip today. The activity today was perhaps a bit unorthodox for some, but in the US taking teenagers to a shooting range was no big deal. Joel just thought it would be fun to share something he enjoyed with the annoyingly happy couple.

To maintain his skills, Joel had located a nice and well-run facility not far from the city. No weirdo gun nuts or people looking like gangsters. Could a gun range be family friendly? If so, Ronald’s Range, named after the owner, was definitely that. Joel tried to get out there once a month to keep his edge. When he had suggested the outing to the kids, he had been a bit hesitant to include Brianna, but the happy look on her face told him it had been the right decision. After a brief talk to her mother, they had been set to go. Lucas was busy at work, but had promised to have dinner ready when they returned. All in all, it was shaping up to be a fun day.

When they got to the range, Joel talked to the guy in charge for the day. He explained he had guests and together they decided on a couple of guns suitable for younger and inexperienced people. They also got some ear muffs and glasses. Mason’s eyes lit up with an unnerving excitement when he spotted the guns, but Joel soon had him focused and listening intently.

“So, who wants to go first?” Gesturing towards the lane, Joel turned to the teens.

Mason’s arm couldn’t have gone up fast enough, but then he gave Brianna a guilty glance. She smiled and shook her head, clearly amused.

“If it’s that important to you, you should go first. We have time. Besides, I might learn something from watching you.”

“So, you want to learn from the master?” Mason put on his ear muffs as he walked cockily towards the range.

“Yes, exactly.” Brianna’s voice was dripping with sarcasm but she defused it with another brilliant smile. “Just how many times have you actually fired a gun?”

“None, but I’m sure I’m a natural.”

The teens’ teasing made Joel smile. They were so cute together it almost hurt. Mason sometimes tried to be the Man but Brianna had effective ways to bring him back down to earth. Somehow, they managed to do their routine without either getting upset. They really were a good match.

“OK, you go first, Mason.”

Joel showed them both how to handle the gun and told the rules of the range including some commonsense pointers of his own. He would hand them the gun to be fired while closely monitoring their every move, so they didn’t do anything dangerous or stupid. The teens’ demeanor had changed and they were intently taking in every word he said, realizing the potential danger of the situation.

Mason fired a few rounds. He had trouble keeping his hands still and it was clear he hadn’t been prepared for the recoil, even if Joel had chosen guns to minimize the issue. The teen managed to hit the target a few times, but the flustered look on his face made it clear he had underestimated how difficult it would actually be.

When it was Brianna’s turn, Joel prepared to give her some more pointers. The girl just smiled at him and adjusted her ear muffs and then held out her hand expectantly. Her attitude had him smiling. Despite her bookish looks, she rarely seemed to back down from anything. Placing the first weapon in her hand, Joel was surprised to see she had a correct grip. It could be she had watched Mason getting instructions, but somehow Joel got the feeling this wasn’t her first time handling a gun. He gestured for her to take aim when ready. After widening her stance for balance, Brianna squeezed the trigger. She repeated the action carefully but deliberately.

When they brought the target in, Mason appeared to not believe his eyes. She had not hit the center, but she was very close and her score was far better than his.

“Well, Brianna, I’m impressed! Quite the score!” Joel nodded in appreciation.

“I need to go to the bathroom.” Without acknowledging his girlfriend, Mason abruptly turned on his heel and left them. The surprised and hurt look on Brianna’s face made Joel angry.

“I’ll just go see what that was all about. Wait here, sweetie.” After a semi-awkward pat on the girl’s arm, he headed after Mason.

In the bathroom, there was no sign of the boy so Joel waited for him to appear. A flush from one of the stalls let Joel know it was time for their talk. Mason looked surprised and a little guilty when he saw Joel giving him his grown-up stare. The boy went over and washed his hands, keeping his eyes on the floor.

“What was that?” Joel was surprised at the stern quality of his voice.

“What was what?” Strangely focused on his paper towel, Mason refused to look at him.

“Don’t play dumb with me.” The attempt to pretend nothing had happened irritated Joel. “Was it too much to say something nice to Brianna? She’s quite good. You saw that”

“But I needed to go to the bathroom!” Mason’s acting skills or rather lack thereof were laughable, if you ignored the fact that a saddened girl was waiting for them out there.

“Oh, come on…” Joel fixed Mason with his stare, as he had done several times at hockey practice when the boy was trying to get away with bullshit. “What happened, Mason?”

The boy sighed.

“It’s stupid.” He peeked up at Joel. “I just felt I should be the one to be able to handle a gun. Not her.”

“Why? Because she’s a girl?” The unexpected explanation baffled Joel.

“No! I mean... I just thought since I’m stronger, I should have a better aim.”

“What we did today has got nothing to do with strength.” Joel came closer to Mason. “Why did you react like that?”

Mason was quiet for a long time.

“I think it’s because she’s a girl…” The defeat made his shoulders slump, but then he looked up at Joel almost defiantly. “But that’s not me! I’m not one of those guys who has to be all macho and stuff. Brianna is better than me at plenty of things. This just… I don’t know. It hurt.”

“Mason, I don’t want to blow this out of proportion. You overreacted. Apologize to her and then perhaps think about why this happened. Maybe you can learn something about yourself? You don’t like to hurt her, so this could be a valuable lesson for you.” He hugged Mason around the shoulders from the side, to give the boy support but not get all mushy with a full-on hug. With a nod, Mason agreed and they went to find Brianna.

She was waiting for them, keeping an eye on the guns they’d rented. Joel could tell she was trying to read Mason’s face as they approached her.

“I’m sorry, Bri. I was really stupid. I just didn’t see that coming. You’re very good.” Hesitantly, Mason reached for her hand. She grabbed his hand before he could connect with her. His entire body relaxed in relief and the teens smiled at each other. The storm had passed.

“So, Brianna, who taught you to shoot?” A change of subject felt like a necessity and Joel was glad he could provide an opening.

“My Grandpa.” A smile spread over Brianna’s face, her love for her grandfather plainly visible. “He’s a bit old fashioned and he insisted we learn to handle a gun when we stayed with him during summers.”

“So, that means you’ve been shooting since you were…?”

“Ten. It’s been a while now, but apparently some things stick.”

“So, I’m dating Billy the Kid, huh?” Giggling, Mason poked her in her side.

“Very funny.” Brianna swatted his hand away. “But, Joel, you haven’t showed us how it’s really done.”

The two pairs of begging eyes had Joel surrendering. Besides, it would be fun to show someone just how skilled he was. To be able to impress someone felt good. He wasn’t going to deny that to himself. After preparing carefully, he squeezed off some rounds in quick succession. When he turned to the kids again after retrieving the target, their wide eyes told him he had succeeded in his mission.

“Wow. Joel, that was amazing.” Brianna’s eyes shone with admiration.

“It comes with the job. Necessary skill.” Joel hoped his modesty didn’t come across too false.

They spent more time practicing and Mason made improvements once he relaxed into it. The afternoon turned into just the kind of outing Joel had envisioned. Fun and also educational. The slight ego boost from clearly impressing Mason and Brianna was a welcome bonus, even if he tried to ignore it.

The drive home was filled with discussing the different guns they had tried and which one they held as a favorite.

“So, your grandfather likes to shoot.” Joel glanced back at Brianna. “Does that include your family too? Do your parents have a gun?”

“No. I think Dad would like one, just for practicing and protection. Mom says no. And you’ve met her.”

Joel nodded. He had no problem imagining Brianna’s mom putting her foot down. The woman was usually sweet as pie, but made her point of view clear without hesitation. People usually listened to her.

“Maybe it’s for the best. I’ve read that having guns at home severely increases the risk of getting shot or killed.” Mason sounded so much like a serious professor it made Joel smile.

“You’re just afraid I’ll sneak in some practice and wipe the floor with your behind again.” A playful shove of Mason’s shoulder and a smile diffused Brianna’s words. Then she turned serious. “Have you ever shot anyone in the line of duty, Joel?”

“No, I’ve never had to, thank god.”

“Oh, but you did something way cooler! Tell her about that guy in Sweden who threatened you and Lucas! Tell her how you handled him!”

Joel cringed at the memory and Mason’s excitement. It wasn’t something he liked to talk about.

“I don’t think Brianna would be interested…”

“Of course she is! Tell her!”

Joel glanced at Brianna in the rearview mirror. She was looking at him wide-eyed and expectantly. He sighed and gave in. Trying to choose his words carefully, he told Brianna the story of the hitman who attacked them. The memories were painful and he made the story brief. When he was done, she sat quietly and seemed to mull it over.

“You were like some superhero, just stabbing him like that!” Mason thrust his hand forward as if reenacting the events of that day. “It’s so cool!”

“Mason, a man died. He wasn’t a nice man, but he died. There’s nothing cool about that.” The harsh words from Joel had Mason falling silent and shrinking in on himself. Joel felt like an ass. “I don’t mean I regret it. Not very much. He tried to kill Lucas and I couldn’t allow that. I would do it again if needed. But I almost died and would have if Lucas hadn’t been so quick to act. So, it’s not something I like to think about.”

The remainder of the car ride was done in a slightly subdued mood. Brianna kept up the chatter, but both Joel and Mason were mostly silent. Joel made a mental note to talk to Mason again about this. It wasn’t strange that a sixteen-year-old thought of the incident as some cool scene from an action movie. He hadn’t been there to feel the pain and anguish. He couldn’t know.

Walking into the apartment had them all making pleased sounds. The whole place smelled wonderful and it was clear Lucas had made good on his promise.

“Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes!” Lucas shouted to them from the kitchen. Mason went to see if he could help, leaving Joel and Brianna alone in the living room. Joel could tell she was thinking about something. He waited quietly for her to spit it out.

“You were shot?” Brianna seemed to be leading up to something, so Joel only nodded.

“That means you have a scar.”

“Yup.” Another nod accompanied Joel’s answer.

“Can I see it?”

Joel hadn’t been expecting that.

“Won’t you find it upsetting?”

“No. I don’t think so.” After giving the question some more thought, Brianna continued. “I mean, if I’m going for a career in medicine, it would be better to know now if an old wound makes me nauseated. It’s healed, right?”

“Of course.” Joel debated with himself, but Brianna was in her nerd mode and looked at him as if he were a specimen under her microscope. “No” didn’t seem to be an option. He pulled his t-shirt off and showed her the mark on his chest. She leaned in and studied it closely.

“That must’ve hurt…” She gently trailed the outlines of the scar with her fingertips. It tickled, but Joel managed to remain still.

“Ehum…”

They were both surprised by Mason’s appearance. He had a perplexed look on his face.

“What are you doing?”

“Joel was kind enough to show me his scar. Fascinating.”

“But you don’t have your shirt on…” With a frown, Mason looked at Joel.

Joel and Brianna simultaneously raised their eyebrows.

“But you’ve both seen me shirtless before.” The boy’s reaction surprised Joel.

“On the beach. Not here. Inside.”

“Mason, you know I’m fond of Brianna, but there’s a rather handsome guy in the kitchen who is much more my thing. Don’t be ridiculous for the second time today.”

Mason sighed.

“I guess I just forget that you are Swedish sometimes.” He grinned. “Unless you suction face, that is.”

The teens giggled.

“Oh, shut up.” Joel pulled on his t-shirt and went to join Lucas in the kitchen, leaving the happy couple to no doubt sneak in a pre-dinner make-out session.