Exodus: Guns And Gore 12 Barbecue

QJ smiled at the riders. "See that? More snowcones."

Ringo c.o.c.ked her head to one side. "Snowcones?"

Lotte shook her head. "Ignore him, he tried telling me that he feeds Scorch snowcones."

"Red snowcones." QJ corrected.

"Woah, is that why I always see you heading towards the stable with snowcones in each hand?" Breeze realized he was pranking them, so she effortlessly jumped in without missing a beat.

"Huh?" Lotte looked stunned.

Ringo still looked unconvinced, "for real?"

QJ kept a straight face and nodded, "it's an old training gimmick from the early days of horse racing."

Twenty minutes later QJ was barrel racing against a Shammy named Three-Tail. QJ had lost the first round but then won the second and lost the third. Her smaller horse was built for tight turns. It was obvious that she had a lot of experience riding.

When they had finished, they walked their horses next to each other. She rode a small paint with traditional mustang markings.

For once QJ didn't know what to call someone. "Nice job. You totally outrode us."

The Shammy was a pet.i.te girl with blazing red hair, she blushed prettily at the compliment. "I'm Shoni, that's a beautiful horse."

QJ reached over the saddle and covered Scorches ears. "Shhh.. he gets big-headed."

Shoni laughed at the comment, "I thought you'd be more serious."

"Where did you get the paint? I love the pattern." QJ had been considering getting a smaller horse to keep Scorch company.

"Won it at Bizarros, during the barrel riding contest," Shoni admitted.

"Oh, so you're a ringer!" QJ pulled up when he noticed Ringo approaching. His hud blinked at him nearly at the same time.

Ringo noticed the hud blinking, "that wouldn't be Dessi would it?"

QJ checked his hud and then nodded. "Yep, should I not answer?"

Ring leaned back in her saddle and smiled. "Go ahead, this should interesting."

Dessi's face popped up on QJs hud, a metallic hair clip kept her pale blonde hair out of her face. "Hey QJ."

QJ smiled pleasantly. "Hi Dessi, what can I do for you?"

"Well... we just lost Captured to the Bruise Brothers. Know any about that?"

QJ scratched his head, "Captured? That a board game?"

Ringo covered her mouth to keep from laughing. The kid didn't even bat an eye. Lox and Coltrane had been seen entering and leaving the 1st year GnG cla.s.sroom.

"Hmm... this was the beginning of the tournament to see who represents the Academy at the Good Will games." Dessi frowned, "sorry to bother you QJ." She waved and cut comm.

"They were just eliminated, so the 3rd year GnG cla.s.s is out." Ringo walked her horse closer and glanced at Shoni, "give us a few minutes please."

QJ waited until Shoni rode off then turned to Ringo. "Did I mess up?"

Ringo shook her head, "not a bit. If they can't handle losing, they should stay at home."

QJ nodded in agreement.

"Put a team together, I want our cla.s.s to enter." Ringo smiled at him, "Generally only third years compete, but there's nothing that says 1st years can't compete for the school slot."

"Seems like a bit much on our plate." QJ didn't want another time sink when he could be playing GnG.

"It's school-sanctioned, so I'll allocate cla.s.s time." Ringo was using her hud while she talked. "I was going to have you and our three sharpshooters compete in the shooting compet.i.tion anyway."

QJ nodded in reply, "Sounds fun. Where's it held at?"

Ringo smiled casually, "TAP Academy."

***********

QJ finally logged off for the day, he lay in bed, staring up at his ceiling. After the Equestrian training, the cla.s.s had moved to the Captured training area and had begun to go over basic strategies. Only the leader really had to know how to play, the rest just needed to know where to go and who to hit. Ringo was surprisingly well versed in Captured. She took them through several scenarios before dividing the cla.s.s in half and going head to head against QJ.

QJ sat up, "well... dropping six straight matches was a good learning experience." They had switched the teams after every match, so only QJ got to experience the thrill of constantly losing. "I need to go running."

He rolled out of bed and put his running gear on. His parents and Jinn were sitting in the kitchen talking when he walked out.

"Jinn!" QJ picked up the slim blonde and hugged her. "How was California?"

She patted QJs cheeks, before planting a kiss on his head. "It was nice, I missed my home though."

Jinn had moved to Vegas 20 years earlier with Ro-Ro and had stayed. They had all lived together at one time, but once the families started expanded they had to opt for being neighbors instead.

"Hey mom, I invited Lotte over for barbeque." QJ sat on the couch and started putting on his running shoes.

"Is Lotte Charlotte's GnG name?" Tal knew that GnG players were notorious about using their game handles.

QJ nodded, "going for a run, want to come, dad?"

Quinn shook his head, "went this morning. Her mom got a job working in Naomi's department, so it looks like they'll be staying."

QJ ran easily down the side of the road. He was deep in thought about the afternoon's Captured contest, "every time I tried something, she responded right away. "

QJ stopped at the park and started doing push-ups. "She a counter-puncher, how do I handle that?"

After a few more sets of push-ups, he started back toward his home. "What if I don't attack? If she doesn't have anything to respond to, will she take the initiative?"

QJ could see his dad firing up the grill from his room, he glanced at the time. "Quick shower then I'll pick up Lotte."

**********

"Shouldn't you change clothes?" Suzi was holding up a light blue blouse for her to try on.

Lotte shook her head. "What for? I'm just going next door."

The twins stared at each other and sighed heavily.

"The super handsome neighbor just happens to be big into virtual gaming, just like you." Suzi pushed the blouse onto her lap.

Taylor picked up the blouse her twin had tossed and held it out to Lotte. "He's a GnG nut. Shouldn't you at least make an effort?"

"I appreciate the thought, QJ is super nice. Let's be honest here, take a good look at me." Lotte wheeled toward the doorway.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Suzi jumped in front of her, her short brown hair falling into her eyes, "you're at good as anyone!"

Taylor moved to her sister's side, effectively forming the twin blockade. "As good as anyone, that's for sure!"

"I'm in a wheelchair and half my face is melted to the point that my mouth is crooked. What are you two even thinking about?" Lotte moved toward them, they parted before she made contact.

She had just entered the living room when the doorbell rang. Her older sister came to the railing upstairs. "You got that Char?"

"Call me Lotte please, and yes I'll get it."

"I'm not using that stupid name." Jo flipped her hair and turned back to her room.

Lotte grimaced at her older sister, it had been years since they had got along well. She turned to the door and opened it carefully.

QJ stood in the doorway, he looked at her with blue eyes that were focused and smiling. His hair was still damp from the shower, he wore baggy blue shorts and deck shoes. "Ready to eat?"

Lotte nodded as he moved behind her and a.s.sumed steering rights. "Are you still hungry after getting served humble pie all afternoon?"

QJ winced, "that really hurts."

Lotte laughed at the face he made, her mood instantly getting better. "I'm sure it will get better QJ."

"For sure." QJ had left his garage door open since he could go straight to the back yard from there.

Quinn looked up when he saw that his son had returned. "Hey, Lotte! Welcome!"

Tal came out with some plates. "It's just the four of us, are kabobs okay with you Lotte?"

Lotte nodded, she couldn't help smiling at the blonde. "Thank you for having me."

A short while later the food was on the table, and the group joined hands. It had surprised Lotte when both men had extended their hands.

"Thank you for the meal."

"And G.o.d Bless Quinn," Tal added softly, smiling at her husband.

It only took Lotte a few minutes to realize that QJ was a lot like his dad. They both had the same open frankness about them. Neither seemed to mind taking on challenges.

The father and son pair constantly joked with each other, a light banter that was funny to watch. Lotte got the impression that if Tal hadn't been there, a wrestling match would have broken out. She spent most of the time talking with Tal, she felt an unexpected kins.h.i.+p with the blonde engineer.

"Wait... let me get this straight. The school teacher kicked your b.u.t.t again?" Quinn picked up on it when Lotte was describing the day's events.

"I'd never played before!" QJ shrugged at his dad, "I'll get better."

"What was that?" Quinn waved his fork in the air while putting a hand to his ear, "I couldn't hear you over the sound of lame excuses."

QJ responded by flicking a piece of carrot off his plate, hitting his dad on the arm.

"Stop!" Tal looked at her two men, "don't even think about it!" She stood up and pushed Lotte toward the kitchen door. "You two clowns are on clean-up," she called over her shoulder as they went into the house.

QJ finished off the last of his dinner, "she was obviously talking to the only clown out here."

Quinn gave him the stinkeye. "What? Your dad's a clown!"

"Again... that would be you."

**********