(THE SHOOTING RANGE)

My head feels like it's leaping when I wake up from my nap.

I rest my head against my pillow before closing my eyes once more when my father comes through my bedroom door.

"No five more minutes, we have to go in an hour, princess," he speaks causing me to groan into the pillow I so much desired to feel for the rest of the day.

I sit up for a few seconds before rising to my feet. He pulls the curtains apart, letting the daylight through and blinding my eyes.

"I'll be downstairs," he replies, and I nod before proceeding to my bathroom. I open the medicine cabinet before swallowing two Advil tablets and drowning them down in water.

After I shower, I choose an outfit, which isn't difficult because I'm merely heading to the shooting range.

My father feels that because my parents are both criminal lawyers, I should practice shooting with a weapon because we have many 'enemies.'

When I get downstairs, I go into the kitchen and say a gentle good morning before slipping up onto the counter to wait for my mother to finish cooking.

"Morning," River says, his voice ten times deeper, which is expected yet it's always jarring, given how sweet and gentle his voice usually is.

"Why doesn't River have to come to these?" I question.

"Because I'm a man," he chuckles as he pulls a bottle of water from the fridge.

I roll my eyes in response, "More like half a man,"

"He's already learned," my mother says as she hands me a dish of French toast and bacon.

"Now get your butt off my countertops," she says causing me to slip off.

I fix myself a cup of orange juice and take a seat on one of the stools beside the kitchen island when my father kisses the side of my head.

"How'd you sleep?" He questions placing his briefcase on the floor next to me as he unbuttons a button on his suit so he can sit on the stool next to me comfortably.

I clear my throat a bit, "Good, well rested,"

Given that my mom was the only one who knew I went out last night, I quickly find a way to change the subject. If my father found out I was wasted and staggered through those doors at two a.m., he would ground me for a month.

"Wait, aren't you carrying me?" I inquire as I examine his attire; he's dressed formally, which isn't unusual, but he doesn't work on Saturdays for this sole purpose.

"Your mother reminded me that I have a troubling case to deal with, River will take you," he adds, "He knows the basics and that's all you need right now."

"I know more than the basics, just so you know," River clears his throat, "But when did we have this conversation?"

"Now, we had it now," my dad says.

I hear River grumble and I laugh at his remarks.

Who's the man now?

⋅───⊱༺ ♰ ༻⊰───⋅

We drive River's car to the shooting range, where the owner leads us to the back where a variety of guns are lined up against the wall. They were all different sizes, and even though I've come here every Saturday for a month, the sight constantly astounds me.

River and I put on safety glasses and cover our ears with earmuffs.

"Alright, we'll start you off with this," River says, taking up a handgun that appears to be light in his hand as he lifts it a few times.

"Also, regardless of what Dad went through with you, you're learning again," he adds. "You need a proper stance and a dang good aim, and if you ever lift a gun to someone, you better have every intention of shooting."

"I'd expect that,"

"No, I mean do not hesitate," he tells me, "Try to reenact my stance, without the gun,"

I nod, and he sets his right foot in front of his left, holding the gun in his right hand, his right arm somewhat higher than his left, and he grips the bottom with his left hand.

I try to imitate his stance, which appears decent enough because he nods after gazing at me.

He hands me the gun, and it's not as light as he makes it seem.

"Now try it with the gun," he says, so I do.

He moves my index finger away from hovering above the trigger. He places it at the top of the gun.

"Keep your finger here for practice unless you're shooting," he says, "And keep your arms out because you don't want the gun's recoil to hit you."

I stretch my arms out a little more, and he nods contentedly. "Does the weight feel comfortable in that position?" He inquires.

I nod; it wasn't too heavy for me to fire, but it wasn't exactly light either; it wasn't even loaded yet, so I had to brace myself for additional weight to be applied to it.

"Good," he says, taking the gun from me.

He loads the gun and shows me all the places I need to know, most of which were known to me because our father had pointed them out whenever we went.

He returns to his stance once again and fires two bullets through the chest of one of the targets.

"When shooting, keep your gun on the target, don't look down at the gun and make sure you're aiming where you want," he advises as he unloads the gun.

"Now your turn," he adds as he sets it on the table in front of me.

⋅───⊱༺ ♰ ༻⊰───⋅

River and I were bickering over the fact that I got five chest shoots and two headshots on my second try; he couldn't believe I'd only been there for a month and knew that much.

"Dad is a terrible teacher, so there's no way you got that good in a month," he tells me.

I shake my head as I giggle at him, "You're so pumped up because after a month you couldn't press the trigger without shaking,"

It was true, he didn't enjoy thinking about the idea that he was learning to shoot since he could have to shoot someone in the actual world rather than merely targets.

After he turned eighteen, he became more receptive to the thought that it was only a precaution.

He gasps, and glances at me with his jaw dropped, "For good reason,"

As he drives into the gas station, I mutter a small mhm. He wasn't buying me more snacks because I had spent approximately thirty dollars on snacks that day at the shop.

I did, however I inform him that he had to buy a slushie for me. When I get inside the store, I immediately head to the slushie machines and get two cups.

I wasn't a monster I was going to buy him one too, even though it's his card. I make both of them half red and half blue when I feel an arm around my shoulder.

"What's such a pretty lady doing here all alone?" I hear.

"What the hell, Aidan," I practically yell as I turn around to see him.

He just stands there laughing at me as I take a deep breath.

"Your face scared the shit out of me," I tell him.

The laughter comes to an abrupt end and I smile slightly as I collect the two cups and proceed to the cashier.

"Really Rory," he says, walking up behind me,

"Let's not make that a thing," I say as I turn my head towards him, before giving the card to the cashier.

"My bad, girl damn," he says as he extends his arms, palms towards me as if he's surrendering.

I sigh, "What are you even doing here?"

"I'm with those idiots heading back home to clean up before my parents get back," he says, motioning to a group of guys at the back of the gas stations.

Most, if not all, of them appeared to be severely drowsy while others were most likely just hung over. They were getting beer from the refrigerator while the others were getting paper towels and cleaning supplies.

"Look like you're just going to have another party,"

I take the card back from the cashier and pick up the two beverages, taking a few steps further before being stopped.

"Also, I really wanted to ask you, do you want to go on a date with me?"

It takes a few seconds, if not minutes, for me to respond; he had to be kidding. There is no possibility that on this planet, in this reality, on this earth, that he is being serious.

I furrow my brows, "What?"

"A real date, not just a silly hook-up," he says.

Right now, in this moment would be the perfect moment for the world to swallow me whole. I would never go on a date with Aidan.

Yes, he's attractive but in his eyes, everything revolves around him, and I can not deal with someone who's so self-centred in my life.

"I'm sorry, I'm focusing on school for now," I explain. "I really have to go though, my brother is waiting for me,"

I partially rush towards the door and push it open before I head back to the car; River unlocks the door from the inside, and I mumble a brief thank you as I take a seat.

I give him one of the cups and slip the card back into his hand.

"Aw, so thoughtful," he chuckles, taking a sip.

"I know, I'm such a sugar mama," I tell him, finally closing the door behind me.

⋅───⊱༺ ♰ ༻⊰───⋅

𝗼𝗼. ⁞ 𝐀𝐒𝐇 𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐒 !

Hey guys, chapter nine is completed, I greatly do hope that you liked this chapter. I need to get back into writing and I feel the urge to do it but I just haven't, it's quite sad but it'll happen some time soon. Chapter ten coming soon.

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