Owen didn't find out what had happened that afternoon until Amanda got home. The incident had ended up involving the police, and the town's only sheriff had issued a ruling: the blame rested entirely with Casey's family. With so many witnesses, Casey couldn't deny a thing even if she wanted to.
Shaking his head, Owen thought Casey had really wasted her adulthood. A scuffle between two kids had escalated into a full-blown adult incident, ending with police involvement. According to Ms. Tracy, Casey had always been a bully in the town of Reville—most people just tried to avoid her.
But Owen's family didn't take her seriously. Their mother had raised both Owen and Amanda alone—she wasn't someone to be trifled with. Amanda, who had been through even more, certainly wouldn't be fazed by some loudmouthed shrew.
The night passed peacefully. The next day was Saturday, and with school out, Amanda stayed home to sleep in. For Susan and McCall, every day was practically a weekend—they were up early as usual, heading out for a morning horseback ride.
Brock didn't seem bothered either. Early in the morning, Owen spotted him driving off with Mandy, and the two crossed paths as Owen was out for his usual jog.
Owen waved. "Hey, Brock! Mandy! Where are you two off to?"
"Good morning, Steve! We're going to the zoo to see giraffes, elephants, monkeys, and mountain lions!" Mandy chirped excitedly, waving a stuffed monkey in her hand. Brock smiled and added, "I promised her a while ago I'd take her. Finally found the time today. I asked Ms. Tracy, and she told me the nearest zoo is just outside New Orleans. It's about a two-hour drive."
"Oh, then have fun—and don't forget to take pictures," Owen said cheerfully, waving as they drove off. From the back window, Mandy waved happily until they were out of sight. Smiling, Owen resumed his run.
After finishing his jog, Owen returned home and took a hot shower. When he came out, he saw Amanda getting ready to wash up.
"I thought you were sleeping in. What gives?" Owen looked at the sun, half-joking. "Did it rise from the west today?"
"Don't even ask," Amanda groaned. "The principal just called. Wants me to come in this morning to talk about what happened yesterday."
Her tone was full of resignation. Her precious sleep-in day ruined by yesterday's mess—it was enough to sour her whole mood.
Owen shrugged. "I'll drive you, then."
They only had one car. Amanda had a license, sure, but Owen preferred not to let her go alone. Since he had nothing else to do, he figured he might as well play chauffeur.
At the school, Owen waited in the car while Amanda went in to meet the principal.
...
"Amanda, I already understand what happened yesterday," said the elderly man behind the desk, handing Amanda a cup of coffee. "I just wanted to let you know—the school is on your side."
"Thank you, Principal Soder. I really just wanted to stop Ms. Casey from going too far."
"I understand. I've lived in this town for a long time, and I know exactly what kind of people live here. Besides, didn't the sheriff make an official ruling?"
"Yes, sir."
Principal Soder stirred some creamer into his coffee, took a sip, then continued, "That said, I do need to warn you. Some folks in Reville are... old-fashioned. And the Casey family, unfortunately, is exactly that type."
Amanda frowned. "You think they might retaliate? Even after the sheriff ruled against them?"
"Of course, this is just my guess. But you should be careful. You're new here, and you probably don't know yet, but that family doesn't have the best reputation. Don't be surprised if she tries to cause you trouble again."
"I appreciate the warning, sir," Amanda said sincerely, though in her heart she didn't think much of it. Still, she accepted the principal's kindness.
Leaving the office, she returned to the car. Owen started the engine and headed for the town's supermarket—he planned to stock up on groceries and cook up something nice for lunch.
"What did the principal say?" Owen asked casually.
"Nothing big. Just told me to be careful. Said they might try to get back at me," Amanda replied with a shrug.
Owen didn't press the matter. For him, this was a minor blip—not even worth worrying about.
They soon arrived at the town's only large supermarket. Owen parked, and the siblings each grabbed a shopping cart and went in for a big grocery run.
The store wasn't very crowded. They quickly gathered everything they needed. Owen paid at the register, and the two of them carried out several large bags toward the parking lot—only to see two familiar figures circling their car.
Owen's brow furrowed. The two punks were the same ones who had gotten their butts kicked by Brock at the gas station.
"Something I can help you with?" Owen said coolly, motioning Amanda to stay back.
"Oh, nothing. Just saying hi... outsider," said the buzz-cut punk with a smirk that screamed trouble.
Owen's frown deepened. He wanted to punch that smug face, but he didn't want to start anything. Not yet.
"Well, now you've said hi. You can leave," Owen replied bluntly. He was sure they were up to something.
The punks' expressions changed. They clearly hadn't expected Owen to be so direct.
"Not so fast. This is our real greeting."
The long-haired punk pulled out a key and scraped it across the car's paint, producing a horrible screech and a long, deep scratch. He grinned proudly, his face full of challenge.
Buzz-cut followed suit, pulling out a pocket knife and stabbing one of the tires. With a hiss, the tire deflated visibly.
"You brought this on yourselves," Owen muttered.
He snapped. Without hesitation, he launched a kick at the buzz-cut punk. The guy slashed at him with the knife, but Owen easily dodged and sent him flying into a nearby parked car.
The long-haired one pulled on a steel knuckle duster and lunged, swinging hard. Owen sidestepped and kicked his knee, forcing him to collapse. Then came a spinning roundhouse that slammed him to the ground.
"Fuck!" the punk howled, still trying to curse, but Owen was already stomping on him—again and again. The guy's face was already bandaged from the beating Brock had given him, and Owen went straight for the wounds. The punk screamed in agony.
Owen didn't feel much pride in beating up street trash like this. With his current level, his opponents were usually international terrorists—this was beneath him. Even he felt it was kind of low. But these punks had come looking for it.
If not for security reasons, he could've made a single phone call and these two would've vanished without a trace.
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