Social Menace [boyxboy]

Social Menace {14}

                "Farren, stop feeding Mickey! This is why he begs!"

                Farren looked up at his mom and gave a sweet smile. "He looks at me with those big eyes, mom."

                She shook her head. "Then look away. He's getting fat."

                "Mick." Corr snapped his fingers and the dog ran over obediently. Corr opened the back door and Mickey ran outside, bounding around the backyard happily. Corr watched him run and sighed. "I see those stupid chipmunks again. They're digging up the garden. I'll have to set Farren up as my exterminator."

                "No! Absolutely not. Farren is not touching your guns," Mrs. Corr said sternly.

                "He knows gun safety, he'll be fine," Corr said dismissively.

                "Fine like Tyson Strazio? I like my boy with both of his eyes," Mrs. Corr said.

                Farren stifled a laugh. "Damn mom, don't sugarcoat it."

                "Tyson was a little boy fooling around," Corr said. "Farren's almost an adult."

                "Nolan, do your parents let you use guns?" Mrs. Corr said.

                I shook my head. "No, ma'am. My mom doesn't like guns."

                Mrs. Corr gestured to me. "There, see? Farren's not using your guns, end of discussion."

                "End of discussion until the chipmunks ruin the garden and you complain at me to do something about it," Corr grumbled.

                "Yea, yea, your garden is screwed and I still have perfect eyesight," Farren said.

                "Anyways, did you boys come up with any fundraising ideas?" Corr asked.

                Farren shrugged. "We wanted to do our homework first. We were going to talk a bit more about it after dinner. Probably just the usual little things, you know, like a car wash and pancake breakfast."

                "Do a car wash. My car is filthy," Mrs. Corr said. "It's the only thing that will have your father cleaning it."

                "I've been a bit busy looking into this whole breaking and entering issue with the Braxton students," Corr said. "And now Patrick Mallory is sticking his nose into police business. Money gets you information, I guess. I wish he'd go bother someone else."

                "What's he doing?" Farren asked, and the question sounded like mild curiosity but I could see how closely he was paying attention now.

                Corr shrugged. "Just the usual. Wants to know everything about the investigation, wants to toss some money at the cops so he can say he helped. He keeps blabbering about how he wants to keep his family safe from these social menaces. That's his name for them. Social menaces. Just a bunch of criminals, if you ask me."

                "Has this been going on for a long time? I'm still pretty new to the town and Braxton," I said.

                Corr nodded and sighed. "It's been happening for a few years, actually. It took a little for everyone to realize it was probably one group. They always strike at night, they always seem to strike random targets, and they always go for Braxton students. We think there's some sort of service, you know, a way for the kids to hire these criminals to go after targets."