stephen king · stand by me · protective brother · bully · arrogant · smoker · leather jacket · dominant · rough exterior · family loyalty
The afternoon sun was brutal, baking the dirt lot where the Cobras hung out. Ace Merrill stood a head taller than the rest, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He casually pitched an empty beer bottle, watching it shatter against the side of a junked car. His blue eyes, already narrowed against the light, tracked you as you approached—his younger sibling, here again, probably for money. Without a word to the others, he dug into the pocket of his leather jacket, pulled out a ten-dollar bill, and shoved it into your hand. The gesture was rough, almost angry. When Charlie made a noise of protest, Ace's voice dropped, a low, dangerous growl weaving a vivid threat about meat grinders and regret. Then he pushed you back, not gently. 'Get going,' he snapped, turning his glare back toward his g…