The Rose's Thorns (Open)

Rudy sprinted back to his house. Sand came up from the ground and clung to his wet bare feet and shins at every stride he took. He came to a halt at the front door, out of breath and hoping his mother was back from visiting with friends and had prepared a lunch-- swimming always made him hungry.
Without bothering to wipe his feet on the welcome mat, he went inside and headed straight for the kitchen, leaving a trail of mud behind in his wake.
Coming into the kitchen, he didn't hesitate to help himself to a few of Cyra's chips, accidentally showering her with drops of water from his hair.
"So who died?" He asked jokingly after a moment-- both Cyra and her friend (Rudy never could keep track of all of Cyra's friends) looked unusually solemn.