The desert at three in the afternoon in July is not a place. It’s a verdict. The juniper trees were doing whatever it is junipers do, which is mostly looking like they’re disappointed in you, and the snakes were under them having opinions, and the sky was that washed-out denim color that means God has stopped paying attention.
Read MoreMore Adventure Awaits — Stone’s Throw 2026
Welcome to yet another year of Stone’s Throw, the monthly companion to Rock and a Hard Place Magazine. In addition to our regular issues, we want to deliver shorter, sharper content on a regular basis straight to your face holes. Available online and featuring all the same grit and hard decisions as our usual fare, the team at Rock and a Hard Place advises readers to sit down and strap in for their trip here in the fast lane. Enjoy this Stone’s Throw.
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They say high school is often the highlight of one’s life. The time when everything just clicks. Good friends, teen romance, popularity. And for a long time, I thought they were all full of shit.
Unless your name was Danny Brennan.
Read MoreKevin watches his father’s hands on the wheel. Duc makes a sound through his nose. He covers his mouth. Clears his throat.
“I almost won,” Duc says.
“You always almost win.”
Read More“You still talking to Oliver?” Ethan asked.
I heard the edge enter his voice. Like he wanted me to know it was there. It was cute, this paranoia. Like dating a teenager who was worried about you texting other boys.
“Nah,” I replied, “Not anymore.”
Read MoreJaney and her boyfriend made it easy. Just like Gus said, same motel on San Pedro, same time, every week, tumbling through the door in each other’s arms like clockwork. Hell, they didn’t even close the curtains most days. Like they wanted everyone to see.
Read MoreI always hated the smell of cigarettes, the way they burned when you put them out on me, Ma, but coming from his mouth, it was intoxicating.
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