***
"What? No. Dude. No. I told you this shit was going to happen." Mikey chucked the basketball at me with aggression. "I like this girl."
"Yeah, I do too, dimwit. Fuck." I chucked it back and walked toward him aggressively. "What would you do? Hm?"
"I don't know. I don't get into these crazy, fucked up situations like you do. Shit." He threw the ball at me and turned and ran toward the fence.
"Hey, bitch. Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" A behemoth of a guy stepped onto the court.
I chuckled and chucked the ball at Mikey before giving my attention to the guy. "I'm not nearly as fucking fat as you are, man. That's an insult and I'm gonna take a pound of flesh from your face for that shit. You'll thank me later."
"Oh shit. Nathaniel. No, man. I was just being dramatic. Hey, Mr. Big Dude, thanks for the help, but he's my best friend." Mikey ran toward us as I turned to face him and lifted my hand.
The giant answered for me. "Your best friend is a fucking bully. He needs to be taught a lesson. Stay back, man."
"Bully?" I glanced over at the guy. "I'm having to decide if I'm going to kill my childhood friend or the girl that leaves my dick hard and my heart fluttering all day long. Excuse the fuck out of me for being a little loud about it."
I moved toward him with speed I'm not quite sure he was expecting. I'd laid three punches on him before he socked me once in the side pretty good. All the air in my lungs rushed out, and I moved back and gulped for air.
Mikey ran toward the guy, but I moved in his way and pushed him back, which of course resulted in him landing on his fat ass.
"See? Fucking bully. I hate bitches like you." The guy growled and moved toward me.
"Let me guess. You didn't get your first growth spurt until senior year and everyone beat your ass until then?" I moved out of his way as he reached for me and knelt down, punching him twice in the nuts before he could drop to the ground and roll on his side. I moved in front of him and kicked him once in the chest and again in the face. "Did I get it right, bitch? Join the goddamn club. Mind your own fucking business."
"Nate, come on, man. Don't do that." Mikey pulled at my arm and forced me to move back. "Stop that shit. People are starting to gather."
"Whatever." I jerked from his hold and grabbed my ball as I walked back toward my apartment. First Ashley and now Mikey. What else the fuck could go wrong?
I almost made it to the apartment when Mikey jogged up and moved in front of me. He pressed his hand in the center of my chest and gasped for air.
"Wait. Please. Please. Just let me-"
I glanced down at his hand and back up to him, my expression menacing at best. "Get your hand off of me, Mikey. I needed a friend today, and you were anything but that."
"I'm your best friend. You want me to off one of the girls? I'll do it. Give me a fucking pillow and I'll just snuff them out." He pressed his hand into my chest harder and let his head drop. "Fucking running. We could just run them to death. I swear to God, I'm going to have a fucking heart attack."
"You should jog more, you fat bastard." I pulled his hand from my chest and turned my back to him. "I've been with Ashley since we were kids, Mikey. I was there the day her momma died and I held her while she lost her shit. She's a cruel bitch, but how can anyone blame her for that shit? Life's been cruel."
"But you're in love with Jenna Webb, aren't you?"
I jerked around and let my eyes scan the street. "Don't ever say that again, Mikey. I'm serious."
"Love wins out here, Nate. Turn Ash in and give her a different life."
"One behind bars? You don't know what you're asking of me."
"I'm asking you to choose what's best for everyone involved. She killed Darek. You didn't. You can't even be linked to this shit."
"Of course I can. It was my Zandra she gave him. She could make it look like I was the fucking dealer. It's an easy pin." I rolled my shoulders and bounced on the balls of my feet. "I have to kill one of them. That's the only way out of this. Or kill myself."
"No." His voice was deep, strong. "No. That's not happening. Fuck them both. Let them kill each other. Let's get the money and run."
"No way." I pursed my lips and let my eyes move across the sky toward the sunset. "I gotta take a quick shower. I'm spending the night with Jenna."
"That's not a good idea."
I patted his chest as I moved past him. "Yeah, who the fuck said it was? I'm not usually the kinda guy who does what's safe. I need a night with her."
"And then?" he called after me, his voice filled with hard emotions.
"I don't know, buddy. We'll see what happens." I shrugged and walked into the darkness of the hallway to my apartment. "We'll just see what happens."