365 Days.

“Hello Colorful.”
Chase’s arm wraps around my shoulders,
pulling me in close as he walks down the hallway.

I breath in the familiar smell of him,
and try to work out what it is.
“Hey.”

From across the hall I catch another familiar figure.
Mickel.
My eyes lock in on his as he glares at Chase,
obviously hateful towards the man beside me.

“So where have you been?
I haven’t heard of you in ages.”
Chase looks down at me,
seeming not to notice Mickel’s loathing stares.

“Home.
Most times.”
I can’t lie to Chase.
I don’t know why.
So before he continues to keep asking,
I ask him myself.
“And you?”

“Nice.”
Our conversation dies a bit.
I don’t try to resurface it.
I’d rather a yearly silence from Chase than one single touch from Mickel.

From the corner of my eyes I see Mickel.
I see he’s pissed.

And he’s coming over.

My blood runs cold.
If looks could kill,
and if Chase was weaker,
Chase would probably had burnt down on the spot.

“Oh hey,”
Mickel says with a soft sneer.
“What a surprise to see you.”

For a moment I thought he was talking to me,
but feeling Chase tense up beside me,
I understand I’m mistaken.

“Hey yourself.”
He replied shortly.
“Didn’t think you’d be here today.
Thought they did a rat-clean up yesterday.”

If Mickel was an animal,
he would have bristled and his fur would have stood up.
“I thought they cleaned out the roaches too.
Seems they missed one.”

“Must have done hell of a bad job.
But then again,
I’m one hell of a fucker hard to get rid of.”
Chase’s eyes narrow.

Mickel snorts.
“One hell of a fucker you are.”

“All the girls scream it.”

“And the boys.”
Came the sharp reply.
The few people gathered around flinch,
carefully watching for Chase’s reaction.

“Like your father did last night.
Screams like a girl though,
is that where you got your squeaky voice from?”
Chase smiles coolly.

Laughter erupts.
Mickel growls.
“You’re tough in words,
but actions?
Fucking doubt it.”

“Oh?”
Chase raises a brow.
His hands are off me now,
and he’s cracking his fingers.
“You don’t dare to go on the Death Ramp,
don’t go on with your punches,
in fact,
you don’t follow along with any threat.
Remember what happened seven years ago?
Yeah,
I’m still here,
and so is Chris.
You didn’t do anything.”

Mickel face changes in a split second,
from being a sneering smug one,
to as if someone slapped him.
“That’s a different story.”
He snarls.

I look from one to the other.
Clearly something has happened between the two,
only I don’t know.

Chase laughs,
“Of course,
just another different story to prove you’re a pussy.”

“Fine.”
Mickel smirks,
“If you’re so brave,
then tomorrow at five,
we both go down the Death Ramp.”

My eyes widen.
“No!”
I look at them both.
“You’re crazy!”

Mickel flicks a glance at me.
“Shut up.”

Chase doesn’t even look,
his gaze focused on the guy in front of him.
“Fine.
Deal.”