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Rane’s own was practically pulling at his scalp, it was so high. “What? You’re willing to hear me now?!”
“I was always willing to hear you, you ungrateful shit!”
Rane dodged the next punch, countering with his own that slammed right into Sal’s shoulder.
“Should we stop them?” One of the others asked as they grappled.
“Nah. This is healthy. This needed to happen.”
They were mocking him at this point, but he was too angry to care. The world narrowed. He couldn’t even see Sal’s face anymore. All he felt was this overwhelming frustration and helplessness that had nowhere to go except out. He landed probably as many blows as he took – both dulled by exhaustion but still numerous despite that.
Rane wasn’t sure who threw the last one. He just found himself finally focusing back on his captain and longtime friend, face and body all aching and throbbing, blood trickling from his nose as Sal wiped some from his lip. The two glared at each other, too tired to keep going, but still facing the wall that now existed between them.
No. That wall had been there for a long time. Meticulously laid brick by brick by his mother until now it seemed too high to climb and too thick to break through.
“Give up, you shit?” Sal asked, panting.
“Sereei,” he returned, just as out of breath.
“What in the greatest good is wrong with you lately, eh? You finally going through puberty or something?”
“What’s it to you?”
Sal gaped at him, eye twitching. “Are you serious?!”
“Just can’t see why you suddenly start caring now.”
“Agh!”
Sal charged him again, punching him hard enough to fly back. He was caught by Cole and Zell who each grabbed an arm and pushed him back up. Sal was already there, grabbing him by the chest straps, yanking him close with a furious snarl.
“You say that to me!? After everything I’ve done for you?!”
“For me?” Rane laughed in his face. “What have you done for me?”
“You-”
“What have you ever done for me?!” He grabbed Sal by the wrists, pushing back against him. “Huh? Have you ever even thought to try to help me?!”
“That’s all I’ve ever done for you!”
“No! You help the team. You help my mother. You help yourself! You and everyone else here don’t actually care about me! You care about how bad I make you look!”
“You’re a grown male, Rane!”
“I’m not, actually!” Rane laughed. “I’ve never been considered ‘grown’, and I find it hilarious that you all just accept that. None of you ever thought to question it, did you!?”
“What?”
Crack!
Rane slammed his head forward, cracking his forehead into Sal’s nose. He heard it crunch and Sal lost his grip on him. Rane pushed himself up, then around, then down, past his teammates. He flew to the exit.
Sandy still wasn’t there.
His gut clenched. Something was definitely wrong.
His teammates were calling out for him, but he ran from them. Again. Though the reason couldn’t be more different this time.
