Over the Edge

Ch. 5-I Have a Dream

~Rhys~

"Dude, aren't you supposed to be training some chick right now?"

I rolled my eyes, flopping down on the cushion of my buddy, Rico's chair. "Shut up, Rico."

He held his hands up. "Hey, I'm just relaying what you told me before. So you're ditching the poor girl?"

"Yep."

"Wow."

"Uh-huh."

"I've never been more proud."

I snorted. "Toss me a beer."

Rico threw me a can and I popped the tab, guzzling it down. Yeah, okay, a seventeen-year-old gulping down beer. Not smiled upon by society, but hey. I would be eighteen in a few months.

Rico fell into the seat across from me, sprawling over the armrest and everything. "So why do you have to hang around this mamacita anyway?"

I scowled into the beer can. "Our stupid English teacher and his fucked up imagination think it would be great if we worked together for a semester."

Rico cocked an eyebrow. "How come I've never even heard of her before now?"

"She's new."

"Ah, that explains it." He tossed back another mouthful. "God, I'm glad I'll never have to go through high school again."

I sent him a droll look. "You were just there five years ago."

"And they have been the best five years of my life, not being chained to that prison."

I grunted in agreement. I couldn't wait to just graduate and get the fuck out.

"Seven-thirty," Rico murmured, eyes trained on the clock across the room. "You're well into your job by now, right? How do you think she's faring?"

I shrugged one shoulder. "Probably screwing everything up."

"Vittorio's going to have your ass for this."

"Yeah, probably." I swished the liquid around in the can, hearing it slosh against the sides. "God knows I've done worse, though."

My best friend raised his can. "Amen to that."

"Rico!"

I winced at the shrill voice. Rico mumbled something foul under his breath, squeezing his eyes shut for a few moments while I heard loud footsteps stomp down the stairs of his apartment. I tried hiding my smirk behind my hand, but if the glare he shot me was anything to go by he saw it.

"Rico! What did I tell you about leaving your toothpaste all over the frickin' counter? It's disgusting!"

Rico shot me a look like, I can't freaking believe she's going off about toothpaste, and pasted a smile across his face. "Melissa, I've told you time and time again; if you're not happy, you know where the door is."

She gasped. "I should slap you for that!"

"Go ahead," Rico mumbled, "my cheek just recovered from the last time."

"You intolerable bastard!" she screeched, storming into view. My eyebrows shot to my hairline, as she was in nothing but the bare minimum. Hm. A drink and a show. How special.

Rico stared nonchalantly up at Melissa. "Babe, we wouldn't be having this problem if you didn't insist on fighting about every single thing."

She planted her hands on her shapely hips. "Well, if you would just stop being a pig and clean up a bit around here, then I would have nothing to complain about!"