The Almost Man

Prologue

I dedicate this chapter to my awesome Boss, TheRedDelilah. You're fantastic to no ends Boss! I can't wait to see your return. All will bow down again!

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There was a buzzing in his ear. A loud and endless noise that had been seeking attention for quiet a while.

       Smack.

His hand met the hard side of his head, covering his left ear. The slap stung but his attention was still at the insistent ringing inside his skull. The sound magnified even more like it was woken up from slumber and busy preparing to seize the day. He hated it, among many other things. He hated how that picture reminded him of his past self. His past self, who just a week ago was sitting in a fancy restaurant and drinking expensive wine while laughing to jokes he didn't even think was funny. He hated that version of him with easy attitude and quick smile. But he hated his current self more than anything.

His hand had started scratching the nonexistent itch on his ear. His life became filled with hateful things lately---things that made him want to crawl on the corner of the room and weep.

But no, Gray Anderson never cried nor crawled. He always stood straight and faced everyday problems with a bright smile.

        That may be the same reason why you're in the deep end of shit now, his mind remarked. You wouldn't be sitting here if it wasn't for your stupidity.

His gaze drifted down to his phone on the top of the table in front of him. The hand on his ear stopped moving as well as every part of his body. His full attention was on the device, hoping that it would and wouldn't come to life. He found it completely ridiculous how his entire future was going to be decided by just one phone call. One call from such a tiny device.

He never wanted to hurl the retched device to the wall more than that moment.

The private investigator he hired was supposed to give him a call today. A call that would either salvage his business or pull it down the drain. After getting robbed by the man he thought was his best friend just three days ago, he was about to snap. The only thing that was keeping him together was the possibility that the son of a bitch would be caught soon and he would be able to get his money back and beat the rotten pretender from there to Sunday.

He let out a deep breath, the muscles on his neck tightened and his jaw turned into rock. Just thinking how long Evan played him for a fool made his blood hot enough to boil anything. He preferred Evan's boiling head more than anything. He trusted him and for the long span of time they knew each other, the bastard still managed to betray him.

       Not the first time that happened, bud. He ignored the words echoing in his head. Pondering on those would only open cans of worms. A lot of cans. He could only handle the problem with Evan today.

He met Evan on his first day in college. He came in the room and found him lying on his bed, staring intensely to an adult magazine from the pile clattered on the floor. He was so focused on the activity that Gray had to clear his throat just to get his attention. Evan then sat up, combed his short blond hair with fingers and said, "Hey roomie! Wanna look?" He lifted the magazine on his hand and gave an honest smile. Gray could remember how the word "psycho" soundly played in his mind the entire time he stood there by the door.

        God, he was stupid. He should've realized. Only opportunists with quick hands offer strangers a peak to pictures of naked women without a second thought. But then again, Evan gave no indication of being a criminal besides few circumstances of pissing in public parks or doing graffiti on the walls of public buildings. Gray had done those too.