Prisoner of Circumstance | ✔️

6 | Camaraderie

SIX – Camaraderie

"Oommph...!" I inhaled sharply, catching the rugby ball that was launched against my stomach.

"Like really?" I looked up at the perpetrator with narrowed eyes. "Are you seriously that stupid that you can't even throw a— "

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Nope. Stop." He cut me mid-sentence, catching the rugby ball I hurled in his direction effortlessly. "Not anymore. Wait for your darn Cinderella moment. It's not twelve yet."

"What?" I frowned, chancing a glance at the inmates that were hissing at us like a cobra or something ready to attack. "What are you on about?"

We were in the recreational area or whatever they call it for fresh air, relaxation or again—whatever.

"You and your bloody pissy mood, that's what I am talking about dammit." He flipped the ball in his hand. "We didn't come out today for me to listen to you mope and complain and pee-pee yourself for God knows what again. Yes, life's not fair. News flash, we all know that. Now stop pissing yourself and let's play the game like we intended to and stop disturbing."

I opened my mouth to continue my entourage of complains but he shushed me before I could even get one word out.

"Shh..." He silenced me. "Don't spoil it dammit. I said no sappy nonsense. We are gonna relax today and just toss the ball back and forth, enjoying the blissful rays of the sun like our lives are filled with chocolates and roses. Like Cinderella at twelve o'clock."

"What's up with you and Cinderella today? Someone having their glittery moment?" I caught the ball—this time with much more ease.

"I am gonna ignore your black negativity and let it slide like it was never said."

"What? What the hell is a black negativity? Dude... "

"Alex..." He said my name very calmly, taking in yoga-like breathes with his eyes pressed shut. He opened his eyes back up after a well. "Don't push it brother. Let me have my Cinderella twelve o'clock moment like it's the last one that I will ever have in my life."

"What's even a Cinderella moment?" I looked at him with furrowed eyebrows, deeply disturbed and wounded by my friend's weirdness.

"Not my fault that you've the brain capacity of a chimpanzee. I am not gonna reciprocate for your faults, doing myself the utmost injustice and for what exactly?" he spat out that sentence like whatever he just said made any sense.

"Huh?" I gaped at him, open-mouthed, utterly perplexed.

"Exactly my point." He smiled creepily.

"You're confusing me." I stated. "I think you're losing it. Being locked up is finally doing a number on your psych."

"Whatever." He said rubbing his hands together, jumping in one place. "Now toss the ball and lemme savor my Cinderella twelve o'clock moment. Your lost if you're not taking advantage of it."

And just like that, we were back at the darn Cinderella twelve o'clock moment, whatever it was. I heeded his request and tossed the ball in his direction. He caught it with ease and we continued passing the ball back and forth, totally cutting the rest of the world out for a while.

As we carried on throwing the ball, talking about stupid nothings, his connotation of Cinderella twelve o'clock moment somehow made sense in a weird way. Because in that moment, we were at peace, relishing in the burn of the sun against our skins never minding the outside world that wanted to devour us whole.