Post by veronicaaaahhhh on May 7, 2012 14:55:49 GMT -5
Slanted still remembered the first wrestling match he ever saw. It was the Watchtower Warrior going up against Bulldog Jones from a replay of Saturday Night All-Star Wrestling.
Slanted was four years old, sick with pneumonia and he was up late and like any sick child, he was tired and irritable.
His mom saw wrestling on TV and figuring that she was looking at two giant guys dressed up as superheroes hitting each other, she thought it would be enough to distract and entertain a four year old Slanted for a little bit.
… Little did she know that she would be the catalyst for a nineteen year love affair that just got stronger and stronger with each passing day.
For Slanted’s mom, it was the biggest mistake she ever made in her life.
Slanted’s mom knew that one day he’d want to step into the ring himself, so she threw every possible distraction she could think of:
-Fencing: Hey, he could now fight like a Jedi, which was pretty damn Wizard!
-Guitar Lessons: He stopped learning the moment he figured out how to play the Replacements’ “Answering Machine”
-Astronomy: He actually dug it. But his mom pulled the plug on any plans he had the moment he announced he wanted to go into space and be an astronaut… She just had a paranoid fantasy about her son floating around space forever
-Soccer: Why wouldn’t he just throw the ball into the large net?!
Nothing…
Until that one day he finally said it. "I think I wanna be a wrestler!”
“I’m not going to let anyone kick you around. If you want to get beaten up, I’ll beat you up. I gave birth to you so I have every right."
That only made him sneak behind his mom’s back and start wrestling… That was until a week ago when she happened to catch a replay of his Loaded debut.
Slanted was four years old, sick with pneumonia and he was up late and like any sick child, he was tired and irritable.
His mom saw wrestling on TV and figuring that she was looking at two giant guys dressed up as superheroes hitting each other, she thought it would be enough to distract and entertain a four year old Slanted for a little bit.
… Little did she know that she would be the catalyst for a nineteen year love affair that just got stronger and stronger with each passing day.
For Slanted’s mom, it was the biggest mistake she ever made in her life.
Slanted’s mom knew that one day he’d want to step into the ring himself, so she threw every possible distraction she could think of:
-Fencing: Hey, he could now fight like a Jedi, which was pretty damn Wizard!
-Guitar Lessons: He stopped learning the moment he figured out how to play the Replacements’ “Answering Machine”
-Astronomy: He actually dug it. But his mom pulled the plug on any plans he had the moment he announced he wanted to go into space and be an astronaut… She just had a paranoid fantasy about her son floating around space forever
-Soccer: Why wouldn’t he just throw the ball into the large net?!
Nothing…
Until that one day he finally said it. "I think I wanna be a wrestler!”
“I’m not going to let anyone kick you around. If you want to get beaten up, I’ll beat you up. I gave birth to you so I have every right."
That only made him sneak behind his mom’s back and start wrestling… That was until a week ago when she happened to catch a replay of his Loaded debut.
<***>
Slanted & Enchanted
In
But, Mooooooooooooom!!!
<***>
Slanted & Enchanted
In
But, Mooooooooooooom!!!
<***>
Slanted’s Room
Slanted’s Mom’s House
Little Olympia
3:35 PM. Saturday.
Slanted’s Mom’s House
Little Olympia
3:35 PM. Saturday.
With the air conditioner on full blast that they had to cover up in hoodies, Slanted and Enchanted buried themselves beneath the sheets of Slanted’s bed; the scent of weed and the sound of Pavement’s “Summer Babe” lingering in the air … Slanted’s hand up Enchanted’s shirt; Enchanted’s legs wrapped and locked around Slanted’s.
“You’re not wearing a bra.”, Slanted said, cutting between kisses
Enchanted pulled back and grinned. “It’s not what you think.”
Creeping his hand a bit higher, Slanted kissed back. “You don’t have to explain anything!”
“No, but you’re making me feel like I have to.”
Kissing her neck, Slanted asked, “Why?”
“Let’s see, I went to my boyfriend’s house without a bra.”
“I have no problem with that.”
“Of course you wouldn’t! But I can’t help but wonder if somehow, this constitutes me being a slut.”
“We’re going to talk aren’t we?”
“Can we please? I’ll make it up to you.”
“How?”
Grinning, Enchanted reached over and whispered something into Slanted’s ear,
… “YOU ARE THE BEST GIRLFRIEND EVER!”
“I know!”, Enchanted shot out
“Let’s talk.”
All cuddled up, they began talking…
“Why does coming to my room and making out with me without a bra have to be a bad thing? If anything, it’s an unintentional surprise!”
“It’s just that I feel like I have to defend myself: I knew I’d be seeing you, and I woke up late, and I forgot to put on a bra. It happens.”
“What kept you late? Battlestar?”
“DUDE! How far along are you?”
“Starbuck killed Scar!”
“And?”
“Kat’s a bitch!”
Excitedly, Enchanted grinned as she shot out the happiest laugh Slanted had ever heard.
… Slanted’s hand was still up her shirt.
Grabbing his hand over the fabric, Enchanted shoved his hand higher to the point where his whole hand as covering her left boob.
Enchanted felt him stiffen as his eyes popped out in disbelief.
“… Boob!”, Slanted mumbled. “I’m touching your boob… What happened to the slut thing?”
Enchanted sighed. “The moment you called Kat a bitch, it just made me happy and somehow, I realized that I can be slutty with you… And that’s because you make me feel happysauce. So there.”
“You do that to me a lot.”
Nudging against his boner, Enchanted shot out, “It isn’t like I’ve felt it before.”
“Can we start making out again?”
“Yeah!”
They started making out and just as things got heavy enough that a couple articles of clothes were bout to be tossed away, they heard the dreaded shout of Slanted’s mom calling his name.
Slanted softened and right before they could pry themselves off each other, Slanted’s mom burst into his room.
“I want to talk to you right now.”. Looking at Enchanted, she added. “You too.”
And just like that… His boner was gone.
There it was on TV, the replay from the last episode of Loaded, showing Philip Schneider with the upper hand on Slanted.
Slanted’s mom crossed her arms, “Why don’t you just kill me already? I didn’t spend nine months carrying you to have you beaten up!”
“But mom!”
“No buts.”. And then she turned to Enchanted. “And you! How could you even let him to this?”
Damn it, she was scary. “It was his decision.”
“You’re quitting.”
“No, I’m not!”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m not quitting. If you actually watch the match, you’ll see I put up a fight. I could have won! It’s my life and I like what I’m doing.”
“Are you telling me, your mother, that you like to hurt people?”
… “Yes.”
She started to cry. Sitting on her bed, she reached for a box of tissue. “…I gave you my father’s name!- MY FATHER’S NAME!.. AND YOU LIKE TO HURT PEOPLE?!”
Her voice broke, milking whatever ounce of guilt Slanted had inside him.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t! Just don’t.”… She was worse than Barbara Striesand on menopause. Looking into the air, she held out her hands, asking, “Was it something I did wrong? Was it something I did wrong?!”. Turning back to Slanted and Enchanted, she pressed a tissue against her ‘teary’ eyes. “Go. Both of you. Just go.”
With absolutely nothing good to say, Slanted and Enchanted left the room, breathing a sigh and lighting a cigarette for sharing
“Jesus…”, Enchanted trailed, passing the cigarette to Slanted
Slanted took a drag and smacked his head against the wall. “Damn it… She does this every time!”
Enchanted ran her hand up and down Slanted’s back and leaned close to him. “Do you want a Slurpee?”
Looking back at Enchanted, Slanted replied, “A Slurpee sounds nice.”
“Well alright, let’s go get you a Slurpee.”.
<***>
"How're you feeling?"
"Better. Thanks for the Slurpee!", Slanted said, kicking away a broken bottle as he took Enchanted's arm and led her around it
Equipped with a fresh pack of smokes and Slurpees, Slanted and Enchanted took a stroll around the more commercial suburban areas of Little Olympia; across the street was a bank with a Dairy Queen right next to it... Beside that, the last remaining rental store in Little Olympia; not only did they have working VHS tapes, but they still had games for the PS1.
"What do I do?", Slanted shrugged. "I don't want to have to wait before she dies before I do what I want!"
"See, that's the problem I've never had with my mom. I've always been considerably responsible, so she's assured I won't do anything completely stupid."
"That's where I struck out with my mom- I've done enough stupid crap to justify her feeling this way."
Enchanted grabbed Slanted's cheek and gave him a playful tap. "That's because you're her widdle baby boy."
"I'm going to stop having boners if you call me that again."
"Kidding... Kidding."
They were quiet for a little bit until a lightbulb sparked inside Enchanted's pretty, little head. "Idea!"
"Runaway from home and change my name?"
Enchanted Gibb-slapped Slanted in the back of the head. "No. You should do a speech- an interview. A promo. A shoot- whatever you people call it."
"Now?"
"You've got a grievance, maybe you can channel that into something?"
Slanted thought about it.
"Come on, dude... I've seen you with your action figures, mumbling commentary and making them do those speeches in the ring. I'm sure you could whip up something for yourself."
"I'll try."
"Do or do not.", Enchanted nodded. "There is no try.".
Slanted and Enchanted wandered around for a good spot to shoot a promo. All Slanted had to do was find a wall he liked and Enchanted was ready to shoot everything on her iPhone.
There was the chain link fence behind 7/11, but the place had the stench of piss and there wasn't any chance in hell that Enchanted was going to stand there for a few minutes while Slanted ran his mouth.
There were alleys, but Slanted was worried about looking like an angry dick to passersby who had no idea what they were doing.
Eventually, they settled in a good spot under the bridge in Kinney park. The place was littered with old band flyers and graffiti, so it was just perfect.
Slanted got in place while Enchanted stood before him, aiming her phone to get the perfect angle.
Hitting the button in the center, Enchanted hushed out, "Go for it."
Slanted gave himself a moment and sipped his Slurpee.
"Drakz, all this must seem like easy pickings for you. You're going to get to walk into Loaded against a fresh face, an up and comer in the likes of me. And while I do certainly value being given the chance, there's a part of me that's scared. There's a part of me asking why a rookie like me has to go up against a veteran like you. Maybe it's because I held my own against Philip Schneider last week... Maybe it's because everyone wants to see you tear apart some kid- That is what your known for, so it's only reasonable to book this match up because most people still have no idea who I am and the thought of seeing you destroy me appeals to them.
Hell, if I wasn't in this, I'd look forward to watching you beat up some newbie to the roster.
But I'm booked and what else am I going to do?"
Slanted stopped to sip his Slurpee again
"Wrestling has consumed my universe since I was a child... But I was always that kid who was a little gentle for his own good. The kid that didn't like a lot of sports, but would gladly watch a wrestling match over a damn basketball game. I was the 'wrestling kid' in grade school... But even then, people looked at me and said, 'you're not strong enough, you're not athletic enough- you don't know a damn thing, you can't be a wrestler'... And for a long time, I listened to them.
It happens doesn't it? You hear someone say something about you long enough that you start to think about it... It starts to get to you. And before you know it, you're living the lie- giving up yourself to an assumption that hasn't even been proven yet.
People see me and that's what they think and that's what they say.
They say I can't do it. They say I can't wrestle.
Some people... Regardless of who they are and whether they're good people or bad people just won't let things be.
I'm tired of letting things get to me... I've been tired of it for a long time and even if I didn't pick up a victory last week, I showed everyone that I was worth keeping around. So maybe this match against you is a good thing:
If I lose, then fine. I put up a fight... But if I win, if I actually manage to wear you down that you can't even raise your shoulder to save an impending three count, I'm going to be made. People are gonna look at me and people are going to start talking about me and I want them to. I want them to know my name. I want them to know what I can do... And when they think of championship wins and future legends, I want them to start thinking about me because it's only just a matter of time."
Slanted brought himself back a bit and took another sip off his Slurpee
"My mom HATES wrestling. She doesn't want me to wrestle... My mom is a person who tries to control almost every aspect of my life.
And while I can certainly appreciate that, it's a major pain in my ass... I bring up my mom because Drakz is the same as she is:
He's relentless and he'll stop at nothing to get his way without any disregard for the people involved or its consequences.
In short: Drakz, you remind me of my mom!
And I mean that with a lot of love and respect because my mom's a scary woman when she's pissed.
Drakz, you like to control people and things. Heck, you even took a shot at running this place for a little bit.
When I step into the ring with you, it won't be about winning, it won't be about trying to make a name for myself. It's going to be about me- taking control of my life for once!
When I see you, I see my mom's struggle for control. When I see you, I remember all of the little pieces of crap that used to bully me growing up. And on Loaded, I'm going to stand up for the very first time in my life and put you down. And when I stand over you, with my arms raised... You just won't be reeling from a loss to a rookie. You're going to become something a little more important for me: After Loaded, you're going to be a symbol. When I beat you, you will symbolize everyone and everything that's held me back... And one day, when I climb upon the pedestal of greatness, the very same people you butchered will look at our match and go, "I can beat him too. I can beat him too."
That's probably the last thing you want, but right now, that's the only thing I want!".
…
…
… “Is that it?”, Enchanted asked
“Yeah, that’s it.”
“Alright.”, Enchanted murmured as she shut the video off
Slanted lit a cigarette. “How was it?”
“Pretty intense! Wanna watch it?”
“Hell yeah!”.
“You’re not wearing a bra.”, Slanted said, cutting between kisses
Enchanted pulled back and grinned. “It’s not what you think.”
Creeping his hand a bit higher, Slanted kissed back. “You don’t have to explain anything!”
“No, but you’re making me feel like I have to.”
Kissing her neck, Slanted asked, “Why?”
“Let’s see, I went to my boyfriend’s house without a bra.”
“I have no problem with that.”
“Of course you wouldn’t! But I can’t help but wonder if somehow, this constitutes me being a slut.”
“We’re going to talk aren’t we?”
“Can we please? I’ll make it up to you.”
“How?”
Grinning, Enchanted reached over and whispered something into Slanted’s ear,
… “YOU ARE THE BEST GIRLFRIEND EVER!”
“I know!”, Enchanted shot out
“Let’s talk.”
All cuddled up, they began talking…
“Why does coming to my room and making out with me without a bra have to be a bad thing? If anything, it’s an unintentional surprise!”
“It’s just that I feel like I have to defend myself: I knew I’d be seeing you, and I woke up late, and I forgot to put on a bra. It happens.”
“What kept you late? Battlestar?”
“DUDE! How far along are you?”
“Starbuck killed Scar!”
“And?”
“Kat’s a bitch!”
Excitedly, Enchanted grinned as she shot out the happiest laugh Slanted had ever heard.
… Slanted’s hand was still up her shirt.
Grabbing his hand over the fabric, Enchanted shoved his hand higher to the point where his whole hand as covering her left boob.
Enchanted felt him stiffen as his eyes popped out in disbelief.
“… Boob!”, Slanted mumbled. “I’m touching your boob… What happened to the slut thing?”
Enchanted sighed. “The moment you called Kat a bitch, it just made me happy and somehow, I realized that I can be slutty with you… And that’s because you make me feel happysauce. So there.”
“You do that to me a lot.”
Nudging against his boner, Enchanted shot out, “It isn’t like I’ve felt it before.”
“Can we start making out again?”
“Yeah!”
They started making out and just as things got heavy enough that a couple articles of clothes were bout to be tossed away, they heard the dreaded shout of Slanted’s mom calling his name.
Slanted softened and right before they could pry themselves off each other, Slanted’s mom burst into his room.
“I want to talk to you right now.”. Looking at Enchanted, she added. “You too.”
And just like that… His boner was gone.
There it was on TV, the replay from the last episode of Loaded, showing Philip Schneider with the upper hand on Slanted.
Slanted’s mom crossed her arms, “Why don’t you just kill me already? I didn’t spend nine months carrying you to have you beaten up!”
“But mom!”
“No buts.”. And then she turned to Enchanted. “And you! How could you even let him to this?”
Damn it, she was scary. “It was his decision.”
“You’re quitting.”
“No, I’m not!”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m not quitting. If you actually watch the match, you’ll see I put up a fight. I could have won! It’s my life and I like what I’m doing.”
“Are you telling me, your mother, that you like to hurt people?”
… “Yes.”
She started to cry. Sitting on her bed, she reached for a box of tissue. “…I gave you my father’s name!- MY FATHER’S NAME!.. AND YOU LIKE TO HURT PEOPLE?!”
Her voice broke, milking whatever ounce of guilt Slanted had inside him.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t! Just don’t.”… She was worse than Barbara Striesand on menopause. Looking into the air, she held out her hands, asking, “Was it something I did wrong? Was it something I did wrong?!”. Turning back to Slanted and Enchanted, she pressed a tissue against her ‘teary’ eyes. “Go. Both of you. Just go.”
With absolutely nothing good to say, Slanted and Enchanted left the room, breathing a sigh and lighting a cigarette for sharing
“Jesus…”, Enchanted trailed, passing the cigarette to Slanted
Slanted took a drag and smacked his head against the wall. “Damn it… She does this every time!”
Enchanted ran her hand up and down Slanted’s back and leaned close to him. “Do you want a Slurpee?”
Looking back at Enchanted, Slanted replied, “A Slurpee sounds nice.”
“Well alright, let’s go get you a Slurpee.”.
<***>
"How're you feeling?"
"Better. Thanks for the Slurpee!", Slanted said, kicking away a broken bottle as he took Enchanted's arm and led her around it
Equipped with a fresh pack of smokes and Slurpees, Slanted and Enchanted took a stroll around the more commercial suburban areas of Little Olympia; across the street was a bank with a Dairy Queen right next to it... Beside that, the last remaining rental store in Little Olympia; not only did they have working VHS tapes, but they still had games for the PS1.
"What do I do?", Slanted shrugged. "I don't want to have to wait before she dies before I do what I want!"
"See, that's the problem I've never had with my mom. I've always been considerably responsible, so she's assured I won't do anything completely stupid."
"That's where I struck out with my mom- I've done enough stupid crap to justify her feeling this way."
Enchanted grabbed Slanted's cheek and gave him a playful tap. "That's because you're her widdle baby boy."
"I'm going to stop having boners if you call me that again."
"Kidding... Kidding."
They were quiet for a little bit until a lightbulb sparked inside Enchanted's pretty, little head. "Idea!"
"Runaway from home and change my name?"
Enchanted Gibb-slapped Slanted in the back of the head. "No. You should do a speech- an interview. A promo. A shoot- whatever you people call it."
"Now?"
"You've got a grievance, maybe you can channel that into something?"
Slanted thought about it.
"Come on, dude... I've seen you with your action figures, mumbling commentary and making them do those speeches in the ring. I'm sure you could whip up something for yourself."
"I'll try."
"Do or do not.", Enchanted nodded. "There is no try.".
Slanted and Enchanted wandered around for a good spot to shoot a promo. All Slanted had to do was find a wall he liked and Enchanted was ready to shoot everything on her iPhone.
There was the chain link fence behind 7/11, but the place had the stench of piss and there wasn't any chance in hell that Enchanted was going to stand there for a few minutes while Slanted ran his mouth.
There were alleys, but Slanted was worried about looking like an angry dick to passersby who had no idea what they were doing.
Eventually, they settled in a good spot under the bridge in Kinney park. The place was littered with old band flyers and graffiti, so it was just perfect.
Slanted got in place while Enchanted stood before him, aiming her phone to get the perfect angle.
Hitting the button in the center, Enchanted hushed out, "Go for it."
Slanted gave himself a moment and sipped his Slurpee.
"Drakz, all this must seem like easy pickings for you. You're going to get to walk into Loaded against a fresh face, an up and comer in the likes of me. And while I do certainly value being given the chance, there's a part of me that's scared. There's a part of me asking why a rookie like me has to go up against a veteran like you. Maybe it's because I held my own against Philip Schneider last week... Maybe it's because everyone wants to see you tear apart some kid- That is what your known for, so it's only reasonable to book this match up because most people still have no idea who I am and the thought of seeing you destroy me appeals to them.
Hell, if I wasn't in this, I'd look forward to watching you beat up some newbie to the roster.
But I'm booked and what else am I going to do?"
Slanted stopped to sip his Slurpee again
"Wrestling has consumed my universe since I was a child... But I was always that kid who was a little gentle for his own good. The kid that didn't like a lot of sports, but would gladly watch a wrestling match over a damn basketball game. I was the 'wrestling kid' in grade school... But even then, people looked at me and said, 'you're not strong enough, you're not athletic enough- you don't know a damn thing, you can't be a wrestler'... And for a long time, I listened to them.
It happens doesn't it? You hear someone say something about you long enough that you start to think about it... It starts to get to you. And before you know it, you're living the lie- giving up yourself to an assumption that hasn't even been proven yet.
People see me and that's what they think and that's what they say.
They say I can't do it. They say I can't wrestle.
Some people... Regardless of who they are and whether they're good people or bad people just won't let things be.
I'm tired of letting things get to me... I've been tired of it for a long time and even if I didn't pick up a victory last week, I showed everyone that I was worth keeping around. So maybe this match against you is a good thing:
If I lose, then fine. I put up a fight... But if I win, if I actually manage to wear you down that you can't even raise your shoulder to save an impending three count, I'm going to be made. People are gonna look at me and people are going to start talking about me and I want them to. I want them to know my name. I want them to know what I can do... And when they think of championship wins and future legends, I want them to start thinking about me because it's only just a matter of time."
Slanted brought himself back a bit and took another sip off his Slurpee
"My mom HATES wrestling. She doesn't want me to wrestle... My mom is a person who tries to control almost every aspect of my life.
And while I can certainly appreciate that, it's a major pain in my ass... I bring up my mom because Drakz is the same as she is:
He's relentless and he'll stop at nothing to get his way without any disregard for the people involved or its consequences.
In short: Drakz, you remind me of my mom!
And I mean that with a lot of love and respect because my mom's a scary woman when she's pissed.
Drakz, you like to control people and things. Heck, you even took a shot at running this place for a little bit.
When I step into the ring with you, it won't be about winning, it won't be about trying to make a name for myself. It's going to be about me- taking control of my life for once!
When I see you, I see my mom's struggle for control. When I see you, I remember all of the little pieces of crap that used to bully me growing up. And on Loaded, I'm going to stand up for the very first time in my life and put you down. And when I stand over you, with my arms raised... You just won't be reeling from a loss to a rookie. You're going to become something a little more important for me: After Loaded, you're going to be a symbol. When I beat you, you will symbolize everyone and everything that's held me back... And one day, when I climb upon the pedestal of greatness, the very same people you butchered will look at our match and go, "I can beat him too. I can beat him too."
That's probably the last thing you want, but right now, that's the only thing I want!".
…
…
… “Is that it?”, Enchanted asked
“Yeah, that’s it.”
“Alright.”, Enchanted murmured as she shut the video off
Slanted lit a cigarette. “How was it?”
“Pretty intense! Wanna watch it?”
“Hell yeah!”.
Two Days Later…
Slanted’s Room
Slanted’s Mom’s House
Little Olympia. 09:16AM
Slanted’s Room
Slanted’s Mom’s House
Little Olympia. 09:16AM
Slanted and Enchanted woke up late and by the time Enchanted got out of the shower, they were exactly fifteen minutes late for their first class.
Enchanted left the water on for Slanted to jump into while she threw on whatever extra clothes she left over.
Slanted was out of the shower less than a minute later, kicking on his jeans.
Slipping into a t-shirt, Enchanted asked, “Did you brush your teeth?”
“In the shower.”, Slanted replied, rushing as he put on a t-shirt and forced his feet into a pair of sneakers he forgot to untie. “You ready?”
Enchanted zipped her hoodie to her chest and sipped a bottle of Monster. “Ready. You?”
Swinging his backpack over his shoulder, Slanted opened his bedroom door, only to be caught by the unexpected sight of his mom on the verge of knocking.
Slanted stopped and awkwardly looked at her. “… I’ve got class.”
“This will only take a minute.”
“Okay.”, Slanted replied, slipping out his room with Enchanted right behind him
“Maybe I over-reacted. It’s your choice and I have to respect that. But you have to understand that the last thing any mother wants to see her child go through is pain.”
“I know.”
“Just understand that I feel this way. I’m letting you do it without any qualms, just be careful.”
“I will.”
“Good.”. Slanted’s mom grabbed him and gave him a big embrace.
Slanted’s mom released the hug. “Now go to school you two!”.
<***>
“That turned out a lot better than I thought.”, Slanted said as he and Enchanted shared a cig on the walk to school. “I was sure she was going to come back for seconds.”
“I’m just glad she calmed down.”, Enchanted said, passing the cig back to Slanted
Slanted took a drag. “Actually, now that all of that’s out there and out of the way, I kinda feel better.”
Enchanted took the cig from Slanted. “Yeah?”
“Yeah, I feel like since I conquered that, I could beat anything!”
“Like Drakz?”, Enchanted asked, passing the cig back
“HELL YES! EXACTLY LIKE DRAKZ!”, Slanted coughed
“That’s m’ah man!”, Enchanted grinned as she leaned close and pecked Slanted on the cheek.
For the rest of the walk, they kept close as they listened to the Pixies' “Here Comes Your Man” from Slanted’s iPod. They each shared an earbud and huddled close.
It was a sweet moment that could last forever.
… That is until Slanted’s phone rang.
Pulling down the ear bud, Slanted grabbed his phone from his wallet. “… It’s my mom.”
“Of course it is.”
Slanted brought the phone close to his ear and even before he could say hello, the sheer ferocity of his mom’s thunderous voice blasted through the receiver. Slanted had to pull his ear away from the phone for a moment just to get a grip on the sonic blast of nagging that came rushing at him.
And then… The call ended.
And Slanted didn’t know what to do. He felt useless, again.
Enchanted’s eyes were popped out as she walked over to Slanted and asked, “Hun, what’s wrong?”
“My mom saw the promo I did. She didn’t like that I compared her to Drakz.”
“Well… It wasn’t exactly a complement.”
“But I didn’t mean it.”
Enchanted got close and rubbed Slanted’s back and in her sweetest voice, she hushed, “I know you didn’t…”
“What do I do?”
“I don’t know, man. I don’t know.”.
Enchanted left the water on for Slanted to jump into while she threw on whatever extra clothes she left over.
Slanted was out of the shower less than a minute later, kicking on his jeans.
Slipping into a t-shirt, Enchanted asked, “Did you brush your teeth?”
“In the shower.”, Slanted replied, rushing as he put on a t-shirt and forced his feet into a pair of sneakers he forgot to untie. “You ready?”
Enchanted zipped her hoodie to her chest and sipped a bottle of Monster. “Ready. You?”
Swinging his backpack over his shoulder, Slanted opened his bedroom door, only to be caught by the unexpected sight of his mom on the verge of knocking.
Slanted stopped and awkwardly looked at her. “… I’ve got class.”
“This will only take a minute.”
“Okay.”, Slanted replied, slipping out his room with Enchanted right behind him
“Maybe I over-reacted. It’s your choice and I have to respect that. But you have to understand that the last thing any mother wants to see her child go through is pain.”
“I know.”
“Just understand that I feel this way. I’m letting you do it without any qualms, just be careful.”
“I will.”
“Good.”. Slanted’s mom grabbed him and gave him a big embrace.
Slanted’s mom released the hug. “Now go to school you two!”.
<***>
“That turned out a lot better than I thought.”, Slanted said as he and Enchanted shared a cig on the walk to school. “I was sure she was going to come back for seconds.”
“I’m just glad she calmed down.”, Enchanted said, passing the cig back to Slanted
Slanted took a drag. “Actually, now that all of that’s out there and out of the way, I kinda feel better.”
Enchanted took the cig from Slanted. “Yeah?”
“Yeah, I feel like since I conquered that, I could beat anything!”
“Like Drakz?”, Enchanted asked, passing the cig back
“HELL YES! EXACTLY LIKE DRAKZ!”, Slanted coughed
“That’s m’ah man!”, Enchanted grinned as she leaned close and pecked Slanted on the cheek.
For the rest of the walk, they kept close as they listened to the Pixies' “Here Comes Your Man” from Slanted’s iPod. They each shared an earbud and huddled close.
It was a sweet moment that could last forever.
… That is until Slanted’s phone rang.
Pulling down the ear bud, Slanted grabbed his phone from his wallet. “… It’s my mom.”
“Of course it is.”
Slanted brought the phone close to his ear and even before he could say hello, the sheer ferocity of his mom’s thunderous voice blasted through the receiver. Slanted had to pull his ear away from the phone for a moment just to get a grip on the sonic blast of nagging that came rushing at him.
And then… The call ended.
And Slanted didn’t know what to do. He felt useless, again.
Enchanted’s eyes were popped out as she walked over to Slanted and asked, “Hun, what’s wrong?”
“My mom saw the promo I did. She didn’t like that I compared her to Drakz.”
“Well… It wasn’t exactly a complement.”
“But I didn’t mean it.”
Enchanted got close and rubbed Slanted’s back and in her sweetest voice, she hushed, “I know you didn’t…”
“What do I do?”
“I don’t know, man. I don’t know.”.
I dont know good luck 
