The moment his iPhone screen blared to life, Dennis scrambled for what could pass as his belongings. A leather messenger bag, his wallet, and a bounded journal that appeared to be his. Thank God he’d retained his sharp organization despite this mess he’d been thrust into, whatever it was. As he left the house in a rush to catch a moment for himself, he answered the call miliseconds before it went to voicemail.
“You better tell me what's up, D. Are you having a fight with Ryan right now, cause I'll go there and kick his ass.” Oh, how Gio’s voice still sounded smooth and comforting, like hearing the folks Seafood City speak Ilonggo. Days after school were left finding his way into the other’s arms, never crying but hooking his chin over the other’s shoulder and inhaling deeply into his embrace. And Dennis just about needed that right now, certain that some people never changed.
“I could really use a hero right now,” he whispered softly. If only Gio could see the huge grin on his face at hearing his voice. “Ryan’s fine though, I think. I’m not too sure. He’s acting a little weird.” He paused as he tried to find the breath and vocabulary to voice his concerns. “Or maybe I might be? Semantically, I can still name off benzoic acids off the top of my head, I just feel like maybe I have some PTSD that might be affecting me temporally? Something about entorhinal, perirhinal, kind of hard to explain. Blood rush, amygdala -- just throwing things out, don’t mind me.” A deep inhale to catch his breath, clear his thoughts. Ryan’s words came to mind. “It’s just weird hearing him call me sexy, you know?” He sharply regretted saying that the moment they left, feeling awkward. “Never mind, you can ignore me. I’m just a little confused, that’s all.” @giogreco












