𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘰𝘺, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙮𝙨

𝙩𝙬𝙤

SAMUEL AND BILLY SAT IN SILENCE, THE LATTER WATCHING HUGHIE AWKWARDLY SIT NEXT TO THEM. "Okay, I'm in." Samuel jumped lightly, seeing the man next to him. He literally came crawling back the next day. "Thank you for helping me get my degree." Samuel spoke bluntly, Hughie nodding.

∞

"IT'S RINGING." HUGHIE INFORMED THE TWO AS THEY STOOD IN A STALL, SAMUEL FIDDLING WITH THE SLEEVES OF HIS JUMPER. "Hi, hello Mr. Friedman." He began, Samuel perking up. "It's Hughie Campbell. I got your message, and forty-five thousand..." Billy nodded encouragingly, Hughie doing the same. "It's just bingo, like, life-changing." Hughie held his thumb up to Samuel in repetition, Billy watching intently. "But I just need one thing before I sign anything. I need an apology from A-Train." Hughie announced, Samuel listening.

"He already apologised." Friedman spoke faintly through the phone, Hughie shrugging. "Well, no, no, no. He sent his condolences and regrets on...," Billy nodded him through, "on Tv, but I..." Samuel kicked him lightly, Hughie watching the boy urge him to cry by literally running his hands like tears down his cheeks. "If I could just get an apology face-to-face, that would be fantastic." Hughie sounded like he was about to sob, Billy nodding to Samuel in slight congratulations.

It did make the call more believable. "Just... Just for closure. Just to put a, uh, a b-button on it." Billy quickly got tired of the voice, Samuel too invested. "Okay, yeah. But... Hugh, I'm telling you, the answer's gonna be no." Samuel winced at the voice, Billy wafting his hands. "All right," Hughie spoke, sniffling. "in that case, can you just give me... Hello?"

Samuel leant forward, Hughie looking down to the phone. "I think they hung up. They hung up." Hughie spoke, Samuel sighing. "It was getting good." He was ignored, Hughie looking back to Billy. "I don't think they're gonna go for it." The two watched Billy scoff with laughter. "Oh, yes, they will." He walked out of the stall, Samuel hesitantly following.

∞

"DO YOU HAVE A DOG?" HUGHIE ASKED, SAMUEL LOOKING TO HIS LEFT TO THE DOG TOY IN BILLY'S CAR. "No." Billy shrugged, Hughie and Samuel sharing a glance. "Alright, give us your phone." The man sighed out, Hughie doing as told. "There's fuck-all security to worry about. In fact, they're a bunch of muppets. And the metal detector won't pick this up, right?" Billy held up the bug, Hughie humming as the man placed the bug in his phone case. "And what they'll probably do is take you through the security and then up into the boardroom. Sit down, be nice, congenial."

Samuel adjusted his stance, drumming his fingers against his thighs. "Then, real polite-like, tell them you're gonna take a fat shit." Samuel looked to Billy's head, Hughie nodding. "Go into the bog, take the bug out. Peel back the plastic bit to reveal the sticky side. Put the plastic in the bog, flush it." Hughie tried his best to follow. "Then, go back into the boardroom, sit down, big smiles, plant the bug underneath the table." Billy smiled, handing the man back his phone.

"Easy peasy lemon squeezy." Samuel smiled, leaning forward as Hughie looked between them both. "Easy peasy?! That was a lot! Can you, just, repeat it again?" Hughie spoke out, Billy sighing. "Just a little slower-" "Listen. Hughie, calm down okay?" Billy interrupted the man, Samuel watching Hughie heave. "This is like that scene in The Matrix. Now, you could take the fucking red pill, right? Spend the rest of your life jacking off, crying into your chai tea green latte, what the fuck." Billy waved himself off, seeing both Samuel and Hughie looking at him expectantly.