Running With Ghosts (H2OVanoss)

Chapter 1

Song: The Eden Project -Fumes

"It's a favela, Tyler."

"How the fuck do you know?"

Jonathan rolled his blue eyes and gripped the steering wheel, gesturing with his other hand out at the layered buildings around them. "Did you not play Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2? That one fucking level is called 'Takedown'. They were in Rio, where we are now, running on rooftops through markets. It's called a favela or you can fight me."

Tyler held up his hands, "Okay, I believe you, oh intelligent one. I won't doubt your nerd memory and your ability to recall the names of specific levels from a game that's almost ten years old."

"That's one of my favorite games, of course I know the names of the levels." Jonathan pulled into a tiny parking garage, paid a man at a guard post, then proceeded to search for a parking spot.

"You're still a fucking nerd." Tyler laughed and pointed out a spot when he saw it. "There!"

Jonathan whipped the rental into the tight spot and they sat there for a moment, gathering their wits before they intentionally threw themselves into a massive crowd. But it was what they were there for, so they got out and pulled their jerseys on over their heads and made their way out onto the road, joining the line of people headed towards the Maracanà stadium.

The streets were so full of life and color anywhere you looked. Clothes hanging from lines above your head, scooters flying by, kids kicking balls back and forth. The culture was rich and the locals were tanned with stories. Rio was the close-knit kind of place that Jonathan had always dreamed of living in. The kind of place where you could ride your bike down to the market on the shore and buy fresh fish. A place where you could leave your window open and smell the salty air night and day. This was the kind of place where he could be happy.

"Alright, Tyler. No shit-talking. This is the kind of 'football' that people kill over and I'd rather not end the day having to pick your teeth up off the ground." Jonathan gave him a serious look and his friend rolled his eyes.

"Dude, no one wants to fuck with a guy who's as tall as I am." He puffed out his chest and gestured at himself.

Jonathan shook his head as they grew nearer to the stadium that stood tall above them. "I don't care, Tyler. I'd like to leave this country alive if you don't mind."

"Fine, I'll keep my asshole-ish tendencies to a minimum." He glanced down at his shorter companion. "Just for you."

"Thanks, I appreciate it." Jonathan grinned but was soon rolling his eyes again as they filed into the packed stadium. Tyler was craning his neck as far as it would go just to look at the women going by.

"Could you not gawk so obviously?"

"It's not a crime to look." Tyler shrugged.

"But it's obnoxious, dude. Especially when someone's looking as hard as you are. Life is not all food and titties."

"Ha! For me it is." Tyler stared out at the field once they found their seats. "For you, it's food and anything on two legs. You got lots of options. I have to pick through the crowd."

"Oh my god. This trip was the worst idea. I should've invited my brother instead." Jonathan laughed when Tyler shoved him, almost spilling his drink on his fresh jersey.

Tyler knew he didn't mean it because they had been close friends since grade school. The fact that he had invited him first came as no surprise. Jonathan knew he loved soccer and had laughed like a maniac when he presented the tickets to him as a birthday gift. The look on his face was one of shock and probably terror too, because that meant they had to fly. Jonathan was a mess when he flew, seeing as he was on the verge of having a phobia of planes.