A Murder Of Crows [boyxboy]

                There were sounds I found calming. Rain tapping against a window, a fan blowing out a steady stream of air, water babbling its way down a stream.

                The sound of some poor bastard begging for mercy and being hit in return certainly wasn't one of them.

                "Please...P-please!"

                The voice was faint in my ear, the sound of my typing rivaling it. Shut up, you whiny asshole. I was trying to focus.

                "Please stop, I'll have the- agh!" A particularly loud crash made me wince a little. Someone being thrown against a garbage can, maybe?

                "Should've had it on time." This voice held no emotion, and the sentence was followed by the sound of someone being hit a few times. There was a light rustling noise, and then footsteps.

                Realizing how short I suddenly was on time, I got back to typing hastily. I wasn't looking to join that guy in a beating tonight.

                "Do you have it?" The voice still held no emotion, but I knew it was directed at me.

                "Almost, almost," I said. "Stop being so impatient."

                "Get it or you'll join that guy, Jpeg," the voice said.

                "Get it or you'll join that guy, Jpeg," I mocked under my breath.

                "What did you say?"

                "I said I got it. According to his account records, he should have the money to pay up by now," I said, eyes scanning over the records and information in front of me. "What'd you get off him?"

                "All the cash in his wallet plus the gold cross he was wearing," the voice said. "We'll run the drop off. Wait for us."

                The line clicked dead and I hid my digital tracks before leaning back in my chair. I didn't want to wait for them. I wanted to go the hell to sleep and hope I woke up from this nightmare that was my life.

                "A little slow tonight, Jpeg. Something on your mind?"

                I turned in my chair, my mood sinking lower. "Just how much I hate that nickname."

                Val laughed a little and took a seat on my bed. I didn't even know why I bothered locking the door to my room anymore; it never stopped her from getting in.

                "Could be worse, Cor," she said. "How angry is Kieran going to be when he gets here?"

                "With him? Who knows," I said. "He's always angry. He never left his edgy phase."

                "Neither did you," Val said, gesturing to my face. "Lose the glasses."

                "They're prescription," I said. "I like to see, you know."

                They liked to make fun of me because I wore prescription sunglasses. I'd hacked into my mom's email years ago and lied to the school about how my eyes were sensitive and I had to wear the sunglasses to avoid headaches. In truth, I just liked to hide my eyes.

                "Can you see the mirror over there? Because it'll show you that you look like an idiot." Val laid back on my bed, folding her hands behind her head.

                "I don't remember inviting you in," I said.

                "And I don't remember needing to be invited." Val shot me a smug smile. "Perks of our friendship, Jpeg."