Anger Management [Meloghia]

Chapter 10: Introspection

It was late in the day and Fugo was finally coming down from his high. He decided it was probably time to leave, even though he didn't want to. Was this why people in school had sleepovers? Fugo had never really got that in movies and shows. He didn't really understand the point. He lived with the only real friends he'd ever had. Yet he could imagine him and Ghiaccio staying up until dawn talking and still not run out of topics to converse about. He began walking reluctantly towards the front door.

"Wait, Fugue." Ghiaccio rifled through drawers in the kitchen before he found a pad of paper in one of them. He snagged a pen from the table and scribbled furiously. He tore it off and handed it to Fugo.

It was a phone number. He'd never received someone's number before.

"That's my cell," Ghiaccio explained as Fugo stared at the paper incredulously. "You have a phone at base. If you wanna talk or, y'know, anything. Gimme a call sometime." Ghiaccio smiled.

"Thanks, I will." Fugo smiled back and pocketed the number. Fugo went to leave when Ghiaccio stopped him again.

"Hold on. You don't have a car. Did you call a cab?" Ghiaccio asked.

"I... walked. To clear my head."

"Well shit, let me drive you back then." He grabbed his keys off the hook and started ushering Fugo out the door.

"Really it's fine, I—"

"Fuck that. I'm driving. Besides you have to see my car. It's my baby." Ghiaccio looked pretty damn proud when they walked around the back of the base to the car.

"Wow. You bought this yourself?" Fugo asked as he ran his hand over the side.

"Bought and paid. I own this beauty fully," Ghiaccio said as he got in.

"Damn. I barely have anything to my name," Fugo muttered.

"You get paid though, right?" Ghiaccio scowled as he turned on the car.

"Well, yeah, but I just didn't bring a lot with me when I was kicked out," Fugo said.

"All I had was a bag when I left." Ghiaccio added, "That was then. Now I'm living life on my terms. Meaning I can buy whatever the fuck I want. You should see Illuso's room; he has a shitload of those Japanese anime figures."

"I don't know, just felt like I could have my life disrupted at any point. So I don't keep much." He thought about how he stayed in Passione and left Bucciarati. The fear of what would happen to his friends if they lost, and the fear of his future if they won.

"So it's just sitting in a bank somewhere?" Ghiaccio snapped him back from his dark thoughts.

"Yeah, pretty much."

"You have to get a cellphone now. Cost isn't even a factor." Ghiaccio shook his head.

"I said I'd look into it, Glass," Fugo chuckled.

"Yeah, you'd better." Ghiaccio glanced at him. The drive was much faster. He'd probably been meandering the streets of Napoli for over two hours before he arrived at La Squadra's door and even then, he wasn't looking for a destination. He was back at his base in twenty minutes. The drive was nice. Ghiaccio had a convertible and they drove with the top down. Ghiaccio drove faster than he should have but at least he obeyed all the other laws of the road. He actually slowed down at a yellow light. He wondered if he ever got nailed for speeding with all the speed cameras in Napoli. Before he could ask about it, they were pulling up to the curb in front of his base.

"Thanks again, Ghiaccio," Fugo said as he got out of the car.

"Yeah, y'know," Ghiaccio gave a slight smile back. He wasn't high anymore and was back to being much more reserved.