New Series called "On the Run"

2

"Bullshit!" Larry cried out in frustration and anger. His hand hit the plexiglass that separated his twin and himself. 

One of the guards on duty took a half step forward in his direction, "Hey! You better stop that or you're outa here buddy!"

The southern twang made Larry's stomach churn as he looked over his shoulder to glare at the guard. He was completely disgusted with him.

Disgusted with these fluorescent lights.

Disgusted with this place that held his twin's freedom captive.

He rolled his eyes with a shake of the head and turned back to his twin.  He let the phone hang lazily from his finger tips. He even hated that phone. It was attached to the wall with a cord too short to sit comfortably whilst speaking on it. The ear piece rested on his cheek as his other hand covered his face in order to prevent Laurent from seeing the tears that would spill at any moment.

Laurent sat on the other side of the divider, speechless and emotionless. He had no idea how to comfort his brother. He felt helpless and insignificant in that moment. He fought with the internal thoughts that haunted him almost every night.

You couldn't protect him that night. What makes you think you can do anything behind these walls now? You're useless!

Laurent shook his head at the negativity running rapidly in his mind. The incompetence he felt was too overwhelming.

"Larry, calm down." he said, almost nonchalantly. He didn't know what else to say. Crying and screaming wouldn't do any good. If anything, it would make his stay there that much more difficult for him. The guards loved punishing inmates whom acted out. They wouldn't hesitate to make him pay.

He had been fighting this case for almost 5 months now, the entire time being locked up in the King County Detention Center. Despite the fact that he had no prior criminal record, the judge and persecutor saw him as a flight risk because of his fame and income. It didn't help the fact that he wasn't a U.S citizen. They convinced theirselves that he would find a way to get back to Paris to hide out. Regardless of all this, he was just happy that he wasn't in prison. 

At least not yet.

"I can't fucking calm down Lau! This is all bullshit and you know it is!" Larry caught himself when he noticed his voice picking up in volume. He glanced over his shoulder at the guard who had given him a warning.

"Putain!" he spat, but not loud enough for the guard to hear. He was sure the guy didn't speak French anyway, so what did he care if he heard him or not.

He faced his brother again.

"We gonna fight this bro! Eme-"

Laurent cut him off with a wave of his hand, "It's not even worth it Larry. Whatever happens, happens." Laurent leaned back and looked down at his lap.

"Lau! Look at me!" He spoke in a harsh whisper, giving a quick check over his shoulder once more, " I said we gonna fight this! You hear me?!"

Larry bent his head slightly with a tilt to the side to direct his brother to look him in the eyes without words, "I said do you hear me?!" 

Laurent didn't look up. There was hopelessness in his body language and facial expression.

He continued, "I was about to say that Emelyn just contacted a new lawyer to help you fight this!  We got the best one in the country for you! That guy brought a gun into the club illegally and he-"

Laurent's head snapped up and he glared at his twin, almost with hate in his eyes.

"I wouldn't fucking be here if you'd have listened to me Larry!" He began raising his voice, spittle   coming out of his mouth as he spoke, "I'm in here because of you! Because of you! Your fucking ass don't know how to fucking listen when I tell you something!"

A guard on the inmate's side began speed walking to where Laurent sat, "Hey, you need to calm that shit down inmate!"

Laurent stood up immediately, being yanked back down due to his height and from the phone he was gripping tightly on. The short cord didn't allow his arm to extend fully upright.

He dropped the phone, letting it hit the side of the divider wall, "Yo, who the fuck you think you talking to like that?!" Laurent began bucking up, "I'm over here having a conversation with my twin and you wanna interrupt me?!"

Larry was taken aback at Laurent's sudden outburst. In their 27 years of life, he never knew Laurent to fly off the handle like that, nor had he ever heard Lau speak in that manner before. These past 5 months has been changing Laurent and it scared Larry shitless. 

Laurent was the calm one; calculating. 

Laurent thought things through before acting upon feelings, but this Laurent? This one was different. 

This was not his brother.

And it's all my fault!  Larry thought, the realization hitting him like a ton of bricks.

Laurent was right. Not because Larry shouldn't have drank that night, but because Laurent has always had to look out for Larry. Laurent always picked up Larry's broken pieces, taking the blame for stuff he did, making excuses for him whenever he fucked up, and for coddling him and not allowing Larry to take responsibility for his own actions. 

He treated Laurent like a crutch throughout their lives. Larry didn't see it until now and it was fucking with him.

He watched as the guard snatched Laurent up, hitting him with his night stick as Laurent continued to verbally abuse the guard without a care in the world.

Laurent had been there for him, to stand up for him, anytime, anywhere. Now that it was his turn to return the favor, he couldn't. The one and only time his brother has ever needed him, all he could do was sit behind that glass divider and watch his brother get beaten up. He was in complete shock.

As the guard dragged his twin away, the receiver on Laurent's side dangling, he could barely make out the multiple fuck you's Laurent through his way.

Larry broke down and cried until the guard harassing him earlier about calming down, ushered a resistant Larry back out to the waiting room.