Under pressure

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"So, what do you think? I didn't want to overwhelm them with too many choices, so

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"So, what do you think? I didn't want to overwhelm them with too many choices, so..." chim states scrolling through his phone, showing hen and i his options.

"Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Um, I think that it's, um, a little... overwhelming."

"You think it's ridiculous."

"No, no, I mean..." hen sighs
"Chim, I kind of think the whole thing is ridiculous."

"You don't think I have a shot."

"The pictures are cool. I-I just... I don't have these answers for you, Chim. I'm not into beefcake calendars."

"I know, I know."

"Why is this so important to you?"

"Because growing up, I never saw any heroes who looked like me."

"We can understand that."

"I mean, not on TV, not in movies. We're always the computer geek who hacks into the system for the white guy or the evil Tong drսg lord. Or the guy in the dry cleaners in a fabric softener commercial. I mean, you know, when a kid thinks of a firefighter, do they think of me? Do they think of you?" He points at me

"Yeah, but I'm not taking my shirt off for that calendar." I shrug

"Yeah. You know what? Me, either."
He sighs

"Chim..." I interrupt

"No, I don't know what I was thinking. I can't compete with these guys."

"Chim." I empathise

"Maybe ten years ago. And that's only because they'd be 12. "

"Well, if you're not gonna do it, I won't either." I explain, politically.

"I appreciate it stassy."

"Of course"

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"Quick. They're in the back. We put a tube in so he could breathe. I think the cement smushed it." The friend of the victim worriedly tell us.

"What is it, a YouTube prank?" Asks Bobby

"Don't judge. Followers equals cash."

"What's his name?" I ask, standing at the back of the group in between chim and hen.

"Jessie. " replies the kid.

"Jessie, this is Captain Nash, LAFD. Can you hear me?"

No answer.

"All right, he is totally cut off in this thing. Let's get some screwdrivers, try to get this frame off."

"What do you got, stass?" Hen questions me.

"Pulse 120, BP 150/110. He's panicking. All right, he's starting to choke."

"Saliva's probably aspirated through the breathing tube. Hold on one second." Hen explains, seriously.

The fire between us ~ Eddie DiazWhere stories live. Discover now