Live in Color

thirty four - cyan

Giving Arsenio crutches proves to be a bad idea. First of all, he doesn't seem able to stop complaining about them- either they're too hard to walk with, or they're digging painfully into his armpits. Not that I doubt it, he let me try them for a bit and they were way too uncomfortable. We offered him a wheelchair but he had furiously declined, claiming those bastards weren't going to get the satisfaction of completely crippling him.

Secondly, of course, Arsenio being Arsenio, decides that his crutches aren't supposed to be used to help him walk, but more so as a weapon. Every time someone says something he doesn't like, he'll more than happily knock them over with the crutch without a moments hesitation. He finds it really funny, actually, and even though my stomach is bruised from the time I had reminded him he needs to be in bed resting (he didn't like 'being treated like a goddamn damsel in distress', and I quickly learned from my mistakes) it's pretty funny to see him doing it to other people (Jericho has been victim to his crutches one too many times, luckily not enough to cause him any actual injuries, or else I wouldn't have found it funny).

Right now, Jericho, Tallie and I are at Arsenio's place, talking with him one last time before we leave on the road trip. My parents don't know I'm going, and I'm more than positive that I'm going to be facing their wrath when I return, but I force myself not to think about that. It's not that hard to distract myself, either, considering the three old friends in front of me constantly arguing about something.

"Simon would never hook up with Cassandra. They've hated each other since preschool, Arsenio. Don't you remember during nap time, he'd always sneak over to her and pour honey into her hair?" Tallie argues, leaning forward in her sofa. Jericho is sitting in the one across from her while Arsenio leans against his crutches.

"That's what Casey told me."

"No, Tallie's right," Jericho says. "Besides, Simon is into Marian."

"Simon would never get with Marian."

"Then who would he hook up with, Arsenio?" Jericho shoots back.

"Not Marian or Cassandra!"

"Marian and Simon are always talking-" Jericho insists, but is quickly cut off by Arsenio's retort.

Tallie snorts at the two, turning her head to look at me and say, "They haven't changed a bit since they were twelve."

"You've known Arsenio since preschool?" I ask.

Tallie nods, "Ever since he was in diapers, actually. He didn't move into Crooks Street until he was eleven or so, but our dads actually knew each other before so we've been friends ever since we were babies and even went to elementary school together. After Arsenio's dad activated douche-bag mode, he moved to my middle school and I've been dealing with his annoying ass since." She gives me an amused expression. "It's a lot of work."

I laugh loudly, "I'd imagine."

"Halfway through sophomore year he stuffed a chicken in my locker-"

"A real chicken?"

"A real chicken because I had called him chicken for being scared of heights and therefore constantly complaining about climbing the rope in gym class."

I laugh loudly at that, my hand covering my mouth in shock. "How did he even get a chicken?"

"I don't know! It's been more than a year and he still won't tell me!"

Arsenio overhears our conversation and promptly continues to tell Tallie that she deserved that chicken in her locker. Jericho rolls his eyes at the two, looking over to me and giving me a huge smile, which I return. It looks like being with his old friends- the ones that aren't bat shit crazy, that is- really makes him happy. I guess he feels more at home and accepted than he has in months.