KNOCKOUT

XII: SOUTHPAW

A RIGHT-HANDED FIGHTER

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AELIUS REMEMBERS THE LAST TIME he was caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar. 

It was a year ago. He was sixteen and drunk and trying to sneak a girl into his room, and he thought they were doing a really good job at being stealthy, but then his mother flicked on the light and caught them red-handed on the sixth step of the stairs.

Aurelia wouldn't let him stop reliving the shame for weeks.

Getting caught trying to break into Templeton's computer by Faris gives Aelius pretty much the same feeling.

Aelius looks at Faris. Faris looks at Aelius. Aelius looks at Faris.

"I have to go," Aelius says and hangs up on this sister, despite her protests demanding to know what's happening. He throws his phone on the desk.

"What are you doing?" Faris asks sharply again, leaning against the open doorway. He's holding a bag from a takeout restaurant in his hand.

"What are you doing?" Aelius counters, if only because he's real close to speechless and doesn't know what else to say.

"Linda told me to deliver this" —Faris holds up the bag— "to the boss. What are you doing?"

Aelius glances down at the computer, then quickly jumps a foot away. "I'm, uh, I'm fixing Templeton—Mr. Templeton's computer. He . . . had a bug, so he called . . . me."

"Really?" Faris crosses his arms, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "He called you and not the IT guys?"

"Yeah—"

" —You know I'm too smart for this so cut the shit, Valerius. What were you really doing?"

"I told you! I was—"

" —Were you spying? Are you a fucking spy? Who do you work for? Knockout?"

"Jesus, Faris! No!" Aelius groans as he recalls Faris's obsession with spy movies. He was so fucked.

"No to which part?"

"I'm not working for Knockout!"

"Ha! So you're a spy, then. Who are you working for? Moscow?" Faris swears, shaking his head. "I fucking knew you weren't Italian, you fake!"

"Faris, please, I—"

"How could you do this to me, man? I thought we were bros!" Faris looks at Aelius, clearly in anguish. "I told you about that time I peed my pants in front of the entire class in third grade! I trusted you! You even visited me in the hospital!"

"Look," Aelius says, holding up both his hands. "I'm not working for Russia. Faris, please calm down, man. I'm not a spy and I can prove it."

Faris sniffles, running a hand through his hair in distress. "Okay, yeah, fine, I'm listening—"

Just then, a text from Aurelia pings. 

Before Aelius can pick up his phone, Faris lunges and snatches it from atop the desk. "Are you okay? Did you get caught?" He reads out loud.

It only takes Faris a few seconds to put it together, and when he does, he takes in a deep breath. "You two better explain to me what that fuck is going on right now, and" —he glares at Aelius— "it better be the truth, or else you're both going to prison."

"Oh yeah? Like you could've done it better," Aurelia scoffs, crossing her arms.

"I wouldn't have sent such an obviously worded text!"