R a m p a g e

"Aw. Well, now you’re just being sweet to me." Michael wasn’t sure why but he honestly always felt better about his looks when he had injuries like this. Maybe the purple contrasted well with his starch white skin. "I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’ve never been in therapy long enough to be diagnosed. I hate talking to strangers."

"Nah, I'm being truthful."Pete could admire the injury because he understood. He nodded and hummed. "Well, once I get my degree in Psychology and get a good job, I'll work with you and we'll figure it out."

"How was I suppose to know you got fired? I’m not your damn keeper." Michael gave Pete a sharp look, though it softened quickly. He could never stay irritated with Pete. "I had my friend punch me in the face because I was feeling dysphoric. Do I look hot?" The goth leaned closer to Pete’s face, stretching down the bottom eyelid by pulling down on the skin of his cheek. Splotchy red marks filling up the white.

"I was informing you, asshole." He listened and nodded. "Yeah, I understand, what with having Depersonalization Disorder." He paused and rolled his eyes with a smirk. "Yeah, man, you look so hot. Ten out of ten."

"Why didn’t you stop in the bathroom to adjust it or something?" Michael had to pat a few pockets at first before finding the one that he had his phone in; Slipping it out to take another look at the bruising around one of his eyes. As if it may have looked better already. "I have a brace. You should get a brace."

"I tried adjust several times. I couldn't." He made a sour face and looked to the older. "I'm broke and I jst got fired, Michael. I'll worry a brace once I get my taxes back. Also, how'd you get the shiner?"

"Well, that’s pretty obvious but my ugly personality has nothing to do with my physical limitations." Michael hitched up his trench coat a few inches so he could sit himself down next to Pete, resting his cane against his thigh. "I know the feeling."

"Sorry." Pete watched the sit down and he stretched his leg out to keep the joint in place. "I had to walk through a store for an hour with my hip out of place."

1. Smoking: the action or habit of inhaling and exhaling the smoke of tobacco or a drug. 2. Binge drinking: the consumption of an excessive amount of alcohol in a short period of time. 3. Drug abuse: the habitual taking of illegal drugs. 4. Nail biting: a common body language sign of anxiety/tension. 5. Lip biting: a common body language sign of anxiety/tension. 6. Night Owl: a person who is habitually active or wakeful at night. 7. Early bird: a person who rises, arrives, or acts before the usual or expected time. 8. Negative attitudes: a philosophy of approaching life with criticism and pessimism. 9. Positive attitudes: a philosophy of approaching life with optimism and confidence. 10. Swearing: the use of offensive language. 11. Superstitious: an irrational belief that an object, action, or circumstance not logically related to a course of events influences its outcome. 12. Inspecting fingernails: a common body language sign of boredom 13. Scratching your neck: a common body language sign of uncertainty. 14. Foot and finger tapping: a common body language sign of stress/impatience. 15. Nose touch: a subtle body language sign of deceit. 16. Flipping hair: a common body language sign of craving attention. 17. Twirling hair: a common body language sign of flirtation. 18. Cracking knuckles: a common body language sign of readiness. 19. Hands behind back: a common body language sign of confidence. 20. Finger pointing: a common body language sign of authority. 21. Hands on hips: a common body language sign of readiness. 22: Hands in pockets: a common body language sign of mistrust/reluctance. 23. Frequent touch: a common body language sign of warmth/familiarity. 24. Throat-clearing: a common body language sign of rejection/doubt. 25: Jaw-clenching: a common body language sign of hostility. 26: Eye-rolling: a common body language sign of irritation. 27: Head-tilt: a common body language sign of interest. 28. Whistling: to emit high-pitched sound by forcing breath through a small hole between one’s lips or teeth; usually to a tune. 29. Humming: make a low, steady continuous sound like that of a bee; usually to a tune. 30. Perfectionism: refusal to accept any standard short of perfection. 31. Photographic memory: the ability to remember information or visual images in great detail. 32. Paranoia: a mental condition characterized by delusions of persecution, unwarranted jealousy, or exaggerated self-importance, typically worked into an organized system. 33. Exaggeration: a statement that represents something as better or worse than it really is. 34: Intuitive: using or based on what one feels to be true even without conscious reasoning; instinctive. 35: Quick-witted: showing or characterized by an ability to think or respond quickly and effectively. 36: Interrupting: breaking the continuity of a conversation with one’s own statements. 37: Doodling: to scribble or make rough drawings, absent-mindedly. 38: Irritable: having or showing a tendency to be easily annoyed. 39: Gambling: to play games of chance for money; bet. 40: Travel-sick: suffering from nausea caused by the motion of a moving vehicle, boat, or aircraft. 41: Sensitive: having or displaying a quick and delicate appreciation of others’ feelings. 42: Melancholy: a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause. 43: Chewing gum: the exercise of chewing flavoured gum which is not intended for swallowing. 44: Fidgeting: to make small movements, especially of the hands and feet, through nervousness or impatience. 45: Skeptical: not easily convinced; having doubts or reservations. 46: Neat-freak: compulsively obsessed with cleanliness. 47: Gossiping: divulging personal information about others. 48: Prim: feeling or showing disapproval of anything regarded as improper; stiffly correct. 49: Abbreviating: Giving others nicknames/shortening names/giving pet names. 50: Having a catchphrase: having a sentence or phrase typically associated with a specific person.

"Uh, yeah, me too, dude." Michael had struggled with his joints since he was about sixteen; Along with some spinal disfigurements just to add some icing to the cake. "I can barely walk anymore. Why do you think I always carry a cane?"

Pete nodded. He'd only been dealing with Hip Dysplasia for about three years now and over the past few months, he'd been getting worse. "Because you're an asshole. No, I'm kidding. Mine's only really bad after sitting for a long time and trying to walk when I can't get it back in place is a bitch."

"No, get it yourself. I’m not your damn slave."

"But you're closer to my pack."

"Now you know how I feel twenty-four seven." Michael leaned to the side a bit, offering out a hand to Pete.

Pete grabbed the offered hand and sat himself, leaning forward until his hip popped back into place. "Yeah, but you're also a giant. I feel like being as tall as you are comes with those issues. All I've got is Hip Dysplasia."