Page 176 of Pride High 2: Orange

“Chase,” Omar hissed before scrambling to his feet and running down the hall. Away from the room that Silvia’s father was in.

He heard Diego’s footsteps pounding the floor behind him.

Omar spotted a walker near a door, grabbed it, and turned around, pointing the four feet at Diego like he was a lion tamer. He shouted a battle cry and ran toward him. Diego seemed to panic before he turned and ran in the opposite direction. He disappeared into one of the rooms, and when Omar got there, darted across the hall to another. Hospital staff were converging on them now, but still keeping their distance, especially when Omar roared wildly and shook the walker above his head. The next time Diego appeared, he was holding a cane like it was a sword. Omar deflected it with the walker a few times before it locked with the cane, and after a loop-de-loop, was flung from his grasp as if he had been disarmed. An old woman standing next to one of the doors clapped excitedly.

Omar wiped his mouth with the back of his arm as if he was bleeding there. “I’m going to eat your money clip,” he snarled. “One bill at a time.”

Diego tossed the cane aside and raised his fists. “Then you better get ready for some orphan pie.”

“I’m so sick of you and your fancy hats!” Omar shouted before charging at him.

“Security,” Diego hissed when dodging.

“Huh?”

Diego got him into a headlock and spun him around. Omar saw two portly men in beige uniforms inching their way down the hall toward them.

“Okay,” Omar croaked.

The arm around his neck got ever tighter.

“Ack!” he said before elbowing Diego in the stomach, gently at first but then harder as he began to see stars.

Diego finally released him. “Sorry, man,” he said. “I only wanted to adopt a kitten.”

“The world needs more scarfs!” Omar gasped. “Why couldn’t you see that sooner?”

They hugged. That’s how their bit always ended, by making peace at the pinnacle of ridiculousness. And this wasn’t the first time someone had called security because of their antics. After releasing each other, they feinted toward the guards, who stumbled backward. Omar and Diego turned and ran in the opposite direction. They rounded a corner and slipped into an elevator just as it was closing, the people inside pressing themselves against the walls in surprise.

“Sorry, folks!” Omar said. “We’ve gotta get to the cafeteria for some of that unbeatable hospital Jell-O.”

“They better not be out of the red kind,” Diego said.

They high-fived while grinning at each other.

“Still got it,” Omar said.

“Never lost it,” Diego responded.

He remembered it all! Every line and scheme. Which bummed him out, because Omar had convinced himself over the years that Diego had turned into someone else. But he obviously hadn’t. The old Diego was still there, lurking just beneath the surface.

“Think they have security cameras?” Omar asked when they got out at the next floor.

“Probably,” Diego said.

“Split up?”

“Yeah. See you at the car.”

Diego turned down the next hallway. Omar kept walking. He tried to keep his pace nice and steady, like he wasn’t in a rush, although he wished he’d thought to bring a ballcap or something to disguise himself with. Hopefully the people who saw the fight would tell the security guards it was all a prank, considering the nonsense they had shouted at each other. Omar couldn’t help grinning. He’d nearly forgotten what a good team they made, and the fun they used to have when getting into trouble, or hell, when simply hanging out.

In other words, he missed Diego.

Omar was genuinely concerned about him making it out unscathed. Especially when he reached the parking garage and saw only Ricky standing next to the Trans Am, who pushed the glasses up on his nose and asked, “Where’s Diego?”

“We split up,” Omar said. “I’m sure he’ll be fine. I mean, would you want to get in his way?”

Ricky forced a smile but continued watching the exit. He had a good heart. Omar’s was heavy with regret, but he had more pressing concerns.