The Promise

"So, the guy's just fucking staring. You know? You know how their eyes get. All wide and scared and wet. Deer in the headlights or whatever the fuck. I don't know. I ain't never seen a real deer. He's not saying anything, just kind of whimperin' a little. Like a puppy. Then, I get this idea. I'm supposed to kill him, right? Not like I got a problem with it, but I just didn't feel like killing anyone that day. I don't know why. Anyway, I'm standing there watching this dude shake, and I take my gun out. Dude jerks back, but I slowly put the gun on the ground. 'Stand up,' I tell him. He does...maybe that was part of it. He wasn't beggin' or bitchin' or any of that usual shit. Kind of had a little respect for him, you know? I mean, it's not like we don't know the guy. Shit, he was in my class until I dropped out.

"So, he's standing up, and I tell him I'm giving him a chance. We fight. Fists only. If I win, he dies. Simple, right? Motherfucker weighs like a buck fifty. I'm smiling, and I start to take my jacket off and he fucking hits me. Hard. So, I drop the jacket and get ready to knock his head off, but he hits me again. I swing and he hits me again. Same place, every time. Right in the fucking mouth. I can taste the blood...and get this, he's smiling. Now, I know I fucked up. I don't know what kind of Jap shit that guy studied, but he moved so fast I couldn't even block a punch. He's just destroying me. And, you know me...I ain't no chump...dude was fast. And strong. So, I'm trying to just get him off me. He does some kind of turnaround kick thing. Next thing I know, I'm waking up on my back and he's holding the gun? I know! I couldn't fucking believe it. So, he's holding the gun, but he's not pointing it at me. He tells me that he's not gonna shoot me. Says it's all a big misunderstanding. I can't fucking believe it. He tells me he doesn't blame me. He understands. Blah, blah, blah. I'm just hoping he keeps talking, so I agree with him. Thank him. All that shit..."

"So, what the fuck happened?"

"What you mean, 'what happened?' I acted like I was tying my shoe and he's still doing one of those...the fuck they called those things in school...in the plays...solilisomething. He's pacing and talking all loud. I had the .38 in my ankle holster. I pull it, but I stay down low. He looks at me and he sees the gun and he stops...like freezes...and he starts giving me this line of shit about how he didn't shoot me and we had a deal. I can't shoot him...wouldn't be fair."

"Ha! Fair? That's hilarious."

"I know. He's all pissed that I didn't 'keep my word'. I'm all, 'Brother, killing people is my job, you really think we're gonna shake hands and go get a beer?"

"That's a good one. So, what happened."

"The fuck you mean? I shot him. Then I took my gun back."