Young Writers Society

Eve

"Let's go get some grub." Tia said. She seemed unusually pleasant. I know what she was up to, but I didn't want to get into it. I knew she didn't like me, and I didn't like her. I just wanted something to do, and to get out of the house. We could have just eaten there, since the food was actually quite appetizing, but I didn't want to spend another second there.I rolled my eyes, but I kept a smile on my face.

As we walked out the door, Alis was walking in.

"Nice car." I said, looking outside. "Where'd you get it?"

"Somewhere." she said.

"Mind if we borrow it?" I asked hopefully. I still didn't have a new car yet. I made a mental note to get one soon.

"Whatever." she said. She seemed to have her mind on something else, and I was glad about that. At least she wasn't angry. Tia and I walked out the door and climbed in the car. Tia drove of course. I made sure the gun in my small handbag was loaded. Something about Tia seemed odd, and I wanted to be prepared.

sorry, Im going to be gone for the next couple of days, can you guys puppet my character?

Name: Jack Cortez

Age: 25

Picture:

Spoiler

Country and Global Location: Mexico, the South

Languages You Speak: English, Spanish

Which RHG's were You In Before, If Any?: He was mentioned in all of them, but never had a real part

Vehicle:

Spoiler

Personality: He thinks on his feet, doesn't really take time to plan, and just does what he wants. He doesn't care much about consequences of his actions. he doesn't hold much value for human life, and plays people in his game like pawns in a game of chess. If someone dies, whats it to him? One less person in the world. He cares a lot about his own life, though, and Riley's. He is very selfish.

History: He grew up in Arizona, on a ranch. He loved that life, but got caught up with a gang there. They were a form of Robin Hood Gang. At thirteen, he ran away to live with that gang, but a year later they broke up. When he was 14 he joined the Foxes in Mexico. When he was 18 he took over the gang by killing it's leader. He has stayed leading the Foxes ever sense. When Riley left his gang, two years after joining, he was very upset. He hasn't given up on her.

Likes/Dislikes: Likes winning fights, money, showing off, doing what he wants, killing people he doesn't like; dislikes stupid people, people who worry too much about other people's lives, loosing in anything

Up for love: In love with Riley

Other: Plays the guitar a little.

Jack

"Shut up, Antonio!" I yelled. This was my decision, and that asshole had no right to interfere.

"Of course, oh wise leader," Antonio mocked, grinning ear to ear. I shot him a look, and shoved the last of my things into the tan duffel bag.

"Until I am out that door, I still lead you, remember that," I said, bitterness creeping into my voice. I touched the gun in my pocket, a less-than-subtle warning of the consequences if he decided not to listen to me. You douche bag, I finished my sentence in my head. I didn't want to get him too angry, though. He had killed Jerro, and he wouldn't hesitate to whip out a gun on me.

I zipped up my bag, and slung it over my shoulder. I was halfway to the door before I heard Mark's voice, "Are you sure about this, Jack? You know she still might not feel that way." Of course she doesn't, you bitch. I know that.

"I know that, I'm not stupid like our dear friend Fred." Fred had been shot yesterday. Good riddance, in my opinion. It had been all I had to keep from shooting him myself all those years. "Besides, Riley ain't the only chica in that gang." I grinned, and raised my eyebrows. Mark laughed at the inference.

"Maybe Bree got smart and left Reg. God, she was something to look at," Mark said, most of the others nodded in agreement.

"Dibs if she has," Dennis called from upstairs.

"No, she's mine." Antonio retorted. I rolled my eyes, and put a bullet between the two of them. They both turned to look at me, and I chuckled.

I walked towards the door that lead to the outside world. Once there, slammed the door behind me, and took one last look at the warehouse. I didn't run the Foxes anymore, who did would be decided soon enough.

I heard Antonio let out a selection of his choicest curses, and figured they were deciding already. A few gunshots went off, and I heard Mark's laugh chorus through the warehouse. I almost went in, to see if Antonio had been shot, then realized walking back in there would show cowardice. I had made the choice, and I wasn't turning back now. The Fishers needed me. How they survived this long without me was a miracle.

And if Riley didn't want me as part of her gang, well, I just came back and killed whoever called themselves the leader of the Foxes. I grinned, thinking it was a good excuse to kill Antonio, but then figured if I wanted him dead that much I could just go and kill the ass now. My gun was out of my pocket before I realized he wasn't worth it. The rest of them would kill him soon enough. I put my gun back, and went to strap my bag onto the back of my motorcycle. Once that was done, I pulled out my cellphone. I had to find out where Riley was, whether she wanted me as part of her fish gang or not.

"Riley, it's Jack,"

Riley

As I opened my mouth to speak to Reg, my phone rang. "Just a sec," I mumbled to Reg, and pulled out my phone. The only time anyone called me was if it was something important. So, naturally, I had to answer my phone. But he was the last thing I was expecting.

"Riley, it's Jack," Jack's voice was a shock to me, I hadn't heard it in about six months.

"What do you want?'" I asked, a bit more harsh than necessary.

"Well, I was wondering if I could join you guys in America." His voice was nearly pleading, and I could hear the desperation in his voice. I knew he wanted this bad, and I knew what he would have had to give up to do this. He had given up leading a gang for me. Damn him.

"Fine. You know where Jessington is, right? It's near the border." I rolled my eyes, waiting for a smart-alack response.

"Of course I do, Riley. Where are you lot at?"

"The 99 motel, on the edge of town. We leave tonight, and don't expect me to wait for you."

"See you later." his words, in his mind, must have been a simple goodbye. To me, they sounded like a threat. I hung up the phone, and looked at Reg.

"You were saying?"

Reg Carter

I grinned at the thought of the person at the other end of the line that would be coming to join us happy bunch not long in the future. It'll be like Deja Vu, and I'd genuinely come out on top, again. Riley seemed pretty easy to convince, but then she had more of a history with Jack. I had little. I'd keep it that way even if he did join the gang, he'd stay out of my way.

"You were saying?" Riley retorted as she closed her cell and pushed it into her pocket.

I looked at her in silence momentarily. "Jack, eh?"

"Yes, Reg," she said grimly, "We'll deal with that when it's here. For now, tell me what you were saying."

"Mmk," I replied. "Despite what I may have let out during that hell torture over the past two months, none o' what I said would comprimise you and definitely none of what I said would comprimise my sister. So really, all the bastards know is a little of our 'istory as a gang. That ain't exactly much to go on, little details like the late Bree and all that. It'll be fine, but we need to get movin' again today."

"But what about Jack?" Riley asked.

I scowled, "Jack's a big boy, we'll run into 'im before long, but first things first. We move, we find some place else. Jack can catch up, he knows that and so do you. We need you as a leader Riles, and goddamn you're the best there is. Stop thinkin' about Jack for now and get our people some place else, before hell lets loose and someone like Eve ends up shot twice and tortured for months."

"Eve?" Riley jumped.

"Yeah, someone less fortunate who can't 'andle themselves if things get rough," I replied and smiled to myself. The defesnxive use of Eve's name told me something new about Riles. Although, it could be nothing, so for now I'd decided to keep it to myself.

Tia

Me and Eve had grabbed breakfast at a little coffee shop in the square, and actually had a few laughs. She wasn't as bad as I thought before, and we might actually end up friends.

Holly shit, Tia, stop it, stop it.

No, Eve was winy, soft, and had too much heart to be any good in a gang. I knew this, I had learned it from day one. And I was never, ever wrong. I took a deep breath as we walked back in the house. As soon as I opened the door, I heard my cousin shouting out orders. I rolled my eyes. Bitch.

I went to the room I had used, and shoved my clothes into the duffel bag. Now that Reg was back Riley was being a responsible leader. Ugh. I liked her better when she hated everyone and everything.

Riley

"Yeah, someone less fortunate who can't 'andle themselves if things get rough," Reg grunted. I nodded.

"I get what you mean. If every-one's up, I am going to get them all ready to go. We'll leave as soon as every-one's ready, Jack be damned." I laughed a little.

As I left the room, one sentence Reg said couldn't help but stick out in my mind. We need you as a leader Riles, and goddamn you're the best there is. I smiled, and somehow knew he was right. There had been so many things I had done wrong, but I was only human. But I had kept a single gang alive in America for close to five years even when the whole government was against us. I knew, somehow, I could pull us out of this too.

I saw everyone was in the kitchen, and my life just got easier. I folded my arms across my chest, and barked out an order.

"You all have five minutes. Get your things, put them in the car. Your not ready, we leave without you," There was a mass chaos as everyone got out of their seats to go pack. I smiled, and settled down to my cup of coffee.

It was good to be back on top.

Maitea

My whole morning was a rush. I got up to Alis shoving the plant she had promised into my hand, and then Riley yelling at us to get ready to leave. And then I was trying to find Ace, because I had already packed. And then he was packing, and the whole thing was mass chaos. I finally got to talk to Ace after he had finish packing.

"Ace, look, Alis got us the plant."

"Are you sure it's not poison?" He asked skeptically. I shrugged, and ripped off a little piece of the leaf. I took a bottle of water, and downed it, despite Ace's attempts to stop me.

"What if it's poison?" he demanded when I was done.

"What if it's not?" I retorted, not having a better response. "I feel really good, though, really strong. I feel like I could punch through a wall and not feel a thing. I won't test it, though. Here," I handed him the plant and the bottle, "see if it helps you."

He looked at me again, and then followed my example, downing a part of the leaf with some water.

Jack

I pulled up at the hell-hole they were calling a house. Dude, I thought, Riley is so much better than this. Oh, well, desperate times...

Riley came bursting out the door, followed by several others, all with bags in their hands. I recognized some, but some were new. I laughed when I saw Alis right behind Riley, looking at me with pure hate in her eyes.

"Alis, Antonio was asking after you," I laughed. She scowled at me, her and Antonio never liked each other. She only spent two days there, and he never shut up about what a bitch she was any time the subject of the Fishers came up.

I looked at Riley. Just as beautiful as I remembered, and even more. "Riles, good to see you again." I walked over to her, arms open. She took a step back, and I put my arms down. "Come on, really Riles?"

"Yes, really Jack." Riley narrowed her eyes. I scanned my eyes over the others, noticing a missing figure.

"Oh, Reg, did Bree finally get some damned sense and leave you. You know, Mark was curious as to whether she was available. You know, I think he just might have come up here if he was sure she was single..."

Alis cut me off, "Bree's dead, you idiot."

"Ouch, Alis, that actually might have hurt, you bitch, if I was three. You know, actually, it wouldn't have even hurt then." I looked at Reg, "Too bad, Reg, 'bout the wife. Oh well, they come, they go. You've got a nice selection here, anyway. " I grinned, and raised my eyebrows, and gestured to the very lovely ladies around him. But he knew Riley was mine.

Riley looked like she wanted to slap me, or shoot me. Reg's face was similar, though he looked more like he'd go for the second option.

I shrugged it off, and patted my motorcycle, "Where 'r we goin'?"

Eve

Tia wasn't as bad as I thought she was. I mean, I knew she still hated me, but I didn't mind her too much. She was much less of an idiot than Jack. At first, I had thought he was kinda cute, but now...now I realized what a jerk he was. It made me feel good that I wasn't the only one that hated him.

"Where 'r we goin'?" he asked.

"Tennessee." Riley said as we all placed our bags in the car.

"You kidding me?!" Jack asked, mouth open.

"Yes, we're really going to pony land." Alis said sarcastically. "Stop wining and put your stuff in the car."

"How we gonna get there?"

"Do you always ask this many questions?" I asked him, annoyed.

((Sorry it's so short! ))

Reg Carter

Jack's early arrival wouldn't have particularly bothered me if he hadn't taken an instant lash out my dead wife and started hitting on Riley already expecting her to walk right back up to him in acceptance. I mean, she had James now, I told myself. Jack may've been a notorious harsh leader, with little mercy and an over happy trigger finger, but I was a killer and a born n' bred survivor. In the end, I'd top the leader. He thought himself dangerous and supreme; perhaps my soft spot for Riles and her protection and made him perceive me as something less so, but throughout the history of the gang and my time on the run, I'd been the assasin, the guardian and the glue. This bastard isn't about to fake his way into the limelight.

"We go wherever Riley orders us to," I sneered and Alis instantly backed down searching for a fight with someone else instead. Jack seemed less obediant.

"Trust you to follow her 'round like a dog, Reginald," Jack replied.

I punched him straight in the jaw and he staggered back instantly, but he didn't fall. He instantly threw a punch back in my direction, but to both our surprises Riley stepped in and whacked down his fist in my defence. She stood inbetween us, hands outstretched and glared at Jack. "Don't you mention my sister ever again," she told him angrily.

I didn't break eye contact with him, merely pushed past them both and set up the car. I'd ignore this situation and move on, but sooner or later the end would come and he would pay with his goddamn life.

Jack

I didn't like Riley's response when I tried to punch Reg. She was so defensive sometimes. In Mexico she wasn't. I threw a few punches around, she didn't give a damn.

Maybe she was just worried I would win.

Yeah, she just didn't want me hurting Reg. What a softie. She had always had a bit too much concern for other people. Worring about other people didn't get you anywhere in life. I would know, watching many strong men fall around me wasn't easy, but I put up with it. I looked at Riley as she headed towards the car. I took a deep breath, and thought of something. She hated cars, and would thank me for this later.

"Riles, wanna ride the motorcycle with me? I know you hate cars."

"Why the hell would I...?"

"Come on, Riles, you know you want to..." I edged her on. A little begging, and she would crack. Underneath the leader in her, she was still a girl. She knew she couldn't resist me. I raised my eyebrows, almost begging.

Riley

I watched Reg punch Jack, and knew immediately what was going to happen. I stepped between them before a full fledged fight broke out, and blocked Jack's punch. "Don't you mention my sister ever again," And if you ever try to hurt Reg again I punch you. I finished the thought in my head, and gave Jack a cold glare.

I walked back towards the car, but not before making sure Jack wouldn't do anything rash. "Riles, wanna ride the motorcycle with me? I know you hate cars." I froze in my tracks, and spoke slowly.

"Why the hell would I...?"

"Come on, Riles, you know you want to..."

"No, Jack."

"Please?" That wasn't the first tine I had heard him say that word. It was the second. I turned around.

"As long as you swear to never try to hurt R-any of the Fishers again."

"Fine," he said. I walked over to his motorcycle. "I'm driving." He got in the front, and I hopped on. I hooked both my arms around his stomach, but leaned back as far as I could. I didn't want to give the idiot any ideas.

"Let's go," I mumbled.

Ace

"Well, I think I've done my part," Ma said, kissing me on the cheek as I stood there, staring down at her. What did she even mean? Was she leaving?

"Nani?" I asked, cocking my head to the side, subconsciously reverting to my first language. "Wakarimasen*."

She sighed, and I just kept staring at her. I didn't understand what she was talking about. Surely she wasn't leaving; she'd have nowhere to go.

"I've made some calls, she said to me, matching my language. I rarely talked to her in English anyway. Speaking Japanese was like...it was being home. It was the old days, before the gang, before I screwed up my life. It was a secret Ma and I shared. "I'm off the hook, Ace. They think you're dead, but I told them what that prison was like, and what they did to me. Your father was searched and interrogated. The search warrants were forged, he said. But if you need to come home..." She sighed. "I have no medicine for you this time. It's done, Ace. I'm sorry. She came forward and her small frame fell into my arms. She held me and sobbed.

It was a death sentence. Or, it would have been, had it not been for Maitea and Alis. The day we always used to dread was the day when the doctor might come in and say that they were stopping treatment and that I should go home and rest, and that was basically what Ma was saying.

"I feel good," I told her, hugging her tight and smiling. "Better than I have in a long time."

"How long will that last?"

"Forever. Look, I know you might not believe me...but Alis and Maitea. They're great. They know all about healing plants, and--"

My mother's grip on me tightened and she cried even harder. I could feel tears in my own eyes, even. "You're okay!" she cried, kissing my cheeks again.

"I hope so. I think Alis went through a lot of trouble to get this. I don't know why she did, and it was probably for a less-than-savory reward, but she did. So just go, and don't worry about me. You have an entire base to command. They need you. I promise, I'll still be around for a long time."

"I'm still going to come and see you, okay? Just keep me updated as much as you can, and remember, never text. Never leave messages. Where are you going next?"

"Hell, if I don't change my ways."

She smiled. "Sayonara," she whispered. "I'm proud of you." She went back to English.

"Really?"

"I always knew you were doing what's right, Ace, even if most other people think it's wrong. Just remember if you ever want to come home...you can. I'll take care of you. Maitea too." She pulled away from me. I wondered vaguely when she got shorter than me... Ma put her cover on, adjusting it, then checking the rest of her uniform.

Looking at her, it was hard to believe that she'd ever been a Harajuku girl, that she'd been the lead vocalist of an Exist Trace tribute band, or a plethora of other things. I couldn't believe that she actually had waivers in her military file for all the things she'd done as a teenager. It seemed unfeasible that she'd ever been anything but what she was now--my mother. But I saw that I was just like her, which was just what I'd always aspired to be. We'd merely chosen different paths to take.

She waved goodbye to everyone else. I heard a car horn outside, and figured that someone had come to pick her up. I waved to her and then went to make sure I'd packed everything.

"Ready to go?" Maitea asked me.

I kissed her. "Always ready." She probably didn't get it, but...well, I was.

I couldn't believe it; I'd get to spend my life with her. Because of someone I hated. But that didn't matter anymore.

**
Nani--What? (surprised)
Wakarimasen--I don't understand.
Sayonara--Goodbye.

Maitea

"Ready to go?" I asked Ace.

"Always ready." There seemed to be a double meaning to his words, and I didn't understand, but I didn't really push it. We walked outside, and my whole day was ruined on the spot. Jack was sitting there, and I watched as Reg took a punch in his direction. It seemed like only seconds later we were all going towards the limo.

Everyone, of course, but Riley and Jack. I felt bad for anyone who would, or ever had, loved him. I laughed when I saw Alis walk towards a bright red car. Well, if it made her happy. I owed her for this. One vial of my strongest poison wasn't really equal to what she had given me.

But, then again, it was better to not be in debt to a psychopath.

As we got in the limo, I vaguely wondered who was the intended recipient for the poison. I shuddered when I thought of how that poor persons life would end. Biting into a piece of chicken, suspecting nothing...

About halfway through the ride, Ace asked me, "Okay, the curiosity is killing me. What did you give Alis?"

"A type of strong poison, nothing really. Just a little vial..."

"You gave her your last vial of your strongest, didn't you?" Ace knew how to read right past me semi-avoiding the question.

"Yeah, pretty much,"

"Alis with a lethal poison," Howard mulled over it, "Maybe not a good idea."

"She's lethal anyway," I said with a shrug.