Young Writers Society

Riley

"Fabulous place to have a wedding." Alis says sarcastically.

"Shut up Alis." I am almost yelling. Why did she have to be such a bitch?

"No."

"Don't forget, don't you forget for a minute I am in control here, Alis. And never have I been afraid to use my earned power. It's best you learn that." I say to her coolly. Something about this place had brought my old attitude back. The I-am-in-charge-here-don't-dare-defy-my-rules personality. I grin. Alis scowls.

"Why should I follow you, you almost got us all killed!" Alis is yelling now.

"The past is the past, Alis. Don't you dare question my athaurity."

"Watch me." She speaks the two words calmy. They dare me, testing how far I would go. I could have James stangle her. He would probably enjoy that.

"You listen to me, or you can leave. Pick." My words are cold, ice filled and intimidating.

"I gotta say, Riley, you know how to tell someone your in charge. Because I am not in the mood to get everyone pissed off when I kill you, I will behave."

"You assume too much. Keep your words to yourself." I say. I saunter back into our old house, the rest follow behind me.

Reg Carter

"I don't understand how it could've been Marcello all along," I murtur as I walk into the old apartment. I huff. "I bloody 'ate this place."

Riley nods and smiles a little. I notice Bree follow in after me.

"Perhaps if I left, I could lead Marcello away... but I couldn't do that to you Bree," I say, taking her hand and giving her a kiss. "Besides, Riles needs me, eh?"

Riley laughs a little. "Not entirely Reg. But you're good to have around."

I nod. "Well, if I wasn't, I would've left a long time ago." I wink at the James as if to say he was almost like my equivalent. Weirdly in a sense.

I walk out the back and take the first bed for a little nap.

Alis

I don't know whats come over Riley, but I hate it, hate it, hate it! She's being all bossy and in-control and stuff....

I hiss under my breath.

"Do you come in any flavor besides bitter?" Maitea asks me.

"How about sarcastic?" I say.

"Any positive flavors?" Ace asks.

"Well, if intimidating, threatining, and annoyed don't count, then no." I retort.

"Your hopless." Suzie mumbles.

"Shut up, Suzie." I say.

"Alis!" Riley says. I mutter a long stream of curses under my breath.

Ace

I shook my head and sighed. "Alis, this is bad enough. Don't make it any worse."

"Or?" she asked, her eyes fiery.

"Or...I'll cut you so bad, you'll wish I didn't cut you so bad," I grinned. She probably wouldn't get the reference; it was from some really old cartoon show. She just huffed and continued swearing under her breath.

"Don't start with me, Ace," she warned, and I dropped it. Instead, I took Maitea's hand and rearranged the strap of my messenger bag on my shoulder as we went into the apartment. "So, um...this is going to be fun."

It had an old smell to it; well, that wasn't completely surprising. It hadn't been used lately. Keeping the blinds shut, I opened some of the windows slightly to air it out. Upon opening the final window, a spider crawled out. After shrieking like a five-year-old girl, I reached for the nearest book in my bag and smashed it thoroughly. Most of the gang shook their heads and went on to whatever they were doing. Maitea laughed at me, and Alis rounded on me again.

"I told you to man up!" She shot.

I just brandished the book at her. "You're next, Alis."

"Both of you!" Riley shouted. "Just shut up for like five minutes. Is that too much to ask?"

I put the book away and went to the kitchen to stick my meds in the fridge. I hoped it worked; couldn't have it going bad. It was the last thing I needed. I was cooped up in there with a gang of people just as pissed off as I was, and perhaps more; we were all (for the most part) at each other's throats with tension. It would be just my luck, wouldn't it?

"It's only temporary," I told myself.

Bree

I wait util Reg waits up to tell him the bad news.

I say to him, "It's not just you he's after any more, Reg."

"What?" He growls.

I imitate Marcello's deep voice, "I want all of you captured, and Reg dead. And, by association, Bree."

"That bloody son of a....."

"Cool it, Reg. He won't find us."

"I don't wan' 'im within fifty miles of ya."

"If he tries anything, I'll just shoot him." I say calmly.

"It came close t'day."

"But we are still here." I asssure him. I hear Riley yelling at alis again. Lovely.

Alis

"Both of you!" Riley shouts. "Just shut up for like five minutes. Is that too much to ask?"

"Yes." I mumble under my breath. I see Ace take a suspicouis looking bag into the kitchen. For my own safety, in case its poison, I follow him. He puts the bag in the refrigerator. He turns around, andfreezes in shock when he sees me.

"What's that?" I ask him.

"Why do you care?" He asks, still inshock.

"You know Ace, there are two ways to do everything. The easy way, and the Alis way. Before I shove you into a wall, why don't you tell me whats in the bag."

"It's nothing you need to be worried about." Ace says. I crouch down, about to spring, when I feel a strong hand on my shoulder.

"Alis, leave now." Riley says.

"Make me!" I retort sharply. Riley whips out a gun and holds it to my head.

"Isn't that a little hasty." I make my voice softer.

"You will stay away from Ace from now on, do you hear me Alis. Otherwise, I can give James a pistol, and tell him to shoot you. He would probably gladly oblige. And I think Reg would be right behind him."

"Yes, Riley." I say. I hear Ace's covered up laughing. I storm out of the house.

Maitea

Alis runs out of the house. I shrug, and go to see what happened. Riley brushes coldly past me. I walk into the kitchen.

"What was that?" I ask.

"Alis being nosy and stupid." Ace sighed.

"So nothing new then?" I laugh. I open the refrigerator to see if there is anything good to eat. A brown paper bag is visible. Hoping it might be a bag of apples, I take it out. Ace's lips go white. I don't ask questions. He would tell me when he felt comftorable. I put the bag back, and take out a yogurt.

"Straweryy, my favorite!" I say sarcasticaly, playfully rolling my eyes.

"Yeah, hey Maitea, why didn't you..... nevermind." Ace says, hiding his face.

"Why didn't I what?"

"Nevermind...."

"Okay, you want a yogurt? It ain't sushi, but its still good."

"Uh, no thanks. Should we go after Alis?"

"She'll come back. She always does. With her pistols of annoyingness fully loaded, might I add." I laugh again. Ace smiles, but its faked, I can tell.

"Yeah...." he agees half-heartedly.

"Ace, seriously, what's up?"

Ace

"Ace, seriously, what's up?" Maitea asked me, her happiness seeming to fizzle for a second.

"It's just medicine," I whispered. "That's all. I have something that needs to be closely controlled or else it'll come back, and probably kill me if it did come back. As long as I don't have a relapse, I'll be fine. I just don't want anyone to know." But she'd have to know; she was the girl I loved, and it seemed wrong to hide it from her.

I took in a deep breath to calm myself as the memories started flooding back. "I just don't want everyone to think I'm helpless, you know? Or to think differently about me. When I was in middle school, the teachers wouldn't tell the bullies, 'Oh, don't mess with him; it's mean.' They'd say, 'Don't mess with him; he has leukemia.' And it thoroughly pissed me off, because the whole time I wanted them to throw a punch just to give me an excuse to take a book to their face or something. And it was all...well...I can't let it control my life. And if other people find out what's wrong, then it will."

I stopped and leaned on the counter, and looked at the shock on her face. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. But, if it makes you feel better, I'm not in danger of dying yet or anything. It's sort of...well, dormant, I guess."

I don't think that made her feel any better. She stood there in shock, and I stood there picking nervously at my fingernails, hoping nobody had overheard. But...knowing them...someone probably did.

"I don't think they'll kick you out," she said, finally. "Not as long as you're still capable of doing what needs to be done."

"Well...let's hope you're right." And let's also hope that this is the end of the drama.

She smiled. "You like hitting things with books, don't you?"

Laughing, I brought her close to me; I held her and kissed her forehead. "Apparently."

Maitea

I understood a now. All those loose strings had tied themself up. Become one, big, tangled braid.

I smile. "You like hitting things with books, don't you?"

He laughs, and kisses my forehead. "Apparently."

"Wait, bright idea! We both find a dictionary or two, and see how lon it takes us to knock Alis out." I laugh some more.

"You know, I don't think she'd take too kindly to that."

"That you know of."

"Let's go see what Riley has planned." Ace says with a sigh.

"Riley has become so....controling....since we got here, you know?" I add.

"I am not controling." Riley's voice sounded from the small living room.

"That you know of." I call back.

"Shut up Maitea."

"Shutting." I say, laughing. I can almost picture Riley rolling her eyes.

"That was an order." She says. Oh it was an order now. Huh, guess she was taking this leader thing seriously now.

"Yes Riley, whatever you say Riley." Ace mumbles under his breath, sending me into another chourus of laughter.

"Where's Suzie?" I ask suddenly, noticing the absance of my friend.

"Here." She says, seemingly materializing out of nowhere.

"Can I see that book of yours?" I ask her. She takes out her Robin Hood book.

"What are you looking for?" Ace asks.

"There seems to be a surpising lack of obsesive controling leaders in here." I say with a big grin. Suzie starts laughing too.

I'm turning Alis into a traitor. she will, though, after the fight go back to the gang. Or try to, anyway. Its up to you what you guys do with her...

Alis

Once I am far enough away from the house, I call a.....friend.

"Who is this?" Marcello's rough voice asks.

"Alis. I have a little peice of information you might want." I say.

"Alis, my dear friend, so nice of you to finally come around."

"Yes. I have had a change of heart. Meet me in WestBorough Park in five." I say, then hang up.

We arive at exactly the same time. "What is it you had to tell me?" Marcello asks.

"Two things, actually. First of all, the gang is back at the old apartment. Second of all, if you get Ace riled up enough, he will completely explode. Not litterally, but he'll black out enough so he'd be an easy target. Watch out for Maitea, though, she always is protecting him." I say all this very quickly. Marcello nodds.

"Interesting. I knew there was something wrong with that boy."

"Child." I correct Marcello.

"And should it come to a fight, you will fight with me?" Marcello asks. I simply nodd.

Reg Carter

I walk into the kitchen, noticing that everyone was having a good chuckle and seeing Maitea's face implanted into a Robin Hood book, I naturally assumed someone had been cracking out some jokes about the Merry men. I walked over to the fridge and opened it up. I looked about the fridge for a minute and got out a bottle of milk. The room was more silent when I'd come in.

"Don't let me ruin your fun," I growled as I took the milk and poured it into a glass. "Chances are, if Marcello ever catches up, I'll be dead before long."

Maitea laughed. "Sure Reg, because you're going to lose to Marcello?"

I placed the milk on the table and my head snapped around to face Maitea. I scowled and gritted my teeth as I spoke. "It ain't that little cheek Marcello I'm worried about. It's the Ghost. Sure as hell they're the same bloke, 'cept Marcello's an act. He's cleverer than we all think. Stop being naive."

I put the milk back in the fridge and slammed the door closed, before leaving the room sharply after. Riley came into the room as I left. I was just outside the kitchen in the lounge and could make out what they were saying.

"Woah. He took that to heart," Maitea commented.

"Yeah," said Ace in agreement.

"Well, the poor sod was on the run from this Ghost ever since he was twelve. I think he's got every right to take it to heart, don't you?" I heard Riley protest.

Good old Riles. She had my back, like usual. I went and sat down next to Bree with my glass of milk, downing it in one.

"So what we doin' for the weddin' then, love?" I said, trying to change the subject.

Good news! I had originally had to change the profile picture I used for Riley, but I found the original again. It took forever, but I did it. I changed in on Riley's profile.

Bree

"So what we doin' for the weddin' then, love?" Reg asks.

"I have realized now it just won't be possible to do a real wedding. Unless we all strap guns to our sides and have the best man carry a grenade." I say, laughing a little, "I think it would be best to just make it legal, you know. Not worry about anything extravagant. Just go to the church, tell the priest to marry us. Done and over with."

"But that ain't wha' you want?" Reg say, concerned.

"It won't be possible any other way. There will always be someone or something out to get us." I say. The room goes silent for a minute.

"Marcello won't live for another bloody second when I get my 'ands around 'is no good..."

"It's not just Marcello. We have the government, Riley's made a few enemies down south. It just never ends. We live on the run. Its part of this...life."

Nice, Howler....

Alis

"When do we attack?" I ask Marcello calmly.

"Soon enough. Let me just call in some help." He says. Less than ten minutes later, a van full of special ops arive. They take a look at me, and seems to surpress a shutter. One points his gun at my head.

"Dude, cool it, I am on your side." I say sharply. He looks at Marcello, then relaxes the gun.

"Alis, get there first. Aloplogize, anything that will make them trust you. wait for my signal, then go for Riley. Reg is mine." Marcello says.

"I call the blonde." A police says, refering to Maitea.

"I get the boy with blue hair." another one replies.

"Two are going to half to deal with Riley, she's lethal when angry." I interject. Someone volenteers.

"Reg ain't a walk in the park either, but I will be fine." Marcello says. ut I seriously doubted it.

Reg Carter

I hear the distand rumble of some engines and curse. I quickly stand up and walk out of the lounge leaving Bree. I peered into the kitchen.

"Get ya guns guys. We've got bloody company," I snarl. I head out into the back room and open my bag of emergency weaponry. I noticed that my old M16 was there and I took it out along with a few rounds, making sure it was loaded. This was gon'a get messy. I looked further into my bag and found a pump action shotgun; I slung it around my shoulder.

I walked back into the lounge and saw everyone waiting armed with their handguns listening attentively. They looked at me with my heavy weapons and smirked a little. Bree and Maitea seemed somewhat shocked.

Bree went for her handgun also, making sure it was loaded.

"Just make sure that we don't shoot, 'less they shoot us first," Riley said.

I nodded. "But any sign of Marcello and we go loud, eh?"

"Best way," James replied. Riley and the others seemed to agree.

"Well then, let's just make sure we come out'a this alive."