Young Writers Society

There was a knocking at my door; I didn’t even need to open it to know who it was.

“Hey Matt.”

It was Greg, but he had changed since earlier today. He was wearing gym shorts and a tee shirt, he looked cut up, but happy; I’d never seen him leave the house like this before.

“You're looking at me funny, do I have a booger?”
"No, it's just that..."
"I'm bored, let's go to your room and talk."

He was looking…I don’t know, I hadn’t seen him this way, if I were gay, I’d almost say he was cute, but only almost.

“’Bout what?” I said.
“Your mom knew I was coming by, we have time."

So many things I could have said, but I wanted to talk to him, and I couldn’t kick him out he had already made himself at home, right there on my bed.

“I guess I want to talk about life.”

He got all excited, then again this was his specialty. Greg had done so much in the fifteen years he’d been alive, and even though I was older he always seemed to be years ahead of me.

“Okay, I guess I can do that.”

By this time he was bouncing on my bed with excitement.

“I’ve been wanting to talk about my memories…and deja-vu.”
He clapped his hands like a little kid and said, “My specialty.”

See I told you.

“It seems, that everywhere I go, either I get deja-vu, or it reminds me of my old, super fun days.”
"That happens to me alot too, I see something new and at the same time it feels like I already knew about it. Movies...places...people...stuff...more stuff.”

I shot him a glance.

“I'm sorry, you can talk now,” he said.

Then he bit his finger and smiled. Greg sure was in a good mood today.

“I was in the new gym and I haven’t been there for a long time. I was with my friend Steven—running, climbing, and all that jazz.”

Watching Chicago was one of the biggest mistakes I ever made.

I continued, “Monkey business basically, and it reminds me of things…just things.”

Greg got serious all of a sudden. His smile was gone and he took off his glasses.

“So are you reminiscing or is it a rush of thoughts at once, more a medley of thoughts than a single one, or a single thought, you have to help me out man."
“Like ‘gooooooooooooooollly, I remember doing that!’ and then I get a rush of other things.”

Greg looked different. He shot me a cold stare and muttered something under his breath.

"Could you be a bit more serious?"
"You ask the questions and I'll answer however I feel."
"I will stick my foot so far up your ass."
"You know what, shut up."

We gestured immaturely at each other for about two minutes and then we stopped and it was understood that the hostility was over. We continued as if nothing happened, but his eyes stared at me more intensely than when we began.

“Do these ‘memories’ affect how you react to things? Is it a distraction? A stimulant? Nothing?”

I decided to answer his questions, not just because I didn't want a foot in my ass, but because he was my friend.

“Yeah wherever I go, it’s awesome, like little trickles of thought,” I said.

I stayed silent waiting for him to say something, to ask another question. And I waited and waited and then he threw a pillow with his cellphone in it at me.

"I was looking for my cellphone"
"What the hell Greg, you don't make sense."
“You're the one who took off the leash, if you stop again, I'll sic you like there's no tomorrow, but thank you for helping me find my phone.”
“Sorry and your welcome?”
“It’s fine really, continue.”

Greg's threat made me a little uncomfortable, but he's right I did ask him to talk with me. Next time he came over I might be asleep though...or sick...or dead, but then I'd have to deal with him the next day. I just can't win. I'd have to answer him and be glad that he made up for his shortcomings.

“It’s like torrents of remembrance, first though, it’s like a bubbling brook and then it’s…”
“It’s what Matt?”

He had calmed down and was looking at me with a gentle look in his eyes, kind of like a mother. I was thankful too because I was expecting apeshit Greg.

“Matt are you okay?”

He looked concerned. For a second there I didn’t know what he was talking about, and then it hit me. And so did he.

“Okay I deserved that, but just like that. I was looking at something that reminded me of a thing I used to do, and I just stopped talking and started to stare.”

I wanted him to ask me what I was thinking about, but he just kept interrogating me.

“So you lose yourself?” he said.
“Sometimes, yeah.”

The serious Greg was back.

“You said sometimes, what about the other times.”
“Other times, I just get the one thought, and I forget what caused the tide of thought, and it stops at the one,” I said.
“Is it a side-effect of your ADD or completely different feeling?”

Oww, low blow, but if I stopped he'd hit me.

“Completely different,” I said quickly and tried to keep the insulted tone out of my voice.
“So you more or less zone out, have you ever continued activities while this "deja vu" occurs.”

Just what was he getting at?

“Yeah, and it makes the memories stronger, which I totally like.”
“Uh-huh, I see, you’re gonna have to go deeper than that.”
“I remember once, going to a public pool, because I was in daycare, and we didn’t live in a safe neighborhood back then. But then again when I smelled the pool in the new gym, it brought me back.”
“It keeps you young, so it's good, only when it interferes with your life is it not-okay Matty.”
“I know. it hasn’t yet.”

After I said that, he laid down on my bed and seemed to be doing some remembering of his own.

“I miss talking like this Matt.”

At least I knew he still cared.

“Yeah, I do too Greg, sorry I keep thinking about the pool stuff and ignoring you.”

He was that happy little boy again.

“Matt you know I love when you confide in me.”
“And I can most of the time, unless it’s really embarrassing, but I’m getting over it.”
“I know.”

He was beaming. It was like he was a totally different person.

“Hey Matt, how come we're closest at night, and during the day we're weird toward each other.”
“Because I’m tired during the day from spending all night talking to you.”
“I guess that makes sense,” Greg didn’t buy my answer any more than I did.

“It kind of does, but it is late now, I s'pose I should go to bed, I hope we talk like this tomorrow night, heck, I know we will.”

“Sure, bye Matt.”

He gave me a hug, something was really off. To keep things going I kicked him in the shin and told him to get out. To anybody else it'd be mean, but that's just how we work.

“Bye Greg,” I said.

I waited until he was out of the house, then I changed and grabbed my gun. Just then the cellphone rang.

I answered, “Agent Possibility here.”

I left Matt’s. I knew I wasn’t supposed to be out this late, but then again when wasn’t I up and/or this late? I climbed through my window just in time to hear Nina yelling at me for some reason or other. My mom was more of a teenager than I was. I saw her waiting at the base of my stairs, I thought she knew I’d been out, but she just wanted me to turn down the TV.
The phone rang; I grabbed it fast as anything. It was “them”.

“Hey Mom, it’s for me.”
She said, “Whatever.”

I wasn’t worried about her spying on me, because all of our phones were wireless and I had all of them upstairs. Sooner or later this would blow up in my face, but until then…

I answered the phone, “Agent Theory here, may I ask who I’m talking to”.
“Greg we need you to take care of something for us.”
“What’s the pay?” I asked.
“Quarter of a mil.”
"More money that I can't touch for six more years."
"You don't even have a job."
"Yeah, whatever."
"Damn straight whatever."
“What do I tell Nina?”
“Your mother?”
“Yeah.”
“We are calling her on her cellphone now, you have been requested to attend a youth something or other in D.C.”
“I love how your briefings are so detailed and wonderful.”
"Brat."
"I love you too boss."
“I'll finish this briefing when you get there, and please do hurry, there’s a competing agent and there’s a possibility of conflict, but in theory you should be fine, as long as you don’t blow your cover.”
“You know me, theory is my friend, possibility is my bitch.”
“Greg, I won't tolerate this anymore. Start packing, please hurry.”

I hung up. I knew that wasn’t proper mission acceptance protocol, but he did say hurry. I slipped some slacks over my shorts and grabbed a black blazer off the floor. I grabbed the big suitcase. I more or less stuffed it with one closet and one dresser of clothes. Then of course the essentials: my gameboy, wrap gloves, and a black hoodie. I grabbed my tie and hoped that someone on the way would help me with it. I ran down the stairs, and what did I hear? It was Nina telling me to pack.

I yelled back, “Already did, just got the call.”

I kissed her on the cheek and waved goodbye to Tyler. Then she told me that she’d drive me to the airport and I told her it wasn’t necessary and gave her directions just off the drop point. On the way we stopped by an ATM and she gave me $1000 and a lecture about spending it responsibly. I told her I loved her and had her leave me in a nearby Wal-Mart parking lot. I pulled on my hoodie, and stuck one of the guns from my suitcase and stuck it in my jean holster after Nina dropped me off. You can never be too safe. I went to the drop point which was about a mile off and waited for the copter. It was Agent 9, she was looking rather pretty, sporting her leather and pilot goggles.

“I’m not riding with you am I?”
She answered, “Yes, if you mean by ride with me, meet me there then yes.”
"But babe why?"
"You have to be there for your international students representation meeting at the UN."
"So do you."
"But I live there."
"What do you have for me?"

Typical exchange of gadgets.

“Here you are: a portable ticket dispenser, sunglasses/camera combo, and we went all out to indulge you on these, layered spider-goat silk gauntlets, in black of course.”
“Thanks, see you later, Emily.”
“Shut up, Greg, we could get in trouble.”
"Doubt it."
"And why's that?"
“I brought a special one from home, frequency disruptor, so we’re good.”
“Last time you left it on and the battery ran out."
That's what it seemed like to you, to them I took out a security obtacle so they could shoot up Moreno."
"I almost forgot why you still worked here."
"And now you know."
"Richt, your ride is about 120 miles off, we left an ATV, and no blowing it up this time.”
“I never have.”
“I know, I just always wanted to say that.”

With that she got back in her heli and flew off. And I have to say as much as I loved that girl, it’s still difficult to face a lifting helicopter. With that my best friend and sister was off. I looked toward the beauty she left behind. It was just like the one from home, only better. It was a red Kawasaki, no numbers on it. Custom job.

“Nice,” I said as I checked it for defects i.e. explosives.
“Thought you’d like it,” it was Emily.
"You thought right," I said as I got onto "Angela" (Yeah, I named it. So what?)

She installed a two way communicator. She stared to say something, but I shut it off. I was too in love with this beast between my legs. I started it up, and it was auto transmission.

I whispered to the sky, “Thank you, God.”

Then I drove off.
I reached the limits of the airport and there it was a limo. I parked the ATV and turned on the GPS.
I grabbed that hella big suitcase off that monster, and said, “I will miss you," in a chocked up voice.

Then I took off the pullover and draped it over my arm and headed toward the limo.

A man opened the door, and I said, "Hi, are you here to drive me to the gate?"
Unfortunately he said, "No."

He grabbed me and got me in the limousine with limited resistance. I didn't want to tip my hand until there was nothing left to for me to use. I let them tie me up and as they went to my suitcase they found it combination locked. I didn’t even know the combination. While they tinkered with it, I contorted my body all sorts of ways until I got the rope loose. Then I stopped so it looked like I gave up.

“Hey guys, my mommy always told me to have something up my sleeve.”

I stood up and pulled out the handgun—not really sure what model or whatever it was, and got out of the car.

"Damn he's got a gun"
"You were too masculine to frisk me, and it came back to haunt you. It's a shame I would've let you too."
Then the biggest said, “Simmer down boy, you don't wanna go and get hurt."
"I'd love to stay, but you heard what my mommy told me."
"Mine told me to never reveal all my aces.”

There was a man behind me with a gun. He hit me down with it.
After a minute of cringing and pain while I listened to laughing and talking I replied, “I never do.”

I covered my eyes, pulled a flash from my jacket, and ran to the airport gates.
As I ran I muttered to myself,"They should have frisked me."
About 15 minutes of running, staying dry, silent breathing later I found my ride. I heard footsteps every so often, but I was in no condition to shoot. It was about then that I saw Matt running the same way. I figured he got lost and decided to go on foot and then he saw me. So I waved him over.

“Matt, this way.”

I jumped the gate and I was tired. I had my orders, and I was told about a competing agent but never expected direct interference, by the Organization. I was too young for this, luckily for me Greg was here. I’d ask him why later. I was being tailed, it was a big guy too. Greg waved me over, then he leaned into his car. I knew he saw me, what the hell was he doing? He pulled out a heavy gun. I don't know what it was but he looked like he was about to buckle. There was no "get down" or anything like that. He just shot. Yeah, I got down, but I got covered in mess too. I would never get onto him for being a crazy ass again, I owed him.

“Get in Matt.”

He dropped the gun and I helped him into the limo.

I looked at him funny, “Oh, almost forgot here you go,” he said.

He handed me a handgun and laid down on the seat. I could tell he was choking back tears, he was scraped up pretty bad.

"Driver!"

He laid back down.
"You alright man," I asked out of serious concern.
He lifted his head clear eyed, statuesque, and commanding, and said, “I’ll take this window, you take that one.”
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“I suspect that they’re terrorists, they hassled me at the gate, luckily for me the limo I was going in and the driver were well equipped.”

I looked around it was well equipped even had a TV, very nice.

“What did you say you were doing out here Greg.”
“I didn’t, I’ll tell you later love, no worries.”

Even when being shot at in his condition he was more level headed than me. There were two cars.

“Take the one on your side I can handle myself Matt.”

And handle it he did. I remember the name of this gun, the Taurus-454. Two limos whirred around the corner and Greg riddled the closest one with standard bullets. Five of the fastest shots I'd seen in a while, but not enough to take care of the limo. I started to think that maybe he couldn't take care of himself as well as he thought, it was the last bullet that wowed me. He shot it straight into the windshield and nothing happened, but Greg closed his window and covered his head. I assumed he was hiding from fire. In a way he was.

"Get down," he said.
"We're under fire Greg, I don't know how much longer this limo can hold out."
“No worries mate,” he said.
I said, “What the hell do you mean no worries?”
He started counting down, “3, 2, 1…”

The limo that occupied thoughts for the last few seconds wasn't there anymore, in its stead was fire, lots and lots of fire. The gun Greg handed me wasn't a revolver like his, it was a sniper rifle. I knew what was expected of me. I let down my window and took one shot. That's all it took to take down the driver. It's what Greg needed from his "living ace".

"Matt, what are you doing?"

I started pulling my gun out of the window when I was grazed and dropped the gun.

He yelled, "Driver!"

The driver threw Greg two suitcases. Greg opened the suitcases and removed their contents. He put one suitcase on the floor and let the gauze roll out on the seat. Driver proceded rolled up the window. Greg stopped the window and threw a grenade in the road, but he didn't close the case. Then he wrapped my arm with gauze wrap, while looking through the rear window. He stopped tying my arm and pressed the button in the suitcase.

Then there was an explosion.

“Driver take us to the main terminal,” he said in a commanding voice, then he said, “Where are you headed Matt?”
“D.C.,” I told him.
“Me too, here I always bring a spare tic, and I packed enough clothes for like a year, so we’ll be good.”
“What makes you think I need a new ticket?”
“Because you need new pants,” he said as he finished appying the gauze.

I was soaked.

“Detour?” he asked.
“Yeah.”

Greg gave me a change of clothes and looked away and didn't move for a while. I thought he was just giving me privacy truth be told he was sleeping.
While Greg stared I watched TV. On one channel it seemed like someone was talking to me. I turned to watch it, but Greg shot the television and got out of the limo. I started to say something, but I remember what I promised myself and given the situation he was allowed to be a bit of a crazy ass, I'd just have to deal with it and stay on his good side.

We started inside and the limo drove away. I started to say something as I dragged Greg's heavy as fuck suitcase, but he pointed to his foot and I then I remembered my desire not to have a foot up my ass and kept pulling.

I'm lost, to be honest--I'll read it over again in a while, maybe it'll make more sense.

Despite being slightly confuzzled, I likethis so far--the action is dead on, the humor is clever, and the cvharacters are liekable. Good stuff. You might consider spicing up your vocab a bit, for the sentence structure seems off and the adjectives are pretty bland.

My favorite line from this was

“I was in the new gym and I haven’t been there for a long time. I was with my friend Steven—running climbing and all that jazz.”

Watching Chicago was one of the biggest mistakes I ever made.

That was a nice touch.