only part of one of my books...sorry it's a bit long14:59 Feb 22 2008
Times Read: 531
Ruben Cole
Ruben Cole is a 17 year old private investigator. His job is to bust the criminals in their tracks, but what happens when everything goes wrong? In this story, you will learn more about Ruben and his criminal mind, along with the secrets of the police force, and a beautiful stranger who mysteriously appears at every scene.
JUNE 13TH, 1999 4:13 PM
This was it. This was the day everything would get started. The guns are loaded into shipping boxes, and the money’s being delivered right now. Everything should go exactly as planned, but they didn’t expect their top most trusted member to turn them in. His name was Snake Eyes. He had a knack for rolling the dice. Truthfully, he was Ruben Michael Cole. A plain name, but a well known one. He was one of the top most hated police officers in the force by the mobs and mafia, mainly because of his reputation. His mind worked like a criminal’s, only, he used it for good. It is said that he can not only capture any criminal, but pretend to BE the perfect criminal as well. He is an necessity to the police. I guess you could say he’s perfect, but let’s get back to the present shall we? Chief, the boss of the drug deal that just got busted, was so easily fooled. Ruben only had to earn his rust to make it to the top. It took effort though, to persuade everybody else. Once at the top, second in command, he led them all on a wild goose chase. They were really only getting plastic replicas instead of guns from the police (also undercover.) Yes, the whole thing was Ruben’s idea. I told you that he was a genius. So any ways, other than the major bust, nothing interesting really happened for a while. But then...
JULY 2ND 2000 3:15 AM
This will be the perfect plan. An easy enough escape for a fool proof plan. In two day’s time, it will all go down. All the dust is loaded into parade containers supposedly having been filled with confetti. As a precaution, the money is safely hidden in the suitcase of an “innocent” working man. No police, no traitors, and best of all, no Ruben Cole. It was going to go smoothly, so smoothly that the Chief would never know that it happened. It was almost time for the trade off.
Meanwhile, reports were coming in as usual at the office. Mike knew that it was Ruben’s day off, and knew that he only got one once in a blue moon, but he had to call him in. He picked up the phone and dialed. Hopefully, he hasn’t left the house yet.
By now, Ruben was just waking up at the sound of his neighbor’s dog yapping like usual. He sighed as he got out of bed and trudged to his shower. It woke him up instantly with a rush of freezing cold water pouring down on the top of his head. He turned the handle so it became warm. Steam rose in curling tendrils fogging the mirrors and drifting out under the door as the water relaxed his tired muscles. At four ‘o’ clock, his alarm rang like a foghorn screaming through the night. He threw on an old pair of jeans and a button up t-shirt. He was off duty today, but just in case, he grabbed his badge and gun, and put them in his back pocket. All of a sudden, the phone rang. “Hello. Ruben here.”
“Ruben? Thank God I got you before you left.” Mike sounded breathless. Ruben was only too aware of his boss’s tone. “What is it Mike? I can come in right away if you need me to.” A sigh echoed through from the other line. “No no Ruben. I just had to ask you something.”
“O.k.” He waited. “Uh boss, what’s the question?”
“Huh? Oh yeah. The question was...in the case with the Volturi Mob, what did they call the boss?” Ruben stood there for a moment. “Chief.”
“What?” He sighed. “No Mike, his name was Chief.” A chuckle sounded. “Oh. Thanks a lot Ruben. Go back to whatever you were doing now. Sorry for calling you so early.”
“O.k. I’ll be in tomorrow.” He hung up the phone and turned on his cell. Something didn’t sound right with the boss today. He rubbed his temples. Pudding came up beside him and wound herself in between his legs. “Oh right. Sorry Pudding, I forgot to feed you.” As he walked over to get the cat food, she purred loudly. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. It’s nothing to worry about. If it really was important, he would’ve told me.” He set the open can on the floor, scratched her back, and locked the door behind him when he left.
Ame was just leaving the breakfast house when Justin walked through the door. He was outraged. “Where the HELL were you?!” People stopped eating and just stared at the two of them. “Well, I was hungry, so I got some breakfast. Is that a problem?” She, unlike her friend, was calm and composed. He glared at her. He knew she wouldn’t get in trouble for this because she is the Chief’s favorite. If you knew what she looked like, you would know why. She has shoulder length, straight, dark brown hair, with honey-chestnut eyes. Her skin is fragile looking, but tanned and strong. Her smile was bright and she herself was just plain beautiful.
He shook his head slowly, ridding himself of these thoughts. “Never mind. Just hurry up, will ya? Chief was expecting you two hours ago.” She smiled. “Fine. You boys are all so impatient.” She stood up revealing her long legs in a short skirt, looped her arm around his, and walked out the door. She knew Justin could be distracted so easily. All she had to do was gently brush her hand against his arm or shoulder, and he would be putty in her hands. That was the same for most of the boys in the crew. Just then, Ruben walked past only a mere three feet away to go into the music store next door. She saw him, slightly slouched, staring at nothing in particular. He felt her gaze, and turned. He stopped for a split second and not only noticed her, but SAW her as well. He turned away quickly and noticed she did the same. He disappeared into the store, as she fled around the corner with Justin still hanging onto her arm.
When they were four buildings ahead, he turned on her. “What was that all about?” She looked at him seeming confused, when she knew all too well what he was talking about. “What was what Justy?”
“That thing with the kid. You know, the one by the music store.” She looked at him for a second. “Oh! That thing. Nothing ‘happened’ Justin. Besides, where do you get of calling him a kid? I don’t think you’re any older. In fact, he looked older than you by at least two months or something.” She smiled, then laughed at him in a mocking tone. “Was little Justin jealous?” she cooed. He glared at her. “No, I was not jealous! Don’t even joke about that. I don’t get jealous.” Her arm tightened around his. “It’s O.K. to be jealous sometimes Justin.” She leaned over to breathe in his ear, and he froze. Her grin widened. She tugged on his ear to make him move. “C’mon Justin, let’s go see Chief.”
Mike stared blankly at the wall in front of him. He knew Ruben would have figured out that something was wrong by now. Knowing Ruben, he’ll probably just lay it off unless he’s called and told to come over. He didn’t want to do that to poor Rube. It was his day off, and he deserved it. They could handle a simple drug dealing by themselves couldn’t they? Even if it was the Chief again. The last heist took quite a bit of thought, and this one probably wasn’t as well planned. The Volturi most likely thought that if they kept a “low profile,” they couldn’t be caught this time. That might’ve been true, if there wasn’t a bug planted on them. He sighed, and tackled his paperwork.
Who was that? She was so beautiful. The man with her was handsome himself, but nowhere near good enough for her. He was strong looking, and tall. They looked more like wonderful friends. He had hair so dark, it almost looked black. His skin was tanned, and he seemed angry yet defeated.
Yes, he noticed all of this in a single glance. He was that good. He grabbed a Gorillazs CD off the rack, examined the songs, and tossed it aside taking a look at the rest of the selection. Deciding on a Foo Fighter’s CD, he stepped in line. He pulled out a ten and some ones. “Hello Ruben. How’ve ya been lately?” The cashier was his old buddy Josh. He was round in the face, in a childish way, average sized, and deeply tanned. He thought to himself. ‘What is with people being so tan these days?’ He smiled at himself. “Hey Josh. Geez, my one day off, and the boss has already got me worried.” He looked at Ruben for a moment. “Are you gonna ring it up Josh, or just stare at me all day?” They both laughed as the CD came up $9.95. “Hmm. I thought these things cost more than ten bucks.”
“Oh they did, but we lost sales, so the prices got knocked down.” He threw it in a bag. “Hey, hey, hey. Careful with the merchandise. It’s almost as cool as me.” Josh grinned. He had white teeth, but who didn’t these days with all the whiteners out there. “Well then, I guess it’s not even worth the ten bucks now is it?” He started laughing. His laugh was deep, with a certain charm he couldn’t quite place. Ruben smiled back. “You know, you can be such a jerk sometimes.”
“Well, I guess telling the truth has it’s ups and downs.” Ruben walked out of the store chuckling to himself. Enthusiastically, he strode down the street lithely. It was his first day off in what seemed like a lifetime, and he wasn’t going to waste it worrying about the boss. Even so, his thoughts occasionally wandered back to that girl.
A bullet whistled through the air. It was Justin. He was thinking about Ruben, but not aware of his thought process. He didn’t know Ruben to be exact, but he’s heard of him. He had no idea that it was the same guy Ame and himself passed a short while ago. A door opened, and Max walked in. “Still thinking about that Ruben guy.” It wasn’t so much as a question than a statement. He looked off at the target he just fired at and nodded in response. “Don’t worry man, everything will go smoothly. You know that.”
“Do I Max? Do I really?” He stopped firing and turned to stare Max right in the eyes. “Chief didn’t notice anything until it was to late, and none of us could do anything to stop it either. Hell, for all we know, he could be here again...same as before.” He looked at his partner as if he had just admitted some dark secret that he didn’t want anybody to know about. “Aww c’mon Justin, don’t be like that. It was one fluke. You can’t let it ruin your whole life.” He picked up a gun and started hitting the target as easily as he breathed. Justin on the other hand, found it difficult to hit the target due to lack of concentration. He sighed and put the gun away. Max saw the opening, and took it. “So, where’d you find Ame?” He unleashed another round of bullets into the target no less than thirty feet away. Justin turned hard. “At the breakfast place.”
“Really? For a whole two hours?” He put his gun down. “Yeah. Then on our way out, some kid walked by and she just stared at him, Ya know? I mean, they both just stared at each other. It was only for a second, but something was there. She said she’s never even seen the guy before either.”
“Hmm. That’s kinda weird. I guess it was just some strange incident, but so what if she liked him? I mean was he ‘good looking?’” He used air quotes on the last two words. “I guess you could say he was. Not my definition, but to someone like Ame...sure.” Max nodded. “Well, I think you were only jealous because she doesn’t look at you that way.” Justin glared at him. “Oh, and you think she does to you?” His sarcasm laid itself upon the sentence thickly. “No. I’m not saying that at all. I only said that it is possible for her to find a person more attractive than you.” At that, Justin turned and walked out of the room. Max chuckled quietly to himself. “He’s just jealous, whether he’ll admit it or not.” With that said, he too left the room.
In the mean time, Ame was sitting alone in her complex. Her dark brown hair was pulled up into a scrunchy, and she turned on the television. The guy she saw earlier when she was with Justin...why wouldn’t he leave her mind. Nothing about him was really interesting. He was really cute though. He looked like he might be more mature than all the other guys she knew. He wouldn’t be so easily fooled. She sighed as she remembered his light black hair and his curious expression that was on his face. He stayed in her thoughts until she fell asleep that night.
He paced back and forth in his office. Should he call Ruben or not? The news he just received from the front desk wasn’t good. Their bug was found, and shot. It wasn’t really a bug though, and that’s the problem. His name was detective Jonathan Grady. He was one of the best undercover agents the police had. Now, not only was Jonathan gone, but nobody else was willing to take the job. He had a decision to make...but what would it be?
Ruben stepped out of the bus, and into the mall. He had money, just not a car. He could drive easily enough, just not when put under the pressure of a driver’s test. In the urgency of a police chase, he could drive perfectly, just a little differently. He liked to go fast when driving a car. Speeding and swerving to a stop was his specialty. It didn’t matter though. He didn’t exactly work with the police, just for them. His favorite time to drive, was when he was chasing down a murderer on what the police call a “desert path.” A fast car, and an empty road with only one goal in mind, chasing down a bad guy. That is the one thing Ruben loved the most, next in line are hats. Almost any kind of baseball hat he’d get. They were his favorites. It was strange though. He never wore the hat, just bought it. Nobody understood him, but honestly, they were used to it.
He walked up to a cashier holding a new I-Pod. It was green. Not just any green, but a bright lime green. It was one of his favorite colors. He handed the money over in full pay, in cash. Yes...he had that money. Only, he didn’t like to flaunt it around like most people would. The cashier wasn’t suspicious as she rung him up. She knew him from the last time he bought something expensive and paid in full. He had to prove to her that he was indeed a police member, and the money was both A) real, and B) not stolen. He walked out of the store heading home.
On the couch sat Ruben’s beloved Pudding. She purred, stretched, and fell back to sleep only to dream of soft, giant pillows, and lots of treats.
He picked up the phone and dialed. He hated himself for having to do this to Ruben, but it was his only option left. It rung five times before the answering machine picked up. “Uh...hey. I’m not here now so leave a message and I’ll uh get back to you.” Before the beep could sound, he hung up the phone. Strange, shouldn’t he be home by now? He decided to dial his cell phone.
Half way down the street, his phone rang. “Ruben here. Who’s calling?” There was a short pause. “Ruben? It’s Mike. I need you to come to the office.”
“Sure, what’s wrong?”
“Well, remember Jonathan?” A pause. “Yeah.”
“Well, he’s dead. The Volturi shot him.” Another pause, only longer. “I’m on my way.” With that said, he hung up and ran.
Waking up, Ame realized that she wanted to see that guy again. She knew she had no way to know who he was, or how to find him, she only wanted to see him once more. Something about him interested her. Maybe it was his uncaring yet curious glance her way, or maybe it was because he didn’t come over to talk to her. It troubled her. Who, she thought, could so easily ignore her? She stood up and changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She stepped outside in the back alley and headed off in no particular direction. In three block’s time, she found herself in front of the music store. She shrugged, and walked in.
Josh was having a normal day as usual, when all of a sudden, some girl walked in. She was beautiful. Short brown hair, tanned skin, and in shape too. She wandered over to a rack of oldies, paused, and moved on. She finally walked up to him and smiled. “Excuse me, but I’m looking for somebody. If I described him to you, would be able to tell me his name?”
“Umm...maybe. Was he here before?” She thought about how long ago it was, and nodded. “Probably just a couple hours ago really.” He paused. “O.K. What’s he look like then?” She frowned for only an instant, and smile once again. “Well, he’s kind of tall, wore jeans and a button up shirt, has hair down to his ears I think, and it’s a light black color.” He knew who she was talking about, he just couldn’t believe it. “Yeah I know him.” Her smile grew a fraction. “Really? You do?” He couldn’t believe this. She didn’t even know his name, and she still wanted to find him. “Why do you want to know anyway? After all, it’s not like you two know each other.” She frowned again, her perfect nose wrinkled. “I don’t know exactly. I guess I just wanted to meet him. Are you two friends?” He looked at her in disbelief. “Yeah, we’re pretty good friends.” She sighed and hung her head. “O.K. then. I guess I’ll go now. Good bye.” She turned to leave. He knew he would regret this somehow eventually, but he didn’t want to upset her. “If you tell me your name, I can pass word along to him. He doesn’t get off of work too much, but I guess I could call him.” She started walking again. “No, that’s all right. Thanks for asking though.” She headed out the door and made a left. By the time she got back to her house, it was dark and raining.
He ran into the office doors partially wet, it was drizzling outside. He saw Mike standing behind his desk. “Mike! Tell me what the hell happened with the Volturi.” They stared at each other and he sighed. “It’s a long story Ruben.” He sat down on a chair while Ruben leaned on the desk. “I have time.” Mike shook his head and began. “It happened two days ago. He was found in a back alley near the corner of Fifth and Elm Street. There was a message next to him though. It said...BUG US AGAIN, AND YOU ALL DIE...” He got up and crossed the room. “We think it happened on Wednesday morning.” After going through all of the details, taking up another hour of time, Ruben got up, shook his head slowly, and walked out the door. “Ruben, where are you going?”
“For a walk.” His answer was cold and hard with a hint of remorse. The doors shut swiftly behind him. Mike knew how personal this was for Ruben. Jonathan was a good friend to him. Now, he was positive Ruben would somehow get to the bottom of this. It was Ruben’s way. If it was personal, it was solved.
Either way he looked at it, he knew he wasn’t going to get Ame to like him the way he liked her. She was too beautiful. She would be able to get anybody she wanted, so why would she want him? Justin paced back and forth. He just couldn’t believe that she would like a kid that she only had a glance of. He not only couldn’t believe it, but he wouldn’t. He smiled at the thought of punching him in the face next time they met. He laughed out loud while heading for his bed.
Max sighed as the memory of a few days ago crept back into his head. One of their own. He had to shoot one of their own, or at least thought was one of them. Bulls Eye ended up being one of the cops. His real name was Jonathan Grady, a good shot, no, hell, a perfect shot. It was a shame, but it had to be done. Who knows how long he was bugged, and how much the police know now? He sighed, and jumped in bed. After all, it was late, and he was tired.
At home, Ruben fed Pudding once more, scratched her back for a while, and left again. It was dark, and close to purring outside. The street lights gave him enough light so he wouldn’t be completely blinded. He heard a scuffle from behind him about twenty minutes after he left his house. He was near the park, and the swings moved in the wind. The chains groaned slightly as he sat down. A figure dashed past his peripheral vision, and settled in a bush. Another one followed suit, as well as a third. He stood up, and started walking again. They followed close behind. Another five minutes passed, when they jump out to attack. Ruben was ready for them.
He darted to the side as one of them, he noted as a man, tried to slam into him from behind. As he fell, Ruben jumped up, grabbing onto a branch from the tree he was under. He swung around and landed a full force kick into the other man headed his way. He flew backwards and landed with his face in the mud. The third, he saw, was also a man. He stayed unseen for another minute as the first man stood up to take a swing at his head. He ended up skimming Ruben’s cheek and drew some blood from a ring that he wore. Ruben grabbed his wrist and twisted it backwards with enough force to hear the bone break. Finally, the third came out from where he was hiding, and attacked. He landed on Ruben’s back, swinging a punch that would knock any normal person out. Instead, he just fell to the ground, only to get up again in seconds. The man stared in amazement and fear. Ruben smiled. Is that all you’ve got? Three against one isn’t fair, but it’s kind of pathetic when only one of you can land a punch.
The men stayed where they were. One was unconscious in the mud, the other was holding his wrist in pain from the break, as the third just stood there frozen in disbelief. “You know, it’s not such a great idea to jump somebody who was once an FED. To tell the truth, it’s just plain stupid.” He laughed. The third man fell to the ground when his knees gave out. “Please, don’t kill us. Please.” That made him frown. “I’m not gonna kill you. After all, I’d only be charged as a minor, seeing as I’m only seventeen.” He paused for a moment. “I’ll let you off his time, but just in case, if I ever see you guys again, you’re truly mine.” He spoke those words with the look on his face. The look that said “If you knew what was good for you, you’ll never let me see you again.” The man on the ground grabbed the unconscious one, and started dragging him away as the one with a broken wrist stared at Ruben limply. “I may have just kicked your asses, but I’m still the good guy. Get a brace for that, and cover it in ice until you get to the hospital. They’ll fix it right up for you.” The man nodded as Ruben walked away.
JULY 3RD 2000 6:30 AM
He woke up with a headache the size of a whale. Once more, the neighbor’s dog was barking it’s stupid head off. He dragged himself out of bed, and started the water for the shower. Yet again, the first burst was freezing cold, but today, he decided to keep it that way. Warmth would make him even more tired then he already was. He had to stay awake, to be able to concentrate on the task that laid ahead. Last night’s memories floated back to him slowly. Three men, a park, and some serious ass whooping. At this he smiled slightly. They should’ve known better. Pudding meowed softly as he walked out of the bathroom. “Thanks Pudding. You always know when to be quiet.” She purred as he walked into the kitchen to feed her. Putting coffee on for himself, he rubbed the towel through his hair for a quick dry as he pulled on another pair of jeans, and his FED shirt. He never liked to tuck it in like everybody else, so he walked around with an un-tucked shirt, and blue jeans. Any new police officer of FED would probably start spazing about 1) how he walked around without a correct uniform on, 2) how young he was when he first started working in “the force”, and 3) how he could come and leave whenever he liked because he wasn’t a TRUE part of the police. He pulled on his sneakers, and grabbed some Aspirin from the cabinet. He was glad that he didn’t have any parents for this reason mostly. They would always complain about how he wasn’t getting enough sleep, his late nights, and his messy uniform. Even though he didn’t miss any of this, he would always miss the “welcome home” his mother used to say when he would walk through the door, or the occasional “I’m proud of you kiddo” by his father. These thoughts and memories, he would share with nobody. They were his, and his alone. A half hour later, he walked out the door to head for work.
The sunlight peering through the curtains is what woke Ame up. She stretched, and walked over to her dresser. She didn’t need another shower. She just took one the night before, and only slept right after, so she was still O.K. until that night. She quickly threw on another outfit that matched with today’s mood. She always did that. Whatever she felt, was how she dressed. Today, it was all gray all the way. Her corduroys, t-shirt, and sweater. Grey was cold, like it was outside. She felt cold too. She grabbed a muffin from her counter, and walked out to meet Justin.
Justin woke up with a groan. He rolled over, and fell back asleep for another hour or two.
Mike had already woken up a few hours ago, and by now, was headed towards the office to talk to Ruben. He could tell that it was going to be a long day already.
Ruben entered the office twenty minutes later and sat in Mike’s desk waiting for him to arrive. People stared at him as he walked past, but he couldn’t understand why. It’s not like they haven’t seen him without a proper uniform before. He sighed, and leaned back in the overstuffed chair.
She couldn’t stand it any longer. Justin stood her up. He was supposed to be meeting her an hour and a half ago. Maybe it was pay back for him getting in trouble yesterday for having to wait for her. She sighed, drummed her fingers against the table for a while, the pulled out her cell phone.
The phone rang eight times, the the answering machine picked up. “Justin, you were supposed to meet me an hour and a half ago. Where the heck are you? I swear, if you don’t call me back, I’ll never talk to you again!” He rolled over to far and fell off the bed. “Fuck!” He rubbed his head and grabbed some clothes to change into. He didn’t know he was that late. He thought it’d only be by a couple of minutes or a half hour tops. He really got her mad didn’t he? He grabbed the phone, almost yanking the cord out, and dialed her number. Hopefully, she wouldn’t be too mad.
Mike walked through the doors, and to his office. He saw Ruben sitting in his chair with the strangest expression on his face. “Ruben.” He looked up. “Mike.” He put his bag down in the corner, and grabbed the other chair. “So why are you---”
“What? Why the hell is everybody looking at me like that?” He blinked. “Why wouldn’t they? What happened to your face?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your cheek. What happened to it? It’s bleeding.” He reached in his bag and felt around for what he was looking for. He pulled out a handkerchief and tossed it to Ruben. “Jesus Rube, how did you not notice?” He grabbed the handkerchief and pressed it against the side of his face. It stung. He pulled it away, and noticed a good amount of blood soaking through. “Oh that.” Mike stared at him incredulously. “Oh that? Mind explaining what happened?” Ruben smiled slightly as he relived the previous night. By the time he was finished, Mike was shaking his head. “Jesus Rube...wherever there’s trouble, you’ll find it.”
“Hey, in my defense, they deserved what they got.” He covered his mouth as he started to cough. Mike stared at him again, only this time, taking in all of his features. “You know Ruben, you don’t look to good. Maybe you should go home and take some time off for a while.” He stood up abruptly. “No way Mike. I remember what you told me about Jonathan. Nobody’s gonna get away with this. They WILL pay. I won’t take a day off until I catch them, and you know that better than I do.”
“O.K. calm down Ruben. You can work at your house on the case, but you will not come back until you’re better. Got it?” He had defiance in his eyes, but he knew when he was beat. “Fine. I’ll stay home, but I won’t stay there forever. I’m only doing this because you’re my boss. If you weren’t, would’ve won this.” Mike smiled at Ruben’s abstinence. “But I am your boss, so you will go home. I’ll have somebody come over with all the paperwork on this, but Ruben, you must remember something.” He paused, making sure he had Ruben’s attention. “You can’t win them all.”
“To hell I can’t.” It was then, when he stormed out the doors, and walked away.
Minutes after she hung up, her phone rang. Her favorite song bounced around as she looked at the caller ID and noticed it was Justin calling. Flipping it open with a flick of her wrist, she sighed and answered. “Hello Justin.” Quick breathing came from the other line. “Now Ame, before you say anything, I’m sorry. I slept in and woke up when you called and fell off the bed. Now I’m on my way over. I’m sorry, please don’t be too mad.” He stopped talking for a moment to catch his breath while she contemplated her answer. “Well, actually, I suppose I can forgive you. Just don’t take too long to get here. I’m starting to get hungry.” She hung up and started to laugh at how easily Justin could be manipulated. She called a waiter over from her seat in the miniature restaurant and placed her order of a salad and a larger burger for Justin. It should be done around the time he got there. Still, she couldn’t help but keep thinking about that other guy. She wanted to know who he was, but she would probably never see him again. It’s a shame though, he wouldn’t leave her thoughts. She thoughtfully stirred her iced tea with a straw as she waited for Justin to arrive.
It was an hour later when he finally arrived where he wanted to be; the park cemetery. He sat down in the grass next to his parent’s tomb stones and sighed. “God I miss you guys. Why the hell did you have to go on that fucking vacation?” His hand traced the words carved in the stone. ‘R.I.P. Beloved wife/husband and loved mother/father. Always remembered with the truest of souls.’ He did something that only happened when he was there...he cried. Silently, but for a long time, he sat there watching the birds that flew from the willows. After a couple of hours, he stood stiffly, and walked away.
All of a sudden, Justin burst through the doors and looked around quickly meeting Ame’s gaze. He smiled timidly, as he sat down across from her. As if summoned, the food appeared and was set in front of them. She just watched him as he stared at his burger. “...are you gonna eat it or wait until it flies away?” He looked up, and she was smiling. That was a good sign. He picked it up and took a bite. It one one of the best burgers he’s tasted. “This is really good.” She grabbed her own fork, and began to eat her salad. “So tell me again why you’re late.” He swallowed and swigged down a mouthful of water. “Well,” he began, “I was out practice shooting last night and was too tired to wake up this morning when my alarm went off. Then you called a while later, making me fall off the bed hitting my head.” He rubbed the spot where he hit his head on the corner of the bed. He smiled apologetically this time as she started to laugh. She started eating her salad again as he dug back into his burger. She smiled to herself thinking about Ruben once again.
The cookie jar crashed onto the floor breaking open. Inside it were not cookies, but treats, and Pudding knew that all to well. She happily scarfed down the food as Ruben sulked around town.
Max was just walking down the street as a depressed looking guy came down the same street from the opposite direction. He looked to be deep in thought, with dark circles under his eyes, partly shielded by his light black hair. Yes, he recognized the guy from Justin’s description. It was the man Ame supposedly liked. Max guessed he was a normal person with cool hair. It was messy, but neat at the same time. Besides, who’s ever heard of light black hair that’s almost a dark shade of gray? He looked pretty interesting. They passed each other, and that’s when Max noticed the huge scar that was on his cheek. Ruben passed without even a glance at Max because he was to deep in thought to pay attention to anything else. They kept walking, and soon were out of sight of each other.
He walked past his best friend’s killer, and didn’t even realize it. He was too overpowered by his own thoughts to notice much else, except that he was hungry. He strode into a small restaurant a few blocks away, and sat down in a corner seat. A lady came over to take his order, but he didn’t even see her until she tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up. “Umm...sir, can I get you anything?” He thought for a moment. “I’ll have a water and anything else you recommend.” She stood there watching him. “So what do you recommend Miss?”
“Uh...well, our pasta rigatoni is pretty good.” He smiled. “Then I’ll have the pasta.” She nodded and walked away. Once she left, Ruben was free to stare down at the table to continue his thought process. If somebody really knew Johnathan, then they wouldn’t kill him, or at least wouldn’t want to kill him. Or they could have been just a plain horrible person and just like killing things. If so, then they would be more then willing to kill him anyways. The woman came back with his food tapping him on the shoulder again, breaking his attempted mental breakthrough. He smiled at her again. “Thank you.” This time, she smiled back before she left.
Ame just couldn’t believe it. The guy from before was sitting in the same place as she was, only tables away. His smile was sweet, but he himself looked occupied with something that was probably important. She didn’t care, she was going over to say hi one way or another. In the mean time, Justin was still talking about nothing in particular. She got up, and waked over to where he sat, his untouched food right in front of him. “Hi.” He looked up, confused as to why she was talking to him or as if he didn’t even see her. It was amazing. He looked better than before. His eyes were the color of emeralds. A beautiful green. They seemed to melt right before her when he was taken out of his own private trance. “Hello.” She smiled tentatively. “Umm...any chance you have the time?” He looked at her for a moment longer, then at his cell phone. “It’s 5:34.” She smiled again. His voice was rough, but soft at the same time. As she walked away and sat back down with Justin, he turned to look at who she went to talk to. Remembering who it was, he turned back around to catch Ame’s attention once again before she was totally lost from the real world in her imagination.
Mike was taking his break across the street from the office at a deli eating a sandwich. His expression was thoughtful as he worried about Ruben. He knew Rube more than most other people did, and he wasn’t sure what he would do. After all, just finding out that one of your greatest friends was killed completely throws somebody off balance.
She looked so familiar. ‘Who is she? Her eyes are a chestnut color, and her hair looked so soft.’ It was killing him inside not knowing who she was or where he saw her before. ‘This is unusual for me. Besides, I really don’t think she came over to know what time it was.’ Sudden realization struck as he remembered her when he was walking into the movie store. ‘She recognized me too. That’s why she came over, to get my attention.’ He stood up, placed the money for his meal on the table, and walked out. ‘Clever little girl.’ As he stood up, he looked her straight in the eyes and smiled. That was something she wasn’t expecting, and would leave her speechless for a while.
‘Who the hell is that, and why does he keep showing up?’ He scratched his head for a moment thinking. “What are you thinking about Justin?” Ame’s toneless voice rang through him and he smiled. “Oh nothing, just wondering if any other place made these kinds of burgers. They’re delicious.” He took another bite as she laughed sounding empty. “You sure are strange sometimes.” A few minutes later, he finished his burger and she finished her salad. As they walked out of the little restaurant, his eyes scanned the people around them to make sure that guy wasn’t following. He wasn’t, so they continued walking around town for a while longer while Ame continued to stay dumbstruck.
There wasn’t much going on today, so he took his break a little early. “I wonder if that chick ever found Ruben. I can’t believe that she’s never even met him but yet she wanted to meet him.” He shook his head slowly and grabbed a coffee from down the street. It’s crazy what people will go through these days just to get someone’s name. He paid for his coffee, and headed back to the video store.
When he got home, his mailbox was filled with papers on Johnathan’s murder and information about the Volturi. As he unlocked the door, he noticed some glass shards reflecting off of the light in the corner. Cautious now, he slowly walked over into the kitchen to see what happened. Covering the floor, was a thin sheet of glass from his ‘cookie’ jar. “Pudding, come over here.” His cat mewed softly from the other room and lightly trotted over next to him. She purred as she wound herself in-between his legs. “Pudding, I’ve told you this a thousand times. You get your treats when I get home. You do not knock over and break the jar so you can eat them all. No wonder you’re getting so fat.” He looked down and saw her glaring at him. He laughed. “Don’t give me that look...you knew that it was wrong to break the jar and eat those treats.” He bent down and stroked her fur. After a few minutes, she walked away, and he started to clean up the mess.
She looked so...what was the word...bouncy. It was worse then when she was empty. The slight spring in her step, the smile on her face, and the humming. She never hummed unless she was in an extremely joyous mood. If anything, he was anything but happy. That kid again, she’s gotta be obsessed with him or something. He couldn’t take it anymore. “Ame..” she turned to look at him. “Yes Justin?” He rubbed his arm thinking about how to phrase what he was about to say correctly. “Well, “ he chickened out at the last minute. “Would you mind if I went back home?” She just stared at him. “Don’t tell me you’re tired.” He smiled a little. “No, no. I’m just not feeling too great right now.” Her perfect face scrunched up just a fraction. “Sure Justin, just don’t get me infected with whatever you have.” She playfully punched his arm and he did the same. “Whatever you say.” He turned and walked away heading home.
Jonathan wouldn’t leave his head. No matter what he did, the memory still kept coming back. They were friends, and partners, but he had to die. It was his fault too, his bullet that went into the back of his head, his finger that pulled the trigger. If only he wasn’t wearing a bug, he could’ve lived. Max thought and thought, but found no way around the fact that there felt like there was something he could’ve done to ease his mind. It had to be done, Jonathan had to die.
His silent wishes were to someday be just like Ruben himself. He would never admit it out loud. but they all knew any ways. It was just so obvious. He came in with an un-tucked shirt and corduroys every day. Ruben didn’t wear corduroys though. Jeans weren’t allowed at work, except for Ruben of course. Nobody could even dream of dyeing their hair that light black color, so he kept it dark brown. His name was Collin, and he was the youngest (other than Ruben) to be in the agency. He was nineteen and new. Collin Mathews was his name, and he was tall with dark brown hair. He let it grow to his ears like Ruben, and jelled it up so it looked messy. If only Ruben saw him, if only he knew how much he was appreciated, he might have a better chance to stay away from an emotional breakdown. Everybody knew it, and nobody did anything. Day by day since his life ran down the drain, he’s been slowly dying inside. He no longer smiled, or laughed, but was always inside himself deep in thought. It worried everyone because he was loved so much when he first joined. Ever since the accident with his parents, he’s become distant. It was like he was never truly there. He’s been slowly getting better though. His mind has been so occupied with the Volturi, he doesn’t think about anything else. Collin was just worried about this case with Johnathan...it might make him even worse. He blinked, and walked out of the office to home.
The last thing they said in the hospital as they laid side by side was something he’d never forget. “Always remember that no moatter what you do, we will always love you.” That was what his mother said before she left for good. With his last breathe, his father said something even better. “Ruben, everything you’ve done has always made your mother and I so proud of you. Always know that if you get stuck, just look up, and we’ll be there watching to help. Never down yourself over us, and always look ahead.” It wasn’t what he had said, but how he said it. His voice shot through him like a bullet through air. It was deep and rich even in his last moments on Earth. That is what Ruben couldn’t ever forget. At this moment, he found himself looking up into the sky while sitting on his roof. It was cold, but he didn’t feel the wind whipping at his face and arms. He was too preoccupied with the moon and stars. They reminded him of his parents even more. His father, the moon, and his mother, the stars. From somewhere below, a car alarm went off, and the neighbor’s dog started to bark, but he heard none of it. He heard only the sky ask he quietly spoke out to his parents. “Mom, dad, I know you’re out there somewhere... just don’t know where. Please, I need some help. Johnny’s dead, and I don’t know what to do. He used to be there, he was the one to help me when you both died, and now he’s gone too. I don’t know what to do, I can’t take it anymore. Please, I need your help. I can’t do it myself.” It was no use, the sky wasn’t going to talk back. He slowly rose to his feet and turned, when something caught his eye. It gleemed in the dark, reflected from the moon. It was a man, and he was holding a knife walking slowly behind a girl. She quickened her pace and rounded a corner where he followed. It was a dead end, Ruben knew that before she turned and hit the wall. It happened before he could stop and think about it. He jumped down from the overhang of his roof slidding into the bushes. He hit the man dead on running, and his body took over from there.
‘Someone, I don’t know who, is trailing me. He has a knife, and I know what he wants. I know how to fight back, but, he looks stronger then me. He looks much stronger in fact. This is it, he’ll probably kill me afterwards. Oh God I don’t want to die.’ All of a sudden, out of nowhere, another man jumped out from the alley way. The man with the knife turned and hit the ground before he could even speak. This new guy, the one who saved her life, jumped onto the attacker and started punching him again and again. To put it plainly, he beat the shit out of the guy. ‘Who is he?’ When he finished, the man was bleeding from a broken nose, cut up lips, missing teeth and an entirely soon to be bruised face. He stood up, and I backed against the wall as far as I could go. This man, whoever he is, was strong. He’s turning towards me. ‘I wonder what he wants.’ His breathing wasn’t even unsteady like it should be. ‘What if---’ It’s him! He’s the same guy from before! I couldn’t believe it. His face wasn’t one of anger or anything. He just looked worried...really worried. He came closer. “Are you O.K?” I forgot how to speak, and I couldn’t breathe. “Hey, hey, can you hear me? Do you know what I’m saying?” I couldn’t do anything, so I just nodded once. “Are you O.K?” I still couldn’t speak, and things were become blurry. “Oh geez.” I felt the ground leave from under me. “C’mon, I’d better get you inside.” This can’t be happening. That’s when everything went black for a very long time.
The Volturi, the missing parade containers, Johnathan’s death, the clue of meth on the ground near him...it all fits together. The Volturi are plannig a drug trade off, the only questions are when and where. Someone figured it out, fortunately, it was Mike. He knew it should be reported, and he was tempted to no end. Instead, he waited. He wanted Ruben to hear it first, so he would call a meeting tomorrow. Even though Ruben hates meetings, he would come to this one. Mike knew, without a doubt, that Ruben will ask to be made their new bug. It wasn’t a matter of will he or not, but a matter of yes or no. That was something he was going to be thinking about for a while to come, but for now, he was going to take a nap.
Where is Ame? She was supposed to be here by now. She even said it herself how much she wanted to go. It wasn’t like her to be this late for something this special. There’s no way she would ever miss out on a concert of her favorite band. Paramore was her music, not just that, but it’s practically her life. To miss something like this was like suicide for her. Justin opened up his cell phone and diaked her number.
Pudding was not happy. This stranger was sleeping on HER couch. It wasn’t just that, it was unheard of. Somebody sleeping in her spot, on her couch. Instead, she jumped up, and fell asleep on the girl’s stomach.
It’s been four hours since he brought her inside, yet she was still asleep. She must really be tired, but why was she here? This girl, first by the music store, then in the restaruant, now this. Why did she keep showing up wherever he was? It was then, when the realization struck him. Everytime she showed up, something horrible was running itself through his mind. First, it was when the boss called so he kept imagining the worste things that happened while he was gone. Then there was at the restaruant when all he could think about was Johnathan’s death and the cruel type of person who could’ve done it. Lastly, was this. It was when he talking to the sky imagining how he could continue to live without any of his previous emotions or his parent’s love and understanding to guide him. That’s when she appeared again, distracting him long enough to save her life. She was special, some type of hint or clue sent from his parents...if only he could figure out what it meant. He sighed shaking his head, covered her with another blanket, and placed a pair of sweat pants next to a t-shirt by her feet. He didn’t want her wearing the same clothes, even if it meant offering up his own. She had quite a night, and it looked like she hadn’t been getting much sleep. The rest was good for her. He turned and went to his own bedroom as Pudding nodded to sleep on Maddison’s lap.
As Justin told Max about Ame not showing up at all for the concert, they thought of a plan. They would go out looking for her around her favorite places, then they would check out the places she was least likely to go to. When that failed, they finally called the Chief and reported the situation. He was not happy at all. After pointing out how moronic they were in not telling him of this situation sooner, her rounded up his best men to go looking for her. Any one man was never left behind, ecspecially in the face of a threat...not to mention, Ame was the Cheif’s favorite.
JULY 6TH, 2000 1:13 PM
It was dark, and she was alone. She didn’t remember much of what happened just yesterday...or was it yesterday? How long had she been out, and where was she? A face slowly surfaced in her memory. That’s when it all came rushing back, the man, the knife, the alley way, and him. After that, everything went black. Her head was spinning as she sat up and realized that she was in someone’s house, on a couch. A glass of water stood on a table, and some extra clothes were by her feet. A light turned on in a room somewhere and somebody walked out. He was covered in shadows until a small lamp switched on in the corner. “Hey, you sure can sleep. Feeling any better yet?” It was him again. She was in HIS house. Speechless again, she only nodded. He turned and left for a moment, and came back with some Ibuprophen. “Here, take this. It’ll make you feel better, trust me.” He handed them to her as she picked up the water and swallowed them down. He pulled a chair over and sat next to the couch. “How-how long have I been asleep?”
“About a day and a half I think.” She couldn’t believe it. Almost two days of just sleeping, and no one called to ask where she was? It was unbelievable. “Where’s my phone?” He made a face. “You weren’t holding a phone, and I even checked the alley and there wasn’t one.” She sighed. “Well thanks anyways umm...”
“Mathew. and you are?” She smiled. “Ame, my name is Ame.” He returned the smile. “Nice to meet you Ame.” He stood up and she did the same. “I imagine you’d be hungry going two days without food.” As if on cue, her stomach gave a small growl. He laughed and Pudding jumped up and landed on her leg. “Oh!” He laughed again and picked the cat up. “Sorry for not introducing you. This is Pudding, I’ve had her for five years now.” She purred as he stroked her fur, then jumped down and walked away. “C’mon let’s go.”
“Where are we going?” He smiled and grabbed her hand helping her off the couch. “We are going to get something to eat. I’m pretty sure about you, but I’m positive about me. I’m starving.” She smiled, then frowned. “Could we go back to my place first?” His expression was puzzled. “I need to change.” She pointed down at the outfit she currently wore. “O.K, if you say so.” He grabbed his keys and brought her outside to the car. “Oh my God.” Her mouth dropped. In the driveway was a yellow Porshe 911. “What?” She slowly walked over to it and slid her hand along the sleek surface. “It looks brand new.” He smiled. “That’s ‘cause it is.” He paused as she stared at the car. “If you want, you can drive.” She turned on him. “Are you serious?!” He nodded, still smiling. “Absolutely, unless of course...you can’t handle it. After all, you just woke up after sleeping for two days.” She laughed. “I can handle anything.” e tossed her the keys. “I dare you to prove it.” He slid easily into the passenger seat, and opened up the driver’s side for her. Gracefully, she hoped in and started the car. The engine purred to life as the heat came on. She smiled as she backed out and headed home. She couldn’t believe what was happening. Her, alone with him, in a Porshe, going to her house together then out for breakfast. It was amazing. Best of all, she now knows his name. “So Ame, where would you like to go for lunch?”
“You’re asking me?” He laughed again. “Of course I am. After all, you’re the one who hasn’t eaten in two days, so it’s your choice.” Her words came out a little quickly as she tried not to stumble over them. “Umm, well I really don’t want you to waste your money. I could just go home and make something. You really didn’t even need to let me sleep on your couch for that long. I mean you could’ve brought me to a hospital, or let me, let me-” her last words were chocked off before she could say the last word. His smile faded. “Even though you were a total stranger, there’s no way I would let somebody kill an innocent person. I wasn’t trained that way.” She stopped the car infront of her house. “What do you mean trained?” He gave a smirk. “I’m kind of an FED.” She turned to look at him. “Really? An FED?” He nodded, and opened the door. “Are you gonna go get your clothes?” She nodded and unlocked her front door. He stayed in the doorway as she walked into another room. “You can sit down over on the couch.” His gaze wandered the house, or what he could see, and noticed that she wasn’t messy, but in fact, a clean person. “Nice place.” Her voice rang from two rooms away. “Thanks.” She came out wearing a short plaid skirt, with a light brown tank-top frilled on the bottom with white lace. She turned around in a circle once and smiled. “So what do you think?” Now it was Ruben’s turn to be speechless. Instead, he turned, and headed for the door and stood there until he could speak without his voice cracking. “It looks fine. Let’s go.”
“O.K...so where to?” A pause. “I was thinking about that. I guess I’ll surprise you.” She almost jumped out of her seat with joy. “Surprise me...really? I hope it’s nothing fancy or anything. After all, you already saved my life, you don’t have to take me to dinner too.” The engine revved up as the car accelerated. She rolled down the window and stuck her head out feeling the breeze in her hair. The radio turned on to some heavy rock. Ruben reached over to change it when her hand appeared on his. “It’s O.K, I like this song.” He nodded, and continued driving.
She wasn’t anywhere. There was no trace of her what-so-ever. This is unbelievable. For all they knew, she could be dying, or dead already. By now, Chief had the whole crew out looking for Ame, yet she was nowhere to be found. This worried everyone deeply. She was tough, but not that tough. Normally, she could take out two guys without breaking a sweat, but with the little sleep she was having, she probably couldn’t even catch a sloth. Everyone was upset, and Justin was almost in hysterics. They didn’t know what to do, or if they could do anything. Hours later, they drew in for the night. All hope was lost as there was no sign of her in the morning either. There wasn’t even a phone call from her.
It was wonderful. Not only did he take her out for dinner, but it was in one of the most expensive places she’s ever went. When they got there, she felt extremely under-dressed. It was the kind of place where you have to be wearing an expensive and classy dress just to walk through the door. He was even more of a standout. All he wore were jeans and a t-shirt. There’s no way that they would be allowed inside. As they walked up to the door, the doorman smiled. “Good evening Mr. Jones, a seat for one today?”
“No, no. A seat for two today thank you.” The doorman nodded in agreement. “Very well Sir. Then I presume you won’t be taking your usual seat then.” Ruben nodded as a waiter came to lead them to a booth. Ame just looked around in amazement. “This place is beautiful.” He smiled. “I like to come here every once and a while.”
“Once and a while? Mathew, they knew your name, and you have a regular table. How can you afford it all?”
“Well, that’s my own little secret. Sit down and pick something off the menu.” She sat down, and her mouth dropped open at the prices of everything. “I don’t know what to choose. Everything is so expensive. Some of the stuff I can’t even pronounce.” He laughed. “Well, what kinds of food do you like?” She thought for a moment. “Well, usually, I just eat a salad or spagetti.” He raised his hand and another waiter came over. “Yes Mr. Jones? What would you like to dine on this evening?” He looked at Ame for a moment. “Well, I’ll have the usual, and she’ll have the most expensive salad and pasta you can dish out.”
“What? I can’t eat that much. You’ve gotta be crazy to order all of that food...I don’t even know how I can pay you back.” They both stared at her. “A first timer is she?” He nodded as the waiter left to fill their orders. “Mathew I-I can’t, I don’t--” he raised his hand. “Now Ame, you do not have to pay me back for this meal, nor do you have to pay me back for anything. Just sit down and relax until the food gets here.” She nodded. A soft melody played from somewhere in the background while a murmur of voices filled the room. “I can’t believe that you can come here so often...you even have a usual order.” He laughed again. At last, the food arrived, and it smelled delicious. His platter was one filled with a salad and a small steak. Her plate was covered in thick noodles decorated with creamy sauce and sprinkled with parsley flakes. Her salad consisted of large leaves, croutons, a variety of different herbs, and something she couldn’t identify. She added some italian dressing and took a bite. It was insanly delicious. Ruben watched her the entire time until she smiled. “This is fantastic.” His eyes melted again, but returned to normal so she wasn’t sure if it happened at all. He started on his steak before turning to his salad. “So, how’s your pasta?” She looked up, smiling, then started to laugh. He cocked his head to one side. “What’s so funny?” All she could do was point at him and then whole building. He looked around too, and started laughing as well when he figured her point. “So you think it’s funny for a person like me to eat at such a fancy place like this every so often.” She nodded as her laughter stiffled into giggles. He waved over a waiter again. “We’ll have some water please.”
“Right away Sir.” As she quieted, a question popped into her head and she spoke before she could stop herself. “So how old are you anyways?” This question didn’t strike him as unusual at all. “I’m seventeen. Why do you ask?” She studied his face, and realized he wasn’t lying. “Well, if you haven’t noticed, everybody else in here is older. You don’t see a bunch of seventeen year olds eating in places like this. Most likely, they’ll be at McDonalds or something.” He took in her meaning. “That’s true, but most seventeen year old kids were never an FED member.”
“Very true.” The waiter came back with two glasses of water and placed them on the table. She nodded. “Thank you.” He made a wistful smile and walked away. “You know, he’s only seventeen as well.”
“You don’t say.” Her unconserned tone made him smile again. “I think he likes you.”
“Really. So what do you want me to do? Go ask him out or something.” There was a slight pause. “Well, possibly.” His tone made her look up. He was enjoying this. It was amusing him. She reached over the table to poke him in the forehead. “I don’t think he’s my type.” She looked down and noticed that they were both done eating. “So what do we do now Mr. Jones?” He stood up placing the money on the table. “I have another surprise.” She almost fell back onto the seat. “Another one?! When will it ever stop?” He laughed again as he helped steady her. “Don’t you like surprises?” She eyed him suspiciously making him laugh once again. “Just get in the car and head to the mall.” When they reached the mall, he automatically headed left, making sure she was following, he turned left again and continued for a few minutes. “Mathew, where are we going?” He turned and looked at her. “Where else? You’re getting a new phone.” Her mouth hung open. “I don’t need a new phone. I already have one.” She reached into her pocket and remembered it was empty because she lost her phone. He laughed at her expression as it went from curious to irratated then embarassed. He grabbed her hand and started to lead her into the store. “C’mon. It’s just a phone.” She tried to concentrate on what he was saying, but was too distracted by his hand holding hers. He continued to talk. “So, which one do you want?” She nodded. “O.K.”
“Ame, are you alright?” He snapped his fingers infront of her eyes. “Ame, hello?” She blinked as he stared at her in curiosity and worry. “What?”
“Are you O.K?” She thought he was joking, but he looked truly concerned. “Uh...yeah, I’m fine. Why?” His smile dazzled her for a moment. “You spaced out for a minute there.”
“Really? That hasn’t happened before.” He looked at her for another second and decided she was fine. “Go pick out a new phone, and don’t forget to cancel the service on your old one.” She frowned. “That phone wasn’t old. It was brand new.” Ruben laughed. “Well, then I guess you’re getting an even newer one.” They walked up to the worker. “Excuse me sir...what’s the best phone you have?” He looked down from the counter. “Our best one? Well, I’d have to say that one.” He pointed to the third phone from the right. It was a small flip phone with a camera, internet, texting, music, and anything else you could get in a phone. “It’s the best, but also the most expensive.” Ame turned and started to walk out of the store. He caught up to her. “Hey, I thought you needed a phone.” When she looked at him, she was almost crying. That took him by suprise, and not many things do. “Wait, why are you crying?” He didn’t want some girl he just met to break into hysterics in the middle of the mall. He didn’t know what to do when people started crying. She wiped her eyes. “I’m not crying, I had something in my eyes.”
“Both of them, at the same time? I don’t think so. Why are you crying?” She wiped her eyes again and sniffed. “Because of you.” He almost fell backwards. “What did I do?” She glared at him as best she could. It was surprisingly difficult. “You know what you did. First you save my life, then you take me out to the fanciest diner, and now you want to buy me the most expensive phone? It’s killing me! I don’t even know where to begin. How am I possibly supposed to pay you back for all of this?” He took her hand and tried his best to say something that wouldn’t upset her more. “Ame, I told you this before. You don’t have to pay me back. None of this is going to make me go broke or anything. I have too much extra cash anyways. I was begginning to wonder what I was going to do with it all.” He cracked a smile, and was nowhere near prepared for what happened next. The tears came freely as she broke down crying. She wrapped her arms around him like she was giving him a hug, and burried her face in his shoulder, and continued to cry. He patted her back and tried to think of something to distract her. “Hey Ame, can I ask you something?” She nodded into his shoulder as his shirt dampened from her tears. “What’s your favorite color?” It took a couple tries, but she managed to answer. “Baby blue.” Cautiously, he patted her hair down and then motioned for the man in the store to come over. He came and stood there as Ruben quietly asked if they had the phone in baby blue. He nodded and went to go ring it up. It came up as $500.00 as Ruben carefully took out his wallet and gave the man his credit card. Moments later, he came back carrying the box and the credit card handing them both to Ruben as Ame’s crying finally stopped. She stayed there with her face in his shirt, to embarassed to look up. He smoothed down her hair and unwrapped her arms but continued to hold onto one of her hands. “Let’s get you home. Nobody wants to walk around the mall looking like someone just died.” She giggled without meaning to. He smiled slightly in relief. “It looks like somebody’s feeling a bit better.” They walked out to the car where he put the box in the back, and Ame in the passenger seat. He turned on the air conditioner and radio. The song that came out was ‘These Walls’ by Teddy Geiger. She started tapping her foot to the tune so he left it on while driving her home. “What’s your address?” She continued to stare out the window. “I’m not going home tonight.” His hands tightened slightly on the steering wheel. “Then where are you going to go?” She turned to smile at him. Her cheeks were still flushed, and her eyes a light shade of pink around the edges. “I’m going to go to the park.” His hands tightned even more while remembering the guys who tried to mug him. “Why don’t you want to go home? The park can be dangerous sometimes.” She turned back to look out the window again. “I’m supposed to meet a friend there.” He considered this for a moment. “Then I’m going to stay with you until this friend shows up.”
“O.K. I’m sure he won’t mind, but sometimes, he doesn’t make it.”
“All the more reason to stay with you. I don’t need you getting hurt like you almost did before, esspecially when I know I could’ve stopped it.” She smiled making sure he couldn’t see. This is exactly what she wanted. “Seems fair enough. If he comes, I’m positive he’ll understand. You see, he’s the jealous type.” She laughed when she realized that she was describing Justin. “Besides, I’m sure he’s worried sick since I haven’t talked to him in two days.” All of a sudden, she remembered about the concert she missed out on. “Dammit! I total missed it.” He glanced over at her. “Missed what?” She sighed. “The concert Justin was going to go to with me. Paramore was singing tonight, I mean two nights ago and I missed it.” She smacked her forehead. He started to laugh. “Is that you were worried about?” She turned on him. “Paramore is the best band that ever lived. How can I not be upset by missing their concert?” He shrugged. “I’ve never even heard of them.” She did a double take. “Never heard of them, do you live under a rock?”
“O.K enough making fun of me.” He parked the car in the lot as he reached behind him to get the box. “Here, open it up and add your friend’s number so you don’t forget it.”
“You bought the phone?!” He laughedat her incredulous expression. “Of course I did. Did you really think that I would go to the mall and come out empty handed? Well, go on and open it.” She slowly undid the tape. When she opened it up she almost screamed. “It’s baby blue! Oh my God, it’s baby blue!” He landed another round of laughter. “Why else would I ask for your favorite color? It’s a good thing you were too distracted when crying, or else you might have figured it out by now.” Her hands traced the little designs on the front and back. “Why are you doing all of this for me?” He stopped laughing. “I already told you that. I really have nothing better to do with my money, then you appear. That’s pretty much all there is to it.” They got out of the car and sat on a bench. “So who’s this Justin guy you’re waiting for? Is he your boyfriend?”
“No, he just really likes me. You remember the first time you saw me right?” He nodded. “The guy with me was Justin. He pretty much flipped out when we were a few buildings ahead. He was so jealous that I even looked at you.” She laughed at the memory. “He was also with me the day at the burger place. He’s infurriated by you.”
“So he hates me because you saw me at the store and burger place.” It wasn’t a question so much as a statement. “No. He’s jealous of you because everytime I saw you--” she trailed off blushing and looked away. He waited for her to continue. “Everytime I saw you, it was like I was seeing the sun for the first time. I was stunned each time you even looked at me. Besides, you didn’t seem like any of the other guys who see me. Even when I’m with Justin, or anybody, they come up and start talking to me like he wasn’t even there.” One blush blended into the next as she bit her lip waiting for him to call her a loser or something and walk away. Instead, he was quiet for a while. A few minutes later, he spoke. “This Justin guy isn’t really comming is he?” She slowly shook her head. “I never thought so. Even so, I came and stayed. I don’t know why, I just didn’t want to leave.” He put his face in his hands. When he looked up, she saw his face was torn between a decision. “I don’t get close to many people, and when I do, they die. I’ve never told anybody this, but a few years ago, when I was fourteen I just joined the FEDs.” He paused to take deep breath, then looked at her with eyes as dead as anything could ever get. “Not long after, my parents went on a vacation together. I told them I didn’t want to go, I was busy working. Can you believe it? A fourteen year old not wanting to go on vacation because he loved his job too much to leave.” His eyes fickered with a hint of indecision, but he continued while his voice turned cold. “I didn’t think anything of it back then. They said if I wanted them to stay, they would. The next day, they were in the car with their bags in the back saying goodbye. I told them to go and have fun. I went to work like usual, ate dinner across the street, and slept good hours. Everything was perfect, until the day they started to come home. Their car got hit by a drunk driver running through a red light. I couldn’t handle it. I was only fourteen for Christ sake. I knew that it was my fault. If I told them to stay with me just for another day at least, they’d still be alive. I never got over it, then you came along.” He looked up again, and saw her staring at him in shock. “Every time I saw you, I was thinking about something or somebody that I could’ve helped save. Each time, I saw you, I forgot about them if even just for a moment. Then you show up in my alley and fainted right infront of me. I haven’t thought about any disasters since then until now.” He looked at her with pleading eyes. They said not to leave him, but to run at the same time. He himself, stood up and walked over to the car. “C’mon, I’ll take you home now.” The enire ride back to her place, Ame stayed quiet, and Ruben didn’t blame her. He himself was shocked, no, amazed that he had told her any of the things that he had just said. The only noise they heard was the soft murmur of the engine. He didn’t know what to say or do.
Meanwhile, Ame was in disbelief. Everything he just said was so depressing, but yet, she was happy. She remembered how his eyes melted in the diner, how he had tried to comfort her in the mall, his beautiful face when she woke up for the first time in two days, and the dead look in his eyes as he explained a part of his past. He reached out to her like she was life support, and she wanted to be there for him steady himself on. She knew what she would do, and knew that if she was going to do it, it had to be as soon as she got home.
The car pulled up beside the curb and Ruben got out to open Ame’s door. He slowly walked her up to her porch and watched as she took out her key and unlocked the front door. She turned around and faced him. “Matt, I’m sorry about everything that’s happened.” He nodded. “You have nothing to apologize for, but thank you.” He was about to leave when she held his arm. “Where are you going?” He looked at her perplexed. “Home, why?” She bit her lip to keep from smiling. “Well...I thought you were going to keep me company. I’ll be pretty bored for a while just adding numbers into my new shiny phone without somebody to make me coffee so I don’t fall asleep.” This time she did smile. “Well, I don’t know. I have to get, feed the cat, and umm...”
“Well, all I know is that some stranger saves my life, buys me dinner, and a new phone, and he wont accept my invitation to stay over for coffee.” She made her lower lip stick out a fraction and sighed. “Now who is gonna keep me company?” He stared at her for a moment then smiled crookedly. It was her favorite smile. It reached his eyes yet somehow stayed crooked in the cutest fashion no-one else would be able to accomplish. She led the way inside as he closed the door behind them. She sat down on a randomly placed couch in the middle of the room. “So, you want coffee or tea?” Ruben sopped looking around the house and watched her stand up and move towards the kitchen. “What?”
“Coffee or tea?”
“Uh, whatever’s good for you.” She smiled. “You don’t look like a tea person.” The coffee pot started heating up as she plugged it in and walked over to where he stood. “Thank you.” Confused, he cocked his head to the side. She tapped him o the forhead. “For saving my life, taking me to dinner, and buying me a new phone...” She held his hand and burried her head in his shoulder once again. “...and for staying with me tonight.” She looked up and his eyes were somehow soft yet scorching. Was it her imagination? Probably, but she didn’t care. He was a head taller than her, so for what she was about to do, she had to stand on her toes. She took a deep breath, and as she was about to stand on her tip-toes, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. At that moment, her mind went blank. Her hands slid through his hair as she kissed back. He wraped his arms around her waist kissing her there in the middle of the kitchen. Her eyes were closed as were his. Another minute passed when they finally pulled apart and looked at eachother. They were both smiling and his eyes were melting again while he fully focused on Ame. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes exstatic. He started to laugh. “You were about to kiss me if I didn’t do it first.” He continued to laugh as she blushed and the coffee pot beeped somewhere in the distance. She couldn’t concentrate on anything at the moment except on breathing. She didn’t want to collapse again. All she could think about was how he had kissed her. He liked her just as much as she liked him. She smiled again and leaned against him. When he stopped laughing, he smoothed down her hair and kneeled down slightly. “Coffee or tea?” Now it was her turn to laugh. She walked over to pour a cup of coffee for the both of them. He walked up behind her and peered over her shoulder. “No sugar please.” She jumped almost spilling the drinks. “Jesus Matt! Are you trying to scare the hell outa me? If you are, it’s working.” Laughter ran through him like blood in his veins. “I’m sorry Ame. I didn’t mean to scare you.” She walked past him to the couch mumbling. He thought he heard something along the lines of ‘Yeah that’s what they all say.’ He sat down on the couch chuckling to himself. A minute later, he spoke up. “I think you should call Justin.”
“Wat? Why should I do that?”
“Because you said earlier that he was probably having a heart attack because he hasn’t heard from you yet.” She frowned. “Oh yeah. Alright I’ll call him later.” He handed her the phone. She sighed in defeat and dialed his number.
He sat down on his bed with the lights off popping in wo Aspirins. The past few days have been torture. He couldn’t think straight because Ame was still missing. His phone rang from across the room. He stood up almost falling over a shoe, and walked over to answer it. The number from the caller ID wasn’t any he knew. He answered it anyways. “Hello?” A pause, then a voice sounded. “Justin, is that you?”
“Ame?! O Ame where are you? Are you o.k? What happened?”
“Calm down Justin. I’m fine. I’m sorry I couldn’t get to you earlier. Someone stole my phone nd I just got a new one. I’m at my house with a friend. He’s been looking out for me.”
“What friend? Everybody’s been out searching for you.” She sighed. “He’s a new friend Justin.”
”Ame, you know how dangerous that could be.”
“I know, but too bad. Listen, just tell everyone I’m fine now. If they have to call me to check up on me or something, give them this number.”
“Will do, and Ame?”
“Yeah?”
“Who is it that’s with you?” She groaned. “Just tell everyone I’m fine.” Then she hung up. He couldn’t believe it. Ame was fine, and at her house. He quickly dialed Chief and told him the good news. He decided to head over to Ame’s house just in case. He grabbed his keys off of the table, and left.
“Hmm, I wonder how Rube’s doing. It’s a good thing he got sick, he needs the rest.” Collin nodded his head in agreement. “He sure does boss.” They both headed out the doors and headed home. Just in case, Mike decided to stop by Ruben’s house for a check up. It’s a shame Ruben wont be there...or will he?
Ruben cracked a smile. “Better?” She sighed again. “Knowing Justin, he’s gonna come over here to make sure I’m fine, then he’ll want to meet you to figure out if you’re good to hang out with. Next, he’ll try to get me into bed to get some sleep after making me drink something because I’ll probably have a headache.”
He thought for a moment. “If he’s that concerned about you, I think I’ll meet him.”
”No!” He jumped. “What?”
“You can not meet him.”
“Why not?”
“Because he’ll get all jealous and upset that I’m hanging out with someone he doesn’t know instead of him. Then he’ll manage to make me feel bad even though he didn’t mean to. Then he’ll go out of his way to try and cheer me up which wont work.” Ruben laughed again. “I’m still gonna stay to meet him.” She glared at him and sat back down on the couch. He leaned back and stretched. Ame rested her head on his lap without thinking about it and soon fell asleep.
While Ame slept, Ruben kept thinking and listening for the knock on the door that would signal Justin’s arrival. Finally, an hour later, the doorbell rang. Carefully moving Ame’s head under a pillow from the couch, he got up and walked to the door. Through the peep hole, he saw the same person who was with Ame before. He opened up the door, and stood there blocking the doorway. “Who the hell are you?” Justin stepped forward looking Ruben up and down. “I’m Matt, who are you?” He shifted positions so he was leaning against the door frame. “I’m Justin. Ame was talkng to me earlier on the phone.”
“So you’re Justin. She sure sis talk about you a lot.”
“Oh yeah? What kinda things did she say?”
“Just that you were probably gonna be worried as hell and try to get her to take some meds, get her to go to sleep, then make her feel guilty for hanging out with someone other than you.”
“I would never do that to her.” He shook his head. “Course you wouldn’t. She said you wouldn’t have meant to, then you would’ve trid to cheer her up only making it worse. Of course, all of this can be avoided if you keep the conversation short and sweet without bringing me up with the sour look you have on your face right now.”
Justin stepped forward again so Ruben could size him up. “Where is Ame now?” Ruben pointed his thumb in the direction of the couch. “She’s sleeping, so be quiet.” Justin nodded as Ruben moved out of the way. They both just stood there watching her as she slept. “She’s had a long day. I can’t believe she’s still tired though. She already slept for a day and a half.”
“What did you say?”
Ruben slapped his head. “Right, she didn’t explain over the phone. Well, I was up on my roof two days ago watching the sky out of sheer boredom, and I see her her walking down the street. Someone was following her, and I assume she knew it too. So she turns, and ends up in a dead end alleyway. The guy pulls something out, and I don’t stick around to find out. I scare him off, and she goes and faints on me. So I’m stuck with some random chick who’s just fainted in my alley. It’s dark out, so I bring her in and let her sleep on my couch. She woke up this morning asking for her phone. I never found one, so I bought her a new one. I brought her home, then she called you.” Justin stood there letting this story sink in and nodded. “Has she eaten anything?” Ruben nodded this time. “Yeah, I took her out to some little place down the street.” Apparantly, Justin approved off ‘Matt/Ruben’ enough to not bug Ame about it when she finally woke up a few minutes later. She found Ruben and Justin talking to eachother in whispers against the wall. “Justin?” They both looked over. “Oh, so you’re finally awake.” She sat up. “So you’ve met Matt.” He nodded. “And you’re o.k with me hanging out with him?” He nodded again. “How can I not be Ame? He most likely saved your life, and brought you in his house letting you sleep there until you woke up.”
“So what were you talking about?” They exchanged glances, then started laughing. “What’s so funny?” Ruben/Matt walked over. “Oh nothing Ame, just guy things. Oh yeah, you’re going to have some visitors later too.”
“What?!” He nodded. “Justin called all your friends, so they’re comming over to say hi, and apparently meet me.”
“They want to meet you?” He shrugged. “I guess. If that’s a problem, I could leave instead.” She slowly shook her head. “No, it’s fine.” Justin started laughing again, and turned to explain to Ruben. “Ame usually doesn’t have her friends meet her other friends.”
“What do you mean ‘other friends’?”
“It’s kind of like girly chicks, and punk chicks. There’s very few occasions that they mix well or at all.” Ruben nodded. “I hope you’re not considered the girly group.” They both started laughing as Ame stayed exprssionless on the couch. She couldn’t believe that everyone was going to come over to meet Matt. She also couldn’t believe that Matt and Justin would get along so well. They were laughing together like they’ve been friends for years.
COMMENTS
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ketsuekiyuki
23:57 Apr 13 2008
OMG i didnt even read the whole thing and its so long