MARCO

The waves crashed on the shore of the sandy, deserted beach.

Hi. My name is Marco. And I guess you guys pretty much know about everything, right? Well, if not, then here's the scoop. Me, my best bud Jake, and a couple of our friends aren't normal.

That's the first thing you have to understand.

I mean, we used to be, but we're not anymore. A few years ago, I would have spent my free time playing video games and checking out hot babes. Now, I spend it fighting parasetic alien slugs that are trying to take over our planet.

Don't you dare crack a joke about rehab. I'm not crazy. Aliens are real. I know, I've seen them. And if that doesn't convince you, my mom's one of them. And so is Jake's older brother, Tom. Well, not really aliens. I mean you can't tell... just... oh well, you'll figure it out.

So anyways, right now I'm stuck on the beach, in the rain, listening to Jake ramble on and on about the Yeerks.

Those are the aliens I told you about.

"So Fearless Leader, are you gonna tell us why we're here?" Rachel asked. Jake stepped to the middle of our group, his arms folded across his chest signaling that he was either cold or in a really bad mood. He glanced up at us before speaking.

"I came home last night at 7:00. My parents are gone for the weekend so Tom and I have the house to ourselves." he stated. Rachel gave a low whistle.

"Luckily," he continued, " I came in quietly because Tom was on the phone. He was talking about something for Visser Three. A gift." He paused and let that information sink in before continuing.

"However, I don't know what it is. He lowered his voice so I could only make out 'ready?…Visser…machine.. Bandits.'" He recalled.

"So, this machine that their making the Visser has to do with us?" Cassie asked. Her brow was wrinkled in confusion.

"Exactly!" Jake exclaimed.

Rachel's eyes lit up. "So let's destroy it already! What are we waiting for?!" Great. Rachel smelled danger. But Jake put his hands on his hips and shook his head.

"Not so fast Rach." He said. "We don't even know what the machine does yet. I say, we go fly, sneak in, pick up some information on this device, and then we can destroy it."

My head perked up and I grinned devilishly. "Rachel without fighting? How ever will she survive?" Rachel grabbed my head and wrapped it in a noogie.

"Come here you little…" she said playfully. I started to laugh, my eyes watering.

"Okay," I said between laughs, "okay, I give in!! Uncle! Uncle!" She released me and I ran to the shelter provided to me by my best friend. Jake started to laugh along with everyone else.

"Alright people," he said after a few minutes, taking on the leader roll again, "until tomorrow, meeting adjourned." I stopped laughing.

"Until tomorrow? Great Jake! That makes me feel loved. Does anyone here care about my sleeping schedule? Cause it is seriously messed up because of you guys." I replied desperately.

Everyone laughed.

For once, the meeting wasn't so bad.

Maybe everything would go right tomorrow on the mission. Maybe we would all be okay. Maybe this victory would bring us one step closer to defeating them. And maybe, just maybe, we would win.

I am so full of shit.