DISCLAIMER: I do not own Alex Rider. Mission Impossible Four does not exist.

It was summer time again. Children were playing in the streets instead of sitting in the classroom. Families were packing and leaving for vacations. In Chelsea, London, it was a sunny and cheery day. Kids were riding their bicycles, eating ice cream, and swimming in their backyard pools. Every child and teenager seemed to be enjoying the summer break. But of course, there is always an exception or two.

Alex Rider lay on his bed, clutching a photograph and two plane tickets to his chest. He bit his lip to hold back a river of tears. Alex was miserable this summer. He had made plans to surprise his girlfriend, Camryn Albright, with a trip to France. But, unfortunately, Camryn was killed in Chechnya back in January.

Ever since, Alex hasn't been the same. He became even more quiet and secluded than he already was. He'd spent many nights crying himself to sleep. He'd spent his weekends moping in his loneliness. The boy had only just turned seventeen the month before, but he looked like a stressed university student. His face was thin and drawn. His serious brown eyes, which had seen too much, were always bloodshot from the lack of sleep. His blonde hair had lost its shine and was a tangled mess. Alex had really let himself go after he lost Camryn. He just didn't care anymore. This is what MI6 did to him.

If MI6 had never forced him to be a spy, Alex would have still been a normal teenager. He would have never found out that his uncle, Ian Rider, had been a spy. He would never have known who Yassen Gregorovich was. He would have never had to worry about his life being in immediate danger. He would never have met Camryn. He wouldn't have had to kill his old friend, Sabina Pleasure. He wouldn't have had to watch his girlfriend be killed right in front of him. He would have never become this miserable.

"Alex!" Jack Starbright called through the door. "I'm headed off to the store. Do you want anything?"

"No," Alex muttered.

The door opened. Jack stood frowning in the doorway. "Alex, will you please get out of bed and do something?!"

Alex sat up. "There's nothing to do."

"Sure there is. To start, you can clean yourself up. Next, you can finally return one of Tom's calls. He's called you eight times in the past five days, and you haven't returned a single call."

"Sure, whatever," Alex sighed, getting up and heading for the bathroom.

"Camryn would hate to see you like this," Jack said as Alex passed her.

"What does it matter? Camryn's dead. She can't see me."

"Alex-"

"I don't feel like talking."

"You never feel like talking anymore!"

Alex ignored her and locked himself into the bathroom.

Jack sighed and leaned back against the doorframe. She was about ready to give up on the miserable boy. Alex wouldn't talk, he wouldn't eat, he wouldn't go out – he would just sit in his room and brood. The few friends he had stopped talking to him. Tom Harris was the only one who hadn't given up yet. Jack shook her head and started toward the front door.

Alex picked up his cell phone and dialed Tom's number as he finished drying his hair with a towel. The phone rang twice.

"It's about time you called me back!" Tom cried.

"Sorry," Alex muttered.

"It's alright. So, how have you been?"

"Same as always."

"Mission Impossible Four is out in the theater. I want to go see it. But of course, I can't go to watch a Tom Cruse movie without my best mate."

Alex smiled a little. "What time is the movie?"

"In about half an hour."

"Okay, I'll be over to pick you up in ten minutes."

"I'll be waiting."

Alex hung up the phone and pulled clothes out of his closet. He pulled on khaki shorts and a white and green striped Polo shirt. He grabbed his car keys and headed out the door. He backed out of the driveway and drove to Tom's to pick him up. Tom was waiting on his front steps by the time Alex arrived. Alex parked in Tom's driveway. Tom climbed into the car, and Alex sped off again.

"Is there anything else you want to do today?" Alex asked. "I haven't been out in a while."

"Well, after the movie, we can go get something to eat. You look like one of those starving kids in Africa."

"Oh, come on, I don't look that bad, do I?"

"No, I guess not. Anyway, we can go to the mall after eating."

"Why?"

"Oh, just a bit of sightseeing."

"Sightseeing?" Alex questioned, raising his eyebrow.

"What else do girls do during the summer besides going to the mall?"

"Uh…run around in bikinis."

"Oh, that too."

Alex smiled and shook his head. Tom always made him laugh. Then Alex remembered.

"Hey, Tom."

"Yeah?"

"How would you like to go to France for a week?"

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah. I've got two plane tickets."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Sure, I'd love to go."

"When we go to the beach, you can stare at as many girls as you want until your eyes are sore."

Tom laughed. "Oh, I'm going to love this."

"That was great!" Tom said as he and Alex walked out of the theater. "But the ending was so cliché. The hero saves the hot girl and makes out with her."

"It's so unrealistic," Alex muttered. "If it were realistic, Camryn would still be alive."

"Alex-"

"But hey, it's just a movie, right?"

"Yeah. Just a movie."

"So, where to for lunch?" Alex asked as the two boys climbed into the car.

"I really don't care."

"How about we eat at the food court at the mall. Food and girls – there's no better combination."

"I like the way you think. To the mall, driver!"

Alex maneuvered out of the parking lot and headed toward the mall. As he drove, Tom turned on the radio and played with the station dial. He finally found a station and turned up the volume. "Face Down" by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus blared through the speakers.

"Hey, girl, you know you drive me crazy? One look puts the rhythm in my hand. Still I'll never understand why you hang around. I see what's going down. Cover up with make-up in the mirror. Tell yourself it's never going to happen again. You cry alone and then he swears he loves you."

Alex started thinking about Camryn again.

"Do you feel like a man when you push her around? Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground? Well, I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end as your lies crumble down – a new life she has found."

Then, Alex saw it happen again – Camryn kneeling on the floor beside her father – Adrian Vygotsky appearing around the corner – Alex calling out to Camryn – the gunshot – Camryn bleeding on the floor…

"Alex!" Tom cried, grabbing the steering wheel and directing the car away from the side of the road. "Are you trying to get us killed?!"

"Sorry," Alex muttered. "I just spaced out."

"Don't do that again."

"I won't," Alex promised.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." Within a few minutes, Alex pulled into the mall parking lot.

"I'm starving!" Tom said as he climbed out of the car.

"Are you kidding me? You just ate a huge bucket of popcorn, two chocolate bars, and a large soda. Not to mention, you ate half of my bucket."

"Whatever. Hey, I want to challenge you."

"You know I can't eat as much as you."

"Not that. Let's see who can get more waves from the ladies."

"Ha, there's no competition!" Alex huffed.

"I know, because I'm just so good looking."

"What?! Not you!"

"Who would look at you?!" Tom cried. "You look like an old man about to lose his job!"

"What?!"

"You're thin as a stick. You're ugly."

"No, I'm not!"

"Want to make a bet?"

"Sure as hell."

"Fine. Whoever loses has to do something absolutely mortifying while we're in France."

"Like what?"

"Kiss an old man."

"You're on."

"Good. We'll start after we eat lunch. God, I'm so hungry."

Alex rolled his eyes. The two boys headed into the mall and bought lunch. Alex took a look around as he ate his cheeseburger. He was determined to beat Tom. Once they finished, Tom started going over rules of the competition.

"Since when does babe-watching have rules?" Alex demanded.

"Hey, this is a competition here. So anyway, we're going to go our separate ways. We'll meet back here in an hour."

"Okay."

"A giggle is five points. Blushing is another five points. A wave is ten points. A 'hello' or some other greeting is twenty points. A phone number, e-mail address, or screen name is fifty points. Deal?"

Alex went to shake Tom's hand but stopped. "You have to swear to be honest."

Tom rolled his eyes. "Fine."

The two boys spit on their palms and shook hands.

"Get ready to pucker up for grandpa," Tom sneered.

Alex just smiled sweetly. Tom was going to eat his words. Alex would make sure of that.