First file: Hoagie P. Gilligan Junior
Ex-Operative: Numbuh 2
Current Location: Cleveland, Virginia
"Hoagie, it's time to get up!"
Hoagie pulled a pillow over his head in exhaustion, trying to ignore his mother's wake up call.
"HEY, IF YOU DON'T WAKE UP I'M COMING UP THERE MYSELF!" His grandma's shout pierced through his ears as it shook the entire household.
His body whipped up instantly from the scarce scream.
"Y-Yes, grandma!" Hoagie replied in a groaning yell.
He slowly dangled his legs across the side of his bed, making his body move up in a sitting manner. Gripping the edge of his bedside with his big, pale hands, he gradually lifted himself upward groggily to his feet.
He yawned ever so loudly as he slugged to his closet. He gazed at his wardrobe in contemplation. There was a total of thirty, light blue, buttoned up shirts and khaki pants that he wore daily filling his closet, but what was he going to wear?
Hoagie stretched out his arms to the ceiling with yet another yawn, then grabbed himself his standard clothing from his closet.
"This seems nice," He spoke as he removed his sleeping wear, tossing it into the nearest hamper.
Once he had finished changing, he stalked into the bathroom, gazing at himself in the mirror as he clutched hold of his toothbrush. He squirted a dab of toothpaste onto the toothbrush and began to brush his teeth inside out, clockwise, and finally, counter clockwise until his teeth were nice, sparkling, and clean.
He smirked slightly at his reflection in admiration.
"Lookin' good," he bragged to himself as he pushed back some of his au-burned hair, nicely-poking his thumbs upward-giving himself two thumbs up, "Hoagie Gilligan, you are a stud…nothing unusual though," he chuckled at his 'so called' funny remark.
At that instant his hair popped up from its smooth stature to just its average look. His smirk drooped downward as he returned his arms to his sides.
He sighed lowly, shrugging, "Oh well," he told himself, sprinting out of the bathroom and down the stairs in haste.
"Good morning, Hoagie," Mrs. Gilligan smiled, setting a plate of scrambled eggs before him at the table.
"Morning mom," He responded as he sat down in his normal seating for breakfast.
His grandma sat across from him at the breakfast nook, scowling to herself while eating her oatmeal.
Hoagie stuffed his scrambled eggs inside his mouth with his fork, "So," he gulped down his food, taking another forkful of eggs, "why didn't my alarm clock go off?"
"Oh, that old think. It was so noisy with all those bells it was enough to drive me crazy. So, Gary suggested I unplug it and just wake you up myself," his mother replied, beginning to wash up some dishes.
"Gary suggested it? …But mom, I spent a long time on that alarm clock!" Hoagie protested.
"Oh, you know Gary might be right about you. Maybe you are spending too much time on those inventions."
Hoagie frowned, "No, I'm not mom….And why should you care what Gary thinks? Gary this, Gary that. It's all I ever hear you talk about now."
"Well, he is my boyfriend Hoagie and he cares about you and Tommy. I have no idea why you dislike him so much anyways," Mrs. Gilligan replied defensively, grimacing.
"I don't dislike him I just really don't think-"
"Why should you care anyways?" his grandma scowled, "…Back in my day, we didn't have alarm clocks. We-"
"That's nice grandma," Hoagie replied not really caring as he got up from the breakfast table, "I just don't really care for Gary, mom, you haven't seen him the way that I do. He's-"
"I know exactly how Gary is and he's the nicest and most caring man I have ever known," Mrs. Gilligan smiled slightly in a daze.
"What about dad?" Hoagie asked with his hands on his hips, keeping a straight face.
Mrs. Gilligan's face changed quickly, forming a glare, "That's enough Hoagie P. Gilligan Junior. I want you to stop talking about Gary that way and get to work," she demanded.
Hoagie sighed in frustration and fled out the front door, leaving his family behind in silence.
The grill sizzled as he planted the spatula firmly onto the hamburger patty. Hoagie whistled to himself as he flipped the patty up into the air then back on the grill.
Yes, Hoagie worked at a fast food place- to be precise-the Nasty Burger. He had worked there part time for over a year now helping around the joint. He was excellent at making the meals and even taking up orders if he had to. The jobs he didn't like were scrubbing and plunging toilets. Now that was just gross.
He wasn't the only teenager who worked at the Nasty Burger though. His best friends Ted (decommissioned operative Numbuh 42) and Bartie (decommissioned operative Numbuh 35) worked there as well, helping along side him. He did have temptations over the food though once in awhile, but he tried to keep strong and had food there only occasionally.
He liked the fact of working near food because he had always admired and enjoyed the essence of food, but he did; however, not care for how much he desired it at times. He pushed through anyhow though. It was a tough job but someone had to do it.
"So, have you been thinking about college, Hoagie?" Ted wondered in curiosity and slight boredom.
They did not have too many costumers at the moment.
"Not as much, I mean, I've always dreamed about going to a good college but haven't really thought on which one I really want to go to," Hoagie explained in pure truthfulness.
"Yeah, it is kind of a hard decision," Bartie agreed as he continued to re-fill all the empty napkin holders.
"I'm sure-Oh, hold on guys. Someone wants to order," Ted stated as he began to talk into his headset, trying to be polite to the hungry costumers.
"I still have time though. Are you done with those fries, Bart?" Hoagie questioned his blond friend.
"Yeah," he answered as he poured the fries into a miniature box that had no lid, "…But I still am not positive what I even want to do with my life. There are just so many options."
"I hear yah," Hoagie chuckled as if he thought what he said was amusing, "It's hard for me too."
"What about your inventing?" Ted joined into the conversation again, questioning Hoagie.
"I don't know…that's more of a hobby…"
"You're good at it though," Ted confirmed with a hopeful grin as if trying to comfort Hoagie.
"I could say the same about you," Hoagie smiled as he handed some food from a window.
"I'm still keeping my options open."
"I think we all are," Hoagie exclaimed in utter honesty.
Bartie and Ted nodded in agreement as they continued to make more food.
Bartie glanced at his watch, "Aww man! I have to go guys! I got soccer practice with the buds."
Hoagie chuckled, "Okay, go. We can handle it. Thanks for the help, Bart," he patted his shoulder in a friendly manner.
"No problem, see yah Hoag, Ted," Bartie called as he took off his Nasty burger hat and apron on his way out.
Hoagie sighed lowly to himself as a patty began to burn into bright, blazing flames on the grill. Ted took notice and his eyes grew wide in fright.
"Hoagie, the burger is burning!" he shouted to the daydreaming teen.
Hoagie shook out of his somewhat daze and gripped the end of a fire extinguisher.
"Stand back," Hoagie quickly blew it at the grill with puffs of white shooting out, making the fire seize.
Ted sighed in relief as Hoagie started to clean up all the mess the fire extinguisher left.
"Hoagie, are you okay? You seem sort of out of it today…" Ted observed, scratching his chin in thought.
Hoagie set his gaze downward, "It's just…I'm average…"
"What? Oh, Hoagie, not this again," Ted shook his head sadly at his delusional co-worker/friend.
"I'm serious! My life is completely average and there is nothing exciting about it!"
"Oh come on, what about all the science fairs and stuff you've won in the past or your grades? Those are not average!"
"I mean something so ecstatic and incredibly awesome! My life isn't anything close to that. Sure, I won awards but what's so exciting about that? What's so exciting about being a smart, dork?"
"You are not a dork, Hoagie, you are just smart and that seems exciting to me."
Hoagie sighed.
He had always dreamed of having a cool life. A life you'd see on television…he wanted that life. He always seemed to feel like his life was too average. Job, school, and you name it! He just felt like everybody else in the crowd, he felt dull; he felt like his life was never exciting. If anything, he didn't like his life all that much. He had two friends which he liked, his mom was dating a man he didn't even like, his brother had his own life by now, he had a regular job, he did well at school, and he just felt too lame. He felt like he was meant to do something important and to have an exciting life, but he did not know what.
"Hey, you even have a girlfriend who likes you," Ted commented, trying to raise his spirits.
Oh yeah, and Hoagie had a girlfriend too…
Hoagie grinned at that, "Yeah, I guess that's something I suppose."
His girlfriend wasn't all that exciting but he liked her a lot. They had been dating for longer than he has had his job…a very long time. They did not spend every waking minute with each other, but if they weren't doing work or school they would hang out doing different activities with one another. Their relationship was, hey guess what, average.
"See, nothing to worry about. Your life isn't dull. It is special in its own way," He smiled proudly to himself, "Maybe later we could watch some Dr. Time or something."
Hoagie's hope was just lost. He scowled sadly to himself, Dr. Time? Okay, there is nothing lamer than that… I don't want to watch television. I was something exciting, thrilling… I want…I want…
"I want adventure!" Hoagie cried with much enthusiasm, as if it was the thing he wanted most in life.
Of course, he had said such things before to his friends on how he wanted something exhilarating or unusual to happen, but never had he said the word adventure.
"Adventure?" Ted repeated aloud, as if trying to comprehend what his deranged friend meant.
"Yeah!" Hoagie beamed with pure expectation soaring in his heart.
Now that he had said it…he wanted it. He desired it more than anything else in the entire universe.
"Why would you want something like that?" Ted scoffed, frying up some chicken nuggets at the exact same time.
For some strange reason, every time Hoagie saw a nugget he thought on westerns and every single time he put his focus on French fries he pictured Santa Claus. He always shrugged it off though. Hoagie assumed it was just some old dream he had once or something.
Hoagie shook off his thoughts and continued, "…I just do! Don't you think it would be exciting?"
Ted shook his head at his dreamy friend, "Hoagie, you do have adventures. You have a girlfriend, a job, school, inventing, and oh, that old Yipper collection you have, what's more exciting or adventurous then that?"
Hoagie scowled, frowning, "What's more exciting and adventurous than that? What's more exciting and adventurous than that?" He repeated Ted's words with frustration and a hint of disappointment. He just thought Ted was being preposterous.
He then hopped up onto a chair, placing one of his scrawny knees onto the top of a table. He pressed his hands on the tables' top and pulled his other leg up onto it. He moved his leg so that his right foot would be placed on the table properly then pushed himself up so that he would stand. He almost fell from the piece of wooden furniture but flailed his arms to remain balanced. His expression turned serious as he peered over at his friend.
"I'll tell you adventure:," His voice rapidly changed from solemn to genuine in a matter of seconds, taking Ted's full attention, "exploring, making discoveries, taking risks, fighting for the good of man kind, being a true American," he stood tall as he gave his wondrous speech.
He almost pictured a giant flag covering his background magnificently, while hearing the perfect tune-to set off his words-in his head. It seemed so dramatic, powerful, and just plain awesome.
"…But you aren't even full American. You're half Italian."
…until now… that just ruined the moment. The flag he pictured flew away as the music sounded as if a violin had played the wrong note and screeched in his ears. It was gone.
Hoagie lost his train of thought and glowered maliciously at Ted.
"What? I'm just saying the honest truth," Ted smiling sheepishly as he moved back from his friend, holding up his hands high in defense.
"You couldn't let my speech sink in for just a moment?"
Ted continued to grin awkwardly, "Sorry…"
Hoagie rolled his pools of blue at his naïve but best friend.
"HOAGIE GILLIGAN!"
Hoagie shot upward to the ceiling, startled at the sudden out burst. He tried to keep his feet firm onto the table but lost his balance, slipping from the table and tumbling to the floor in a matter of seconds, causing a -THUD! - sound.
The burly, fuzzed man stomped angrily over to where Hoagie laid unmovable on the scarlet tiled floor. He glared down at Hoagie viscously as his feet rested directly in front of Hoagie's face.
"What do you think you are doing just laying around? !" He growled as if he was a hungry lion and Hoagie was his prey, "We have costumers and you're just resting on the floor like an idiot! What kind of employee are you anyways?"
It was as if this man was made for being in the military, yelling at soldiers and demanding their respects to him. In fact, this man was in the military but got fired for being too rough. That is what made this man so scary and mad. No, I do not mean mad as in angry but mad as in crazy; although, he was pretty angry also. How he ended up the manager of the Nasty Burger no one will ever know.
Hoagie groaned, rubbing the back of his head with his hands, "I wasn't resting s-sir, I fell off the table."
"Then why are you still lying down? Get up you spineless weakling! Be a man and stop being such a baby! You have costumers to answer and how are you supposed to do that when you're here acting complete foolish!" He yelled irritably at poor Hoagie.
"Did I stutter? Up you baby!" he screamed in demand.
Hoagie closed his eyes for a slight moment then, placing his palms against the floor, pushed himself upward and onto his feet ever so slowly.
"Now, why would you stand on that table?" The manager's eyes penetrated Hoagie's with such fire overwhelming inside them.
"H-he was just s-showing me s-something s-sir," Ted stuttered, cowardly hiding behind the grill for protection.
The manager set his eyes upon Ted and Ted gulped in fear as he did so.
"Did I ask you to speak? Get back to work!" he cried in rage, turning back to hoagie instantly.
Ted shook violently afraid as he began cooking up some fries hastily.
"I-I was really just showing him something," Hoagie chuckled nervously, "Honest. It won't ever happen again."
"Better not," he spat, "…Or I'll see to it that you're fired."
Hoagie nodded quickly, "U-understood, Gary."
"It's sir to you, Gilligan! Just because your mom and I are dating doesn't give you a right to talk back! You are lucky enough I hired you!" Gary hissed, sending a chill down Hoagie's spine.
Gary was, in fact, dating Mrs. Gilligan. He had been dating her for the past couple of years and Hoagie was never too fond of him. Of course, Gary was nice when his mom was around but at work he was viscous and crazy. He hated pretty much everybody, especially Hoagie. Hoagie had tried to tell his mom count less times that he was a bad person but she would not hear of it. I guess she did not want to believe the truth or perhaps was hypnotized by Gary's charm. Either way, Hoagie was stuck with Gary for as long as his mom was dating him and he needed that job. It pained Hoagie but he needed the job and the Nasty Burger paid very well. He just had to suffer.
"Y-yes, G-sir, I won't call you that anymore," Hoagie stated truthfully.
There was no way he was going to set off the Gary alarm anymore. He would try his best to keep himself on Gary's good side, but it was pretty hard considering he had no good side, in Hoagie's point of view.
"Good. Now, what were you showing Led?" Gary questioned, his eyes locked on him.
Hoagie was hoping he would not ask that. He wanted to correct Gary on it being Ted not Led, but he figured it was best he didn't or he would just be in even more trouble than he was.
"Well, I was showing h-him a speech. I was just saying h-how I wanted a not so average life," Hoagie smirked to himself, feeling empowered by his own speech again, "…and how I wanted a life of thrills, excitement, and adventure!"
There it was again. Adventure. Hoagie seemed to adore that word for that is what he desired…he wanted adventure.
"Adventure?" The word stuck out in Gary's mind too I suppose.
He gazed skeptically at hoagie, rubbing his peach fuzzed chin in thought.
Hoagie noticed Gary was taking interest so pressed on.
"Yeah! I want excitement! I want to feel the rush, I want something daring, I want to do something heroic, I want the feeling that I could live or die, I want to do something worthy for my life and others around me…I just want to do something un-average," He spoke feeling riled and motivated.
Gary pondered on his second speech then smiled warmly.
"You really want adventure huh?" He seemed rather…interested?
Hoagie was surprised but gave a toothy grin, "Yeah."
"Fine then. You want adventure? Here's your adventure," he frowned, handing hoagie a plunger, "go plunge and stop daydreaming!"
Gary stormed off with a scowl into his office once again.
Hoagie grimaced, holding up the toilet plunger high in his right hand.
Not exactly the adventure I was wanting, he thought to himself, moping off into the men's restroom while gripping the end of the plunger.
