Disclaimer- the whole idea of the latches and Ryter and all that belong to
Rodman Philbrick, but the new characters and this particular story belong
to me.
A/N- You really have to have read The Last Book In the Universe to understand this cuz there are so many terms and names and stuff that nobody could ever possibly understand without reading The Last Book In the Universe first. Sorry.
1 MY NAME IS SPIKE
They call me that because of my spikey hair. I think. And although I think what Ryter's having us do is a little weird, I don't think it's too hard. I think I might have a pretty good story. I mean, I hope I have a good story, because I wouldn't want to be just writing on and on and on and on and have you be snoring.
Ok, so to start my story I'd like to tell you a bit about myself. I am a twelve year old boy and I live in a stackbox in a latch run by Billy Bizmo. No, that's not really true, I don't live in a stackbox. I just wish I did. Or do I? Mayb I wish I lived in the Crypts, with my twin sister Spy. She's with the Bully Bangers, see. Me, I'm not really sure I want to be with the Bully Bangers. I mean, it makes sense, to be down with the Bangers, because it makes your life a hell of a lot safer, I can tell you that much. But I don't know, there's something about the Bully Bangers that I don't like. Spy's been witht them ever since our parents deserted us to go live in some other latch. That was when we were eight, when Spy's name was Teardrop. We sort of wandered around for a couple of weeks, then came across couple of the Bangers, and Tear, whose name could have been Sly, started talking with them and sounding all sweet and cute and smart and I just sort of nodded and smiled, and then, as amazing as it is, they took us to Billy Bizmo. Tear did the same charade in front of him and he said, sure, we could be with the Bully Bangers. He sent us out to rip a lot of people off and stuff, and Tear was great. She was just as sly when it came to ripping people off as when it came to persuading people to do things for her. So they began to call her Spy, after a while, and the name just sort of stuck.
I didn't do so well. If it wasn't for Spy, they probably would have killed me. Although I was fast, my nerve always failed me when I heard someone coming and I would run away, and when I did manage to steal something it was never very good. I slowly began to realize that I was not meant to be a thief. When I told Spy about this, she begged and pleaded and even tried using her charm on me to get me to stay. I might have, too, if I hadn't failed so miserably that day and been beaten by the Bangers. I was done. I wasn't going to stay in this latch anymore, I would find a new latch.
So I did. I ran away. Between the latches.
Are you making the connection yet? Because I became a latch runner. I had always had a good memory, and like I said before, I was very fast. So I decided the best job for me was to become a latch runner. I made good money, too. That's how I met Ryter. I was delivering a message from Eden, and Billy Bizmo came, and, you know, besides being an illegal latch runner this was Billy Bizmo, whose latch I had run away from. I was trapped, and Ryter told me to hide under his foam (mattress) in the corner, so I did and Billy Bizmo never found me. I got a shock, though. This is what I heard:
Billy Bizmo: You know Spaz-
Ryter: My name isn't Spaz anymore. It's Ryter.
BB: Fine. Ryter then. But you do know that at some point I'm going to retire.
R: Great for you.
BB: Yah. But when that happens, I'm going to need somone else to run the Bully Bangers...
R: No.
BB: You haven't even heard my proposal.
R: No. I already told you, I want nothing to do with you or your stupid Bangers.
BB: Look, Spaz-
R: Ryter.
BB: Ryter. You're my son. I know you'd make a great latchboss-
R: How many times do I have to say it! Do you need a mind-probe or something to get the message across to you! I don't want to be like you! I don't want ANYTHING to do with you! I am NOT your son!
BB: Spaz, you ARE my son, and you know it. Please, after all I've done for you-
R: All you've done for me? Like leaving me as a baby-
BB: I was a latchboss, I couldn't have brought you up like that, not with your mother dead.
R: -like refusing to let me see Bean? No way, I will never become the new latchboss.
BB: So is this what it's all about? Your sister! Spaz, or Ryter, or whatever you call yourself, she's not even your blood, you don't have a real sister.
R: Bean is my sister, whether she's blood or not. She's a real-er sister than you are a father.
BB: Son..
R: Don't "son" me. I'm through with you. Now get out.
And then Billy Bizmo left. Ryter was breathing heavily, looking after him with narrowed eyes. I got up cautiously and was about to leave when he said, "No, wait. What's your name?" I told him and he said, "How would you like to help me?" So I did.
A/N- You really have to have read The Last Book In the Universe to understand this cuz there are so many terms and names and stuff that nobody could ever possibly understand without reading The Last Book In the Universe first. Sorry.
1 MY NAME IS SPIKE
They call me that because of my spikey hair. I think. And although I think what Ryter's having us do is a little weird, I don't think it's too hard. I think I might have a pretty good story. I mean, I hope I have a good story, because I wouldn't want to be just writing on and on and on and on and have you be snoring.
Ok, so to start my story I'd like to tell you a bit about myself. I am a twelve year old boy and I live in a stackbox in a latch run by Billy Bizmo. No, that's not really true, I don't live in a stackbox. I just wish I did. Or do I? Mayb I wish I lived in the Crypts, with my twin sister Spy. She's with the Bully Bangers, see. Me, I'm not really sure I want to be with the Bully Bangers. I mean, it makes sense, to be down with the Bangers, because it makes your life a hell of a lot safer, I can tell you that much. But I don't know, there's something about the Bully Bangers that I don't like. Spy's been witht them ever since our parents deserted us to go live in some other latch. That was when we were eight, when Spy's name was Teardrop. We sort of wandered around for a couple of weeks, then came across couple of the Bangers, and Tear, whose name could have been Sly, started talking with them and sounding all sweet and cute and smart and I just sort of nodded and smiled, and then, as amazing as it is, they took us to Billy Bizmo. Tear did the same charade in front of him and he said, sure, we could be with the Bully Bangers. He sent us out to rip a lot of people off and stuff, and Tear was great. She was just as sly when it came to ripping people off as when it came to persuading people to do things for her. So they began to call her Spy, after a while, and the name just sort of stuck.
I didn't do so well. If it wasn't for Spy, they probably would have killed me. Although I was fast, my nerve always failed me when I heard someone coming and I would run away, and when I did manage to steal something it was never very good. I slowly began to realize that I was not meant to be a thief. When I told Spy about this, she begged and pleaded and even tried using her charm on me to get me to stay. I might have, too, if I hadn't failed so miserably that day and been beaten by the Bangers. I was done. I wasn't going to stay in this latch anymore, I would find a new latch.
So I did. I ran away. Between the latches.
Are you making the connection yet? Because I became a latch runner. I had always had a good memory, and like I said before, I was very fast. So I decided the best job for me was to become a latch runner. I made good money, too. That's how I met Ryter. I was delivering a message from Eden, and Billy Bizmo came, and, you know, besides being an illegal latch runner this was Billy Bizmo, whose latch I had run away from. I was trapped, and Ryter told me to hide under his foam (mattress) in the corner, so I did and Billy Bizmo never found me. I got a shock, though. This is what I heard:
Billy Bizmo: You know Spaz-
Ryter: My name isn't Spaz anymore. It's Ryter.
BB: Fine. Ryter then. But you do know that at some point I'm going to retire.
R: Great for you.
BB: Yah. But when that happens, I'm going to need somone else to run the Bully Bangers...
R: No.
BB: You haven't even heard my proposal.
R: No. I already told you, I want nothing to do with you or your stupid Bangers.
BB: Look, Spaz-
R: Ryter.
BB: Ryter. You're my son. I know you'd make a great latchboss-
R: How many times do I have to say it! Do you need a mind-probe or something to get the message across to you! I don't want to be like you! I don't want ANYTHING to do with you! I am NOT your son!
BB: Spaz, you ARE my son, and you know it. Please, after all I've done for you-
R: All you've done for me? Like leaving me as a baby-
BB: I was a latchboss, I couldn't have brought you up like that, not with your mother dead.
R: -like refusing to let me see Bean? No way, I will never become the new latchboss.
BB: So is this what it's all about? Your sister! Spaz, or Ryter, or whatever you call yourself, she's not even your blood, you don't have a real sister.
R: Bean is my sister, whether she's blood or not. She's a real-er sister than you are a father.
BB: Son..
R: Don't "son" me. I'm through with you. Now get out.
And then Billy Bizmo left. Ryter was breathing heavily, looking after him with narrowed eyes. I got up cautiously and was about to leave when he said, "No, wait. What's your name?" I told him and he said, "How would you like to help me?" So I did.