Mako's Message: Hey all. Been awhile hasn't it? Well, what can I say? Being poor and semi-homeless is a full time job! I've still found time for writing though, and I've got roughly four chapters backlogged. Not gonna post them all at once though. Might put up two. Depends on how I feel by the time I finish my Coolatta (I'm sitting in a dunkin donuts as I type this). Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's got Riley in it, and I know how much you've all missed her, so you should all be very happy with it. ^_^


Today started out horrible and got marginally better by the end. I mean, at least I got ice cream.

It started with more stupid nightmares. I swear if I spend another night dreaming about wandering around this house doing nothing I'm gonna start putting holes in things.

At school Jessi was absent, and Angela had a test she needed to study for, and since I'm not allowed to go near Dave (not that I haven't thought about trying anyway.) I couldn't even go talk to Todd and Dough Boy, I was left sitting alone and reading an old comic book. I wish Marcus would at least let me pick up my comics.

The only thing even remotely productive I accomplished at school was filling up the margins of my notebook with doodles of me and Dave kicking ass. With a pile of unconscious bodies in the background.

Any resemblance to peoples currently living or dead are purely coincidental. Purely.

After getting picked up and taken home I sent out text messages to everyone I talk to and went into the gym to work out for a couple hours.

That didn't happen though.

Nobody texted me back. I sent another few texts out, but still nothing. The fact that the phone wasn't chirping it's message alert tone started driving me nuts. I couldn't focus so I gave up trying to work out and went up to my room.

Where I ended up sitting at my desk, poking my phone across it for awhile before I finally snapped and yelled, "RING!"

When Marcus came home I was draped across the couch staring through a wall.

I don't know how long he stood there looking at me because I didn't hear him come in, and I didn't notice him until he said, "Come on. Let's go get some ice cream."

I'll admit that shocked me out of my boredom coma, "What?"

"Let's go get some ice cream."

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

I didn't know what to say except, "okay."

The entire time in the car, all I could think was, "Is he really taking me to NYBC?"

When I saw that that was exactly where we were going, I started wondering if he was actually relenting on the whole "never seeing Dave" thing

I tried to not let my excitement at the possibility show. Which, turned out to be a good thing, as Dave wasn't there. What I probably could have done was hide my disappointment better when Riley walked out, though.

She greeted Marcus by name and asked if he wanted his usual, so I guess he's been stopping by pretty often. She didn't spot me until after that (I hate being short) at which point she broke in to a huge grin and said, "Mindy! Haven't seen you in ages, what's kept you away?"

"She's been grounded."

"Wow. Long grounding." She seemed kind of surprised then perked up again, "Well, if that's the case, then I'll upgrade your order by one size for free, what'll you have?"

I decided on the double fudge brownie sundae. Yeah, I know I keep ordering that, but I mean, it's hot fudge, and brownie, and... I'm sorry but I just can't resist that much chocolate. It's a weakness.

Riley again seemed to be under the impression that we were friends and started talking to me. She asked how I was doing, what did I do to get grounded for so long (I wasn't grounded as long as she thought. I just haven't seen her the last few times I went there.), and if I was still hanging out with Dave all the time.

Then she said, "He talks about you a lot you know. Maybe even more than he does about Katie."

She said that last bit while looking at me out of the corner of her eye. If she was trying to look like she wasn't looking at me she failed miserably. But for some reason I got the sense she was only pretending she was trying to look like she wasn't looking at me.

I didn't know how to respond to that so I just asked, "Really?"

"Oh yeah. It must be nice to get that much attention from such a cute guy." I swear she couldn't have been less subtle if she actually winked and nudged me.

It was still hard not blush about it. I mean, how was hearing Dave talks about me more than Katie NOT supposed to make me feel all...warm and glowy.

Part of me wanted to push for more info. What exactly, was Dave saying about me? But the rational, here and now part reminded me that Marcus was right over there and that if I ever wanted to see Dave again I couldn't let on that I had any interest in him, even if it was just physical_ scratch that. ESPECIALLY if it was a physical interest. Marcus would probably kill him if he knew I wanted him in my bed.

So I told her, "That's cool." and kept eating my sundae.

"So did you use the-uh," she looked over at Marcus, "present I gave you?"

I started to ask what she was talking about, then I remembered; the mistletoe. It immediately made me think back to the kiss and just as quickly I could feel myself start to flush. I tried to calm down and not let anything show, but I guess she caught it anyway. She grinned like a fiend and said, "You did." and she leaned in to whisper to me, "So when are you going to tell me who the lucky guy is?"

I pushed my sundae away and said, "I have no idea what you're talking about," then turned to tell Marcus I was done.

I heard her say to herself, "Awe, it's so cute when they deny it."

As we got up, Riley handed Marcus a box, "The rest of Mindy's sundae. I figured she'd like to save it for later. I threw an extra scoop in too."

Marcus thanked her and as we walked out he said, "I didn't know you were friends with Riley."

I said, "I'm not," and nothing else for the rest of the trip home.

I went upstairs and tried to get into my book, but what Riley said bugged me. Why did she want to know who I was interested in? It didn't really matter though, because I couldn't tell her if I wanted to, and I don't, because I just know she'd tell Dave. And probably Marcus for that matter. They seemed friendly.

Later that night when I was trying to force myself to sleep and end this fucking day, my phone vibrated. And not just any phone, my secret phone. The Dave Phone.

I thought, "Sweet. Today's finally looking up."

The message waiting for me? "Is Marcus working tonight?"

The sudden rush of excitement that hit me when I read that (Dave wanted to sneak over!) crashed and burned as I remembered that no, Marcus doesn't work tonight.

He texted back, "Damn, I really wanted to tell you about this face to face. I guess I can't even call, can I?"

I checked the house and found Marcus downstairs watching television so I slipped back upstairs and told him he could actually, if he wanted.

A minute later my phone started buzzing and I picked it up before the first one finished.

Once I said "Hello" Dave immediately started talking about his first real mission with Justice Forever.

He and Marty met up with the rest of the team to bust up a poker game run by a guy who run's an underage prostitution ring. Apparently old man Colonel Stripes is pretty good at what he does since he dropped the bouncer, who was a good foot taller than him, in one blow. Then they broke in an beat the shit out of everyone there, broke a few legs, cracked a few skulls, ya know, the usual. They kept the guy they wanted intact though. Well, mostly at least. Dave said Colonel Stripes called in his dog, and he said this was a big goddamn dog. Like, big enough to look me right in eye big. And then the dog chomped down right on the guys tunk.

I know Dave probably cringed seeing that, and Daddy probably would have as well, but I couldn't help but grin at the image; a pimp getting his cock bitten off.

What can I say? I love irony. Or would that be karma? Doesn't matter. It's still awesome.

Anyway, they got the info the wanted out of him, and then left him on the floor, bleeding and broken with the rest of the scum from the poker game, for the cops to pick up.

I would have just killed the bunch of them... but in the case of the guy they turned into dog food that might have been considered an act of mercy.

It was a fun story, and I loved listening to it (Dave went into more detail than I did.), but it ended up just making me wish I was there. I mean, come on, a little girl leading the charge to bust up a guy running an underage prostitution ring? Now THAT is irony.

And add to that the fact that Marty DID get in on that (Oh yeah, Dave said he threw up after the dog ripped a chunk out of the guy. I knew he was a pussy.) and it just made me even more depressed.

Tomorrow had better be better than this craptastrophy.

I think I'll go eat the rest of that sundae.