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Reid Chapman
Age – 14 years old
“Alex, dude, let’s go. Some kids from school are meeting down at the new café that Uncle Bill and Aunt Shelia just opened. It’s in that old bank everyone swore was haunted, and my mom said I can stay out until nine since Uncle Bill’s there.” I stood in the doorway to my best friends’ bedroom as he hovered over his desktop computer. He wore a pair of old faded blue jeans with holes ripped in the knees and a solid black hooded sweatshirt. His dark hair hung down in his face, too long and in serious need of a cut, and his room smelled like rotten socks and two-week-old dead goldfish.
“I don’t know man, I just don’t feel like it, you go ahead.” He didn’t even bother to look at me, just continued to stare at the screen, using his hand to push his greasy hair up and out of his face every time it fell forward.
“Hey, Alex, are you okay? It’s been what, six months? And you haven’t left the house, not once. I get it, but we used to do everything together. I just want my sidekick back.” It’s been six months since Alex’s mom was killed coming home from work by a drunk driver. Six months since I saw him leave this room for something other than for school.
“Reid, my mom died. Some asshole killed my mom. And what? He just sits in the county jail and awaits a court date that may or may not ever come? What do you think, they give him five years? Eight? I lost my mom, man. She’s never coming back.” His voice broke, but he still didn’t turn to look at me.
“I know, I’m sorry. But that’s why we’re going off to college after high school and then to the Academy after that. Only a few more years and we’re going to be the good guys. We’ll get the assholes like the one that killed your mom off the streets, we’re going to make a difference. Right?” Ever since I can remember Alex and I have wanted to be cops, and not just any cops - FBI. The good guys – the best of the best.
We’ve watched almost every single episode of Law and Order. Well, until the accident.
My dad, he runs our family insurance agency, and yeah, maybe they have expectations that involve me joining in on the family business, but I have other plans. Plans that don’t involve boring contracts and dealing with complaints and nagging adjusters. I want to make a difference in the world. I want to do something meaningful with my life.
“Yeah, sure, but what if I told you I could get to the bad guys now? What if we didn’t have to wait?” I watched Alex’s knee jump with nervous energy as he spoke, sitting at the small desk against the wall in his bedroom.
“What are you talking about Alex?” I walked further into his room so that I could see what he was doing. I don’t even have a computer at home. Sure, my dad has computers up at his office, but I don’t have access to anything like what Alex has. His parents got him the new Apple Macintosh for Christmas. It even has dial up internet hooked to it. He can watch porn on this internet thing and won’t get caught. He doesn’t even have to hide his dirty magazines.
“Check this out. It’s called code. I’m teaching myself, but people are idiots. They’re putting all their information out here on the internet for anyone to find. And these websites? Watch this.” I watched Alex click around on his keyboard as names and numbers appeared all over the screen. None of it made any sense to me.
“What is that?” I asked.
“It’s a bank, I’m inside their accounts. And I can hack other things too. Why wait on the Academy when I can get to the bad guys just sitting here at my desk in my bedroom?” I stepped back and took a good look at my best friend. My ride or die. I was losing him.
“I don’t like this Alex, what if your dad finds out? Or worse, what if the police find out? What if we can’t get into the Academy?” I asked as I ran my hand nervously over my neck.
I’m no goody-goody, but I know enough to know that what Alex is talking about could get us into some serious trouble, and I don’t have time for trouble. Not the felony kind of trouble.
“I’m going to get so good no one will be able to find me. Just wait. I’m just testing the waters right now; learning. I’ve been doing my research. But I won’t get caught, and I’m going to make the real bad guys pay.”
I took another step back trying to make a decision. I can’t nark on my best friend; he’s already been through so much. But I also can’t stand here and go down with a sinking ship, no matter how much I love my brother. My hands twitched nervously at my sides as I tried to choose – my best friend or my future?
“Yeah, well, I don’t like it. I’m going to the café, meet up with us later if you feel up to it. Julie’s going to be there. She’s been asking about you. I think she wants you to ask her to the Winter Formal.”
I really don’t know if that last part’s true, but I’m willing to say anything to get my best friend to come out with me instead of staying in here and digging himself deeper into a hole that I don’t know how to get him out of. I’ve never dealt with anything like this before. My grandma died when I was eight, but she was old. I don’t know what I would do if something happened to my mom.
“Whatever, you take her. Later dude.” He dismissed me with his hand, never tearing his eyes from the screen.
My mom didn’t die, but I kind of feel like my best friend did. It’s not fair.
I took the stairs down from the second floor of his house two at the time, stopping at the door to look back into his kitchen. His dad sat at the dining table, his back to me, with his head in his hands, completely oblivious to my presence. He wore sweatpants and an old t-shirt, and his shoulders shook as he stared at the round oak table.
“Hey, Mr. Straton. Um, maybe check-in on Alex if you get a minute.” I spoke up, worried about my friend but not wanting to get him into trouble.
“Yeah, Reid, thanks. Night.” His voice was raw as he spoke; broken. That was it.
I spent as much time in this house over the last fourteen years as I did my own, but it doesn’t feel like home anymore.
