2 kids

Not superheroes or gangsters.

Alex.

I wonder if I'd ever wanted to be a detective or secret agent growing up. Probably, cause i's a common phase while growing up. Now I know that I wouldn't make a living with it. I'd be one of those impulsive, impatient detectives who don't follow rules. With my luck I'd probably get fired before I'd even have a reputation.

"Are you really working right now?" Ace gives a raised eyebrows look. "You're a workaholic."

I can't disagree with that, so I just ignore that one comment. "Someone has to do something, and I'm bored." I take a sip from the drink he bought earlier. Without knowing what it actually is I swallow the liquid, only to discover it's a sweet soda and instantly regretting it.
"Can you imagine what a cunning and thoughtful lie I had to feed my dad and Skylar?" We were scheduled in the studio today, but Ace decided to change our plans at the last minute. He didn't even bother to come up with an explanation to the management and production team, or the people at the studio. He made up his mind and that was it.

"You've got a pretty good experience in that, mate." He chuckles while mocking me.

I can't disagree. I shake my head, chucking lightly and continuing working on the song. I've been stuck in this car for hours now. I've only got a limited amount of patience.

Sharing a room with Ace is a curse that's been casted at me while I was still in my mom's womb. It's a curse that can be lived with, though. Usually it's no big deal, but this morning I threw a shoe at him. The one person who never wakes up earlier than ten was running around the room at five thirty in the morning. I had no choice but to throw a shoe at him when he refused to let me sleep peacefully. He declared he needed me to go with him. And of course the loving and caring best friend I am, I turned around and said he could go to hell. He yeeted my quilt off of me, allowing the cold morning air to creep up on me. I got annoyed and threw my shoe at him.

That's the story of how I've been on the watch with him for five hours now, since six thirty in the morning.

********

The backdoor opens and River crawls back inside, both hands holding bags of food. He lets out a deep and heavy sigh as he enters.

Ace immediately turns around; excited food has arrived. Is that all it takes for him to forget the purpose of this... stakeout?

"Here's....." River starts to hand out the food, but actually never does it. "There's no name on it. But it should be yours."

I save my work, close the laptop and put it safely away, in the backpack. Then I grab my food from River and get back to actually observing the people around me.

"For how long are you - ."

"For however long it takes."

I exchange a desperate look with River, but neither of us say anything. We'll accompany him for however long it takes. And to wherever he decides to go.

"Why exactly are we doing this?"

Ace ignores him. Why are we on a stakeout exactly today? Exactly at this hour? I don't even know myself. But I've understood a long time ago that sometimes it's better to leave some questions untold, and some answers unanswered. For the sake of everyone involved.

"Because I refuse to let him ruin our lives again."

Maybe he's getting too biassed and too obsessed. But again, can anyone blame him? No.

"Mum met with him," Ace continues. This almost makes me choke on my water.

"You're blaming your mum for meeting with her own son?" River echoes.