Gregg

Chapter 3

Walking home should be scary at night but really it's the most calming thing in the world to me. I listen to the critters of the night as I walk and watch the bugs fly through the air. I take my time getting home so I can enjoy the quiet, peaceful sounds because I know that as soon as I get home I'll have to deal with the twins and their witch of a mother. I take the long way home by going down one more block then turning around and heading the other way. I look around and try to remember the names of all my neighbors. The Albertsons live behind us, the Carsons live across the street, the Jensens are down the street, Natalia is three doors to the left and the Duns live next to her. I don't know why I try to know them but I do. Natalia is my favorite neighbor; other than Eliza Jensen of course. Natalia is a cool punk rock girl with a brown pug named Spencer. Natalia has short spiked black hair, brown eyes, and tattoo sleeves.

I love talking to her about her tattoos. She has a skull made of flowers tattooed on her left shoulder. She told me it was for her late mother. My favorite tattoo of hers is the small semicolon on her wrist. She told me the reason she has it is because her sister suffered with clinical depression, anxiety, and a list of phobias that I can't remember. She got the semicolon because her sister committed suicide when she was sixteen. Natalia said that a semicolon is used when an author has the choice to end the sentence but chooses to continue it and that has a lot of meaning to Natalia even though her big sister didn't choose to continue. It shows her that she has the choice to continue. After her sister's suicide, Natalia fell into the kind of deep depression her sister had and attempted suicide. She survived and realized that she could live a life for both her and her sister. I love that.

I pass Natalia's house and smile but my smile quickly fades when I realize that I'm almost home. I approach my house and almost cringe at the sight. They know I'm home before I do and before I shut the door I'm being yelled at. "Where have you been? Don't you know the time? You were supposed to be home BEFORE eight!" Felicia is yelling in my face as I shut the door. I don't reply because that would be considered "talking back", which is something I'm not allowed to do to Felicia. I walk around her and up the stairs to my room. When I enter the sanctuary of my bedroom I lock the door. "It's 8:12. She must love to hate me." I say when I know no one can hear me. I'll probably get in trouble for not explaining myself to her but it would be a worse punishment if I did respond to her idiocy.

I hear a knock on my door and choose to ignore it. I pretend I'm asleep until it goes away. Suddenly the knock isn't on my door but now it's on my window. This gets me out of bed and at my window. How in the world? Why? I push the black curtains out of the way and see the ninja twins looking into my room. I open the window enough to talk to them but not enough for them to get in. "What do you guys want? I thought I said to leave me alone." Didn't I? Did I forget to tell them to leave me alone? I guess I'll find out. "Actually I don't remember you saying the words 'Leave me alone'," says the female "did you hear him say that Trent?" she asks the boy who I now know as Trent. "No Trina. I didn't hear him say that." He says mockingly. They forcibly push open my window and climb into my room; both are still fully clothed in black. I'm so curious as to what they look like.

"Okay, well, now you guys are in my room. What do you want?" I ask almost irritated. "We want to talk to you Gregg. We may have been watching you for a while but we know little to nothing about you." Trent says nicely but to me it sounds like he has alternative motives. Trina speaks up as if she knew I felt suspicious. "We just want to get to know you a little bit to see if it's still worth following you around." I still feel the need to be a little cautious around these strangers. "What do you want to know?" They look at each other as if surprised I agreed to talk to them. "Huh, didn't think you'd want to talk to us." Trina said softly as if in shock. "I mean, what am I going to say? No? You guys will just keep bugging me." They both laugh in agreement. "I guess you should just start how you would when telling someone new about yourself. I don't really know what I want to know." Trent says.

"Okay. Well, where to begin?" I say under my breath. "My parents named me Greggory after my mom's grandfather and it's spelled G-R-E-G-G-O-R-Y, instead of G-R-E-G-O-R-Y. I don't understand it either but every male in mom's family is named Greggory. I go by Gregg because it's simpler. I'm a simple sixteen year old. I'm from California, but my dad moved us when he met Felicia, my step-mom. My dad is from San Diego and my mom is from Germany. Which is why I'm so pale and white. I get my brown hair and eyes from my dad, obviously. My mom was really pretty. She had dirty blondish hair that she hated but my dad wouldn't let her change it because he loved the color of her hair too much. She had the typical German blue eyes and pale white skin. I don't really remember what she's like but I remember what she looks like because of the pictures I have of her." Trina interrupts, "What happened to her?" she asks with caution. "My mom left my dad and I when I was seven. To this day I have no idea why she left, where she went, or if she wanted to take me with her or not. I always thought she went back to Germany but my dad says there's no way that's where she went." My thoughts drift off to my mother. "So she's still alive?" Trent asks. "I don't know. Maybe, maybe not."

The ninja twins are looking at me with sympathy in their eyes. Suddenly they look at each other and nod. I see Trent start reaching for the opening in his mask. Trina does the same. They both take off their masks and gloves and reveal their faces. I sit in shock and disbelief as I see the Jensen twins sitting before me. "Pete!? Eliza!? What in the world?!" I'm standing now. Yelling and pacing. Why would they pose as futuristic ninjas? Why would I even believe that? I know Pete and Eliza's voices though. Why did they sound so different? What's going on? Why am I not voicing my questions? "What in the world is going on?  Explain everything right now!" I demand answers from the Jensen twins. They both sigh as if apologetic for not telling me sooner but I know that isn't the case.

The girl I once knew as Trina spoke up. "Gregg, we're sorry. We wish this had gone differently. But is there really any good way to go back in time, stalk your father while trying to blend in at his high school?" I swear my jaw just hit the floor or did I pass out? I think both because the next thing I remember is waking up on my bed with the girl of my dreams staring at me. I'm praying I'm dreaming because I think she just called me her father. Why? Why Eliza of all people? The girl I wanted to marry tells me that she's my daughter. "You people are crazy! What is going on here? I want the absolute truth out of you two!" I sound like an angry father which doesn't help the fact that they say I'm their father. Regardless if I am or not, I don't wanna act like it yet. Trent finally speaks up and says as calmly as possible "Dad, we're here to stop you from destroying the world."