Never As It Seems

The Next Adventure

"What? There again?" said Flames. Annmarie looked at him, bemused.

"Yeah," said Rick. "Right now, preferably. Unless you're busy." He indicated the still dimly lit video game screen.

"No, no, I'm definitely coming," said Flames. "I don't want to hang around any dumb computers anymore. See, Annmarie?" He poked her arm. "Wasn't I just talking about this? And now a dear friend has been sent to aid my survival."

"I'm literally you," said Rick.

Flames ignored him. "This, obviously, is my chance to change my future. For the better. In short, I, Flames R. Pond, am going on an adventure."

"Not if you're going to sit there preaching at me," said Annmarie. "Do I get to come, too, or are you abandoning me with the Lego guy?"

"I don't know." Flames turned to Rick. "What do you think, Literally Me?"

He shrugged. "Is she going to be a distraction?"

"Excuse you," said Annmarie. She stood up and faced Rick fully, frowning at him. "I would be more of an aid on whatever this thing is that you're kidnapping Flames to go to than any other regular girl. No, I'm coming with you."

"We don't even know what we're doing yet," said Flames. "I mean, think about it. You came in here like two minutes ago and we're already preparing for battle some time in the future. And I'm still confused by everything."

"And that's why I said I would explain it on the way," said Rick. "Not now, dorm rooms scare me."

"Oh, whatever," said Flames. "Annmarie, you're coming with us."

"I know."

"Well, yeah. Rick, I take it you still have your fancy car thing?"

He gave him a thumbs up. "You got it."

"Okay then." He stood up and coughed again.

"You don't have a cold, do you?" said Rick.

"No, it's the dumb dust you created when you literally knocked my door down. Ann, do you need anything from your room or anything?"

"Don't think so," she said. Then she grabbed his shirt sleeve and pulled him out of the room. They started to walk down the hallway.

"Ow!"

"Quit talking so much."

"You're annoying."

"Uh huh!"

"Rick! Help!"

Rick strode past him and stuck his right hand out to Annmarie. "Rick Young. Pleased to meet you."

"She's mine, you parasite."

"Annmarie Monson," she said, taking his hand and shaking it while still hanging on to Flames' shirt sleeve. "Sorry about this loser."

"No, he's why I came here, actually. But I see what you mean about the loser part."

"Hey!" Flames wrested from Annmarie's grasp and his shirt was finally released. "Are you going to bring me along just to be mean to me? 'Cause I'll leave."

"No you won't," said Rick. "I know you. You can't let anything go if it seems the least bit exciting."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

They reached the doors and Annmarie opened the one that led to the agency parking lot, which was just around the corner of a long scratch of blank wall.