Chasing Shadows

Part One ~ Chapter Four

And now, as we stood in my own backyard and stared at the barbecue before us, part of me finally relaxed into the idea of being home.

-Matt

_______________

Our bags weren’t filled with much. Mine held a few tiny gifts for our parents and my laptop, along with some articles of clothing that I thought I might want while I was home. I had a few magazines stuffed into a backpack, along with some snacks and other things I might want on the plane. There really wasn’t much we would need considering we had clothing still at home. There was only one thing my mind was really struggling over.

The gun.

Did the agency that gave it to us picture danger in our future while we were at home? Because I definitely did. An airport would never let me through with a gun, that much was obvious, but I still worried that it would be needed. I was pretty sure none of our parents kept guns on hand that we could borrow during our visit, and even if they did it wouldn’t be that simple.

“Dude, you can’t even be considering bringing it.” Andrew raised his eyebrows and gave me a look as if to ask, are you stupid? Part of me began to think I really was.

“I…duh. But how am I supposed to protect if I have nothing to protect with?” I stared at the gun in my hands again.

“You can’t protect anyone while stuck in the back of a police car. Snap out of it, Matt. You can’t bring a freaking gun to an airport and get away with it.”

“Who has a gun?” Joe asked loudly as he strolled in the cabin. I traded a panicked look with Andrew and shoved the gun into my backpack in fear. Woops.

“Nobody, we’re just debating over something we saw on a TV show.” Andrew lied smoothly. I envied the way he could do that, wishing I had the same ability to come up with such things on the spot.

“Oh. Well, if Mark asks I’m going swimming.” Joe reached into his pillowcase and came out with a black trash bag in hand.

“It’s November.” I stated dryly. “And keep us out of your shit.”

“Mark doesn’t care if it’s November, if he is told that I’m swimming, then he thinks I’m swimming.” This was, somewhat, the truth. Mark had a little soft spot for Joe, and as long as nobody outright said to Mark that Joe was off doing something he so clearly shouldn’t be, then Mark would go with whatever you told him.

“Bye!” Andrew called out halfheartedly as the cabin door swung shut. “Happy Thanksgiving!” He chuckled.

“Where is he even going for the holidays?” I grew curious.

“He spends them with his cousins who live a few towns away I think. He told me they were nice people, if I remember correctly,” Andrew mused. “Whatever. You better finish packing. Everyone’s meeting at the shuttle area in ten minutes.”

“Right, right.” I threw some schoolwork into my bag and shoveled a few other little things in there without really caring if I would need them or not. I had better run if I wanted to get there in time. “I’ll see you after break, have a good Thanksgiving!” I waved at Andrew while dragging my suitcase behind me out the door.

“Bye, Matt. And hey, don’t be too worried. Everything will work out fine.” Andrew nodded his head as if certain this was true, and I tried my hardest to believe him.

***

                “Don’t forget, there’s a barbeque waiting for us when we get home,” Amy said as she read a text off of her phone screen. “Mom wants me to remind everyone.”