Table for 4?

[Mashi]

He's going to need to judge them though, so you would most likely have to wait a few days after for him to do so.

[SlowPokemon]

If you'd read the first post, you'd know that he posts them all and we vote on them...

[Mashi]

Oh, whoops, my mistake.

I am an A+ reader.

[SlowPokemon]

Trust me, I know. You can't get as good as you are in TWG by being a poor reader.

[SlowPokemon]

Ok so I don't know if Jub is actually extending it or not but apparently I was the only one who submitted?

[SuperFireKirby]

I submitted one too.

[Jub3r7]

A day late, though.

Place your votes.
Entry #1

   I, already a sad sight as a seventy-six-year-old man, made worse by the fact that I was solitary, watched from a lonely table in the corner as the three teenagers entered the small café. A few flakes of snow fell inside the door before the last one in slammed it shut hurriedly.

   The first teenager was a tall, lanky boy. He sat down at a table, smirking, as he spoke loudly: “So who’s gonna go order?” The boy already knew it wouldn’t be him. This was someone, I decided, who was used to getting anythingâ€"and everythingâ€"he wanted. He yawned exaggeratedly and leaned back in his chair.

   The second adolescent was a girl, thin and very pretty, with long, effortlessly sleek brown hair. She scowled and said indignantly, “Not me! I don’t think so!”

   â€œWell, then what about you?” said the first boy, asking his other companionâ€"another boy, more serious and less impressive than the first boy, with a very resigned look on his face.

   â€œI don’t think so, Jake,” this other boy said irritably, glaring at the first. “I always go.”

   â€œOh, come on,” whined Jake. “Come on, James. Pleeeeaase?”

   â€œI don’t think so,” James said, annoyed.

   â€œPlease, James?” the girl said, looking up at him slightly and mock-pouting.

   James’s eyes softened and his pupils dilated slightly as he looked at the girl, and although his expression didn’t change from its irritated state, I could see he loved this girl, perhaps even more than he realized.

   â€œNo, Kelsey, stop,” he said angrily. “I’m not doing it.”

   Kelsey looked imploringly at him and said, “Please? For me?”

   The seventeen-year-old gritted his teeth and muttered, “Fine. But just because I feel like it.” He walked to the counter angrily, mumbling to himself.

   â€œSure,” said Jake sarcastically, rolling his eyes. “Just because he feels like it.”

   â€œOh, leave him alone,” said Kelsey dismissively.

   â€œDefending the loser who loves you, are you?” said Jake, smirking again. “Okay…be that way…”

   â€œHe’s not a loser,” Kelsey said, blushing furiously. “And he does NOT love me. At least not any more than a best friend would.”

   â€œIf you say so,” said Jake with that annoyingly handsome smile on his face. “Here he comes now.”

   James came back, and then a waitress followed him shortly afterwards with a tray of drinks.

   â€œOkay, so first Kelseyâ€"” James said absently, handing her a drink.

   â€œOf course,” Jake said with the same smile.

   â€œThen Jake…” James muttered through clenched teeth.

   â€œThank you sir,” said Jake, smiling, in a voice that was polite…except it wasn’t.

   â€œAnd finally, me,” James sighed. He said nothing more, but his face said it all: I’m always last...

   None of them drank; rather, they stared into their coffee cups.

   â€œSo, James,” inquired Jake, “how long have you known my girlfriend?”

   James looked up from his drink at Jake with dislike. “Since we were in the fourth grade together.” Longer than you have, his face said.

   Jake whistled.

   â€œFourth grade…that’s a long time.”

   â€œYeah,” said James shortly.

   â€œI remember the first time we met,” laughed Kelsey. “I wore this dress to school…”

   â€œâ€¦a red-and-white dress…” joined in James.

   â€œâ€¦yes, with a cute little bow in my hair, do you remember?”

   â€œOf course…”

   â€œâ€¦and James,” continued Kelsey, smiling at the memory, “threw a bucket of water all over my new dress.”

   â€œYou didn’t!” said Jake in feigned shock, still smiling.

   â€œI did,” laughed James. “It was awful.”

   â€œI was drenched from head to toe…” Kelsey said, shuddering.

   â€œâ€¦I think you’re exaggerating…”

   â€œI’m not! I really was wet all over!”

   â€œIf you say so.”

   Kelsey stuck her tongue at James.

   â€œI was, Jake, I was covered in water, and my dress was ruined.”

   â€œYou could’ve worn it again,” said James.

   â€œIt was completely and totally ruined, Jake, not good for anything, and I was crying so hard that my mom had to come and bring me some new clothes.”

   â€œYeah…” said James. “Except she decided to take it upon herself to lecture me for ruining the dress she had bought…she yelled at me and made me feel like TOTAL crap…”

   â€œOkay, now you’re exaggerating…”

   â€œAm not….and at the end of the lecture she just looked at me with disgust and said, ‘You little wafflecake…you’ll never amount to anything.’”

   â€œAnd James BURST OUT laughing…”

   â€œâ€¦I mean, who calls someone a wafflecake?”

   â€œâ€¦and then I burst out laughing, and we’ve just been friends ever since.”

   â€œHow sentimental,” said Jake, smiling. Maybe I was the only one who heard a trace of sarcasm.

   Jake finally sipped his drink, and gagged. “What IS this crap?” he sputtered. The barista glared at him stonily.

   â€œIt’s coffee,” said Kelsey. “A little trace of cinnamon in it, that’s the way James and I always get it.”

   â€œUgh…cinnamon?” Jake said. “Seriously?”

   â€œYes,” said James. “Seriously.” He glared at Jake.

   â€œOkay, to each his own, I guess,” said Jake, shaking his head. “Cinnamon…”

   â€œIt’s not that bad!” said James, standing up.

   â€œCalm down, James,” said Kelsey. “He can have an opinion.”

   James sat down. Fine, James was thinking, I’m sure. Defend him, like all the other jerks you go out with.

   â€œHey Kelsey, we need to go!” Jake said suddenly. “The movie’s in ten minutes!”

   â€œOh my God, you’re right!” said Kelsey. “James, want to come? You’re welcome to join us.”

   â€œNo, I’m good,” said James moodily. “Go have fun. I’ll stay here and pay.”
   
   â€œYou sure?” said Kelsey, looking genuinely concerned, but Jake said, “Okay, bye!” and rushed out the door.

   Kelsey followed a second later. I really wish she could have seen the wistful way James stared after her…

   â€œ$6.21,” said the waitress, snapping James out of his stupor. He absently handed her a credit card. She came back with it a few minutes later. “I’m sorry, sir. That credit card only had $5.96 left on it. You’re 25 cents short.”

   â€œSeriously?” James moaned, and slumped forward. “You don’t think you could, like, cut me some slack here? Maybe?”

   â€œI don’t think so,” said the barista unflinchingly.

   Getting up to leave, I handed James a quarter.

   â€œThanks, man,” sighed James.

   â€œYou’re welcome,” I said sincerely. “You deserve it.”

   â€œI just don’t know what I deserve anymore,” said James, shaking his head.

   â€œYou deserve the girl,” I said. “You love her far more than he...or anyone else...ever will.”

   I bid him goodnight and went back to my house. My lonely, sad, little house…

Entry #2

Gray Sky
   
     I used to have thoughts of hope. Joy even. But, that was a long time ago. Before the war. Before the bombings. But in the short time I have been on this Earth, I have learned that there are but three ultimate truths. There is no such thing as hope, there is no such thing as justice, and there is no such thing as a happy ending. Only in some twisted fantasy dreamed up by the minds of optimists do these  any exist. But, I’m not sure if there is even a single human being left that could even be remotely classified as an “optimist”. Because looking up at the dark gray sky, it’s hard to have any feeling that could resemble hope. Now you’re probably wondering who the hell I am to tell you what is truth and what is fantasy. My name is Jack Stephens. And I know damn well what I’m talking about.
   
     Loud speakers blared throughout the city,” There is forecasted to be a high concentration of hazardous airborne particles within the city. Citizens are advised to stay indoors or risk serious health hazards. If you must go outdoors, is advised you wear a protective mask at all times.”
   
     â€œThree days and no winds to sweep the dust particles out of the city.” My partner Greg Baker said as we walked into a small café in the middle of the city. “Things better clear up soon or I’m getting the hell out of this place. Good ol’ New York, New York for ya. Nothing here but crime, filth, and cancerous material raining down from the goddamn sky. What a beautiful place we live in, eh? “
   
     â€œJust get us a table already.” I said.

     Greg was an officer. So was I. Members of a special force whose job was to deal with cases of the highest priority. Why I joined the force, I’m still unsure of.  We were coming to this café in order to meet an informant inside a possible terrorist organization located within the city.  She went by the name Ms. Smith, a code name obviously. As we walked through the café to our table, she was already there. She was very tall from the looks of it, had black hair, and very pale skin.
   
     As we sat down she began to speak, “Hello gentlemen. We don’t have much time so let us get right to it. After much work, I managed to be initiated into the terrorist group known as the American Freedom Alliance.  They are separatist, opposed to the New American Way Party. “
   
     â€œAre they violent at all? Responsible for any of the recent attacks?” I asked.
   
     â€œAs far as I can tell, no. But they may become very dangerous. This organization is huge, boasting over 10,000 members in the state alone.
   
     â€œSo this thing is national? Damn it, this is way over our jurisdiction.” Said Greg.  He continued, “How in the hell are we supposed to take down a group this big? No, we can let the military deal with this shit!”
   
     â€œHe’s right.” I said. “When we were given this assignment, the group was speculated to have, maybe, a couple hundred members at most. But ten-thousand just in New York? This information needs to be taken to the feds right away.”
   
     The artificial lights within the cafe suddenly went black. Only a faint light penetrated the windows. The air was still, silent.  The manager came out from the back of the restaurant. “Sorry folks, just a minor glitch in the power grid! Everything should be back on in a few minutes.”
   
     â€œIt’s not a glitch.” Ms. Smith whispered. “This is so we can’t be heard by any microphones the government may have set up within the restaurant.”
   
     â€œWhat are you talking about? You did this?”
   
     â€œNo, members of the AFA did” She said. “Now it’s safe to discuss the true nature of the organization.”
   
     â€œThe American Freedom Alliance was originally formed as an opposition group whom protested against the war. But once the war was over, and the New American Way Party had seized control of the government, AFA became much more…radical. Yes, they are responsible for bombings in New York and D.C., but it must be understood that they have no intent to hurt the citizens of this nation. Only it’s tyrannical oppressors.”
   
     â€œHoly shit.  You’re a serious member of this organization, aren’t ya?” Said Greg. He got up from his seat, walked to the other side of the table, where Ms. Smith was sitting and sat down.  Then Ms. Smith grimaced and her torso moved a little. Greg had shoved his 9mm into her side.  The gun clicked as he cocked it.
   
     â€œNow listen here princess, we’re all going to take a nice walk down to the police stat-“
   
     â€œWait, Greg.” I interjected. “I want to hear what else she has to say. Why have you done this to yourself? Why have you become an active member of the AFA?” I asked her.
   
     â€œYou want to know why? Is it really that hard to figure out? Our country is experiencing its greatest crisis in its history. Eighty-five percent of our citizens live in total destitution, our nation is now in two, and the sun had been blocked out in the aftermath of our own bombs! And you want to know why I became a full time member of the AFA? Who has done nothing to help the quality of the citizens’ lives since it took over? Who’s treating our former western states like dogs and using them for weapons test and radioactive dumping? Who took it upon themselves to end the war with the Russians by launching STAG missiles and thus effectively killing 200 million people across the globe and putting us in twenty years of darkness and counting?! Maybe it’s you who should be questioning the reasons you pledge you allegiance to whom you have.”
   
     She never felt it.  The shot illuminated the room with such brilliance one could have almost considered it beautiful. Almost. The reasons he did it, I may never know. Maybe it was because she was forcing him to confront the faults in his own beliefs, or because he felt it was the right thing to do. Either way, Ms. Smith was no longer an active member of the AFA or the human race, and Officer Greg Baker would be named a hero. He extracted information from a traitor who had become a terrorist and then effectively ended her. When the truth was, a young innocent woman with a strong set of beliefs against an oppressive, who was risking her life to spread her message was murdered by a man whose sole duty was to keep order. And the worst part is, she was right. She was right about everything. There is no such thing as a happy ending.

[SlowPokemon]

I THINK I LIKE ENTRY NUMBER ONE.

[SuperFireKirby]

I THINK I LIKE ENTRY NUMBER ONE. wait a minute...

[Raymondbl]

Lol I'll post reasons later but

I THINK I LIKE ENTRY NUMBER TWO.

Also, it was very obvious who wrote which one. 

[SlowPokemon]

Lol yeah I agree.

Anyway entry number two reminded me too much of this friend I have who is so depressing it's annoying.

[Mashi]

Entry 2

A+++++++++

[Greg]

One.

[fingerz]

I'm not sure who wrote which... I liked both, but number 1 stood out more for me. Well done on writing both of these fine pieces!

[Winter]

Number one appealed to me more than the second one. I almost dozed off in the second one. I enjoyed the word choice in 2 a lot more than 1, but after finishing, i still remembered the plot of number one the best.

Only 1 problem. WHY OH WHY do both male characters have names that start with a "J"??

Confused the **** out of me.

Overall, I THINK I LIKE ENTRY NUMBER ONE.