Chapter One: Undecided Beginnings

"Yo, Nick, stop lollygagging and get over here!"

"I'm not lollygagging, I'm doing my job." I reply to my annoying friend who sits at one of the empty tables in my uncle's coffee shop. Rolling my eyes, I turn back to my customer.

"Make sure that's milk free. I'm lactose intolerant." She snaps at me.

"Yes ma'am and sorry about him." I murmur before walking away to the back of the store. I tell one of the other workers her order before taking my apron off and walking over to my friend.

"Finally, took you long enough." He laughs in his New Jersey accent.

"Joey, you're going to get me fired." I shake my head as he stands up.

"Fired?" He bursts out in a loud guffaw, "You work for your uncle! You're never gonna be fired."

I sigh, "Fine, you're going to make me lose my streak of employ of the month."

He laughs again, "Yeah, right. You only have that cause he's YOUR uncle!"

"No, I have that because I'm actually a good worker."

"Yeah, sure." He snickers as I follow him out of the little coffee shop.

"So, why'd they send you?" I ask once out of earshot of anyone within the cafe.

"Aw, c'mon Nick. You know why." He cackles giving me a hard pat on the back. I don't even flinch.

"No, really." I state as we continue to walk down the sidewalk. Few cars straggle past.

"In this little city, we own everything, Nick. You know that."

"What's your point?"

"Did you hear that someone moved into that old, abandoned mansion down on fourth."

"They did?" I pause for a moment, staring at my red-headed friend, "I thought that place was haunted."

"It is, but I guess some crazy chick decided to move in." Joey shrugs.

"What's that have to do with me?" I raise an eyebrow as Joey motions for us to keep walking.

"Nick, you're the best of the best, so, the boss wants you to cover checking out who this newbie is. Gotta make sure they ain't no threat, y'know?" Joey cackles again. I resist the urge to slug him in order to make him stop.

"Just because I did one contract," I mutter.

"What was that?" Joey raises an orangish-red eyebrow.

"Nothing, I'm on it. I'll check up on her later tonight." I sigh.

"Good boy." Joey chuckles slapping me on the back, again.

"Was that all?"

"Aw, c'mon, I'm your pal. We should do something, y'know. Maybe gamble, catch some ladies, anything fun?"

"Joey, I have to study."

"The semester just started!"

"Yes, and I'm hoping to finish some of the homework ahead of time. You know, so that I have more time to do...extra curricular activities." I give him a certain look that I hope he understands. He doesn't give me a sign that he does, but he goes on anyway.

"Alright, fine, but we're catching chicks later, ight?"

"Sure, Joey." I shake my head as he jogs down an alleyway, finally leaving me alone. I let out a breath of relief. I don't understand how I can juggle all of this with out dying. I walk the rest of the way to my apartment alone and in silence. I put the key in the lock and let myself in. I take a deep breath of home, glad that my freshman year is in the past and I don't have to live on campus anymore. Living in a dorm had made everything so much harder.

I head to my room, not bothering with the lights. The sun is about to go down in about an hour, but the darkness doesn't bother me. Especially not in my line of work. At the beginning, I had told myself it was so I could pay off my college fun, but now it seems I might not be able to get out of it once I achieve my goal. Not to mention, I also had started out as a lone contract killer, but that wasn't going so well since I didn't know how to make the right connections. Thanks to the boss of one of the major mafia's I was landed some gigs, but now it seems he's made me his main killer as well as a major look out. At least I get paid well.

I sit on my bed, every body part exhausted. Groaning, I glimpse at the clock; almost six. By ten tonight I would be out and observing the newest member of our small city; population: around a thousand. I don't know how they keep up with everyone that lives here; I'm glad it's not my duty. Maybe being their killer...or let's say assassin, is a lot better than being their secretary. I shudder at the thought of having to keep count of both the dead and alive population of the city.

I spend the next few hours resting, eating a snack, and packing some minor things I may need encase of emergency. Things like this can always go down hill, best to be safe. Rumor has it the last resident of that mansion was a witch, or necromancer, or something evil. I don't know, it just gives me the spooks. Sometimes I wish I hadn't moved from Tennessee to live with my uncle in New York. It's not even one of the major parts of New York city, it's some random city on the border. Drive like an hour and you reach, not just pastures, but also farmers, manure, and the likes of country folk. I resist the shudder this time.

I glance at the clock once again. Nine forty-five, time to go. I check all of my pockets to make sure they're secure, then I double check my boots' laces. Once I'm done double-checking I head out and lock the apartment behind me, not that anyone would dare steal from me. My uncle and fellow workers may not know about my mafia secrets, but anyone who's a thief does, which means they definitely know not to mess with me. I continue to slip down the now darkened road, no cars this time. Most people know to be home at this hour, or they're at clubs. I take a breath of the fresh air. I should be done in no time.