Blackmailing the Scammer

Note: this story is already up on Fictionmania, but I will be bringing it here for those that don't go to that site.
Also wanted to plug the wonderful artist for this, she is one of the two artists I use for my stories.
https://www.deviantart.com/pinupmeister

Scene 1

Sitting on a bench outside Invaders Arcade, Marcus stretched his arms over his head, letting out a long yawn. He along with his friend Greg had just spent their last dollar playing some retro arcade games. “See I told you today would be a blast, you can’t tell me you didn’t have fun.”

Picking up his mostly empty cup Marcus drank down the rest of the cola inside as he looked over at Greg, mulling over how much he wanted to admit he was right. Greg was two inches shorter than his five foot ten and while he wasn’t some bulky gym bro, he always felt bigger when he was around Greg with his small frame. “Today was fun, but do you really think a day of video games and buying me lunch is going to make up for you getting Holly Cooper to break up with me?”

They had known each other since Marcus was in second grade and Greg was in third. Somewhere in their middle school years Greg had decided he liked to play pranks. Some of them were really funny, some of them were cruel and Marcus hated any of them that involved him in any way, especially when he was the butt of the prank. Like the one that got one of the hottest girls they knew to break up with him. “I did you a favor, sure she was pretty, but she had maybe two brain cells to rub together. She had you wrapped around her finger so tightly we weren’t ever able to hang out. Besides, this is our last summer before we go off to college. We need to go out and have some fun!”

Greg hadn’t really intended for things to go as far as they did, but he was sure Marcus would be happier in the long run without her. If Marcus knew how irritating it was seeing him and Holly making out all the time he wouldn’t fault him for the little prank that she blew way out of proportion. Though now he had to constantly hear his friend whine about missing her. “Maybe we can join a gym, add a little muscle to our bodies. If you got some tone you could probably just flirt a little with a girl and she would come running to you with your blonde hair and blue eyes.”

“Girls will come running because I have blonde hair and blue eyes? That is not how it works, that would be like me saying if you took the time to wash your long dark brown hair the girls would be all over you. That just isn’t how it works, but… the gym idea might not be a bad idea.” Marcus tossed his cup into a trash can before turning back to his friend catching on to something he said. “Hey I thought you were taking a year off to earn some money or something like before college?”

Smirking at his friend Greg moved his elbows up onto the top of the bench. He was already a year older than Marcus’s eighteen years after being held back for skipping to many classes. Something that made him a little bitter that his childhood friend was then in the same grade as him. He really didn’t want to take a year off from college, but his Mom told him they just didn’t have the money anymore. It felt odd to live in a well to do area, have a mother who was a vice president at one of the world's largest companies, but not have the money to buy him a car when he graduated high school like she promised or even afford to send him off to college. “Things are changing, Marky, changing for the better!”

“Don’t call me Marky, it has never been okay to call me Marky.” Marcus glared at his friend, he had been using it to tease him since the first time he heard Holly call him that.

“You see.” Greg continued from where he left off, ignoring Marcus’s request. It was just so easy to get a rise out of him. “My mom said we are about to come into a lot of money and the first thing she is going to do is buy me the car of my dreams a nineteen seventy Chevelle SS for playing my part and have plenty of money to spare so I don’t have to something not worth my time like getting a job.”

“What do you mean your part?” Marcus glossed over the comment about a job not being worth his time. He had worked at a local grocery store since he was sixteen, his parents told him if he could come up with enough money for a down payment for a car and handle his own insurance they would take care of the payments. They ended up having final say in his choice of vehicle so it wasn’t some sports car, they chose a used two thousand and eighteen Toyota Camry hybrid.

Running one of his hands through his long hair Greg thought Marcus was right, he was overdue for a wash. The long hair had started as him growing his hair out for the charity locks for love, it was a good cause and girls really did love his long hair, especially so when he told them why he was growing it out. “Ya know, I don’t really know. She said something about tricking my grandmother, my dad’s mom. Man she is such a bitch, but mom says she has a plan where the old bat will not only add us back into the will, but give us a windfall of cash.”

“You are going to scam a little old lady out of her money?” Marcus asked in a flat tone of voice.

“Don’t get your panties in a twist, I told you she is a bitch. Always has been and the moment my old man passed on she broke off contact and removed us from the will.”

“Yeah, it sounds like you are going to be blameless in all this. How exactly are you going to get money from her if she hasn’t wanted anything to do with you?”

Greg smiled, happy his friend was seeing it his way. “I know right! I’m still my father's son, I deserve what she was going to give me. The how, though… that I don’t know yet. My mom is going to fill me in on the details tonight. Why don’t you swing by in a few days and I will tell you about it, you can play World Crashes 3, I have a few more characters unlocked and hey maybe if you help me out with dealing with the old bat I could throw a few bucks your way too.”

“You know I never want to be part of your schemes, ever…” Marcus got to his feet, ready to go home and forget he heard his friend talking about scamming anyone.

“You say that, but you always come around.” Oftentimes he had to bribe him or trick him to come along, but Marcus was a good friend. He complained about having to be a lookout, though he still did the job. Heck he didn’t even rat him out on the few occasions things went wrong. “Anyhow I will see you around Marky.”