Fifteen Minutes

"I'm going to be famous."

His words were coming back to me now, drifting back to me on the breeze from a forgotten past.

"I'm going to be on TV, in the newspapers, everywhere. You'll see."

I still couldn't quite believe that he'd done it, that I was actually looking at his face on TV like he'd said. In hindsight I suppose it was obvious, but then so many things are when you have the luxury of being able to look back knowing all that has happened since.

"Anyone can be famous, it's not hard if you plan it out right."

I hadn't spoken to him for a long time, I hadn't even seen him. I suppose he must have been busy laying the groundwork, saving up some money to buy the plane ticket, things like that. It was obvious that he had gone to a lot of trouble to get to where he was today. He'd think it was worth it, though; everyone was talking about him. He certainly was famous.

"All you need is determination."

Some people are just different to others. They see themselves as special, they think that they should be treated differently, and eventually that attitude consumes them, pushing and driving them so relentlessly onward that they actually do become different to everyone else. He just had that kind of feeling, I suppose. I doubt I'll ever understand. I doubt the parents of all those poor kids will understand either.

"And a gun."