Once Upon a Hero(s)

Chapter one ~Gavin Thomas~

Gavin Thomas

“Dude, come on.” Isaac complained. I rolled my eyes.

                “No. I already told you that. Geez Isaac.” I rested my head on my hand. Isaac sighed.

                “Fine. If I can’t convince you, then I’ll just get someone who can.” Isaac walked off. I sighed and stretched my neck. I was freezing cold and clammy. I wasn’t lying when I told Isaac that I wasn’t feeling good. Although it was a very good excuse to get out of robbing the school kitchen. I shook my head. Isaac certainly wasn’t the brightest in the bunch.

                “Gavin?” The girl’s voice was sweet and light. I turned around.

                “Hey, Zen.” I said. I turned back away from her. Her hands slid across my back.

                “What’s wrong baby?” She asked in a low voice. I didn’t say anything as I got up, knocking her hands off.

                “Isaac send you over here?” I asked irritably. Her eyes narrowed and her lip lifted into a sneer. She opened her mouth, ready to fire some well thought through insult, but I cut her off. “Zen, listen, I really really don’t feel good. In fact, feel like I’m going to puke any second. So if I were you, I’d stay clear.” I walked away.  Isaac stood leaning against the kitchen door. His arms were crossed and he was looking at some sophomore. He grinned when he saw me.

                “I knew you’d come around sometime.” He stretched lazily. “Ready to blow this place?” I ground my teeth and leaned against the wall. I crossed my arms. My mouth was watering and my stomach rolled. “Come on. Live a little already.” Isaac rolled his eyes. I didn’t say anything.

                “Hey Gavin! I think your girl’s going to self-destruct, the way you left her like that!” A guy chuckled. He was some weirdo in my History class. I didn’t even know his name. I nodded at him.

                “What’d you do to Zendaya?” asked Isaac. I pushed off the wall and tugged at the kitchen door.

                “Nothing she didn’t have coming to her.” I said. I opened the door. Isaac shut it.

                “Hey, maybe we shouldn’t do this. With you feeling poor and all.” He said.

                I gave him a blank look. “You’re rethinking this?” I asked. “And, you actually listened to what I said? Whoa. This might actually be a record.”

                “Hey! I’ve been your best friend for at least a year and a half! You can’t talk to me like that!” He said incredulously. I think I surprised him. “Besides, won’t your parents get mad if you ruined your, quote unquote ‘good boy image’?”

                I jerked the door open. “Who cares squat about parents who’re never home?” I snapped back and walked in. I wasn’t sure how he’d take that one. He wasn’t my best friend. He was just some hot shot who thought that he could get a free ride to the life of luxury. Just because I was rich didn’t mean that my friends had to be idiots! I fumed. What is wrong with me?  I thought. I’m never this way. I heard the door shut behind me and looked. It was Isaac. Guess he decided to come after all. Wonderful.

“You unplug the fridge and I’ll dump everything I can out.” Isaac told me and walked, crouched down, to the huge shelves to my right. I sighed. Maybe this little act of rebellion wasn’t the greatest idea after all. But I walked over to the big refrigerators and crouched down. I could hear one of the lunch ladies singing further into the kitchen. It was some weird song. The fridges were the ones that didn’t make any sound. But these were older ones that had only two inside doors. Mine had six inside doors. Not to brag or anything. My stomach rolled and I curled around it. Something smacked me in the back, red hot and I yelped. It ran up my neck and around to the front, settling in front of my neck. I grabbed at it, trying to pull of the burning stone. But it wouldn’t budge. I twisted around in agony. The stone seared against my cool skin and I bit my cheek, trying not to scream. I tried to pry the stone with my fingernails, but only succeeded in scraping my skin. I flung myself back against the wall, as if I could get away from my own self.  I accidently reached behind the fridge and yelped. I pulled my finger back. A spark was floating above my swollen, red fingertip. I stared at the tiny light suspended in the air. The kitchen was suddenly hot. I couldn’t breathe. I stumbled out from next to the fridge and collapsed onto the slick floor.