The Chase Space (A Magnus Chase Semi-Short Story)

Chapter 1: It was Just a School Bus...

Who knew that in just a month the Chase Space would be almost full of homeless kids. It was now August (we got the Chase Space in early July) and we had gained at least 30 kids since the 4th of July. The kids were playing in the huge backyard as Alex and I watched them like parents, which was kinda weird since most of them were above 10. Alex nudged my shoulder and threw me a grin.

"I can't believe in just a month so much has changed," he said, squeezing my hand.

"Yeah, so many new kids. The whole neighborhood now trusts and supports us. We even were able to pay for renovations," I replied, looking around. We had expanded the mansion to fit even more people. We also changed the indoors to make it look more modern instead of an old white man's decor. We enlarged the backyard, added in a large pool, a treehouse, and a cool zip line from the 3rd story to the tree house.

"No dummy," said Alex, punching me playfully. "I meant about you."

"What do you mean," I asked, confused. I looked pretty much the same. Shoulder length dirty blond hair, jeans, a blue shirt, maybe a slight tan, but nothing else had changed.

Alex's eyes glimmered with amusement. "You're so humble," he teased. "Your, how do I put this, more mature. You're less childish and more parent-like. All these kids think of you as their parent figure and you embrace that role."

I felt uncomfortable. I wasn't trying to be a parental figure, just being supportive of the kids. They all were homeless youth in Boston. The Chase Space was just a place where they could live and play without worrying about where their next meal would come from. Some kids stayed for a day and others seemed to want to stay forever. Alex and I were both on the streets at one point and know how horrible it is. We understood these kids and they understood that we were trying to help. They opened up to us and we guided them, gave them advice. Now that I think about it, that seems like the thing a father would do.

"I guess so. Uh, do you like the change?" I asked tentatively. Alex Fierro was my gender-fluid significant other and I greatly cared about what he (or she) thought of me.

Alex laughed. "Magnus, why do you care about what I think of you?"

"Uh, because you're my boyfriend," I said.

Alex kissed me on the lips, which made me feel like I was drowning in lava. "Well, make sure to bring everyone in for dinner, I'll be inside," he said.

I probably said something like, "Uh-hm ah uh, bye." I ran off deeper into the backyard to spare myself from more embarrassment. As my heart was still fluttering from the encounter, I got hit in the back by a basketball.

"Ow," I complained.

"Sorry Magnus," said the culprit. No, culprits. Four boys stood by the basketball court, smiling apologetically.

"Oh, you bozos," I said playfully, walking over to them. They snickered and laughed. Meet the Bozos. A group of boys who are as mischievous and unpredictable as Alex and cause me and Alex minor problems. The four boys were about 13 and had been on the streets for most of their lives. They met each other on the streets and were basically brothers from different mothers. The one who apologized was Isaac Sho. He was a Chinese-American boy with glasses, black hair, and brown eyes. He looked like a nerd, but was super athletic. He was shy, polite, and very smart. I tossed the basketball to Ronald Rodriguez, a carmel-colored skinned boy with brown hair and brown eyes. He was also very athletic and had an amazing afro. He was more of a do-er than a think-er, so he and Isaac balanced each other well.

"Guys, let's not hold up Mr. Maggie, alright?" said the tallest boy, who's name was Wesley Shelton. He was a white boy with short, curly, blond hair. He was like the parent of the group, always looking out and caring for the rest of the group. He was always ready to take the blame if it spared his friends. The last boy was Jayden Williams. He was a African boy with a buzz cut. He was the most emotional, often ready to share what he was feeling at a moment's notice.

The Bozos got their name by Alex, who thought of them as the perfect group. She loved their pranks and, in my opinion, was the closest with them. I waved and left, checking on everyone else. Soon it was dinner time, where Hearthstone (an elf) and Blitzen (a dwarf) served us a feast. There was lots of talking and the scene reminded me of a large family having dinner. I smiled at the thought. After dinner, we had some more free time then put everyone to bed.

I woke up to the sound of a bus. I got up groggily and looked out my window. I was on the fourth floor and had a good view of the street in front of the mansion. A bright yellow bus that sounded like it was dying was parked on the street. Kids with backpacks were getting on the bus. They were going to school. I felt an odd pain in my heart as I watched the school bus drive away. I got dressed and washed up, but my mind was still on the school bus. I had no idea why I felt sad.

Alex knocked on my door and I opened it. She (yes she was a girl that day, don't ask me how I know) wore a green hoodie and pink jeans. The moment she saw my face she frowned. "What's wrong?" Alex asked.

I shrugged, not knowing how to respond. Alex studied my face a bit more, then came to a conclusion. "Why are you pitying the kids?" she asked.

I was shocked, yet the moment she said it I knew it was true. I sighed. "I don't know why. I just saw a school bus and felt this way."

Alex snapped her fingers. "Do you want to send the kids to school?"

I thought about it for a second. "It would help them have a normal life, but we know that they can't go to public school. You have to have a legal guardian for that, and the kids are still technically homeless."

It was now Alex's turn to think. "Alright, well what if we brought the school to them."

My mind slowly realized what she was saying. I grinned, "How do you come up with these things?"

"I am just awesome in that way," Alex said, returning my smile.