The Void of Nothingness

Chapter 1: The Awakening

"Hey, wake up, sleepyhead!" A voice shouted in my ear, making me jump out of my bed.

I groaned and rubbed my eyes, trying to adjust to the bright sunlight that streamed through the window. I looked at the clock and saw that it was already 8:15 am.

"Shit, I'm late!" I exclaimed, grabbing my clothes and rushing to the bathroom.

"Ha ha, gotcha!" The voice laughed. It was my best friend, Jake, who had sneaked into my room while I was sleeping.

"Jake, you jerk! You scared the hell out of me!" I yelled, throwing a pillow at him.

He dodged it easily and grinned. "Come on, man, it's your birthday! You can't sleep all day!"

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Thanks for the reminder."

I quickly took a shower and got dressed, then grabbed my backpack and ran downstairs. Jake followed me, still chuckling.

"Hey, mom, dad, I'm off to school!" I shouted as I passed by the kitchen.

"Happy birthday, son!" My mom said, smiling. "Have a good day!"

"Thanks, mom!" I said, giving her a hug.

"Be careful out there, okay?" My dad said, handing me a small box wrapped in blue paper. "And don't open this until you get home."

I took the box and felt a slight weight in it. "What is it?" I asked curiously.

"It's a surprise. You'll see." He winked.

I thanked him and put the box in my backpack. Then I ran outside with Jake and got on his bike. He was the one who had a driver's license and a car, but he preferred to ride his bike to school. He said it was more eco-friendly and fun.

We pedaled our way to Westwood High School, which was about 15 minutes away from our neighborhood. Along the way, we chatted about random stuff, like video games, movies, sports, and girls.

Jake was the outgoing and popular type, always surrounded by friends and admirers. He was also good at everything he did: sports, academics, music, you name it. He was the star of the basketball team and the lead singer of a band called The Deadbeats.

I was the opposite of him: quiet and shy, with only a few close friends. I was not good at anything in particular: I was average at sports, mediocre at academics, and clueless about music. I had no talent or passion for anything. I was just...normal.

But despite our differences, we had been best friends since kindergarten. We shared a love for comic books, sci-fi movies, and video games. We also had a similar sense of humor and a loyal bond. We always had each other's back.

We arrived at school just in time for the first period. We parked our bikes in the rack and headed to our lockers.

"Hey, Alex!" A familiar voice greeted me as I opened my locker.

I turned around and saw Mia Collins standing next to me. She was a cute brunette with green eyes and freckles. She wore glasses and braces, but they only added to her charm.

She was also one of my closest friends since elementary school. She was smart and sweet, always helping me with homework and projects. She was also into comic books and sci-fi movies like me and Jake.

She had a crush on me since sixth grade, but I never noticed it until Jake pointed it out to me last year. He said she always blushed when she talked to me or looked at me. He also said she always tried to sit next to me in class or hang out with me after school.