Rosea Saints

Chapter 1

Ethan POV

What's up, my name's Ethan White. Let me tell you about how I got started as an exorcist.

I was fourteen years old in the eighth grade. I lived in a regular two story house in Wellington, New Zealand. An island country that speaks English.

I didn't have friends, or even attempt to make any. Which tended to get me bullied by pretty much everyone at my school.

But I did have my cousin, Jayden White, who I talked with online, he was the only person I was comfortable talking with. Too bad he lived in America.

That's pretty much it, let's get to it.

***

I was walking home from school, my eyes were cast down to avoid attention, but I could see everything around me. As much as I wished I couldn't.

A group of guys who liked to pick on me the most out of everyone were standing on a corner. I tried to walk to the other side of the street, but they followed me. I had to walk past them.

"This is going to be hell." I muttered as they approached me.

Even as I tried to avoid getting their attention, it was too late. Just like every other day, they'd find any excuse possible to give me a bad time.

"Hey, queer!" One of them yelled out.

I kept walking.

Another one who was about my height with curly red hair and freckles ran up to me and pushed me onto the sidewalk, I stumbled and stopped looking down. If things were going to get physical, I would be better off alert.

"Where do you think you're going?" He said with a grin.

I got up and started to walk again, hoping they would give up.

The same ginger kid came around and punched me right in the face. It stung and I couldn't open my eye for a bit. I started to run, my hand over my face, but they chased me.

I ran as fast as I could, in front of cars, and I cut through people's yards. Eventually one of them got tired and they all decided to stop with him.

I kept on running all the way back to my house with my palm covering my eye all the way. It didn't hurt as much but I was angry that I got hit. Eventually I reached my front porch and opened up the door to my house.

When I walked into my house, my dad was sitting on the couch with his legs crossed, reading what I assumed was a newspaper.

"Hey, Ethan, how was school?" He looked up and asked me.

"Good," I told him. It was hardly true, but I needed to say something.

He seemed content with that, and he went back to reading.

I went up the stairs and into the bathroom. I looked into the mirror at my eye. It wasn't swollen up yet, but it was going to be soon. I could tell.

I went to my room and opened my laptop to Skype. Jayden was online.

He must have saw me online, because I got a call notification from him, I answered.

"Hey, Ethan, what's up with you?" Jayden said as his face loaded on my screen.

Jayden looked very much like me, we both had dark brown hair, and we both had grayish blue eyes. Although he was taller than me, and my hair was a bit longer. Our similar looks were only natural from our fathers being twins.

"I'm fine." I lied.

"Are you sure, man?" He knew something was up.

"Yeah," I said it too quick, he knew for sure something was wrong.

"Dude, what the hell's wrong with your eye?"

I had to tell him now.

"I got the shit beat out of me," I admitted. "It was just some idiots from my school while I was walking home."

"Ethan, didn't you, like, fight back or anything?"

"Well not really. I just kind of let them hit me. But I outran them. I was just trying to walk away, but they just fucking wouldn't let me go." I knew I could have fought back, and won.

"Come on, Ethan. You're a great fighter, you've been studying martial arts and crap for like five years, right?"

He didn't go to school. He didn't know what it was like.

"Yeah. I could've beaten them all, but I'd get in big trouble, my parents would ground me and stuff. I probably wouldn't be able to go on the computer anymore."

"Ethan, when you're walking back from school, you should fight back. We're Whites, we can't just let them mess around with you."

I smiled. "Fine, I'll make sure they don't mess with me, for you, Jayden."

"Remember, you're not the only one who practices martial arts." He smiled back. "Don't lose either, or I'll get over there and finish it for you."

I laughed, "Sure you will." That was unlikely, Jayden was all the way in the United States. It was cool of him to build up my courage, though.

"Alright, I've got to go." He was ready to get offline.

"Wait, what was that thing you were telling me about seeing ghosts? Do you still see that crap?" I didn't believe in ghosts, but I don't think Jayden would ever lie to me. So I was curious. Once a few weeks back, he'd said something about seeing ghosts outside his window, his face completely serious. Although the moment he realized he'd said it out loud, he made up a dumb excuse. I hadn't bought it.

He instantly got serious. "Ethan, I'm sure you don't want to get involved in my problems."

"But I could help you out, maybe I could-"

"Goodbye, man. Make sure you beat those guys. I'll tell you about that if you win."

Jayden ended the call.

It was three o'clock, and I could get a hour and a half in the gym before dinner.

My window went to a ledge where I could jump off, and onto the grass. I wouldn't get too hurt if I rolled when I landed. I packed some sweatpants, water, and a t-shirt. If I was going to beat those guys, I figured I'd better brush up.

I climbed out and jogged into town. It was a little long but it was all part of the training I lived by. It was a routine, I came home, I talked to Jayden, and then the gym. I came up to the building. The sign said 'Rick's MMA Gym'.

I walked in, and the gym was filled with the smell of sweat.

"Ethan, you're late. You know what happens when you're late, fifty jabs, and fifty crosses on the heavy bag. Go!" It was Rick, the old guy was great. He let all sorts of MMA fighters work out in his gym.

"Well, let's get started." I spoke back with a grin.