Strangers to the World

Shenanigans in the Park

"Are you feeling okay Ben? You're still burning up!" Tommy asked

"Ish..." Ben moaned back

Ben was still struggling to stay conscious after being punched and then being so close to the explosion.

Ben, Tommy and Bradley were all told they had to write a statement for not only the school's behavioural system but also the Police as the explosion could have not only injured anyone near by but quite possibly and more than likely killed someone. None of the boys are to blame for what happened but how could the fire extinguisher explode like that? Tommy, being the super science geek that he is, had a hunch, the pressure inside that tank just build up from heat but what he couldn't figure out is where the heat came from? It puzzled him, something didn't make sense and he didn't like it. Not one bit.

The school day ended and Tommy went home as soon as the final bell ran. He loved his Physics more than anyone in his school, in fact he loved every type of science more than the rest of the school. He is a nerd, in a sentence but he is also incredibly sporty unlike your typical nerd.

Tommy got to his room and looked through all of his scientific textbooks looking up anything on combustion and pressure. Nothing. Nothing Tommy could find in his textbooks could explain what happened to the fire extinguisher. Tommy took to the internet to try and find it out. He dove across his filthy bedroom. Plates of leftover food and sweaty clothes, all the foul stenches of a 16-year old boy. He swam through all his dirty clothes to his desk where his gaming computer rested and typed into his search engine "Fire Extinguisher Spontaneous Pressure Build-Up". Again... Nothing.

He checked page after page but absolutely nothing. He became so frustrated that something could elude him. He felt so angry that he slammed his desk with his fists and a gust of wind blew threw his room, all of his filthy clothes lifted up into their air for only a brief second. Absolutely terrified he swung round and a wave of air tore through the room, put his coat and shoes on and went to leave his house.

"Where ya goin Tommy?" His mum called from the living room

"Goin out ma!" Tommy shouted back

Tommy left the house and closed the door behind him.

Tommy grabbed his phone and called Ben

"Um... Hi Tommy?"

"Ben I need you to meet me now... Something has happened"

"Okay sure, meet you at Oaktree Park?"

"Yeah sure, just hurry... I will be under the huge tree"

Both boys made their way to the agreed location and Tommy recalled the events of his frustration once they had met. Ben thought Tommy was a nutcase, not that Tommy fully believed what he was saying either.

"So what do you think happened?" Ben asked.

"I don't know but I think I had something to do with it and perhaps even why the fire extinguisher exploded at school?" Tommy replied

"Weeiirrdddd..."

"Damn right"

A group of teenagers similar to the two boys in age came over. They were bigger built and in bigger numbers. The closer they came the more recognisable they appeared. The idiot up front was none other than Bradley Chatterseed... The same Bradley that hit Ben in the middle of the corridor at school.

"Look at this little...." Brad get cut off

"What do you want?" Ben interrupted. Ben glared at Bradley, just the look of him, the sound of his voice just made Ben's blood boil.

Ben's personality, especially when he is comfortable, is explosive. He was always vibrant but if unmonitored it can and will go south.

"Piss off you little, queer runts you're under our tree" One of Bradley's mates said.

Ben grew angrier than he already was. The fact that someone thought it was okay to talk to anyone like that. Ben, still locked onto what was said, grew angrier. He grew red in the face

"Oh FUCK OFF! THE LOT OF YOU" Ben shouted. Children walking past with their parents had their ears covered.

"How bloody dare you talk to us like that you little shit!" Bradley grabbed Ben by the collar and pushed him up against the tree the boys were sat under.

Ben's beated faster and faster, harder and harder. His blood beginning to boil, he grew red-er in the face.

A faint burning smell loomed in the air within seconds the surrounding air grew thicker and all the boys apart from Ben started coughing.

Black smoke rose from behind Ben. Bradley began to sweat and whilst in a coughing fit, he released Ben and fell to the ground leaving a scorch mark on the bark of the tree. The two groups of boys fled in different directions. Ben and Tommy fled behind the tree and ran to the other end of the park, jumped the gate and headed to the river whilst Brad and his group of thuggish friends ran as far away from the other two as possible.

Ben and Tommy ran and ran. It was a good ten minute run and they had no idea where Brad and his friends went, they didn't dare look back to see if they were being followed.

"What happened there?" Tommy exclaimed.

"How the fuck should I know? I got hot, everyone started choking and then the scorch mark on the tree? I dunno?" Ben replied.

"We need to keep this quiet but no doubt Brad and his goons are gonna say something" Tommy made sure Ben knew that they couldn't talk about it not in public.

It was getting late and the sun began to go down, Ben's phone began to ring. It was Sally, his foster mum.

"Hun? Are you coming home for dinner? I am dishing up in about 10?" Sally asked.

"Um shit yeah Sally, sure!" Ben told her.

Ben grabbed his jacket and said goodbye to Tommy. He ran home, ate dinner and went to sleep despite his fear of what could happen tomorrow at school.