Bad News: The Wicked Side Will Fall (Book one in the Bad News Series)

Before the Now

"Corey!" Twelve-year-old Dan shouted as he was being pushed around by bullies.

They were at an unfamiliar place, a construction site that had been abandon long before that point. There were many large hills, and it was known to be the dirt bike practice area.

And where all the bullies hung out.

Young Corey attempted to sit up from where he laid on the dusty ground, but it was no use. Every time he would try, the boy hovering over him would just stomp his large foot on Corey's chest, pushing him back down.

Corey did not like this.

He attempted to sit up again, and when the older boy went to stomp on him, he craned his neck towards the boy's leg, and bit him.

As the boy cried out in pain, Corey seized his opportunity and stood up. The other four bullies, now drawn away from Dan, slowly walked towards Corey with menacing looks and gruesome intentions.

"Hey! You jerk faces!" A male voice called out from behind a dirt hill. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size!"

The bullies squared up, ready for action. When nothing happened, the one Corey had bitten yelled, "Have you already chickened out? Show yourself!"

Immediately after saying this, a young girl ran up behind him and slammed a frying pan to his head, knocking him out.

Soon after, five other kids ran over, holding different kitchen utensils in their hands. And after getting forcefully smacked a few times, the remaining bullies picked up their unconscious friend and scurried off.

The girl with the frying pan laughed as they ran away. "Theo! They're gone now! You can come out!"

A fifteen-year-old boy stepped out from behind one of the hills. He had shaggy, light brown hair, and the clearest blue eyes any of them had ever seen.

The girl with the frying pan also had those same colored eyes, and light blond hair that she flipped over her shoulder when turning towards Dan and Corey. They stood there awkwardly, wondering what to do next.

"Hey," the girl called out to them. "My name's Ava, what's yours?"

It took them a moment, but it was Corey who finally spoke. "I'm Corey, and that's Dan." He said.

"Don't hurt us!" Dan suddenly shouted.

Theo chuckled a little from where he stood. "Now, if we wanted to hurt you we already would have." He said this while walking towards Ava. When he reached her, she handed the frying pan to him, and he menacingly waved it in front of Dan and Corey's faces.

"So this is what's gonna happen." He continued. "You're gonna give me all the money that you have, or else."

"Or else what!" Corey shouted, squaring up.

Theo held his glare for a minute, before cracking a smile.

"I was just messing with you!" He shouted, laughing. "Man, I like you kid! I like you a lot."

Corey continued to keep his stance, before Ava walked up and playfully smacked his chest. "No need to be so serious Mr. Big Bad Wolf. Loosen up!"

Corey relaxed, and from that moment forward, he was desperately in love with Ava Marks.

A girl with fiery red hair stepped forward. "Ava, it's only a matter of time before those jerks come back with their friends. We should go."