Solitude Island

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Blood ran like a faucet from John's forehead onto the concrete floor.

He was used to it by now, so he had three or four Band-Aids at all times. Of course, he never told Drew that. He would confiscate them in a heartbeat.

"Catch ya later, Scrawny!" he hollered as he ran down the hallway towards the lunchroom, leaving John alone.

His full name was Johnathan Prashino, and he stood a towering 6'2". He earned his nickname "Scrawny Johnny" for his weight; 124 pounds. Ever since he moved to Parkdale High School last spring, Drew Storn had been terrorizing him nonstop.

He hoisted himself up off the ground, wiped his forehead, and went to the the nearest restroom. As he assessed the wound, he wondered what his friends were doing. Probably recovering from their latest wounds as well. He bandaged himself up, and hurried into the lunchroom.

As soon as he entered, a fist thrust itself into his gut. He keeled over, in pain, and rolled his head up to look at his culprit. It was Drew's second-in-command, Kyle Perry. He was almost as bad as Drew.

"That's what you get for your little friends tattling on us. They do it again, and I'll see your ass at the morgue!"

"People get ready for burial at the morgue. You would see me at the funeral instead, retard," John snapped. His snide comment earned him an extra kick to the chest. Why did he always have to correct people?

He hobbled over to his table, where he collapsed onto the bench. To his right sat Lily Stenning. She was a fierce friend with quite a temper, considering she was only 4'11". To his left was Derek Kent, John's best friend since he was five.

"Don't let him get you down, John," said Nicole Auster, another one of his longtime friends.

"Do you guys ever feel like you don't belong to this world?" John asked, abruptly cutting off Derek cursing out Drew and his group.

"Yes," they all said in unison.

"Then why don't we do something about it? We're just punching bags for half the school."

At first everyone was appalled. But slowly, the idea dawned on them. They would never have to be bullied again! They all had the intelligence of a sophomore college student, so school wasn't necessary to them.

"I'm in!" exclaimed Lily.

"Me too!" said Derek.

Everyone agreed, and they all left school that day, excited to live out in the open world. They headed out to the orphanage to collect their belongings.