The Lost Heir

Chapter 1: Life of a Star

On the corner of 5th street, near the back alley, bodies were dropping fast. A full-blown shootout by two notorious gangs was happening, and Joe was at his usual place-the back of a dumpster, avoiding getting hit by a stray bullet. It had been happening for almost a month, now, yet he still fears for his life, just like the first day it happened. Joe was crouched low behind a dumpster along with many bystanders, shaking and dripping in sweat. Mere moments passed and the gunshots stopped and loud thuds were heard. Sirens were wailing, the sound growing closer and closer as each second pass. The remaining gangsters, fearing arrest, escaped the scene before the cops could get them.
Loud skids were heard and the sirens were wailing ever so loudly. The cops had arrived on the scene. Joe got up, knees shaking, and checked if the coast was clear.
"What're you doing here, Joe?" A man in a tan police uniform and big cowboy hat asked him. He was a deputy and apparently knew Joe well enough to address him by his first name.
"I was heading home, Ryan. But I needed to stop by Big Al's and pick up some stuff for mom." Replied Joe.
"Why don't I give you a ride home, eh?" Offered Deputy Ryan, who had a thick, brown moustache, and a lean build.
Joe did not refuse the offer and shared a casual conversation with the deputy on his way home. Joe's house was not far from 5th street. In fact it was only a few block from there.

Not 10 minutes passed and they pulled up to the driveway of the house. Joe invited Deputy Ryan for coffee inside, but he refused and quickly drove back to the precinct.
Joe went inside and was greeted by his dogs Bullet and Flash, who were both bulldogs. Something smelled good. It was his mother's signature dish, and his favorite one, too. He embraced his mother and kissed her on the cheek. His younger brother Charlie quickly came down to greet him with a light-hearted tackle.
"Boys, set the table. Your father's gonna be home in a few minutes." Said their mother.
"Actually, he'll be runnin' a bit late for dinner today, mom."
"Why?"
"Let's just say it's gonna be a busy night for the precinct today."
"Another turf war?"
"Yeah."
Not 1 hour later, dinner was served and had a casual family conversation. That night, they were like any other family - Happy, complete, affectionate, and all aspects that made a family perfect.

It was now midnight at the quaint little town of Kenville. Joe couldn't sleep that night and decided to go out to the balcony and gazed at the stars. It was the most peaceful time of the day, the time where he could think clearly and forget all the gore he witnesses on a daily basis. He gazed at the stars blankly and before he knew it, he had fallen asleep on the balcony.
Birds were chirping, the air was fresh, and the sun was shining brightly, and everyone was on their way to their daily business. Everyone except Joe, who was late for football practice.
"Joe! Joe, get up. We're gonna be late for practice." Said a distant voice, and Joe came back to the land of the living.
"Oh no! I'm gonna be late for practice." Said Joe to himself, obviously panicking.
Joe got up, rushed to the bathroom, and got his face ready. He grabbed his varsity jacket and rushed downstairs, skipping breakfast, and running as if he were being chased by a lion. Outside their door was a classic red convertible, and in it was his brother and their friends. Charlie, Joe's younger brother, was in the backseat, their friends, Larry and DeAndre, were in the front.
"Hop in, playa!" Said DeAndre with a sense of urgency.
Joe hopped in fast, and not a moment passed, they were on their way to school, leaving a cloud of smoke behind their tail.

They arrived at the school and was welcomed by an angry coach Muller. He was a lean man, with a dirty beard, and a stature of about 5' 8", and was dressed in a Kenville-colored windbreaker and a blue trucker hat to go along with it. He was obviously furious, as Joe and his friends were almost half an hour late to practice.
"You got an explanation for this, Thompson?" Asked Coach Muller, addressing Joe.
"I kinda have one, coach."
"Better be a damn good one, Muller."
"Well, we had an emergency on the road, coach. The tires, you know, kinda-"
"Bullshit, Thompson! You four, go get changed and join the others." Said coach, disregarding the excuse, knowing it was a lie.
"Whatever floats your boat, coach." Mumbled Big Larry, hiding the wide grin on his face.
"What was that, Larry?" Asked Coach.
"Oh, nothing, coach."
The boys quickly got to the locker room and suited up for football practice. On the field, the other players were already

drenched in sweat, and everybody seemed to look at them with hostility. One guy, Kevin, gave them all a particularly hard time. Whenever coach would do one-on-one drills, Kevin would do his best to hurt Joe and his friends. Joe, who saw the pattern, decided to outsmart him, and make Kevin embarrass himself in front of the whole team. The whistle blew, signaling the start of the drill. Joe and Kevin were matched up against each other. Joe ran as fast as he could to catch the football. Kevin, on the other hand, leaped above Joe, showing both his super-human athleticism and his superior stupidity. Kevin fell down on his face, embarrassing himself, while Joe casually caught the football. The entire team was laughing at Kevin. Joe, feeling good, stared down at Kevin.
"Stay down, boy!" Said Joe, staring down at Kevin with a wide grin on his face.
The comment angered Kevin, and urged him to get another go at it with Joe.
"I want another shot at him, Coach."
Coach agreed, and both of them squared up again. Joe, realizing Kevin's anger, decided to use it against him. It would be too obvious if Joe ran the same route, so he decided to run another route. The whistle blew and Joe was running hard toward the endzone, while Kevin was facing Joe instead of keeping track of the ball. The quarterback threw the football and Joe was laser- focused on the ball. He shuffled his feet and changed speed and direction, leaving Kevin in the dust, flat on his back. This time, the team was roaring with laughter and were jumping up and down in excitement.
"Feelin' cozy there, big boy?" Said Joe, looking back at him, while running toward the team, with a smirk on his face.

The bell rang, signaling the end of football practice and everybody's favorite part of the day - lunch. At lunch, Joe went strolling around the lockers and met up with a stunning blonde lady. Her name was Olivia. She had blonde hair, fair skin, and a particularly fiery attitude.
"Hey, babe. Wanna get some lunch with me?" Asked Joe, flirtingly.
She happily agreed to get lunch with Joe. They sat together at a table with their friends. It didn't feel like their friends were there, though. All they could talk about was each other's day, not giving a damn about everybody else's that were there with them. Both Joe and Olivia had a kind of emotion that they were wearing on their faces that they just couldn't take off. It was the kind of emotion people would call love. Olivia , who had a fiery attitude, would be humbled by the mere presence of Joe. Olivia's presence, too, was enough to humble him down.
The next bell rang and all of them had to go to their next classes. Joe decided to walk Olivia to class, even if it meant a lifetime of insults and harsh comments from his teacher.
"You know you don't have to walk me to class every time, right?" Asked Olivia.
"Yeah, but I choose to walk you to class every time. Why? Don't you like it?"
"Nope. I actually like it." Said Olivia, both stopping at the door of Olivia's next class - math.

Joe, who felt like it, tried to sneak in a little smooch, but Olivia teasingly blocked it with her hand.
"Not today, lover. See ya!" Said Olivia, teasing Joe.
Joe, though denied of the kiss, had no problem with it. He walked to his next class with a big smile on his face.
"Late again, Mr. Thompson?" Asked his Science teacher - Mr. Gardner.
"Oh, you know it, Mr. Gardner. I was just hangin' out. No big deal."
"Need I remind you -"
"-that I need to maintain a certain grade to remain on the varsity team. Yeah,yeah,yeah."
"Good. Now, back to class. Everybody, pay attention."
Joe, who, aside from being an incredible athlete, was also an incredible student, but he only shows the typical jock attitude.
After class, Joe rounded up his buddies and invited them to his house to play some videogames. On their way out, they were greeted by an angry Kevin, and a few players on the football team.