The morning bell rang at Chesapeak High School, signaling to the student population that the first class has begun. Students began to file into their classrooms, some eager, some dreading, and some not caring that this would be their last day for the year. For some, it was their last day of high school. The teachers had their final exams ready for them to take and said their good byes and good lucks and soon the testing began.
Chesapeak was a normal high school in a normal suburb of a normal American city with nothing exceptional or outstanding about it. The teachers did their best to teach and the students learned as much as they could, or wanted to, in the four years they attended the school. Nothing out of the ordinary happened at the school or even in the suburb. Crime was very low, people could, if inclined to do so, leave their doors unlocked, or just take a nightly stroll without fear.
The night before was the exception to the rule as a high-speed chase left its mark on the quiet suburb, heading all the way to the center of the city and into the industrial sector. The cost of the damage was still unknown and the drivers have yet to be found. The police arrived too late, finding only a mangled chunk of metal and plastic aflame that used to be a car. There was no way they could identify whose it was and the second car was no where to be seen.
James hobbled into class, late as usual. However, this time it was halfway through the first period and they were taking the final for Physics. The students looked up to James, some gawking with shock that he was here, some glaring in anger that he would even make the attempt, others with some respect that he even showed up. It was an advanced class and moved very quickly so to miss any amount of time would be hard on a student. The number of days James missed added up to at least one third of the total school year.
Debra Gurney, a varsity cheerleader and one of the more popular young ladies at the school, whispered, "He showed up'! He's got guts."
Shannon Bellamy, one of her friends, replied, "You know he'll pass the test. He knows all this stuff.question is will he pass the year and walk the stage'"
Calvin Kern scoffed. "He'll never pass! I am surprised he wasn't all ready kicked out for the pep rally stunt he pulled in October."
Debra glared at Calvin. "That wasn't his fault."
Calvin balked at Debra. "He fall from the rafters to the stage you guys were standing on and pretty much destroyed it! How can that not be his fault' In fact.I am STILL wondering how he could even survive that!"
"James is a good guy!" replied Debra. "Sweet, sensitive, and caring.after the fall he got up and instantly made sure we were all alright before he even noticed his injuries."
Shannon sighed and asked, "Can we finish this later' This test is hard and I want to do good on it!"
The teacher gave James a cross look before handing him his test. "Nice of you to join us, Mr. Tinsdale. Please take your seat and begin the final. You have thirty minutes to complete it." James took the test, seemingly in pain as he reached out his arm. The teacher, Mr. Gerling, noticed and asked, "Do you need to go to the nurse'"
"No, sir. I think I better finish this test," replied James through a half-strangled voice. He went to take his seat, easing into it as if he was sore all over. The students around him tried to lean away a little bit for he smelled awful. James's face was swelled slightly around his right eye with a cut on his upper lip and his clothes were the same ones from yesterday, only dirtier than one would imagine, and slightly worn and ripped in places. There was an occasional large tear through to his skin and at times a slightly healed cut or gash. His short brown hair, along with his clothes, was dank as if he had been sweating a great deal recently or he was caught outside late last night or early this morning. In no way did he look like he even went home since leaving school the previous day.
James was exhausted and tried desperately to stay awake. Looking at the test he sighed, "Hmmm.physics. This shouldn't take me more than ten minutes to finish and turn in. Then maybe I can finally get some rest." He began to work, finding it difficult to concentrate on the test, often letting his thoughts drift to the events of last night and early this morning. He remembered the look on the people's faces as he was chased through down town in what is now his totaled car. It was a nice car, only a few years old, but at the looks of it now, one would not be able to notice.
"You have ten minutes to finish the test," said the Mr. Gerling. His tenor voice rang in James's head and stirred him back to reality around him. He noticed a few seats empty, seats once occupied by the more devoted students in the class who understood the material clearly. James wondered who actually finished first out of all of them then refocused on his objective.
"Only three problems done," thought James. "Seven more to go. I can just barely make it if I hurry."
As he plowed through the test, he got a feeling he was being watched. He just dismissed it as fatigue or one of the students wondering how he got the gall to show up this late, especially after a year like this, and continued working on the test. The problems were typical of what Mr. Gerling would ask and in the order James thought. Predictable, just as James had always seen him. Within a few more minutes, James finished and sighed with relief.
"Time," said Mr. Gerling as he stood up to collect the test. "Thank you for a good year, class. Please deposit the tests at the corner of my desk as you leave, and have a good summer. Good luck with the rest of your tests. Mr. Tinsdale, I wish to see you."
As James placed his test on the corner of the desk he stopped to see what Mr. Maleson wanted. The elderly teacher turned to study James for a moment; his graying hair slicked back showing his receding hairline. He waited until the rest of the students left the room before simply asking, "Why'"
"Why what, sir'" responded James, wincing a little at the pain from the cut on his lip.
"Why did you come today' You know you have already failed my class and that even if you do make a hundred on this test, which I am almost sure you did, you would still fail. Not only that I believe you need some medical attention. So my question is, why'"
"I wanted to, sir. I had to finish this course."
"If you had shown that kind of dedication from the beginning.you may have been my best student." Mr. Gerling sat at his desk and looked at James for a moment longer. "Do you know what I did this weekend, James' I looked at your record. I have never done that before. Why, you ask' Because I have never had a student with as much potential as you who just lets it all go to waste."
There was the feeling of being watched again, causing James some alarm. "Um, sir' Can this wait."
"No, it can not," said Mr. Gerling through a frustrated sigh. "See, James' That is what I am talking about. You try to do as little as possible in life even though you have a tremendous amount to give."
James shifted uneasily, knowing that he was definitely being watched. James tried to feel out the room to see if anyone was there but with Mr. Gerling right in front of him it proved to be harder than he though. "Uh, yes sir, I understand that, but I really have to."
Mr. Gerling sighed with a slight tinge of disgust and said, "Alright, James. You can go. Had you stayed and talked to me a little I might have given you a passing grade, but I'm sorry. You failed."
"I understand sir." James burst out of the room, running through the halls to get out of the school. "It really doesn't matter if I make the rest of the day. Without passing physics there is no way for me to pass this year."
James turned the corner to almost run into the principal of the school, Mr. Weitzel, a small weasel like man with very little hair remaining. "And where are you going, Mr. Tinsdale'" he asked.
"The bathroom, sir. I really have to go," he replied, acting as if his bladder would explode any minute.
"I believe there is a bathroom back the way you came," replied Weitzel, glaring at James warily for a trick.
"Yes, but I thought I saw an out of order sign on it and didn't stop to make sure. Look, sir, I have to GO now and if I take the time to debate about it now it won't be pretty."
Weitzel sighed and said, "You have some nerve speaking to me like that. I have your future in the palm of my hand and you think you can treat me like some sort of peer to you'"
That same feeling of being watched washed over him and James thought, "You may well have my life in your hands if I don't get out of here NOW!" He said, "Mr. Weitzel, if you let me go now I will be out of your hair once and for all."
Mr. Weitzel's brow furrowed. "I am not a mean person, Mr. Tinsdale. It is kids like you, however, that make me show the ogre in me and make it seem like I am a bad guy. I want you to succeed.I really do but you refuse to."
"Sir.pleeeeeeeease," whined James, pulling some melodrama into his bathroom dance.
Weitzel sighed and said, "Go."
James ran as fast as he could, heading to where the feeling was the strongest. He ended up in the gym, staring at a memory from last night. Five young looking men, not much older looking than him, stood in the middle of the floor smirking at him.
"Told you we would catch up to you, Jamesy," said the leader of the group. Their clothing was ragged, more so than James's, and slightly out of style but close enough to fit in. The leader's hair stood straight up with a red bandanna tied around his forehead. It was obvious that they would not stop tracking him until they felt their job was finished whatever it was.
"Look, you trashed my car, got me into some trouble with my parents, caused me to fail school, and left me with a throbbing headache. Can't we call it a draw'"
"I really don't think so, Jamesy. See, we have a vested interest in seeing you fail," replied the leader. The other young men with him grinned and laughed with each other.
"Fail at what' School' You did it. Thank you, bye!" James turned around to find one of the boys standing in his face. He had multiple piercing in his eyebrow, lips, ears, and a chain hanging from his nose to his right ear. The smiled he flashed was gruesome and frightening, a good advertisement to show what happens when you don't brush your teeth.
"Going some where'" he asked in a rapid, slightly psychotic and high pitched voice. "We ain't done wit chu!"
"Yeah," said another one in a slow, low voice. His massive bulk could easily weigh over three hundred pounds, but James doubted that all of it was fat. Quite the contrary, he figured a good eighty five percent was pure muscle while the rest concentrated in unworkable areas, like his face. His eyebrows hung low over his eyes, covering them in a shadow.
James rolled his eyes and said, "Look, guys, the five of you on me is not a fair fight."
The one next to James began to push him to the center of the floor, saying, "Oh really' Why is that'"
"Your outnumbered," said another of the group in a soft, rough voice. James noticed he seemed a bit shadowy, not really showing his face. A person with a troubled past he assumed, though if his friends kept pushing him James may put an end to it now.
"Out numbered doesn't mean out classed or over powered. I tried to give you a chance and hopefully salvage my life, but a suppose not." James spun around while his right hand moved as fast as a snake striking its prey, punching the guy that pushed him in the face then kicked the soft voiced one in the gut with his right foot. Bringing that leg down, he jumped and spun in the air, kicking the low voiced guy across the face with his left foot, causing him to crumble to the ground. As James landed in a kneeled position, he landed a blow with his left elbow in the gut of the guy that did not speak and gave him a right cross upper cross as he stood. James was about to turn to the leader when a searing streak of pain ripped across his back, causing him to fall back to his knees. The leader was not where he was a moment ago. Looking behind him he saw the leader standing with a plain long sword that he didn't have before, which was slightly covered with blood. James knew that trick with the sword well, and could do it better.
"You can't get me that easily, Jamesy," he said.
"You really want a fight, don't you'" asked James.
"Why else would we be here' We were sent to stop you from."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I've heard it all before," said James as he stood up. The rest of the gang were getting to their feet and walking to the leader. James looked in his eyes and asked, "Can I at least know your name'"
"Mike. Why'"
James smiled, "So I know what to put on your tombstone." He lunged forward, reaching over his shoulder to grab something. Just as he started to grip air, a handle appeared. Landing in the middle of the gang, James unsheathed an elegant katana-like blade from a sheath that appeared on his back and sliced the legs of two of the gang, the soft voiced one and the one who didn't speak. The other two attempted to jump him, but James rolled forward to avoid them. He turned to see the two wounded guys on the ground in pain. Looking to the other three, he said, "Ready'"
"Um.well maybe we made a mistake and should be going," said the high pitched guy.
"NO!" shouted Mike. "I will not lose to this pathetic."
James did not wait for him to finish. He ran past the high pitched guy, slashing his front then turning to slash his back. He fell to his knees in pain, giving James an accurate shot at his head. He raised his sword and brought the handle down on his head, knocking the high pitched guy out.
The low pitched guy ran away, scared for his life, but was engulfed in flames before he got into the door. The ball of flames stood still, suspended in the air. Mike looked to James, fear in his eyes.
"Now, it is just you and me. Your physical powers are impressive, not to far from mine, but you can't match my mystical side. I'll give you a chance to take the cripples, comatose squeaky, and fire boy over there and get out of here. If you choose to continue this, they will leave alive, but the janitors will be cursing their jobs for the mess I'll be leaving them that used to be you. Now, do you want to test me'"
Mike looked to this gang, then to James. "This is not over, Jamesy. We will be back."
"Now really, is that a smart thing to say' Do you think I want to let you go so you can attack me again later'" James looked to Mike, who seemed nervous. James sighed and said, "I know I will hate myself for this, but get out of here."
The ball of flames subsided, leaving the low-pitched guy standing in a puddle on the floor. James smirked as the damp shoes that squeaked when he shuffled over to pick high pitched guy up. The other two crawled to Mike, still bleeding from where their legs were cut.
"Now get out of here and never return. This place doesn't deserve to be occupied by the likes of you," said James.
Mike sheathed his sword and smiled. "Apparently you are not welcomed here either." The gang disappeared in a flash of light, leaving the blood and urine on the floor. James turned to see an attractive girl with short blond hair, down to the nape of the neck, standing at the door of the gym, almost in tears, leaning on the doorframe in shock.
"Dawn."
"NO! Don't come anywhere near me!" she screamed.
James knew that as frantic as she was she would bring the whole school. He couldn't let this get out, so James concentrated on the space directly behind her, then appeared there in an instant. Grabbing her from behind, James opened a gateway into a private dimension and let her go. She fell to the ground and backed away from James, fear permeating from her very soul.
"Stay away from me! Don't hurt me, please!"
"Dawn, I would never harm a soul, especially you," replied James.
Dawn looked to the sword in his hand and said, "Wh.what about those guys'"
James looked to the sword, then sheathed it and said, "That is different. They had no souls." James smiled to her to show his humor was still there.
Dawn almost smiled, seeing a small piece of the person that had filled most of her waking thoughts and all of her dreams, but the memory of what she saw in the gym forced itself through everything else, and she saw a beast again. "What are you'"
James sighed, almost in tears at what he had to do now. For the past five years they were close, first next door neighbors, friends, then best friends. Three years ago, they kissed for the first time, and everything fell into place. She was the one thing that allowed him to keep his sanity the past two years, when things changed in his life. Now, because of that change, he has to give her up. "Dawn, I will always love you. I have seen many painful things, done things I'm glad you will never have to even imagine. All of it is nothing compared to what I am about to do." James slowly walked to Dawn, stretching his hand down to her face. She almost jumped up and ran, but James held her mind still with his.
"What.what are you doing'" she asked in a trance-like state.
James put his hand on her cheek and spoke, "I give you the most precious thing I can now, release to live a life without my interference. My life is to wrong for anyone to be in it, especially you. Soon I will leave this town and out of the lives of everyone I knew. You will forget about me, only to remember it as if it were a dream. I give you this so you may have happiness in your life. Remember, through your dreams, of a love that would do anything to ensure your happiness." James leaned over and kissed Dawn, lingering only a moment as to not corrupt the spell. A tear left his right eye and rolled down his cheek. "I love you."
The dimension collapsed, and James was gone. Dawn was asleep at the door where James grabbed her, peaceful and content.
James walked out of the school doors, bruised, battered, in pain and near death. His body, however, was merely sore from the past twenty-four hours. Looking around, James reminisced on his life here. It was good, but he had to move on. His parents knew he would fail the year, having numerous conversations and meetings with his teachers. They were worried about James when a letter came about a special school James could attend. James smiled. That is what he needed, a new life.
A voice from behind him called out. "James!" He turned to see a young lady rush out of the school. "James.are you all right' Do you need to talk'"
James looked at the young lady for a moment and asked, "Debra, right'"
She smiled and replied, "Yes, Debra Gurney. I saw you come in to class and.is.is that blood'!"
James followed her stare to the ground beneath him where his back dripped the blood from his wound. "Um.yeah.kinda," he replied.
Debra went frantic. "We need to get you to a hospital! You need medical care! Help!"
James raised his hand and spoke softy. "I'll be fine. It'll heal soon."
"But.it could get infected'!" she retorted.
He chuckled. "I will be fine. Trust me."
Debra looked into his eyes and smiled slightly. "Ok, if you insist."
"What did you want again' To talk'" asked James.
"I.err.actually wanted to know if you wanted to talk." James was taken aback a moment, unsure what to say. Debra continued. "That is to say you've had a rough year and I just wondered if you needed someone to talk to. I mean.you know."
James chuckled and walked to a small brick wall to sit on, patting the spot next to him for her. She sat down quickly, eager to hear him talk. "Why do you want to help me'" he asked. "I am not part of the ever sheik in-crowd so."
"I know you, James," she answered. "Ever since the.pep rally incident. When you looked into my eyes to help me out of the rubble I saw you for you.a kind person who cared about others more than himself. This.this is just the first time I could get to you."
James smiled softly. "I guess I do need someone to talk to. Here is my story."
Debra smiled brightly in anticipation. "I am all ears!"
"Two years ago a change happened in my life. It shattered my world and changed me forever. I don't know if it is good or bad yet.though so far it has only destroyed everything I held dear to me. Today it all accumulated into a single.act that cost me something very precious to me. Now I have to end it all."
"No you don't!" cried out Debra. "You will not be committing suicide! Not while you have good friends here!"
James could not help but laugh. "I did not mean that. And since when have I had good friends here'" he asked with a wink. "No.I mean that I have to go away from it all and be alone. That way.there is no chance that someone I care about will get hurt."
"May I ask what happened to you'"
"I don't know exactly how to put it.you'll think it is crazy," said James through a chuckle.
"Try me," she said flatly.
James looked into her eyes and was about to say something when a large young man came running up to them. "Hey, Debra! What are you doing here with him'! Get over here!"
Debra looked up to her boyfriend, Heath Noriss, and said, "We were just talking. James is going through a rough time and."
"Oh," replied Heath. "So you think you can just use that excuse to muscle in on my girlfriend, eh'"
James stood up slowly and said, "Look, she came to me wanting to help me some how. If this is going to bother you then I can go and."
Heath brought his right fist up and launched a punched to James's face. He sidestepped and grabbed Heath's arm, rolling him over his back and over the small brick wall onto the grass. James winced as pain shot through his body. Heath got up and charged again, jumping over the wall and trying to punch James again. He again sidestepped and left his leg out to trip the charging young man.
"Stop it Heath!" shouted Debra.
Heath climbed to his feet and glared at Debra. "You are dead!" he exclaimed before James punched his face, knocking him clean out.
James sighed and said, "Dump him. His temper is too dangerous." He turned and walked off.
Debra called out. "Where are you going'"
James looked back to her and said, "A new life."