?????The hot August sun was warm against his face. This was the final trip he had to make. He and his mother were on their way home. It had been three long weeks of packing, driving, and hauling. After his parents divorce, his mother wanted to move back home.
???????Home was Grahamn, Missouri. In his mind the fun, warm, southern town he had only seen on The Andy Griffith Show. He had mixed feelings about moving to this place, meeting new people, and starting a new life. His mother knew most of the people in Grahamn, because she grew up there. He, on the other hand, only knew his grandmother. They planned to move in with her until they could find a place of their own. He wasn’t worried about that, he was worried about how he might get along in a new environment. He was worried about meeting new people and, more importantly, being accepted.
???????Back home he was popular. Everyone liked the tall witty young man with dark brown eyes. He was the type of guy who got along with everyone. Although he was popular, he was not the average popular student, he wasn’t very athletic. He wasn’t a big muscular guy, he was the opposite, he was thin but tall. His hair was not long, something very uncommon for a man in the south.
???????All worries he had were put aside when his mother announced that they were almost there. He looked forward to seeing her and became very excited when they pulled into the drive. His grandmother was standing outside. He got out of the car and walked quickly towards her.
???????”It’s so nice to see you Scott!” Grandma said.
???????”Its better to see you Grandma, I’m so glad I’m here to stay!” Scott replied.
???????His mother joined the reunion.
???????”Mom it’s so great to see you!” Carol said.
???????”I’m so glad we can all be together from now on. I’m so excited. I’ve waited all day for you to get here.” Grandma proudly proclaimed. They all embraced each other. “Lets go inside I’ve cooked dinner.” The trio walked inside. It would only be a few days before school started in this small southern town. It would only be a few days before Scott Allen started his new life at a new school, but it would also be only a few days before his first adventure began.
???????Grahamn, Missouri was an area of endless flat land where trees scattered the horizon. Grahamn recorded record high temperatures in the summer and record low temperatures in the winter. The town had a population of about 800 people. A typical bustling metropolis with a resturant, barbershop, service station, and of course grocery store. Believe it or not, it was also the home of Grahamn High School.
???????Grahamn High School is probably the most outdated school in the entire state of Missouri. Local history has recorded its destruction and resurrection at least three times in the past 80 years. It has burned, been condemned, and burned again. Unfortunately, no disaster has ever completely destroyed the building. Somehow the city obtains enough money to rebuild, refurnish and ultimately educate the children of Grahamn. A very embarrassing place to go to school. Scott Allen thought that if Frankenstein was a school it he would be Grahamn High School. Some of it is new, most of it is old, and all of it is ugly.
???????It is August 26, school starts today. After an unprecedented pep talk Scott Allen walked through the doors at school. The halls were long and wide. They were painted in a beige color. The floor shined. It was made of twelve by twelve tile that is no longer available in hardware shops. On both ends of the halls there were lockers and an occasional door that led into a classroom. Scott looked around, he felt like he was being watched. He was, in a way, because at the school he went to before he could be lost in a crowd, here was different the entire student body didn’t make a crowd.
???????He walked pass a group of two beautiful girls. His eyes met theirs. He really paid attention to one; she had long brown hair and beautiful smile. Impure thoughts raced through his head. He shook them off so he could say something when he walked by.
???????”Hi, you wouldn’t happen to know where the office is do you?” Scott smiled.
???????”Go down the hall and take a right. Can’t miss it” the brunette smiled back.
???????”Thank you” Scott said in return.
???????”Well your always welcome. By the way what is your name” she asked.
???????”My name is Allen, Scott Allen” he laughed.
???????”Mine is Sarah. Maybe we’ll have a few classes together,” Sarah said.
???????”I hope so.” As he turned to walk away he said ” see you around”. He walked down the hall and took a right just like she said. She was right nobody could miss this, it reminded Scott of a lemonade stand in Hell. The office was spacious with a desk in the middle. An older woman in her seventies sat at the desk and typed on her keyboard. He walked up to the desk and the woman stopped.
???????”What can I do for you?” she asked.
???????”Hi, my name is Scott Allen I came to pick up my schedule” he said.
???????”O.k. let me get it.” She walked around the desk to a filing cabinet and pulled out his schedule. My God, he thought, this school must be stuck in the ice age. She handed it to him.
???????”Will that be all” she asked.
???????”Yes”
???????”By the way my name is Mrs. Roberts” she said.
???????”Its nice to meet you. I think I’m gonna like it here” Scott lied.
???????”That’s nice,” she said in reply. He really didn’t like the way things were going so far. The school was simply outdated, he felt primitive. He turned to walk out of the door. When he turned a beautiful shorthaired blonde woman was standing in front of him.
???????”You must be new here! My name is Ms. Ross”
???????”Scott Allen” She held out her perfectly manicured hand. He gently shook it and said “Its nice to meet you.” Scott thought that this woman was probably in her mid twenties. He always had a recurring fantasy about an older woman. He would love to seduce an older woman. He thought he might give it a shot one-day. If he successfully seduced her it would not be the first time she slept with a student.
???????”Well I hope you enjoy your first day here!” Ms. Ross said.
???????”Thank you, see you in class later” Scott said. He walked out of the office. When he got outside he looked at his schedule. He was not enrolled in Ms. Ross’ class. Damn, he thought. Oh well, he thought again, there is always next year.
???????For the next half of the day Scott was lectured, entertained, and put in his place. He attended class meetings and other initiation ceremonies.
???????After orientation Scott knew what time it was, it was time for lunch. This was a big problem. Who would he sit with? Would anybody let him sit with them? These questions ran through his mind as he stood silently in line. The cafeteria was serving pizza today. Not a bad choice for the first day he thought.
???????Scott made his way through the line and paid for his lunch. He looked around not knowing what to do. He stood there for a seeming eternity but in reality only about two seconds when she saw her. Sitting across the cafeteria was Sarah. Scott felt that deep down inside she liked him, so he walked over to her table and sat down. “Hello Sarah, you don’t mind if I join you, do you?” Sitting across from Sarah was a short pencil thin blonde, presumably Sarah’s best friend, and Scott thought that she was really beautiful. Scott had remembered seeing her earlier that day.
???????”Of course I don’t mind,’ Sarah said, ” This is my friend Lana.” Sarah made a hand gesture toward Lana.
???????Lana held out her hand. Scott shook it and said, “I’m Scott.”
???????”Its nice to meet you,” Lana said out of routine.
???????”You sure know how to pick friends,” Scott said. What a dumbass thing to say he thought to himself. He was slightly embarrassed. Scott didn’t know it but Sarah was flattered.
???????”Scott there is someone else I want you to meet,” Sarah said. Scott Allen’s heart jumped. He was immediately excited. He wondered to himself what hot friend of hers he would be introduced to next. A nanosecond passed and his bubble had been busted. Sarah motioned for a guy to join them. Scott Allen was immediately repulsed by the young man’s appearance. He was a very tall boy who had an ugly face covered with acne. His hair was cut short almost to the scalp and he was at least 50 pounds overweight.
???????”I want you to meet by boyfriend, Anthony,” Sarah bubbled. Anthony made his way to the table and sat down beside Sarah. Sarah turned to Anthony “This is Scott Allen, he is new here.” Scott reached across the table to shake his hand. Anthony reluctantly took it.
???????”Nice to meet you Anthony. Sarah has told me a lot of great things about you.” Anthony’s grip on Scott’s hand was very tight. If Scott wasn’t mistaken Anthony really didn’t like him.
???????”Sarah and I have been together for two years,” Anthony said harshly. Scott got the point. Anthony felt very threatened by this handsome stranger that had entered their lives.
???????Scott couldn’t resist bull *censored*ting with this guy. “Sarah told me that, she also said you played football.” Scott had no idea that he played football but it was a good guess he thought.
???????”I’m captain of the team,” Anthony boasted. Lana remained silent. She was shy around strangers. Anthony connected with Scott when football was brought up.
???????”Of course you are.” Scott Allen found girls at Grahamn High School warm and sweet and most important attractive. He found the boys, on the other hand, to be obnoxious rednecks who loved to talk about big trucks, big guns, beer, and who could beat whom in an arm wrestling match. The conversation went on until the bell rang. It was time to go back to class.
???????The cafeteria was a new addition to the school. It took about two minutes to make the journey from the school to the cafeteria by foot. Scott Allen was one of the last ones to leave the cafeteria meaning he got the privilege of watching everyone walk to class. He noticed Anthony and a few other of his football buddies trying to trip someone. Scott watched as the tried and tried to trip this thin helpless boy. Anthony tried one more time and he did it. He tripped him! Scott was outraged! He had never seen such an injustice in all his life. Why don’t they pick on me he thought to himself? “Hey *censored*s leave him the hell alone,” Scott yelled as he ran to the scene. These guys were laughing. They had the audacity to think that it was funny.
???????”This ain’t none of your goddamn business,” one jock declared.
???????”It is now! You guys have no right to do this to other people,” Scott screamed. In an instant he was transformed from a tranquil boy into the champion of justice he aspired to be. He was not going to stand and watch them pick on some defenseless guy. He was going to take action he was going to stop this once and for all.
???????”Easy, there *censored*! We may just have to kick your scrawny little ass,” Anthony crowed.
???????”You just may. I’m not going to watch you fat asses harass him.” Scott could feel his heartbeat grow faster. Butterflies violently attacked his stomach.
???????”Give it up man,” the little voice from the ground said.
???????”I’m not giving up until you bastards apologize to him!”
???????”Who do you think you are? Do you think that since we don’t know you, you can just bully us around?” Anthony crowed.
???????”Your damn right!”
???????”I don’t like you anyway you Yankee son of a bitch! And you know what, Sarah doesn’t like you either!”
???????”I disagree, and to tell you the honest to God truth I don’t see how she stands to be around your fat ass,” Scott said. He turned around to see the defenseless young man standing in front of him. Sarah joined the scene.
???????”Drop it! Both of you! Anthony lets go,” Sarah commanded. Anthony obeyed like a well-trained dog.
???????”Go to hell man, I don’t have time to screw with a prick like you!” Scott’s heartbeat slowed back to normal. Anthony and his goons turned and walked away. Scott stood there dumbfounded for a moment. What a bitch. Why did she turn on him? What in the hell did she see in him? He may the best football player in Grahamn but he was also the biggest.
???????”Look man, I really appreciate your help back there,”
???????”You’re welcome. Scott Allen,” Scott offered his hand. The two boys shook hands.
???????”Fox DeMarco.” Fox avoided Scott’s eyes. He was ashamed. Together they started to walk back to class.
???????”Why were those guys giving you such a hard time?”
???????”They do all the time.”
???????”Well maybe they’ll leave you alone for awhile!” They went their separate ways and went to separate classes. For Scott Allen the rest of the day dragged by slowly. Finally, at 3:00, the bell rang. It was time to go home. Scott walked to his locker; he put his books away. He made his way towards the door when he saw Fox standing at his locker. “Hey Fox!”
???????”Oh hi,” Fox’s eyes never met his. Scott watched as Fox was taking everything out of his locker. He had every book in his hands. What a nerd Scott thought to himself.
???????”Need some help with all those books?”
???????”No,” Fox lied.
???????”Don’t give me that bull*censored*,” Scott said as he grabbed three of the books from the stack. “I’ll drive you home.”
???????”No you don’t have to do that.”
???????”I know, but I will”
???????”Alright,” Fox said. A faint smile grew across his face. He was beginning to like Scott. They both walked to his Blazer. They got in and made their way home. During the drive they talked of all the things to do to Anthony. Fox suggested replacing his shampoo with Nair. It was perfect revenge.
???????”So where do you live?” Fox directed Scott to his house. It turns out that Fox lived right next door to Scott’s grandmother’s house. Scott helped Fox carry his books into his house. They spent the rest of the night plotting revenge against Anthony and the rest of the football team. Scott started to like Fox in the period that they got to know each other. Fox was not the typical citizen of Grahamn; he was not a redneck.
???????Later that night Scott looked back on the day. He flirted with beautiful teachers, beautiful girls and was even rejected by one. He smiled to himself. The day went a lot better than he expected, even though he almost got into a fight and even though the most beautiful girl in school shot him down. He had mad a friend, and got along with all the teachers and he even looked forward to going to school at Grahamn High School.
???????He got ready to go to bed. He looked at his Superman statue that he got for his fifth birthday. It was one of his favorite things in the world. It gave him inspiration. He looked at it and thought about what he did during the day. He took up for someone weaker than he was. Superman would have done the same. But deep down inside he felt that he could never be like Superman. He could never save the world like Superman could and he probably couldn’t even save someone’s life like Superman could. Scott should’ve known better.
???????At that same moment, in the house next door, Fox sat at his writing desk. All the books from his locker were stacked on top of it. He opened his bottom drawer. In the drawer was a gun. After the constant harassment he decided to end it all. He decided to kill himself. No, not tonight. He had a good day. Someone stood up for him. He had made a friend. He felt something he hadn’t felt in a long time. He felt power. He felt the power to stand up for himself. He knew he didn’t have to be picked on any longer.
???????Fox looked down at the gun in the drawer. He closed the drawer. He wouldn’t need it. He would never need it. He turned off his light and climbed into bed. Lying there in bed his excitement grew. For the first time in a long time he was excited about going to school the next day. In the house next door Scott felt the same excitement. Grahamn High School isn’t as bad as he thought it would be.
???????Scott gave something to Fox that he will never know. Scott gave Fox the gift of life and friendship. A feat that would make anyone proud, even Superman.