An Idea I Have Had...Just Moved

[Sanjo]

So, yeah...I started to be a little ditzy and drove myself to think I put my story into the wrong section. -_-' I'm smart....and over-paranoid Despite the loss of my lower jaw I still enjoy a high standard of living. heh... Anyway, I do want criticism on this, so please help me out!!!

Although it relates personally, this story has been stuck in my head, so I decided to write it and see what is to become of it. I didn't know where to put it, but then I joined here and figured I'd give it a shot. So, here ya go! Criticism is appreciated! Despite the loss of my lower jaw I still enjoy a high standard of living.
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A new day broke the night's silence. A dark day, full of rain. A bad omen for many things, including the first day of school. Buzzers would soon awake the continuing strife that engulfs the local high school of this town.

John awoke, not to a buzzer, but to his mother yelling at him for sleeping in. He checked his clock, and it was 5:32 in the morning. How this constituted as late, he would never know. The only justice for this action was his mother preparing his favorite breakfast: chocolate chip pancakes, a side of bacon, and a tall glass of orange juice. A good breakfast, but still typical. Once finished, he slugged his way back up the stairs, stomping his feet on every step. He and his mother lived together alone, so there was no brother or sister to wake up rudely.

Having taken his daily shower, gotten dressed, brushed his teeth, and picked up his room, all respectively in that same, daily order, he reached for his already heavy backpack, sighing and thinking " Another town, another school, and another boring day that I have to sit through alone. At least it's raining. Here we go again..."

***************

"Here we go again," Sarah muttered, "and this time, there won't be any mercy!"
"Well, someone is surely optimistic." Her friend, Ross, whispered to her on the bus. "You would think that we would get creamed again after what we did to them."
"Don't sell us short, Ross. We will be just fine. We have a new strategy for them this time."
"Of course, of course. And I suppose it won't get leaked and we won't be countered! Very optimistic of you. And to think we are such a disappointment that they wouldn't bother to try..."
"You'll see. Things are looking up!" Sarah ended that conversation when the bus had stopped on the usual street before it moved to the school. She looked out the window and, as her tendencies were, counted the students lined up to board. "...thirteen...fourteen...FIFTEEN!?! Who is that? Well, whoever it is, a new member would be key to us at this point..."

John waited at the end of the line to get on the bus. Everyone seemed to have umbrellas, but not him. He enjoyed the feel of the rain hitting his dark-brown hair and the sight that came from his now emerald-green eyes. His salvation soon disappeared when he entered the bus, finding no open seat. He trudged along, not expecting anything to happen. "YOO-HOO! Over here! There's a seat right here!" Half-way through the bus, he turned around to find a blonde girl waving at him. "Strange..." he thought to himself, "...is she looking at me? This is a change of events..." He double-checked to see if anyone else was standing up to move to her. No one moved an inch. He slowly made his way back towards the front of the bus. He saw that a second person, a tall, red-headed boy, was now pinched into the window by the girl to make a third seat. Something told John he wasn't really welcomed by any means...
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And hence, the first chapter. Please, any feedback would be helpful!!! Despite the loss of my lower jaw I still enjoy a high standard of living.
~sanjoyoshi~

[red.yoshi]

Wow, I like this a lot! I was very engrossed. I can't wait to read more of this! Keep it up!

[Sanjo]

Thanks for your kind remarks, red. It means a lot!
Btw, chapter one is entitled "A Dawn of Rain". Sort of forgot that... . Oh well...
Here's Chapter 2! Sorry it's so long! -_- Didn't see a way to shorten it too much, and with Chap. 3-5 already roughly made, I can't change too much...
A quick sidenote, though: Italics represent thoughts. It gets a little confusing at times, even for me >.< .

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Chapter 2 – Hook, Line, and Trip

“Well don’t be shy. Sit down, we won’t bite.” John felt differently, but decided to sit down anyway. The girl gave a friendly wave and said “I’m Sarah. The loser next to me is Ross.”
“I am not a loser!” He exclaimed in slight humiliation.
“Tsk, tsk. Behavior like that will only embarrass you more. Don’t worry; I’m only like this with him. Sometimes he can be a jerk, but he really is a nice fellow. And you are…”
Nervously, John gave in to her seemingly friendly demands. “I’m John. I’m… sorta new here-“
“-Don’t worry, I figured that much out. Call me crazy, but I like to keep track of differences and people. What year?”
“Junior.” John squirmed slightly having said this. He was giving more information than he was willing to give as it were. “Stay calm, John, everything is fine,” he thought, “just a new friend. Nothing too out of the ordinary, right?”
“Well, well, well. So am I! Ross is a Senior-“
“-And he has to know that?! For the love of God, I can speak for myself!” He was about ready to burst out of the seat and strangle her. Of course, he would never do such a thing, especially to his best friend.
Discretely, she hissed in his ear: “Chill out, Ross. He’s gonna find out sooner or later. I wouldn’t be surprised if he found out everything today…” Something in her tone made John a little curious. “What does she mean by ‘finding out everything’, and what am I getting myself into this time?” The rain began to stop.

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“Goooooooooooood morning, students!” The PA system was louder than the ones at other schools, and out of all the other schools he has been to in the past four years, never has a principal sounded so energetic. “Maybe this is a good place to be…”

The PA system rambled on about the different clubs that would start after school on that day, but John blocked it all out. He never stayed after school; always went home on the bus and did his homework. Nothing else. Every now and then, he would get a phone call from one of his classmates asking what the homework was or if a test was coming up soon. Never has he been asked to hang out, never mind invited to sit next to people on the bus. But all of this soon faded away once the first bell of the day rang into his ears. Again, it was the loudest, and most painful, bell he heard from a school.

Amongst his small daydreams of his other schools, a sheet of paper flopped onto his desk. Like a bubble bursting, his daydreams shifted into the figure that stood before him. “You need to fill this form out and see Mr. Bailey, our counselor.” Just as John was about to ask questions, another ritual of his for the first day of school, she rushed away. To where? Who knows…it was like she disappeared from existence…

He found his way to the Guidance Office and asked the assistant where he was to go, and without a single glance, she weakly pointed to his right. Still being polite and thanking her, he made his way to the office. A big door stood before him. Without a doubt, this was where he was supposed to be. He sighed heavily and opened the door. “Here we go again…”

“Why, hello there!” His tone was well overdramatic as he rose abruptly from his seat. “My name is Mr. Bailey, and you must be John Kellher. And before you ask how I know your name, it’s pretty simple to know a new face and match the name to it when you’re the only new kid this year!” He gave off a hearty laugh. He was a little bulky and pretty short. Not the height of an 11 year old child, but still relatively small. John answered his laugh with sarcastic force. “So, because I have a meeting, I need to make this short and to the point. Here at our school, we hold a different process of giving students their class assignments. Like college, we separate your classes into shifts, or 'colors'. Depending on the cycle number, you will have different classes that all follow the same patterns. It’s easy to understand once you see the schedule yourself. Also-”
John’s curiosity cut him short: “-What about this form? Sorry to interrupt, but I have no clue what this is for…”
A slight pause followed. Insulted for being interrupted, Mr. Bailey tried to recover. “Ah. Yes, well, that is a term trip that anyone in the school can take. It happens once every quarter, and is just like camp. It’s one of the school’s ways to ‘relieve stress' between fellow classmates. And better yet: no teachers are there! Many kids get excited about that part…”
“Well, not me.” John zoned back into his daydreams, this time, of the one kid that tried to talk to him in the last school he went to. He was nice, and proved to be pretty useful when it came to projects. John never caught up with him since he left…
A tiny beep came from Mr. Bailey's office. A muffled alarm, no doubt. “Oops! Already late. Well, you have all day to make new friends and sign up for the trip. Take care!” And with that, he bolted out of the Guidance Office’s main hall and made his way into the rest of the school. “Is this something I want to look into?...”

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Lunch soon came around noon, possibly a little after. The only clocks in the building were in the classrooms. He made his way into the cafeteria and, finding to be one of the last people there, the tables were split onto two sides of the room. One group of tables, green in color, held the people from the bus. At his appearance, Sarah again rose out of her seat and attempted to yell for him when Ross shoved her back down.
“What is with you today, Ross?! Don’t you want him to help us?”
Ross smirked at her. “Why, in fact, no. We do not need his help. Look at him!” Both of their eyes glanced at John, sitting alone at a lunch table in the middle of the room: the only spot in the room that was vacant. Ross pulled her face back to look at him. “This is the kind of guy we don’t want. Non-aggressive, non-energetic-“
“Well, while you invest your time in what your plan is for the coming quarter, I will work on mine. Toodles!” She grabbed her lunch tray and began to move towards John’s table. She could hear Ross’s voice booming at her as she walked away, but she didn’t care: “This year, the new kid will play a vital part. I know what I am doing now, just let me work.”
“Hey there!” John looked up from his brown-bagged lunch to see Sarah, once again, beckoning for him. “I see you’ve made it through the day in one piece. Pretty rough?” She started to giggle slightly, trying to make a friendly conversation. The giggles didn’t help too much in the situation as she sat down next to him.
“Well, having no classes for a day is a good way for the day to start.” “Should I…” “…And I have been thinking about the trip that happens every quarter…” “Oh no. Too much information?...” He noticed Sarah begin to smile a little more widely.
“Bingo.” “Oh, right! Completely forgot about that!” She rolled her eyes towards the direction of Ross, who was watching her closely. “Well, as you have probably figured out, there is no ‘real’ supervision…just our word to not misbehave too much. That’s pretty much what the form is for. It really is a lot of fun! ...Hey! I have an idea! Why not come by me and my friends after school today? We do homework and also discuss what we are going to do for fun on the trips…maybe you would like to join? Think of it as my open invitation to you.”
John hesitated for a moment. “Is she really doing this out of friendship? …It’s hard to tell…Bah, who cares right now! An invite is an invite…” “Sure, why no-“
“That’s great! Come by our room, 109, right after school! I’m sure you’ll enjoy everyone’s company! Well, I have to go. See you later!” She rose, not bothering to take her lunch back with her, and skipped back to her seat next to Ross with the biggest grin.
“What happened?”
She looked at him and rubbed it in his face: “I got him. Everything will work out, you’ll see.”
She peered off into the window next to their table. She looked towards the sky with great satisfaction. “My plan will work. He can help us end this…you’ll see Ross…you’ll see…” The clouds began to break apart and vanish into the abyss.

[red.yoshi]

Whoa! I want to read more! I'm interested to see where this is going, great work!

[Sanjo]

Well, upon your request, red, I have more for you! Hope you enjoy Chapter 3! ;D

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Chapter 3 – Room 109

The period of school after lunch seemed like it took forever. So much information was running through John’s head and he started to feel a little woozy from thinking too much. “She’s definitely playing me for something…no one has been that nice to me before, not even the kid from last year…am I thinking about this too much?...Nah, just being over protective…I think?...I need to rest…”

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“Do you really think he could be of any help?” Ross was now in a calmer mood once he had finished lunch and vented his anger out on a freshman. As a senior, it is upon his shoulders to be the ‘dominant’ figure and show his rein on the younger. At least, that’s what he believed. “I mean, have you actually analyzed his reactions? He’s way too shy to be of any use to us. What we need are stronger people, not people who would be easily pushed around and-“
“Hush, you! I know he can be worth something to us.” Sarah was defensive about John ever since lunch and she knew it. “Just wait and see…I'm not being defensive for a lost cause...[/i]” She shook off that thought and focused back onto Ross. “In any case, an extra body is an extra body. If nothing more, we will at least use him as an intimidating factor against them.”
“I suppose…” The rain continued to poor down outside later on that day. They were sitting on a ledge next to the window, perfect for talking with friends as others walked by in the hallway, or perfect for lying down when after school and bored. The rain pounded on the window, sending streaks of water flowing down the glass. The clouds above were lightly colored, showing no threat whatsoever. The rain, however, spoke differently as it drummed away on the window. In the distance, a darker mass crawled towards them. It looked to hit by the end of school…

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Five more minutes until the last bell. “These last couple of hours has gone by forever…have I really been thinking about this too much?” John had been thinking about the invitation all day. Even when he tried to zone out, this wouldn’t let his mind be free. He knew something odd was happening, and he was the main pawn in it… “…but what?...”
“Gooooooooood afternoon!” The voice, still loud, surprised John once again. He shook off the ringing in his ear a little easier this time. Zoning out once again, deeming it unimportant, he sat down on the ground of the second floor, gazing out into the stormy skies. He thought of the kid’s advice on their last day of school together: “’Take everything for granted, and never leave anything behind…’ …Easier said than done…” His train of thought was broken by the PA system’s annoyingly flat singing of farewell. The final bell rang into his ear once again, drowning out the thunder coming from the distance.

John made his way back to Mr. Bailey’s office. With a deep breath, he reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. A normal, everyday-used envelope, held his destiny in this school, and he had a funny feeling that this would not be an easy, non-bothersome ride like the other schools were. With another deep breath, he put the envelope into a small compartment made to hold important notes for the counselor. John stared at it once more: “What am I getting myself into...” and walked away. He headed out towards the front entrance where the busses would be there to take him home. He would sit at home alone, listening to the roaring rain, and think. “Everything will just return to normal if I walk out now…” He kept walking, passing the front entrance, and turned into a small corridor on the right. There was only one room with the lights on, and through the bright, white glow read the numbers in a black shade: 109…

“Glad to have you with us!” The door had opened, obviously expecting him, and, through the blinding gleam of the light, Sarah’s voice rang through. “I hope that you weren’t bothered for the rest of the day...”
“Ah, no. Those loud bells are still stuck in my head, though.” They both exchanged a short chuckle; Sarah’s sincere, and John’s a little strained.
He continued to walk through the door, still slightly blinded. He could make out multiple figures, but all of which were muttering the same things: “This is him!?...” “I don’t know what she sees in him…” “This has to be a crush!” Just like on the bus, John did not feel welcomed at all.
“Hush, all of you!” Sarah was about ready to yell it through the whole school. “Just hear me out and follow it! If it doesn’t work, we’ll go with Ross.” The group, whose faces were visible by now, rolled their eyes, disgusted with the idea already.
“Um, Sarah…what is going on here-“
“Oh, great! You haven’t even told him yet!”
“Shush it, Todd!” The boy quickly withdrew, afraid of her wrath. “Listen, John…can you keep a secret? Well…not necessarily a secret, per se…but promise us that in exchange for the details we will give you, you will not talk about your existence here to anyone but us?”
“Okay, what are they getting at!? First, I’m treated like some kind of useless dummy, then Sarah tries to sugar-coat it with an exchange which, although I am curious to know, doesn’t sound worth my while!…What is this all about!?” John’s mind continued to question everything about the day, including this moment. The clock on the upper-left hand wall seemed to tick slower and slower as each second proceeded on its course. So many thoughts ran through his head until it reached a point where his head was throbbing in pain.
“………I’ll agree. What is it?” “This had better be good for me…”
Sarah took a moment to think. “They can’t see it now, I know they can’t…but he really is the only one with the brains to help us…Everything needs to be told…but not my plan…it’s better that he doesn’t know...” The room was silent for a longer period of time. John began to overheat with the intensity from the group. Both he and Sarah could tell that everyone in the group didn’t trust them. Both parties, Sarah and John, and the rest of the gang, were all waiting for the right thing to be said…
“…John, the school is literally at war…”

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And with that, I leave you >.< hehe, articstic license of suspense...and laziness >.< Chapter 4 still a work in progress! That...and it's 11:20 pm with school early....ugh....-_-`

[red.yoshi]

Yes, your story does hold quite an interest in me! I hope the progress is going along nicely!

[Sanjo]

Heh, well, if by nicely you mean the screams of "THIS DOESN'T WORK!" running through my head >.< ah well. Such are my insecurities -_-`

Anyway, here's Ch. 4, hot off the press (no, really. I just finished it and reviewed it slightly) I hope things make a little more sense in this chapter.

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Chapter 4 – Unveiling of a Song and a Love

Silence fell over the whole crowd. Not even a cricket was chirping its simple, sweet tune. Even the clock on the wall seemed to have come to a grinding halt. The words “…at war…” echoed through everyone’s mind, and no one was looking pleased about it. John stumbled a few steps back, feeling out of place and very confused. It seemed as if a whole day passed before John finally collected himself to speak: “A war…that can’t b-“
“It’s true.” Sarah was now more serious than ever. Her eyes sharp, piercing through John’s eyes, making them turn from the pleasant emerald green into an overwhelmingly strong brown. Her bright blue eyes continued to glare, as if searching for something in his soul. “…What I am about to recite to you is for ears only. Only a few of us have seen this on paper…this is how the war got started, as it has been passed down from generations of high school students…:

~ “…In the old days...those of great education and honest students…those of great expectations and low tolerance…those of blooming friendships and strong love…there came two freshman to the school. Both due to graduate in 2009, they grew to be the best of friends, sharing everything from their lives to their school days. It seemed as though Cupid himself was hovering over these two as they both began to realize their strong feelings towards each other…and one day, on that glorious day…they proclaimed their love to everyone, and wished secretly to keep that love going for as long as humanly possible…
“…However, dark times laid ahead in the winter, and quarrels began to replace their proclamations…their smiles were replaced by tears and slight hatred…it looked as though things were coming to an end. Both sides still longed the love they had, and agreed to recover from their dark spiral. They both still held high dreams for the future…
Lightning struck the ground a season later. Though buds were blooming and the birds chirping their favorite and routine tune, their love stood cold and grey on the floor. Realizing that what was there was gone, and what was supposed to be stopped became inevitable, he broke up with she…
“Furious rage followed those years. Her backstabbing and rumors and his broken promises of happiness never helped to patch things up…and by the end of their Junior year, he was with a new love: one whose love was amazingly stronger than hers, and did not promise of a future, but begged for it. Her jealousy would not allow such a dastardly thing to occur.
“In the late of night, when no lights showed but their own humanly glow, the two parties collided. He and his new love were surrounded in an instant after the ambush’s arrival. He was spared, but only to witness the downfall of his future... his new love…
“Years have passed since then…having formed two loyal groups, each set out to reek revenge for the ones they believed in. This is no tradition, nor is it a ritual…This is an event that has been holding every student’s mind in captivity until either side would win or their minds be withered…No other casualty has been caused to this day as both sides continue to clash in a fight for their ideals. As long as the war is unresolved, there will be no end…” ~

Sarah took a moment of silence, having recited the piece verbatim, and continued her own speech: “You see, John: This school isn’t what it seems. Our classes are ignored for time to strategize and practice our defenses. We do all of our work at home, and leave no hide or tail of suspicion. This is the way it has been done for many years…for all of us…and as the new kid, we feel it is our right…no…our duty, to show you the real story before someone else corrupts your mind with lies…” She closed her eyes, deep in thought and solitude. She turned her head to his left. “You see before Todd the journal of Patrick Davids, the loving man in the legend…He is the righteous one, for he alone was able to write this scripture with the utmost honesty. And few years, the group updates it with the stories, casualties, and progresses of the war in hopes that one day, someone will be able to put this all to an end…that’s where you will help us…”
“WHAT!?” Everyone rose from their chairs and desks in protest and shock. Even John felt compelled to join this questioning.
“You heard me!” Sarah proceeded calmly to the window. Although very dark for a mid-afternoon, she stared into whatever she could find amongst the clouds. “The key to us ending this war is our victory and their surrender. Not one man or woman has been injured…well, severely, anyway…and we know that this will continue as long as neither side imposes a physical threat…”
“Spoken like a true general, sir!” Making a joke out of it, Todd walked into the middle of the room, circling around for everyone’s attention. “Ladies! Line up! Now, you can bruise ‘em and beat ‘em, just don’t kill them! Oh, and protect this weakling as well!” The crowd let a response of ‘Sir-yes-Sir!’ rise above their continued laughter and howls of enjoyment. Sarah hardly moved an inch from where she stood. Her arms still relaxed by her sides, her head still tilted upward towards the sky. Her eyes trying to pierce a hole into the thick blanket above their school. John felt uncomfortable with the gang, and slowly moved to Sarah’s side.
“Y’know, I never really thought someone would think so highly of me…even think that I was worth something…”
“Well,” Sarah returned from her gaze to Earth, “it isn’t like any one of these bums are going to do something about it.”
“How do you know that I can help…or even pull throughfor you?”
“I know it’s there…I can feel it for sure…” She turned her body a full quarter turn to face John. Their heads level and their bodies square, they looked as if they were sharing the same thoughts… “In any case, an extra hand is all we need to help win this war…for the future’s sake…”
He understood, and the both of them turned to the window to gaze into the closed sky. Sarah edged her eyes to look at him once more. "Perhaps now, the plan can go forth...In due time, though...We must not rush these things and take these things for granted...He needs to be prepared, and more than just physically..." In a simple, syncopated rhythm, the clock resumed time, and the rain poured down once again. A flash of light beamed down to the trees in the distance; only to be answered by a violent roll of thunder…It was heard after the incident occurred...

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So there you have it! Remarks and comments appreciated, as always, and if there are any questions, feel free to ask! Despite the loss of my lower jaw I still enjoy a high standard of living.

[red.yoshi]

I'd rather be excited with the next chapter! Keep this up! Its getting interesting! =D

[Sanjo]

Hello, once again!
Alright, this needs a little bit of explaining: Although I am all for realism and realistic novels, in order to really portray 'my actual story', I need to dip slightly into fantasy-esque topics. I'll give my explanation after the chapters ends. Enlisted here a two chapters. Sorry, but they are all pretty much the same scene. Here ya go!

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Chapter 5 – A Day of Silence and Focus

Weeks later, a bright sun rose above the unleveled horizon. It crept from house to house, shining a large spotlight through the resident’s windows. The frozen dew on the grass suddenly began to thaw as the sun lent its energy for their disposal. Not a single cloud covered the orange and dark blue sky. The moon, along with its craters that gave the moon its face, was still visible. The temperatures, too frigid for the ancient trees that surrounded the town, slowly greeted the dawn with a steady, freezing temperature. A new dawn gave way for John’s first day of school work…
“You’re a tad late.” Todd was waiting for him in 109, staring at his watch that now read 8:59. Panting, John put all of his weight onto the side of the door, about to faint from exhaustion.
“I thought you said to be here at 9…” he gasped for more air, feeling his lungs constrict on every word he said. He had ran from the house to the school in order to arrive a little early.
“Well, if you remember correctly,” he began, as a smirk showed his superiority, “I said to be ready by 9. Currently, it is now 9, and you are not even ready to begin.” They stared at each other, Todd looking quite satisfied with the circumstance. John depicted his rage for Todd’s strict and insulting comments. He began to grind his teeth, an old habit of his when frustrated. Then, having gazed into his light, grey eyes, he chuckled: “Well, what are you waiting for? I’m already sweating in these clothes, so there is no purpose in me changing.” They exchanged their friendly laughter.

Over the period of time, John had started to become great friends with everyone around him, including Todd. John, with his usual ways, didn’t accept their open invite immediately, but grew to like the group and their ideals. Especially when he had a small, starting push from Sarah; just to break the ice. He had learned everyone’s names by now, and loved to exchange friendly stories, both awe-striking and humiliating. He had no clue what was in store for him today, just that everyone said that he would learn his ways…
“Well, then. Let’s begin. I assume that you don’t know why you are here, correct?”
“Right…so…what are we doing…”
“In due time…Now, as you may remember, the legend tells of ‘her’ death being the only one in this war, yes?” Todd didn’t wait for a response while John began to open his mouth. “I’ll answer for you: Yes. Okay, good. Now, do you know why no one has been killed yet?”
John did not know this. All he could tell from the war was that there weren’t too many battles if no one had been killed, even by accident. John stood there, silently, as if this were a Sudoku that he had to solve.
“No? Well, since I know you’re thinking the possibility, that is not right: There were many battles over those decades. We simply do no-“
“Wait, how did you know I was thinking tha-“
“Do not interrupt me. Everything will be answered shortly.” John nodded his head and sat down on the floor.
“Anyway, we simply do not throw our lives away in this war - and yes, lives could have been lost many times…including mine…” This grabbed John’s full attention as he shifted to sit taller, still catching his breath. “…In these battles,” he continued, “we use our wits and minds to outthink the situations at hand. For a while, this worked, and we pummeled our opponents every time. Until, that is, they kept getting stronger – not only in numbers, but in brute strength as well – and managed to fight back our strategic plans. Since then, we have not been able to come up with a victory, and nearly escaped the counter-attacks every time we struck. We began to defend ourselves with weapons as they gradually started to use them…”
“…So I am here to learn how to use a weapon…a sword?” With a wide smile on his face, John beamed at Todd, hoping dearly he would get his own sword, one of the few things he really desired in the world.
“Not yet…” John’s face dropped into a saggy look of disappointment. “…First, you need to learn how to control your mind in tight situations, which is why you are here with me. Are you ready?” John rose from the dusty floor and nodded his head. “Alright. For your first lesson, you will sit back down and meditate – that is, think of nothing but your breathing.” Again, a sour look took over John’s face as he did as he was told.
An hour passed while John was on the floor, trying very hard to concentrate on his breathing alone. “I can’t believe this: he builds up to the fact that I may get to use a sword, and he tells me I have to sit and breathe. Is that what I’ll be doing on the field?! Just sitting and breathing!? For a friend, he can be a real pain in the a-“
“You know, the more you think, the more I am going to make you sit there. Don’t you want to play with a sword?”
“How on earth did he read me so well? Can he-“
“Yes, I can.”
John stood up immediately, stumbling back a few steps in the process of his quick rising, and fell backward onto a chair nearby. “But…how?!”
“This is leading up to what I will hopefully be teaching you. But for now, sit and meditate…and this time, clear your mind.”
Resentfully, he sat back down on the floor and didn’t dare to think. And hour later, he became tired of trying so hard and lost his focus. “Maybe if I make no facial expressions as I think, he won’t read it…it’s worth a shot…HEY! TODD! Why don’t you read my mind now!? If you can, I will owe you one free punch to my stomach. You can do it as hard as you like, I don’t care!” Throughout all of his thinking, he had kept a solid poker face. He lifted his eyelid slightly and peered at Todd, who was in a deep focus across the room. “See? I was just too obvious earlier…He really can’t read my mi-“
“OH MY GOD! AN ATTACK!” Todd began to bolt to the door as he exclaimed it, and John followed suit, starting to pick up speed to run out of the door to help. He jumped over a thin wall of desks and was about to cross the room’s threshold…”Oomph!” John fell to the floor, having tripped on Todd’s leg.
“I don’t need to punch you in the stomach…that was worth it!” He cackled into hysterics as John helped himself up. His leg, now dripping with a little blood, stretched out to face to Todd. “How can you read my mind!?” Todd calmed himself down to answer, but still held a few chuckles in him.
“Well, if you must know, I will teach you…”
“It’s about time I learned something!”
“…tomorrow.”
“WHAT! Why not now!?”
“You aren’t ready for it. You need to understand two things today before you can attempt to do it.”
John loosened his grip. His fists were clenched, ready to pounce on him at any moment. He had never felt so humiliated and angry in his life, and realizing this, calmed down and walked back into the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 6 – A Sharp Mind Strengthens the Sword.

John took his seat, back to the ground of the room 109, and sat up again. His fists were still there on his lap. He couldn’t get over Todd’s heartless prank…although he knew he deserved it. Todd sat on a nearby desk, his feet still touching the floor. With his arms folded and eyes closed, he proceeded with his lesson.
“These two things that you need to understand are Judgments and Vibes. Both of these are necessary for mind-reading, and it takes a long time to practice both and mind-read perfectly.”
“So why don’t I start with something I could learn quicker like, oh, I don’t know, the sword?” Todd smiled at his pitiful attempt to get his hands on a sword.
“Nice try, but this has to come first. After all, the sword is only as sharp as the mind is. Therefore, we need to make you be able to mind-read before we give you any offensive instruction. So, here is your homework for the rest of today and for tonight: Meditate, focus, and try to open yourself up to these two senses.
“Everyone has a Vibe that changes with their thought patterns, and your Judgment helps to decipher it.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, silver ball, and handed it to John. “Take this. It is what we practice off of. It was said to have been used by Patrick Davids himself. This ball sends off its own Vibes that are much easier to read than a normal human’s. Try it. Right now, focus on it.”
John held it in his hand, not believing what he was being told and expecting another prank. However, his curiosity drove him to at least try. He glared at the silver ball, focusing on its smooth surface and its intriguing designs. When he was about to give up on it after five minutes, a warm wave breezed right passed him, and then another following it, like a heart-beat.
“That is its thought pattern for the moment. I can feel them, too. It changes every so often, but still helps you to learn how to read it.” John stared in awe at the small silver ball. “I can not believe what I have gotten myself into…This is amazing…”
“So, your assignment is to take that home or somewhere where you know people outside of the school and to try to connect other people’s thought patterns to their actions and reactions. That will build you Judgment up and will allow you to decipher different patterns. Although we are different people, we are all still the same in terms of Vibes. It’s just how we feel that makes them different. We clear?”
“Crystal, sir!” John tucked the ball into his pocket and saluted him off.
“…When are you going to stop doing that?”
“Until I know how to use the sword well.”
“You’re going to try to annoy me as much as possible until that happens, aren’t you?”
A small smirk widened across his face. “Of course not.” With that final tone of sarcasm, he turned and marched out of the room, ready to learn, try, and practice a new technique. “I’ll show him…I can do this in one night if I have to…” And with his hopes of doing so, he left for the cafeteria. The sun was now casting no shadows.

*******************************

Todd, too, moved to the cafeteria to meet up with Sarah and Ross, both of which were looking relatively happy on this day. “What are you two so happy about? I thought the negotiations weren’t going so well?”
“Well, they aren’t, but…” Sarah hushed him down to a whisper, wishing to change the subject immediately. “There is no way I am going to talk about these specifics…It’ll ruin everything…”
“Would you stop thinking and spill? You know I can’t read your mind.”
“So who’s to say that I can’t have my own privacy? In any case, things are still progressing regardless of certain failures. How are things on your end?”
“Actually, things went pretty well…He sensed his first Vibe today-“
“Aw, so cute!” Ross was in a goofy mood the whole day since he accidentally splattered his friend with hot coffee on the bus ride. He turned to Sarah with a new inspiration: “We should give him a medal!”
“Oh, Ross. What will we do when your gone?”
“Be sane again?”
“So true…anyway, I’m glad things are progressing smoothly on your end. That just makes this easier on us.”
“So, Sarah, what is this plan of yours, anyway? You know Ross and I have been doing everything you have told us to do, so I think that it is only fair that we should know what’s going on.”
Sarah gave off an overdramatic sigh. “Fine…” The two boys looked gleefully at each other, like two little kids about to learn a secret crush to spread to everyone else. “…I promise I will tell you the day before we leave.” Their jaws dropped instantly. “You know,” Todd continued, “you don’t have to be this mean to us.”
“Oh, don’t worry. It’s better that you don’t know it yet. You’ll see…” “You’ll see…”
They resumed their consumption of the horrible cafeteria food, with laughter and a wide array of friendly insults all across their side of the lunch room. The whole gang, including John, seemed to be having the time of their lives. Only a week away from their relaxing trip…only a week away from a stressful battle. Its imminence had cast the first shadow of the afternoon as the sun began to decline from its high peak.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hence, Chapters 5-6

Now, my explanation: Mentioned in the story are Vibes and Judgments, aka, my 6th and 7th senses. I've grown for a reputation here at home to be able to read people's minds, especially those that I know. No joke. As proof, here's a non-biased scenario when I didn't even mean to do so:
Recently, my principal talked to our class (Class of 09, woo!) about suicide, for another kid on our town had done so. Near the end, I felt a strong, heavy, and hot pulse come out of nowhere, and I knew instantly what he was about to say. He asked the entire class about whom he was about to talk to next, and being the only one who knew, I called out "Tommy Fuss"
Tommy was a close friend of mine until he unexpectedly commited suicide over a year ago. No one in my class knew of him except for me, and I missed him dearly; something they wouldn't be able to understand as well. So, I truly believe that Vibes exist, and I use them to my advantage to decipher and read minds. Not for evil, i promise Despite the loss of my lower jaw I still enjoy a high standard of living. You may choose not to believe this, and call me a freak (please don't >.<), but I know it to be true...hence, another connection between this and my story...Now i will stop rambling and finally end this long post. >.<

[red.yoshi]

I believe you. Thats a very cool talent you have there =). It might get you in a little trouble if you spread it around the public, so I'd keep it to yourself unless you trust whomever your sharing your talent with .

I was thinking as I was reading this that its very awesome for you to pull something so unique out of thin air. Now, realizing that you have the talent, you wrote so clearly as if you've actually experienced something like this yourself, and you have! People like you are called 'supernatural.' I'd love to chat with you and talk about it sometime!

[Sanjo]

Heh, I technically don't call this public, seeing as the friends that I have here in MA don't know I go on here >.< . And it's pretty weird that I can be so open online...bah, i try to be honest all around ;D .

SO, I do not have another chapter *Smacks self in the face several times* . It is still in the end writing/ beginers editing process, so I should have it in by...Wed? Not sure >.< . My personal deadline is Wed., so I should have it before then Despite the loss of my lower jaw I still enjoy a high standard of living.

By the way, red.yoshi, yes, it has gotten me into loads of trouble >.< . Some experiences are pretty funny, but were a pain to straighten out. I would love to chat if I had the time . Unfortunately, I have a thesis due soon, so my time will be dedicated to the story, singing/music, and hw....in that order >.<

[red.yoshi]

Lol. Well, I'm sort of busy this week also. I have mid-terms and such. I'll probably get my next chapter around the same time you get yours up. Its written, just needs to be typed up and roughly edited. I just can't find the time. I've been pretty busy. I can't wait for your next chapter!

[Sanjo]

*sigh* I guess I owe an explanation, seeing as I haven't had the time to touch my writing since the last chapter I posted. I have been very busy this past week, and expect to be very busy this weekend (singing tryouts for All-State devouring my free time >.<). I will try my best to get it out by Sunday, but I can not promise it. sorry...

[red.yoshi]

No promises on my part either X=. I'm easy. I can wait Despite the loss of my hand-eye coordination, I realized that our staff has better things to do then making silly chat filters.

[Sanjo]

Lo siento, pero no tengo! No tengo el tiempo hacer...las clases de español y historia es muy difícil ahora. Pero, estoy aquí, así haco ahora! Despite the loss of my lower jaw I still enjoy a high standard of living.

(Translation: I'm sorry, but I do not have it! I do not have the time to do it...Spanish and History clases are very dificult right now [as you can see with my spanish writing as proof of me practicing]. But, I am here, so I will do it now [or so I hope >.<])

Edit: Alright, it's here! The next chapter! Again, I'm sorry for the big-time delay. A lot of work >.<...yeah, all reasons listed above. Here ya go!:

Chapter 7 – A Wave of Determination

The door opened in a dimly lit house. The open space allowed the golden sun to shine into the house, illuminating every room it could reach. Not a single cloud was in the sky to block the house’s restoration. John was home from a very long and exciting day, eager to practice what he had just learned and to hone in on his new ability. His mind was wrapped around his new experience and would not wait to feel the warm vibrations again. He dropped his bag and quickly ran up the stairs, racing his shadow to his room. The shadow was well ahead of him as the sun gave off its radiance through most of the house.
He crossed the threshold, swung the door shut, and leaped onto his bed. It was here where he felt the safest and the most comfortable. Here, he was able to express his thoughts to himself, reminding him of his day and analyzing what happened and what he should do next. To him, life was very close to a chess game; thinking about every move and every word you say before you act. He sat up onto the bed, looked around at the different art that hung on his wall. Paintings by artist he had never heard of before hung over his bed while posters of his admired characters from video games and comics were forced onto a wall by clear tape. He reached into his pocket to pull out the silver ball once again, still amazed by its power. Although it didn’t do much, it still was something extraordinary to him. He closed his eyes to try to branch out for its sensitive waves, and like before, he could feel it. Feeling its pattern change every now and then, he tried to memorize them in case if they had any real significance. Each pattern, he realized, made something about him feel different. Most of the time, he wasn’t sure what it was, but he could make educated guesses about what the ball was ‘thinking’, so to speak. He was never this excited to learn something in his life…
He fed himself dinner, a usual plate full of chicken, rice, and a little bit of mashed potatoes, and headed for his coat. Still determined to learn, he took Todd’s advice and aimed his target for downtown. Nervous and anxious, he pulled his coat on and opened the door. “Isn’t this stalking?...Nah, don’t worry about it. It’s like you thought before ‘I can do this in one night...’ I’m not gonna back out of this one…” and he walked outside and slammed the door shut.
He decided to take a walk, there and back, just to get some fresh air and not be out all night. With the training wheels off, he walked away from his street, the small silver ball up in his room. He felt he didn’t need it, and continued to walk away. “Maybe I should try to open my mind before I head in…” and did so. Very quickly, he picked up a Vibe. The warm breeze of it rushed by him, and he looked back into the direction from where it came from. A young girl, no more than his age by the looks of it, was walking down the road. She held a smile that was visible a mile away, with long, brown hair that lengthened just past her shoulders. She seemed to be a happy, young teenager. “Wait…Something isn’t right here…Why do I feel a bad Vibe…” He felt remorse, even confusion too. He didn’t get it right away; there she was, walking happily, almost skipping along, and yet, the Vibe is telling him differently. He looked around to see if he was confusing hers with someone else’s. No one was around, it was just him and her. Having nothing else to do, he walked towards her: “Excuse me, do you have the time?” “What am I doing!? I could’ve at least asked directions rather than that lame excuse! Ugh, I am such a stalker…” She looked towards him. They were across the street from each other, her brown eyes staring down the new stranger.
“I’m sorry, I don’t. I am only out here for a quick walk, so I don’t have anything on me.” “Okay…now a different Vibe?...Oh, I get it, she thinks I’m going to rob her and she’s being protective…she probably does have a watch…” She looked at him a little closer, and then something clicked into her mind. “Hey…wait a minute…Oh! I’m sorry! You must be the new kid on the block! I’m Lauren. I love two houses down from you. I noticed you and your mother unpacking, so I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m John.” He offered his hand, and she took it. A small moment took place where both of their eyes were locked onto each other. He could feel her Vibe strongly, even thought he heard a quiet voice in his head that precisely matched hers: “Well, he sure does look very nice…Maybe he’ll walk with me?” He didn’t know what to make of this, whether it was his head fooling him or he had actually read his mind. “Well, maybe it’s worth a shot…”
“Well, nice meeting you.” She smiled, waved, and began to walk away, the dark Vibe growing stronger yet again.
“Wait!” She stopped and turned around, her eyes a little wide with surprise. “I was just going to walk downtown, just to see what was there. You want to come? I know you just met me, and that you were probably heading elsewhere, bu-“
“I’d love to!...I mean, if that’s alright with you.”
“Of course.” “That was a shot in a million…but just for proof…” “Hey, I’m not sure if I asked this before, I have a horrible short term memory, but do you have the time?” She reached in her back pocket and took out a small cell phone. “Bingo…I can do this…”

*************************************

Morning. A small cloud sailed over the orange sky, swirling from one image to the next. The sun crept up onto the slightly frosted lawns. Not a soul had moved, that is, until John’s usual alarm clock blared into his ears; his mother. He crawled out of bed, and instead of heading straight for the shower, he pulled on his clothes and raced down the stairs. “Today’s going to be a good day…I don’t need a Vibe for that.”

“Well, someone woke up a little late today.” Ross smirked as he saw John head for the table in the cafeteria. John’s ruffled hair stood out amongst the group, and his wrinkled clothes depicted his story of the early morning rush. “Slept well?”
“Like a baby.” John sat down with the rest of the gang, taking his joke with a small smile. “Just decided to rush here in the morning for once and catch the bus.”
“So we saw.” He looked over to his right, than his left; Sarah and Todd, as usual, next to him. “We heard you had a good time last night with Laure-“
“What!? You stalker! How’d you know!?” “Crap, he can read my mind too!?”
“Yes, I can, so you still have a little more training to go through with Todd today. But that’s not how I found out…speaking of the devil…”
“Hey guys! Hey John!” Lauren walked in, taking the vacant seat next to Sarah. “Oh yeah, that’s right! You go here, too! Well, welcome aboard!”
“…You just like to shock me each time, don’t you?”
“Yep! And now John, Todd’s gonna help you out to keep your mind shut.”
“Wait, you too?”
She nodded her head. “Mhm.” Now, the two of you run off and have fun!” Todd rose from his seat and crossed the table. As John got up, Todd began to pull his ear.
“C’mon, lover-boy.”
“I-I don’t love her! Since when was that in my head!?”
“Since it’s time to finish your mind training. Let’s go.” Todd began to bolt for the door, his hand still John’s ear. As soon as they left, Sarah turned to Lauren.
“Hey, thanks for testing him last night. I know it was stalker-ish, but still, thanks.”
“No problem! It’s the least I ca-“
“Woah, wait a minute!” Ross glared at Sarah, putting her in the hot seat. “You had her test him!?”
“Well, yes. I can’t let just you guys handle him. Not if my plan is actually going to work.”
Ross had lifted himself out of his seat in his slight anger, then let himself relax and sit back down. “Sorry…you know I’m not comfortable with all of these secrets…but anyway, how’d he do?”
“Passed, of course…and with flying colors I might add. Maybe even a little more than that…He’s coming along a little faster than expected, but of course, that just works even more in our favor.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, the more he learns, the more we can use him. He may be able to be out there ahead of us.”
“…You mean, physically? We’re going to send him out there in front of us…alone!?”
“Precisely…tell me, how often do you play chess?...”

[red.yoshi]

Wow this is getting interesting. I want more! o,o ¡Esté muy bien!

[Sol Vent]

Fantastico! I don't think I've read anything where I could relate to the main character so well! I can't wait to see where this is going. Eres Increible!

[Sanjo]

Gracias mis amigos! However, my rough draft for my big Junior Thesis (EEEEEEK! *faints*) is due tomorrow. Ugh. I'm almost done with it, too, but I can't type up my next chapter until either tomorrow or Friday hopefully Till then! *Runs off to type and dance to Lion King music...from the musical, not the cartoon*

[red.yoshi]

Lol, take your time. Don't get writer's block.

[Sanjo]

Hey guys! I got some great news and some bad news!

Great News: I just handed in my finished thesis today, and I am pretty confident in how I wrote it! ;D Yay!

Bad News: Along with that and the excessive singing that I have been doing lately (hurray for Valentine's Day), I have not been able to work on the story. Lo siento!

However, now that I am officially on vacation for a week, there is no doubt that I will be able to get the story moving along! The next chapter will be up by the end of the weekend! Thanks, and sorry again!