"It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell." -Buddha
Chapter #1 : Veiden Mills
Friday, another boring day at Cove Senior Secondary School. English, Math, Chemistry, and thankfully Drama. This is my favourite class, and it gives me a chance to outshine all my other fellow students and prove to them that I'm not just a useless batch of meat that sits alone in the corner everyday.
"Veiden?" A voice calls out to me while I'm walking down the hallway. It's Jessica, a rather annoying red head with freckles who keeps trying to go out with me. Apparently, she finds me interesting. Which pisses me off because i don't want people to think that I'm interesting, let alone think anything about me, EVER.
"I was wondering, do you want to hang out today? There a new coffee shop opening up on Brier Avenue, apparently they've gotten great revues" Ok, i may find this fifteen year old extremely annoying, but it doesn't mean that I'm going to act like a jerk. So like always, i just smile kindly and say-
"I'm sorry Jessica, but I'm busy today, my elder brother needs me to help him with his RCMP assessment papers" Jessica frowns when she realizes i am once again brushing her off. "He's still doing that?' No...he's actually already been accepted, but i won't tell her that.
"Ya, you know how this stupid government shit goes." I smile awkwardly. "They can take as long as they want and it won't effect them in anyway. So him and i continue to be patient and struggle through it."
"Oh...ok..." She turns around and begins to walk away. "Well tell your elder sibling i said good luck"
"I will!" No i wont... "Take care Jessica" I walk over to my locker (which has a new batch of ill-mannered graffiti on it) and stuff my binders into it's depths. I then grab my black long board, and ride it down the hallway. This isn't allowed obviously, but there are no teachers around and the hallways are so huge that it's easy to pass by all the annoying teenage drones. God, i hate this place. They shove knowledge down your throat and try there hardest to pretend they actually care about what you do when you grow up. Pathetic, i just want to get out of here so i can pursue my long boarding career and race in the big leagues.
Cove Senior Secondary is just holding me down.
2:30, i finally make it back home. Well, i wouldn't really call it a home. It's more like a shitty old square brown shack that abodes me and my brother. It doesn't have hot water (Due to our inability to pay the hydro bill) and I'm pretty sure there's a rat infestation down in the basement we never use...yep, home sweet home.
"Veiden!" I have just finished walking through the door, and as always, my elder brother is waiting to give me loads of angry hell. I know that my principle called him today, and i know that he knows I've been skipping class to hang out at the smoke pit.
"What's up Grisham?" My elder sibling hates being called by his first name, he prefers Grish. So i say this just to piss him off. He ignores it though.
"Smoking?!" He says exasperated. "I thought you knew better than that Veiden. I thought you where smart!" I take this as a serious insult. "I am smart! I'm smart enough to not give a shit about what other people think. I want to smoke, so i do. It's a simple as that!"
"Are you doing it to be like all the other cool kids?!"
"Cool kids don't smoke Grish, they hang out at school everyday and do there homework and make friends-" I throw my shoes off and skillfully chuck them into the closet.
"Then why do it Veiden? Why skip classes to smoke? It makes no sense!"
"Like i said Grisham, because i can..."
He frowns at my stubborn responses. Clearly, he doesn't understand the way my mind works. "Your going to stop being a juvenile Veiden, i mean it-"
"Or what? Your not my father Grish-"
"No, I'm not, but i am your elder brother, and your legal guardian. So what i say goes." I grind my teeth together angrily. "Whatever..." I brush him off and throw my long board on the ground. I then try to get past him and walk up the stairs, but he stops me by grabbing my elbow with his firm hand.
"That wasn't an answer Veiden"
"Ya, no shit Sherlock" He furrows his eyebrows, clearly trying to stop his rising anger.
"I don't want to fight with you Veiden" I send him a cocky smile. "Ya, me neither, that's why I'm trying to leave. So let go." Grish knows that this is a warning. But he doesn't let go. Instead he sends me a depressive stare that actually makes me feel a little bit guilty...
"I just want you to not make mistakes Veiden. Your very intelligent. All the way up to grade ten you got perfect tiers, I don't know what went wrong, but i just want you to try and gain back that potential and-"
"You want me to sit around in class and be a good little boy? Get perfect grades, and a high class job like you and father?"
"No..." he shakes his head. "I want you to be happy, and I know that what your doing now, won't achieve that wish."
"I'm happy doing what i want to." I reply, and he lets go of my arm.
"No, your not."
I wake the next morning. Late for school. Like usual. I get a pair of blue skinny jeans on and place a black t-shirt on my upper half. I then walk downstairs, and grab a red fashionable scarf from the closets many hangers.
"Grish? Are you home?"
No answer
I smile wide. Sense he's not home to get me in trouble, i don't have to go to school today. Grish work's a twelve hour shift from two in the morning till two in the afternoon. Then he sleeps for the rest of the day, unless he's awake to get me in trouble.
I walk into the kitchen and make myself a rather disgusting fried egg. As i cook, i look around at the photos on the white walls. Most of them are of Grish and I. A particular photo, which was shot two weeks ago, catches my eye. Grish has his arm around my shoulder and where standing in front of Vancouver's rotating restaurant. Grish is twenty five years old, with medium long brown hair and blue eyes. He has a little bit of facial hair, his smile is wide, and he's wearing his usual black leather jacket and baggy jeans combo. I have shorter hair than my brother. It's pure black, has a straw like consistency, and sweeps to the side in a rather emo fashion. My eyes are also dark brown, and in the picture I'm wearing black skinny jeans and a white t-shirt. I have a rather round and baby like face, Grish is the opposite. His face is squared and more manlier than mine.
"I look pissed off..." I mumble to myself as I finish cooking. I sit down, eat my food, then idly slouch over to the closet and put my shoes on. I think I'm going to meet up with my friend Rob. He doesn't go to school anymore, he graduated, and lives by himself. Sense I'm in grade twelve i suppose I'll be doing the same soon. Just thinking about it makes me wild with excitement.
I lock the door and ride down the street on my long board. It takes twenty minutes to get to Rob's house, and once I'm standing in his driveway. I knock on his door loudly.
"You home Rob?!" I yell, and the door is flung open. On the other side he flashes me a hefty grin and sweeps his blonde hair away from his eyes.
"Veiden Mills? Well damn, I haven't seen you for a long fucking time kiddo!" I smile when he calls me kiddo. Sense I'm only sixteen years old, Rob see's me as an underling. To be honest, I'm completely fine with that. He ushers me inside and i throw my shoes off.
"Make yourself comfortable! Do you want a drink?" I nod quickly. "That's one of the reason's why I'm here"