"Get him!" a bully shouted as he chased a young man through the woods. That bully was none other than Gabriel Raziquil, and the man he was chasing was none other than Kenneth Simmons. Three other boys were chasing Kenneth as he dodged left and right to avoid them. They were Patrick, Jodi, and Christopher. Each one was hoping to get a piece of Kenneth when Gabriel was done.
"There is no escape!" Pat shouted.
"You're a dead man!" Jodi yelled.
"You're fucked!" Chris shouted.
"I have you know!" Gabriel yelled as he jumped on top of Kenneth.
"Let go of me!" Kenneth pleaded as the two of them rolled around in the dirt.
"Ha! Looks like some kind of weird mating ceremony!" Jodi remarked. "Can I join in?"
Gabriel jumped off of Kenneth and got into a fighting stance. Kenneth just laid there on the ground. He tried to crawl away, but the other boys were blocking him.
"Take it like a man!" Gabriel stated.
"No," Kenneth cried.
Pat and Jodi held him down while Chris and Gabriel began to punch him. After a few blows, they began to kick him in unison. Kenneth tried to block as best as he could, but it was no use. It was only after they heard another voice is when they stopped.
"Hey! What the hell is going on?" the voice asked. An older man wearing nothing, but boxers and a white undershirt came out of the trees. It was none other than Gary Banners, Kenneth's step-father.
"What's going on here?" Gary asked again.
"Nothing," Gabriel replied as he restrained himself from hitting Kenneth again.
"You boys ganging up on Kenneth again?" Gary asked.
"What's it to ya?" Pat asked.
"I told you boys a million times that is not how you are supposed to do it! It has to be one on one! A fair fight!" Gary stated.
"Life isn't fair," Chris remarked.
"Well, in my life we play fair. You, Gabriel, stand over there, Kenneth, get up!" Gary ordered.
"But I don't want too!" Kenneth stated.
"You do what I say! Stop being such a sissy and get up!" Gary ordered.
Kenneth stood up and faced Gabriel. Gabriel was ready to beat the living daylights out of Kenneth.
"When I say go, you two, fight!" Gary shouted. "GO!"
Gabriel lunged at Kenneth. Kenneth fell backwards just as Gabriel jumped on top of him and began punching him. Gary threw his arms in the air and shook his head. He let Gabriel punch Kenneth for a few minutes, and then he intervened.
"All right, that's enough. Get off him!" Gary stated as he yanked Gabe off Kenneth.
"Sissy!" Gabe remarked as Kenneth wiped the blood of his face.
"You! Get your skinny ass home!" Gary shouted as he grabbed Kenneth off the ground and began to drag him home.
At home, Gary ordered his stepson up to his room. Kenneth's mother, Carrie, came from the kitchen just as Gary was getting a beer.
"What's going on?" she asked as Gary took a sip of a cold one.
"Your idiot of a son was just fighting with some boys in the neighborhood," Gary replied.
"Is he okay?" Carrie asked.
"No, those neighborhoods boys kicked his ass!" Gary stated.
"…And did you do anything to stop it?" Carrie asked.
"No!" Gary stated. "The boy has to grow some balls. He's too much of a sissy!"
"Maybe you should teach him how to defend himself," Carrie replied. "After all, you were the heavy weight champion in college."
"Kenneth is unteachable! He prefers being girly than actually learning how to fight! He's hopeless!" Gary stated as he finished up the bottle.
"I still think you should spend some time with him," Carrie replied.
Gary let out a chuckle. "He's not my son, and he never will be."
Meanwhile, Kenneth was upstairs listening to every word they were saying. He went inside his room and began to cry. He looked up at the wall covered in drawings and placed his hand on one of them. It was a picture of a poorly drawn girl. She was wearing short denim blue jeans and a pale green shirt. Her hair was fuzzy and pink. A poorly scribbled out name was on the bottom of the picture. It read: Kelly Ann Simmons
It was the girl of Kenneth's dreams. However, it was not someone he wanted to date. It was someone he wanted to be. Ever since his father left him, he wanted to swap bodies with the girl. He felt he had more in common with being a girl than being a boy. Kenneth sat on the bed as he pulled out a knife. He placed it against his arm and began cutting himself. The old scars filled up with blood as tiny drops dripped onto the floor. Kenneth closed his eyes as he felt himself drift away. When he opened them again, the girl from the poorly drawn picture was standing in front of him.
"Took you long enough," Kenneth replied as he placed the knife down on the bed.
"Another bad day," the girl replied.
"What do you think, Kelly" Kenneth asked.
"What happened?" Kelly asked trying to comfort Kenneth.
"I don't want to talk about it," Kenneth replied as he placed a TV on his desk. He began tinkering with it when Kelly walked over to his side.
"Was it Gabe and his gang of bullies?" Kelly asked.
"I said I don't want to talk about it," Kenneth replied as he got back to work.
Kelly wrapped her arms around Kenneth and gave him a hug. "Don't worry about them," she replied. "They will all pay for what they did to you."
"Oh! They will!" Kenneth stated as he placed several wires through the TV. "This plan will succeed, and I will have my vengeance!"
"As long as you do it right," Kelly replied.
"I will do it right!" Kenneth stated. "These are my father's plans. He showed me how this works. I know what I am doing."
"You were a child when he showed you these plans. It was a long time ago. I just want to make sure you know what you are doing," Kelly replied.
"I know what I am doing!" Kenneth stated. "I am a Simmons! Fixing stuff is in our blood!"
"I know it is," Kelly replied with a smile. "That's why you're the only one qualified to do this. When do you think it is going to be ready?"
"Soon, I just need one more part," Kenneth replied.
"What is it?" Kelly asked.
"A power converter, and I know just where to get it," Kenneth replied.
"Where?" Kelly asked.
"I ordered one from Gas and Go. It should have come in today. I will go there and pick it up," Kenneth replied.
"Once we have it we will make them all pay!" Kelly stated.
"All of them!" Kenneth yelled just as he came to his bedroom door. He was interrupted by his step-father's voice, who was yelling from downstairs.
"Kenneth! Come downstairs! We're going to play baseball!" he shouted.
"I don't want to play that," Kenneth replied.
"It's not optional, it's an order! Get your ass down here! I am going to show you how to be a man!" Gary yelled.
"No, I don't want to play!" Kenneth stated.
"Kenneth! If you don't get your scrawny ass down here in the next five seconds, I'm going to use your head as baseball! Get down here you freak!" Gary yelled.
Kenneth did not listen. Instead, he went over to the window and climbed out. He ran down the road and headed straight for the Gas and Go. Inside there were two people, one was sitting behind the counter, the other was shopping for soda products. The man behind the counter was reading a newspaper. He had long hair and big colorful eyes that were shielded with a pair of spectacles. Kenneth's heart raced as he approached the counter. The man looked up and smiled at Kenneth.
"Hey, Kenneth, how are you doing?" he asked.
"Doing find Greg," Kenneth replied as a smile came over his face. "I am just here to pick up my package."
"Your package! Oh right! Your package! I have it right here," Greg replied as he handed Kenneth a big box. In addition, Greg handed him a rolled up joint. Kenneth smiled at this gift.
"Thanks, Greg," Kenneth replied.
"Your welcome," Greg replied. "Make sure your parents are not around when you smoke it. That stuff will knock the pants right off you!"
Kenneth imagined himself smoking the joint and his pants flying off. He also imagined Greg being in the same room as him. In his fantasy, both of them were enjoying the moment. His fantasy was interrupted when the customer came up to the counter with a purchase. She signed to Greg her order. When Kenneth looked, he saw that it was his good friend Stephanie Glass. He smiled at her and began to sign.
"Hi Steph! What are you doing here?" he signed.
"Oh! I am just here buying my favorite drink," Stephanie replied as she signed. She held up an orange soda can. It was the famous soda Moxie. "They don't make this stuff here. It had to be imported. Very rare this soda."
Kenneth was thinking of buying the drink, however, he looked over and saw Greg shaking his head. He immediately changed his mind.
"So, Steph, what are you doing this week?" Kenneth asked.
"Nothing much," Stephanie replied. "My parents want me to start applying to colleges and stuff."
"Oh! That's sounds nice," Kenneth replied. "Where do they want you to go?"
"I don't know? They are thinking about one in Colorado, but I am not really interested in that," Stephanie replied.
"Why not?" Kenneth signed.
"Because it's far. I will be away from family, friends, and of course you," Stephanie replied looking at Kenneth.
"Me?" Kenneth asked looking confused. "You know I am not interested in…uh…how do I put this? Girls…"
"Oh! I was not talking about you…I was talking about…Uh…this soda! Yes! This soda! They don't sell it Colorado. Yes, the soda! I will miss it!" Stephanie stated hoping that Kenneth would not catch on.
"Okay, whatever your taste is," he replied.
Greg shook his head as he approached the two of them. "Hey, look if you guys want to do something fun over the weekend. Then come to my party," he replied.
"What party?" Stephanie asked as she signed.
"What is she saying?" Greg asked.
"What party?" Kenneth asked.
"My party. It's going to be held in the park at midnight. There's going to be games, music, and beer lots and lots of beer. It's going to be fun!" Greg stated.
"Will there be Moxie?" Stephanie asked as she signed.
"I don't understand what you are saying," Greg replied.
"Will there be Moxie?" Kenneth asked tired of being an interpreter.
"Hell no!" Greg stated. "That stuff tastes like battery acid!"
"Aw!" Stephanie moaned as she realized her favorite drink would not be there. Kenneth smiled as he realized Greg would be there.
"What day is the party?" Kenneth asked.
"This Saturday," Greg replied. "I hope you both can be there."
"Oh! We'll all be there!" a voice shouted as someone came into the store. The three of them turned around and saw Gabriel and his gang inside the store.
"No! No! NO! You guys are not coming to the party!" Greg stated.
"Says who?" Pat asked. "You're not my mother!"
"Yeah! We can go wherever the fuck we want to go!" Chris stated.
"Hey, Kenneth, you coming?" Jodi asked.
"Maybe, why?" Kenneth asked.
"Because maybe we can you know have some alone time together!" Jodi stated as he spat in Kenneth's face. "Maybe I can show you how to be a real man!"
"You leave him alone!" Stephanie stated in sign language.
Gabriel then started throwing his hands all over the place. "Look at me! I Stephanie! I'm so dumb I never learned how to speak!" he mocked. Kenneth placed his hand in a fist and wanted to strike Gabriel in the face. Gabriel saw this and tried to get him to fight.
"What? You want to punch me? Come on! Do it!" Gabriel taunted.
"Not in the store!" Greg stated. "I just organized everything!"
Kenneth did not heed Greg's warning. He tried to punch Gabriel, but Gabriel dodged. He tripped Kenneth and he fell to the floor. The package Kenneth was holding fell out of his hand and into the hands of Pat Moya.
"What's this?" Pat asked as he held it above Kenneth's reach.
"Please! That is a very expensive piece of equipment!" Kenneth stated.
"It is! Well, here! You can have it back!" Pat shouted as he threw it to Chris. Chris caught it just as Greg tried to swipe it from his hand.
"Give it back!" Greg ordered.
"You want it! Take it from me then!" Chris yelled as he threw it to Jodi.
Stephanie jumped in the middle and swiped it from Jodi. Gabriel however tripped her and caught it himself. Kenneth saw this and charged at Gabriel. Jodi jumped on top of him and began to lick his neck.
"Come on Kenneth! Give in to your desires! You're homosexual just like me! Give in!" Jodi tempted. Kenneth then boxed Jodi on the ear and rolled him off of him. He charged at Gabriel who through the package back to Chris. Chris held the package and ran just as Stephanie chased him. She tried to take it from him, but Chris placed his hand up against her face and pushed her away. He then threw the package to Pat. Stephanie charged at Pat, but he blocked her with one punch to the face.
"That's right! I'm bad to the bone! I'm so bad I will punch anyone in the face!" Pat yelled.
Greg saw this and socked Patrick across the face. The package slid across the floor. Kenneth ignored the package and ran up to Stephanie to make sure she was okay.
"I'm fine," she signed. Just as Gabriel came up and took the package. He held above his head and dropped it to the floor, smashing it to bits. Chris, Jodi, and Pat began to kick the package across the floor as if it was a soccer ball. They did it until it was flatter than a pancake. Once they were satisfied, they began to leave the establishment one by one.
"We're going to that party tonight! If your there Kenneth, we will tear you to shreds!" Gabriel stated.
"We're going to mop the floor with you!" Pat remarked.
"Fuck all of you!" Chris shouted. "Fuck all of you!"
Jodi just turned to Kenneth and blew him a kiss. He then knocked over a display stand.
"I just organized that!" Greg shouted.
"What are we going to do with them?" Stephanie asked as she signed.
"Don't worry, I will make them pay," Kenneth replied. "I will make them pay!"
Kenneth walked over to the package and saw that it was smashed to bits. He was about to cry because then it hit him that the power converter costed a lot of money. He turned to Greg with a tear in his eye and asked him the unthinkable.
"Greg, please tell me you have another power converter," Kenneth replied.
"Kind of," Greg replied.
"Where is it?" Kenneth asked as he grabbed ahold of Greg's jacket.
"Management uses it to power the soda machine," Greg replied.
"Can I borrow it?" Kenneth asked.
"I can't just give you the power converter! We use it to keep the soda's fresh!" Greg stated. Kenneth got onto his knees and began begging. His eyes became huge as he begged Greg like a cat. Eventually Greg gave in.
"Oh man, if my boss finds out, I am going to get fired!" Greg stated as he unhooked the part from the soda machine.
"Oh! Thank you! Oh! Thank you! Oh! Thank you!" Kenneth shouted as he hugged Greg. He wanted to kiss him in the face, but Greg pulled back.
"Don't mention it. Seriously, don't mention it!" Greg stated. He looked over at the darken soda machine. "Now how am I going to keep the sodas cool?"
"Ice," Stephanie signed.
"I don't understand what you are saying!" Greg stated.
Kenneth walked out of the store and started heading home. The only thing on his mind was Greg Hoffman. He thought about his hair and how it flowed in the sunlight. He thought about his eyes and how they shinned like the moon on a cold night. He also thought about how kind Greg was in lending him the power converter. He could now use it to get back at the bullies. He could now have his revenge. Kelly Ann suddenly appeared in front of Kenneth. She looked overjoyed at what he had in his hand.
"You have it!" she shouted with glee.
"Yes, I was able to get it. It's on loan, so we can't break it," Kenneth replied.
"Who loaned it to you? Let me guess, it was none other than Greg Hoffman," Kelly replied.
Kenneth blushed at this. Kelly smiled as she realized what was really going on.
"It was Greg! Oh! What a darling! It was so nice that he did this for you. He truly must like you," Kelly replied.
"Oh! Stop it!" Kenneth stated. He started to think about Greg and he began to blush more. "You really think he likes me?"
"I don't know about that," Kelly replied. "He does care about you, and you two make a cute couple. Who knows? Maybe if he is pushed in the right direction he might fall in love with you."
"He is throwing a party tonight. He will be there. Maybe we can talk to him," Kenneth replied.
"That's a good idea. But wait! What about our plan to get revenge on those bullies?" Kelly asked.
"It can wait. I'll go to the party tonight and then tomorrow I will work on our special project," Kenneth replied.
Kelly nodded as she disappeared to the abyss of Kenneth's mind. Kenneth took the power converter and placed it in the garage. He then sneaked back into his room and took the TV out of it. He then placed it into the garage alone with several other TV's that were just sitting their collecting dust. Seeing all these TV's reminded Kenneth of his father. He remembered being with him while he did his rounds. They used to go around town fixing old TV's and old electronics. Kenneth learned everything from his father. He loved being with him, and he was heartbroken when his mother divorced him. Carrie Simmons refused to let the father see Kenneth as a way to punish him. He hated her for that. She took the one thing he loved away from him. He remembered the day as if it was yesterday:
"Get out!" Carrie shouted.
"Why are you doing this to me?" Kenneth's father asked as Kenneth clung to his leg.
"You are nothing to me! Get out!" Carrie shouted.
"Is it because you found someone else to love you?" the father asked. "Is it your old boyfriend the boxer? Is it?"
"GET OUT!" Carrie shouted as she threw his clothes out onto the driveway.
"That Banners has nothing on me! He's kind of a downgrade don't you think? He has no job and he drinks beer at all hours of the day! Why would you choose him over me?" the father asked.
Carrie did not answer. She just pointed to the door. The father walked out with Kenneth still clinging to his legs. Carrie grabbed Kenneth by the arm and yanked him off. She brought him back inside. She then turned to the father, who was busy picking up all of his clothes, and began to speak again.
"I don't want to see you here ever again," she replied.
"But what about Kenneth?" the father asked. "Can I visit our son?"
Carrie pointed to the road. "If you come here again, I will call the police, and have you arrested."
The father turned his head to the road and began to walk away. He turned back and glared at Carrie. "You know, if you said you were sorry I would have forgave you. Our marriage wasn't perfect, but I would never cheat on you. Just tell Kenneth that it was your fault the marriage ended not mine."
With that, Kenneth saw his father walk away, and he never saw him again. This made him resent his mother. After the father left, both Gary Banner and Carrie Simmons blamed Kenneth for the divorce. They claimed it was because of him being a freak that his father had left him and wanted nothing to do with him. Kenneth knew the truth. He knew what his mother and step-father had done. He hated them for this. He wanted revenge and he craved it like a vampire craving blood. He took a deep breath as he remembered the party. He then went up to his room and got dressed for the event. He waited for his parents to fall asleep, and then he sneaked out of the house and went over to the park.
It was midnight when the party began. Every teenager who was in the neighborhood was there. They were laughing, partying, and drinking the night away. Kenneth arrived fifteen minutes late. He walked up to the park and saw Greg there smoking a marijuana joint. He took a deep breath as he walked right up to Greg.
"Hey Greg," he replied as thoughts all rushed into his mind. Stay calm, stay calm, you can do this.
"Oh! Hey, Kenneth, like the party?" Greg asked getting very high.
"It's really good," Kenneth replied.
"Come over here, there is beer. Lots and lots of beer! Enjoy!" Greg stated.
"I'm not here to drink, Greg, there is something I want to tell you," Kenneth replied as he placed his hand on Greg's chest.
Greg's saw where this was going. He frantically looked around the park for a familiar face. He was one in Stephanie Glass.
"Hey! Look!" Greg stated. "It's Stephanie Glass! Why don't you talk to her for a while?"
"But Greg, I want to talk to you," Kenneth replied.
"Busy! Hosting party and stuff! Talk to Stephanie!" Greg shouted as he ran away. Stephanie approached Kenneth and began signing with him.
"How is it going?" she asked through her signs.
"Really good," he signed back.
"Liking that party?" she asked.
"It's okay," Kenneth replied. "I don't know anyone here besides you and Greg."
"Kenneth, you know these people, they used to go to your school," Stephanie replied.
"Yeah, I remember them. These guys are all responsible for those evil pranks they played on me," Kenneth replied. "We are not really close."
Stephanie looked around and saw she was in an area of unfriendly faces. She then took Kenneth by the arm and gave him a sign. "Do you want to go somewhere private?"
"Why not," Kenneth replied knowing he had nothing to lose.
Stephanie took him to another part of the park where it was more quiet. Stephanie hoped to talk about her feelings to Kenneth. Stephanie talked about how graduation went and how her parents had signed her up for several prominent colleges. She talked about how Greg was accepted in a community college, and how it was important to get an education.
"What about you, Kenneth? What's your plans for life?" Stephanie asked.
"I don't have any plans," Kenneth replied.
"What do you mean you don't have any plans?" Stephanie asked. "Everyone has plans, what are yours?"
"I wanted to go to college," Kenneth replied.
"Then why don't you?" Stephanie asked.
"My step-father spent my college tuition in a poker night. I saved for five years, not buying any candy or toys, and in an hour my step-father, Greg Banners spends all of my money! That fucker!" Kenneth stated.
Stephanie placed her arm around Kenneth's shoulder and tried to comfort him.
"I'm sorry, Kenneth," she signed. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"You don't happen to have ten thousand dollars lying around, do you?" Kenneth asked.
"No," Stephanie replied.
"Then there is nothing you can do to help. I'll just take over Greg's job when he's at community college," Kenneth replied.
"What about community college?" Stephanie replied. "It's more affordable."
"I won't fit in!" Kenneth stated. "I'm homosexual and a freak!"
"You're not a freak, Kenneth, you're my friend," Stephanie replied.
"Will that get me through life? No, it won't," Kenneth replied.
"It can," Stephanie replied. "You know I will always be there for you. I was there for you in high school and I am here for you now. If you ever need my help, I will be there for you."
"Thanks, maybe our friendship is good enough," Kenneth replied.
Friendship…ahhh…friendship…. I wish it could be more. He was so alone in high school. He just wanted one friend. I really wish we could be more than just friends. I can only wish… Stephanie thought to herself.
"Stephanie, can I ask you a personal question?" Kenneth asked.
"Sure, anything," Stephanie replied.
"Do you think Greg likes me?" Kenneth asked.
Stephanie looked over at Greg and saw that he was hanging out with several girls. "I don't think you're his type," she replied.
"I didn't think so," Kenneth replied. "He's just to straight for me. Maybe I can somehow change him to fall in love with me. Do you think it is possible?"
"Anything is possible," Stephanie replied. "A straight man can become homosexual, and maybe a homosexual man can become straight."
"It's not going to happen Stephanie," Kenneth replied.
"What's not going to happen?" Stephanie asked trying to look innocent.
"Us," Kenneth replied. "We're not a couple and we never will be."
"Why not?" Stephanie asked.
"I don't like you like you," Kenneth replied. "I just like you. We're good as friends and I want to stay that way."
"You don't want to go out with me?" Stephanie asked.
"No," Kenneth replied. "I am happy the way I am, and I am not going to change."
Stephanie looked at Kenneth and she knew he was not happy with himself. He had scars all up his arms. He had parents who did not care about what happens to their son, and he had four bullies constantly using him as a punching bag. Stephanie knew as soon as Greg and her go off to college, Kenneth would be all alone. There would be no one protecting him. With all that was going on in his life, Stephanie was unsure if he would survive.
"What are you going to do with yourself when Greg and I are gone?" Stephanie asked.
"I'm going to get rid of those bullies," Kenneth replied.
"How?" Stephanie asked.
"Kelly Ann showed me a way," Kenneth replied.
This was another reason Kenneth had no friends. He was always talking to his imaginary friend Kelly Ann. It was cute when he was in middle school. Now, he was eighteen years old, and it looked very weird. Whenever, Kenneth started whispering to himself, Stephanie got worried because Kenneth truly believed that Kelly Ann was a real person when in fact she was not.
"What did Kelly Ann say to you?" Stephanie asked.
"I can't tell you, that will be spoiling it," Kenneth replied.
"Spoiling what?" Stephanie asked.
"My plan for vengeance! It will be glorious!" Kenneth stated. "Kelly Ann told me it would."
"I'm worried about you, Kenneth," Stephanie replied.
"Why?" Kenneth asked.
"Kelly Ann, she's not real. She was an imaginary friend you cooked up in middle school. When you had no friends. Now you have Greg and I, you don't need her anymore," Stephanie replied.
"I do need her! You two are leaving and I am staying here! I need her! She is my friend and she is real!" Kenneth stated.
"Kenneth," Stephanie replied.
"I don't want to talk about this anymore," he remarked.
"But Kenneth…" Stephanie replied.
"I said I don't want to talk about it anymore!" he shouted.
His voice echoed across the party and caught the attention of some unwanted guests.
"Did you hear that?" Gabriel asked his friends as they crashed the party.
"Hear what?" Pat asked as he looked around the park.
"I didn't hear anything!" Jodi stated angrily.
"What's biting you in the ass?" Chris asked.
"I was supposed to go out on a date with my boyfriend! Instead I am at this stupid boring party!" Jodi stated angrily.
Gabriel looked over to the side and spotted Kenneth Simmons talking to Stephanie Glass. An evil smile came across his face as he pointed at the couple.
"It looks like things are about to get interesting," Gabriel replied. The four boys approached Kenneth. Kenneth tried to stand up, but Pat pushed him back into his seat.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Gabriel asked.
"Three times in a row! Wow! This must be a new record!" Pat stated with glee.
"Get your hands off me!" Kenneth shouted as he tried to pull away.
"Hey! Sit down!" Pat ordered as he pushed Kenneth. Kenneth bounced back and pushed Pat. The two began shoving each other until Stephanie stepped in.
"Cut it out you two!" she yelled in a strange sounding voice. It sounded as if a harmonica was pushed between gears.
"Aw! You need your girlfriend to save you?" Gabriel asked as he grabbed Kenneth by the shirt.
"She's not my girlfriend!" Kenneth stated as he pushed Gabriel away.
"Ha! Her voice sounds funny!" Chris mocked.
"Yeah! She sounds like an elephant! Make more sounds with your big nose!" Pat yelled.
"Leave her alone!" Kenneth ordered.
"…Or what? What are you going to do?" Gabriel asked.
Kenneth's rage was building up inside of him. He couldn't hold it in anymore. He lunged at Gabriel with his fist. This time, Gabriel did not see it coming. The fist struck Gabriel and knocked him to the floor. Jodi picked Gabe up and stared at Kenneth.
"Oh, this is where the fun begins!" he stated. "Kicking your ass is way more fun than fucking my boyfriend!"
Kenneth got up and was about to strike again when Greg got into the middle of the fight. He was high as a bird when it joined in, so he wasn't in a helping mood.
"What the heck is going on?" he asked trying not to fall over.
"I told you if Kenneth was at the party I would tear him to shreds!" Gabriel stated. "Now, I am going to do it!"
"Come on man," Greg replied. "You already fought Kenneth today twice. Can't was just take a few steps back and breathe? Why can't we just have one night in which we can party and not have to worry about fighting? Can we just get back to having fun? Can we huh?"
"No! Kenneth and his girlfriend are dead! We're going to kick his ass and then his girlfriend's ass! No one is going to stop us! Not even you!" Gabriel stated. "Who is with me?"
"I am!" Pat shouted.
"Same here!" Jodi yelled.
"They're dead!" Chris echoed as the crowd gathered round.
Everyone in the group began hurling garbage at both Kenneth and Stephanie. Each one was yelling insults and smearing trash over the two of them. Greg looked at them and then back at the group. He placed his hands on Gabriel's shoulders and began speaking.
"Well then, if we can't resolve this peacefully then I have one thing to say!" He then proceeded to punch Gabriel in the face. He fell backward into his gang of friends. Greg turned and faced Kenneth. "RUN!" he shouted as Pat and Chris jumped on top of him.
In a matter of minutes, a rowdy crowd broke out among the partiers. Kenneth turned and grabbed Stephanie by her jacket and motioned her to run. The two of them ran away as Greg was constantly assaulted by punches from Gabriel's gang. Kenneth and Stephanie escaped into the woods to avoid the brawl. The two of them ran far and then when they think they escaped the mayhem, hid in the blueberry bushes so that no one would find them.
"Are you okay?" Stephanie asked as she signed to Kenneth.
"Never been better," Kenneth replied as he scoped the area.
"I can't believe you punched Gabriel!" Stephanie stated. "I mean, know one has ever done that!"
"I know! I am still in shock!" Kenneth yelled. "Oh! He is going to kill me!"
"He is going to kill us both," Stephanie replied.
"You don't have to do this," Kenneth replied. "You go, and I will handle Gabriel myself."
"You are not going to face Gabe by yourself. We're in this together. Through whatever, we stick together," Stephanie replied.
Kenneth smiled at this as he heard voices in the woods. He looked up and saw Gabriel and his gang approaching. Kenneth ducked as his mind race.
"So, what's the plan?" Stephanie asked.
"We need to split them up," Kenneth signed.
"How?" Stephanie asked as she signed.
"We split up," Kenneth replied. "You go one way and I will go the other. We divide their forces and then we can take them."
"Are you sure that is a good idea?" Stephanie asked.
"Have any better ones?" Kenneth asked.
Stephanie shook her head. "Well, then we're doing this one!" Kenneth stated as he stood up.
"HEY! I'M OVER HERE!" he shouted.
"It's Kenneth! GET HIM!" Gabriel ordered. The four of them began to chase Kenneth. When Stephanie saw that they were about to disappear into the woods, she stood up and threw a rock at them. It struck Patrick in the back. She waved at him as she ran into the woods.
"Hey, it's his girlfriend! Let's get her!" Pat yelled. Pat and Chris followed Stephanie while Gabriel and Jodi went after Kenneth. Kenneth ran down the road breaking branches and tripping over leaves until he came to a spot with a hole in the ground. It was a storm drain. He climbed down the drain as the bullies ran by. He placed a lid over it, so the bullies would not see him.
"Where did he go?" Gabriel asked.
"I don't know," Jodi replied.
"Uh! This way! Follow me!" Gabriel shouted as he pointed in one direction.
The two boys headed off in the direction while Kenneth made his way through the storm drain. Meanwhile, Stephanie was being chased by the other two boys. She came to a part of the woods she was unfamiliar with. It was dark, and she could not hear which way to go. Using her judgement, she picked a random path and just took off, hoping the bullies would not follow her. Pat and Chris were on her trail, however because it was dark, they could not see where to go.
"What do we do?" Chris asked.
"I don't know," Pat replied. He listened closely, and he heard noise in two directions. One was the rustling of bushes; the other was the sound of metal clanging.
"What do we do?" Chris asked again.
"Split up!" Pat shouted. Chris followed the sound of rustling bushes while Pat was on the trail of the metal clanging. It was not long until he came by a storm drain. He peaked inside to see if he could see anything. It was pitch black. He took a sniff of the air, and discovered that it smelled of methane gas. With a smirk, he pulled out a lighter and a can of hair spray. He began walking down the drain with both of those in hand.
"Kenneth, Stephanie, I know you are both in here," he replied as he held them up in front of his face. "Come out wherever you are."
As he walked down the tunnel, the clanging sound became louder and louder. He placed the objects in a row. He fired the hair spray in front of him, and then he did something unthinkable. He ignited the lighter, which ignited the hairspray, which ignited the methane. The explosion was loud. All both Kenneth and Pat saw was a flaming fireball, and then darkness. The explosion was so loud, people on the surface heard it.
"What was that?" Jodi asked.
"It came from underground," Gabriel replied. The two of them ran to the nearest storm drain. They did not know what to expect coming out of it. They opened the drain and saw Kenneth being shoved out of it. Pat was right behind him.
"What happened?" Jodi asked as he helped pull Kenneth out.
"He tried to escape in a fireball," Pat replied. "But I was able to stop him."
"Good work," Gabriel replied as he looked down at Kenneth. He smiled as he kicked him in the chest. "Look at pour Kenneth here. To weak to fight back!"
"Come on sissy boy! Strike us back! Fight!" Pat shouted.
"Let me out him! I'll make a man out of him yet!" Jodi stated.
Each of the three bullies took turns in kicking Kenneth. They looked as if they were in a biker gang and they were initiating a new member. However, they were not. Instead, they were ganging up on a poor defenseless young man. Kenneth looked up at his attackers and began to cry.
"Stop!" he begged hoping that they would show mercy on him. All three bullies laughed.
"You want us to stop? Sissy boy!" Pat shouted.
"What? I thought you liked it rough!" Jodi stated.
"Can't take the pain?" Pat asked. "I guess your not a real man!"
"He's not a real man and he never will be!" Jodi stated.
Gabriel got down on his knees and began to bash Kenneth's skull in. He then placed his hand on his head and shoved it into the dirt.
"Now look here, Jodi is like you. He is a freak just like you," Gabriel replied.
"Hey!" Jody interrupted.
"By the power invested in me, I will make you two fall in love with each other. He has a gift for you. A special gift that two boyfriends could give each other. You're going to accepted it like a man? Okay?" Gabriel asked.
"Fuck you!" Kenneth shouted.
"You'd do me? Sorry, I'm not a freak! Guess we have to go back to kicking his ass!" Gabriel stated.
The barrage of attacks began again, and they would have continued if a voice did not interrupt them.
"What's going on here?" a voice shouted from the woods. All four boys turned around and saw Gary Banners standing behind them. He was still in his boxers and undershirt, and he was not pleased. "I say again! What's going on here?"
"Nothing Gary," Pat replied.
"Kenneth, what are you doing?" Gary asked.
"Help me," he moaned.
"Help you? Help you! You were the one who decided to sneak out of the house. Do you know how worried your mother is? I can't believe your out here fighting again! I can't believe your loosing again! Why can't you do anything right?" Gary asked.
"Please help me," he moaned as he kneeled in front of his step-father.
"No! Not anymore! I bailed you out enough times! You're on your own pal!" Gary stated.
"But Gary," Kenneth moaned.
"I'm not going to help you!" Gary stated.
"Then fuck you!" Kenneth yelled.
Gary slapped him across the face and began to kick him.
"Don't you talk back to me! I am your step-father!" he shouted.
The bullies continued to attack Kenneth, but this time Gary Banners assisted in hurting Kenneth. The continued to punch and kick him. Pat and Jodi held Kenneth by the arms while Gary and Gabriel used him like a punching bag. They continued their attack for the next twenty minutes until Kenneth was all bloody and bruised that he could hardly stand.
"Ah! Today was a good day!" Gabriel remarked as he stood over a motionless Kenneth.
"Now what?" Jodi asked. "He's all bloody and bruised. What are we going to do about this?"
"I'll just ground him for the next two weeks. Should have plenty of time to heal up by then," Gary replied.
"Then we can attack him again!" Gabriel remarked.
"Hey, lighten up your attacks on him. I know he is a freak, but three attacks in one day? Come on! Even I know that's overkill," Gary replied.
"Hey! Kenneth is a freak and he disserves this type of treatment. First, the homosexuality, and then the talking to an imaginary friend. Come on! You don't think he disserves more?" Gabriel asked.
"I live with his mother," Gary replied. "He has to come home alive."
"Well, then toughen him up! Make him a man!" Gabriel stated.
"Just lighten up your attacks," Gary replied.
"Fine!" Gabriel stated as he rolled his eyes.
"Good!" Gary stated as he walked over to an unconscious Kenneth.
The three bullies laughed as they all high fived each other and started to walk home. Gary picked up his step-son and began to drag him home.
"You're not a man Kenneth," Gary remarked. "You're not a man and you will never be."
Kenneth closed his eyes as he was dragged back to his house. Meanwhile, Stephanie Glass was still on the run. She believed she had lost the bullies, but she could not tell for sure. She just kept running until she placed enough distance between herself and Gabriel's gang. She broke branches and tripped over leaves just to get away. Everything around her was silent and dark. It was like she was running down a never-ending tunnel, not hearing anything or seeing anything.
Things started to change when she came to a metal gate. She climbed over it and started to run again. However, she got no more than two feet when she stopped in her tracks. She used her hands and waved them around in front of her. She felt no trees. She stomped her feet and felt nothing but hard ground. There were no leaves. She walked around in a circle and felt nothing.
Where am I? She thought to herself.
Suddenly, a light flashed on. She turned around and saw a tractor trailer heading straight for her. She looked around and saw that the metal gate was a guard rail, and that she had climbed into the road. The tractor trailer was honking telling her to move, but because she was deaf, she could not hear it. It was too late to get out of the way. She closed her eyes and waited for the impact of the trailer.
That's when someone out of nowhere jumped in front of her and pushed her out of the way. It was a matter of seconds before impact. The two of them rolled in the dirt as the tractor trailer roared by. Stephanie recovered her thoughts as she believed it was Kenneth Simmons who saved her. When she looked up, she saw that it was not Kenneth who saved her, but Chris. The bully who was chasing her.
"Why the fuck were you in the road?" he asked her as he dusted himself off.
"Chris, you saved me?" Stephanie asked as she signed him.
"Duh!" Chris remarked as he began to walk away.
"Why did you save me?" Stephanie asked.
Chris did not answer, but continued to walk away.
"Why did you save me?" Stephanie asked again.
"Get lost!" Chris ordered.
"You're a bully who doesn't care if Kenneth or me lives or dies! Why did you just risk your life to same me?" Stephanie asked.
Chris was getting really annoyed with Stephanie's interrogation. He looked back at her angrily and pointed to the woods.
"Stop asking me the same question! Go away!" Chris shouted.
"Not until I know why you saved me," Stephanie replied.
Chris signed back at Stephanie, "If you don't get out of my presence I will beat the crap out of you!"
"But…" Stephanie replied.
"LEAVE!" Chris shouted hoping that she would understand.
Chris walked away leaving Stephanie confused. She then looked up and realized something that she had not noticed before.
"Wait! When did you learn sign-language?" Stephanie asked as she ran after Chris.
Meanwhile, Gary dragged Kenneth all the way back to his house. His mother was sitting in the kitchen worried about the two of them. When Gary walked in with Kenneth, she was shocked to see him bloody and bruised. She ran up to him to examine what happened to her son.
"What happened?" she asked.
"He was fighting again," Gary replied.
"What did those boys do to him?" Carrie asked as she looked at her son's face.
"They beat him! Carrie! They beat him!" Gary stated as he walked over to the refrigerator.
"What are you doing?" Carrie asked.
"Having a beer," Gary replied as he took a sip of a cold one.
"Why did they do this to you?" Carrie asked Kenneth. He tried to answer but couldn't.
"He was at a party," Gary replied. "Drinking and doing drugs."
"You were doing drugs! I told you to stay away from that!" Carrie shouted as she punched Kenneth on his arm.
"It's nothing," he replied.
"Was it Greg? Did he give that to you? I told you to stay away from him!" Carrie shouted.
"It wasn't him," Kenneth stated.
"It was him!" Gary remarked.
"Shut up!" Kenneth shouted.
His mother then slapped him across the face. "Don't you dare raise your voice at us! You are not supposed to be sneaking out, you're not supposed to be partying, and you're not supposed to be doing drugs!"
"But I wasn't though!" Kenneth shouted.
"Don't lie!" Gary shouted.
"I'm not lying! You weren't even at the party!" Kenneth stated.
"I saw what you did!" Gary stated. "We have rules and for some dumb reason you think it is a good idea to break them. What's the matter with you Kenneth? Why do you like to act out?"
"I don't like to act out," Kenneth replied.
"You do act out!" Gary stated. "Every day I have to bail you out of a fight! The fighting is hurting your mother and I! Look at her, she's worried about you Kenneth!"
"She doesn't have to worry about me? I'm fine," Kenneth replied.
"You're bleeding! You're not fine!" Gary stated.
"I'm bleeding because you punched me," Kenneth remarked under his breath.
"What was that?" Gary asked.
"Nothing," Kenneth replied.
"Oh, it was something. It kind of sounded like disrespect!" Gary stated.
"I wasn't disrespecting you," Kenneth replied. "I'm just saying you don't need to worry about me."
"I do have to worry about you," Gary replied. "I am a father figure after all."
"You're not my father," Kenneth mumbled.
"What's that? I couldn't here you," Gary replied.
"I said your not my father," Kenneth whispered.
"What's that?" Gary asked. "I still can't here you. Speak up!"
"I SAID YOUR NOT MY FATHER!" Kenneth shouted at the top of his lungs. "YOU'RE NOT MY FATHER AND YOU WILL NEVER BE HIM!"
"Kenneth, lower your voice!" His mother ordered.
"NO! I am sick of taking orders from both of you! I'm sick of it! I'm sick of it! I'M SICK OF IT! I HATE YOU BOTH!" Kenneth shouted.
His mother slapped him in the face again. "Go to your room! You are forbidden to hang out with Greg or do anything you like to do for the next month!"
Kenneth gridded his teeth and then ran upstairs into his room. Carrie looked over at Gary, who was just lightly sipping a beer.
"Did you have anything to do with this?" she asked.
"No, nothing, it was just those bullies," Gary replied.
"That boy!" Carrie stated. "What am I going to do with him?"
"I don't know," Gary replied. "I just don't know."
Kenneth ran upstairs and locked himself in his room. He then picked up his knife and began cutting himself again. He did it until both of his arms were bleeding. This is when his imaginary friend Kelly Ann appeared.
"So, how did it go?" she asked.
Kenneth looked at her all bloody and dirty. She gasped at the look of his appearance.
"How do you think it went?" Kenneth asked looking down at his blood-soaked bed.
"Who did this to you?" Kelly Ann asked as she examined the wounds of Kenneth.
"They all did this to me!" Kenneth stated.
"Can you be a little more specific?" Kelly Ann asked.
"Gabriel! Jodi! Gary! My mother! All of them!" Kenneth shouted as he began to cry. He laid down in Kelly Ann's lap and sobbed himself away. Kelly Ann was there to comfort him through all the pain and suffering.
"There, there, it will all be okay, they will pay for what they did to you," Kelly Ann replied.
"Yes! They will! When we initiate are plan!" Kenneth stated.
"We're almost done Kenneth. All we have to do is put it together. Then and only then will we have our revenge," Kelly Ann replied.
"Yes, they will pay for what they did to me…what they did to us!" Kenneth stated.
"All of them: Gary, Carrie, Gabriel, Chris, Pat, Jodi, Greg, and Stephanie! They will all pay!" Kelly Ann stated.
"Wait! Not Greg and Stephanie! They're my friends!" Kenneth stated.
"Who abandoned you in your most vulnerable time," Kelly Ann replied.
"They did not abandon me," Kenneth replied.
"Where are they then? Why did they not help you fight off the bullies?" Kelly Ann asked.
"They did help fight them off! Greg helped us escape the party while Stephanie lured two of the bullies away," Kenneth replied.
"…And how many people attacked you?" Kelly Ann asked.
"Three bullies and Gary," Kenneth replied.
"…And how many people were at the party?" Kelly Ann asked.
"About forty people," Kenneth replied.
"…And none of them stood up for you. Don't you see Kenneth? You're alone in the world. The only people that have your back is you and yourself. No one else is going to help you. Sure, Stephanie and Greg are with you now, but they too will disappoint you. They will let you down and shame you. It's only a matter of time," Kelly Ann replied.
"That's not true! They will stick with me forever! We're friends!" Kenneth stated.
"For how long?" Kelly Ann asked.
"I knew Greg ever since we were in preschool together, and I knew Stephanie since the eighth grade! We will be friends forever right until the end!" Kenneth stated.
"Only time will tell," Kelly Ann replied.
"Forget Greg and Stephanie! Right now, I want vengeance on all the rest of my enemies," Kenneth replied.
"That is what Colorbars is for," Kelly Ann replied.
"What will happen when it is placed together?" Kenneth asked.
"You will be able to highjack any broadcast you like. You will be able to use it to mind control all the people that wronged you. When they flip the TV on they will see your face and fall under your control. With Colorbars, you will be able to control people, electronics, and even vehicles with a flip of a switch," Kelly Ann replied.
"Really? With a flip of a switch I will be able to control everyone?" Kenneth asked.
"As long as they are on the right frequency, then yes, you will be able to control everyone," Kelly Ann replied.
"Why are you helping me?" Kenneth asked.
"Because I too suffered from what your enemies have done. They did this to both of us, and they disserve nothing but pain and suffering," Kelly Ann replied.
"What did they do to you?" Kenneth asked.
"Something evil," Kelly Ann replied. "Let's just say whatever they did to me, we will return ten-fold!"
"Yeah! We will!" Kenneth stated enthusiastically. "Let's get started."
Kenneth and Kelly Ann began preparation in their diabolical scheme. They had all the necessary parts. All they had to do is construct it into one big system. Kenneth was happy to construct Colorbars for he knew it was going to solve all of his problems. He smiled as he thought of all the ways he could hurt the ones who have hurt him. Finally, no one will ever stand in his way again. He would have his vengeance on all of them. It was only a matter of time.