It's been three weeks since any of my friends logged on. I check for any pesters or trolls, but the last one came from Dave three weeks ago. "Whatever you do, run away from Crocker." I sigh as I finish reading the pester, heading down stairs. Today, April thirteenth, was my birthday; unfortunately I couldn't spend it talking to my friends.
"What's wrong son?" Dad asked over his shoulder as he finished icing yet another one of the birthday cakes.
"None of my friends have been on. I wonder what happened. Hey, is that Betty Crocker?"
"This cake isn't, it's my own recipe." He cut out a slice, sliding it over.
I take a bite, smiling as I saver the taste of chocolate. "This is amazing!"
"I still don't understand why you hate Betty Crocker so much. You know, your grandmother was in charge of Betty Crocker."
"I know dad, but she's not anymore. Now they're evil."
"Oh really?"
"Yes really dad!"
"No their not."
"But dad, they are spanning outside of baked goods. You don't find anything they do suspicious?"
"That doesn't stop you from eating fruit gushers."
"Fruit gushers would be angelic if it weren't for Crocker making them."
Dad chuckled before giving me a sad glance. "Not as angelic as you or your mother."
"Was she really like an angel?" I lean against the counter excitedly, wanting to hear about my mother.
Dad put down the icing. "She was the sweetest woman I've ever met or could ever meet. You have her blue eyes." A tear ran down his face.
"Dad it's okay." I hug him. My watch starts beeping, checking the time I realize the video store would close in an hour. "I'm going to go get some videos. Do you want me to get you something?"
"Could you pick up some icing? Any flavor you want." Dad handed me twenty bucks. I wave bye as I headed out the door.
The wind greeted me like usual, the perfect temperature as always. I walk down the street in my ghostbusters shirt and jeans, waving back to my neighbors as I headed into town. Of course Casey and her friends stopped me before I even left the neighborhood. "John! Why don't you ever wear a sweater?" Casey asked, not wrapped in a ghost bed sheet unlike the rest of her friends.
"I just don't need one."
"My mommy says you're a demon!" The little boy with blue glasses shouts.
"Again huh? I already told her that I'm not."
"My dad says you got a mark on your back!" A little girl smiles excitedly.
"Why do you guys always want to see my birthmark?"
"'Cause it's cool." Casey mumbles. The group lets off a round of 'show us's, 'I want to see's and 'please's. I sighed before turning my back to them and lifting the shirt above the mark across my shoulders in the shape of two twirls like some sort of weird toothpaste. The group was so excited, jumping up and down in excitement.
"I can do the windy thing too, just like John!" The little girl giggles, twirling her arms. The rest of the group followed except Casey.
"Bye John." Casey smiles before hugging you. The rest of the group hugged me too before letting me continue walking into town.
It didn't make sense, but ever since I was little I had some sort of effect on the wind. I used to think it was cool to have the wind act with me, but I didn't know how to get control of it. It just ended up with broken windows when the other kids upset me and calls home. I've been homeschooled since second grade because of it, but that's not like it's a bad thing. I'm pretty sure it's just a coincidence the wind does what it does, but people still think I'm connected somehow to the wind shenanigans. I can't be though, right? It's just the wind being really accurate with my emotions?
"Watch it demon." Someone shoved me down to the sidewalk. I get up and continue walking down the sidewalk. A car blared it's horn as it approached from behind and I jumped back to see the car swerve towards where I was before continuing down the road. "Freak!" The passenger yelled before laughing. It was just one of those days were everyone seemed to be out today, or maybe it was just because I always rented movies for my birthday and these people aren't the nicest. I ran past the bar, having learned my lesson last time I came by this way. I duct as a bottle hit the post near my head, racing down the street as fast as I could.
A turn around the corner and I could see the movie store, quickly getting inside. "Hello John." Scratch smiled," Would you like the usual movies?"
"Yes please!" I smile. Scratch pulled them out from under the counter, ringing them up for me like usual.
"I hope no one is giving you trouble this year."
"To late for that. I can't take Shale road anymore, so I had to walk by the bar."
"What's wrong with Shale road?"
"The Jensons moved in. You know how they are."
"Yes." Scratch slipped some candy into the movie bag before handing it to you. "My treat for you."
"Really? Thank you Scratch!"
"No problem. It's a shame the heir is stuck in such a cruel place."
"So, see you on Sburb tonight?"
"Yes. Good bye John."
"Bye Scratch!" I smile as I head for the grocery store. The sidewalk was through a neighborhood, several trees in bloom hanging over the walkway. A breeze carried several loose petals into the air and I couldn't help but smile. That smile dropped as I heard someone behind me.
"Well if it isn't John the wind boy. Ready for a pounding freak?"
"I can out run you and you know it."
"Not my fault you have the wind making you faster than a car."
"Am not."
"Are too, remember last week?"
"You're car is a beat up old junker!"
"It can go to fifty Egbert." The kid threw a rock at me before I ran for the grocery store. I tripped over the mat in the store doorway before I tumbled in. Several people glared, but everyone kept their comments to themselves, well everyone except for Mrs. Jenson.
"Get out of here you demon spawn! Everyone hates you."
"If everyone hates me how do I have friends?"
"Because their possessed, just like you!"
"None of my friends are possessed and neither am I! Why do you keep calling me a demon? I didn't do anything!"
"You caused some nasty storms Egbert. You should go die!" She glared angrily. I just walked down the first grocery aisle, ignoring her screaming. On the bright side, she started leaving all the non-straights in town alone when she started harassing me . Since she saw me come in, I bet she would be waiting by the door until I left. As I bought the icing I notice that was her exact plan. "You should die."
Great, she was probably going to try following me home again. "Please stop."
"Why? Am I hurting you?"
"Just leave me alone."
"You're going to hell, but you already knew that." The wind picked up around the two of us, but she unfortunately seemed to love it. "What's wrong? You don't like hearing what worthless fucking scum you are?"
I couldn't stand it, turning to her. "I didn't want to be like this!" I scream at her. She seemed stunned. "You heard me! What happened to 'love your neighbor'? You people are all the same- hating without much reason!" I drop the bag and run for home, crying as the wind violently shook the trees. A few house had broken windows now because I hadn't held it together, and I would have to go apologize even if I thought it wasn't related to my emotion half the time. It was days like these that I could believe it was.
I slam the door before collapsing on the couch in a crying heap. "John? John it's okay, you're home now." Dad hugged me.
"No it's n-not! S-he's rig-ght, I sh-should just d-die!"
"Who told you that?"
"M-mrs. Je-enson."
"She is a mean, hateful person who should stop hurting folks. I'll call Officer W.V. right now, alright?" Dad asked. I nod, collapsing back to my side while dad called the police. I was practically in there every day writing reports now that I got a job to pay for the windows I kept breaking around town. Unfortunately getting the job was hard and the walks to work had almost killed me twice in one year. I couldn't get a 'real job', but unloading boxes for the store wasn't exactly easy and not many people were stupidly strong like you, so the store manager paid you to do that every few days. It paid well since it kept her from having to get a bunch of equipment and kept people from messing with you for a few hours.
A knock sounded at the door and I decided to open it. Mrs. Jenson was standing there with my bag. She almost looked like she had seen something she couldn't quite believe. My breath caught in my throat. "Jonathan, I realize I was wrong about you and while normally I would have kept this, I believe this is yours." She held out the bag.
I couldn't believe it. "Y-your giving me m-my bag back?"
"Yes, I'm so sorry. I was wrong."
"What made you c-change your m-mind?"
She looked embarrassed. "Your wings."
"Wait, what?" I look around me, but I seriously couldn't find a hint of wings. Dad walked over after hanging up the phone.
"What did you say?" Dad asked Mrs. Jenson.
"He had wings for a brief second before he sprinted home."
"I need to talk to you outside. John, there's a cake for you from Casey and her friends on the counter for you."
"I'll be sure to thank them." I watch him step outside, closing the door behind him. Casey was the best elementary kid you knew, or really the nicest kid to you in town, her friends close behind. I glance at the cake drowned in whipped cream and strawberries and there was no resisting having a slice. A card was next to the bottom, which was actually a huge sheet of newspaper painted white before they all drew over it in crayon, 'Happy 14th Birthday John!' written across the top. It made me smile, taking a bite of the ever popular angel food cake. It was the only cake they sold at the store that didn't have to be ordered by the kids' parents, but even when Casey started baking she made it for me.
Since I got a job for the main reason of paying for the windows I broke, grabbing my wallet after I finished my cake and heading for the door. I knocked, waiting for dad to open it to walk out. "Where are you going son?"
"I broke some windows today, so I'm going to apologize and make up."
"Alright. Try to be home by seven." Dad nodded. I head down the street, thankful the people in my neighborhood had strong windows. I kept an eye out for broken windows along the route I took back from the store. I spot several, sighing as I walked up to the first house and knocking on the door.
I have broken this woman's window so many times that I offered to get a more wind resistant window for her, but she declined. "Hello Miss Crowford, I'm sorry I broke your window again."
"Hey John! Awww, aren't you such a cutie pie! Oh, oh, oh, I got you something for your birthday!" Miss Crowford handed me a birthday card.
"Thank you so much!" I smile, opening the card. "You just made my day a lot better."
"Aw, thank you sweetie. Don't worry about the window, I've got it covered."
"Are you sure? I've broken it three times this year."
"It's fine, really. You probably have plenty of other windows to worry about."
"Thanks Miss Crowford! Have a good day." I smile as a head to the next house. Unfortunately I was called demon spawn and they were really mad. The house after that hadn't had their window broken before and were okay with it. Next few houses also were okay with it, a few others called me a colorful array of names. I was heading down an alley way I cut through when I heard heavy footsteps.
A tall man stepped in front of me. "Hello John."
"Did I break your window?"
"You're breaking windows?"
"Not on purpose."
"That's exactly why I'm here."
"What do you mean?"
"John Egbert, you must realize that something is different about you. We came to talk to you."
"Where did you get my name?"
"John, this is really important. I want you to come with me."
"I'm not supposed to go with strangers." I take a step back, looking over to see two guys at the end of the alley behind me, on of them was built like a mountain. I know I have always been on the thinner side, but this guy was really huge! "Are they with you?"
"They're reinforcements. Kid, you might as just come with us and make this easier." He started walking closer.
"L-leave me alone! Who are you?!"
"Names Droog, now calm down." At those words you lost it. The wind whipped through the alleyway, picking up dirt and trash while breaking some of the windows along the way as it went speeding through. I bolted past Droog and the guy at the end of the alleyway behind him, heading straight for home. My feet didn't slow down until I reached my neighborhood. I almost didn't spotted the cop car in the driveway, quickly getting inside the house and locking the door.
"John? What happened?" Dad asked in concern.
"Some men are after me!"
"What, why?"
"They said I'm special and that I had to go with them. They tried to kidnap me!"
"What did they look like?"
"One guy was built like a mountain with a scar along his jaw, one was average, the other had a scar on his eye, and the last one was shorter than me. They all have black suits and black hair. I ran home as soon as I could."
"Have you seen them around town before?"
"N-no. They knew my name though!" I lean against the wall for support.
"You should head off to bed. You've been having a rough day today and some rest would do you good."
"Alright. Night dad, night Officer W.V." I sigh before heading off to my room and collapsing on my bed. Maybe tomorrow would be better.