Chapter 1: So Sick of It
'Finn was riding atop his magical best friend, Jake the dog. The two were once again in pursuit; the Ice King had kidnapped Princess Bubblegum.
"Jake! Launch the Finn Bomb!" Finn cried over the roaring winds, readying himself for the jump.
"You got it, bro!" Jake shouted. The dog bucked his back and Finn shot in the air. He shrieked as he somersaulted and landed on the Ice King's back.
"Let go of Peebles!" Finn demanded as he beat against the old wizard's back.
"Hey, cut it out, Finn. You're gonna make me lose my balance," the Ice King answered, tightening his grip around the princess, who looked incredibly bored despite her condition.
"Finn, hurry! I have to give a presentation in ten minutes," said Bubblegum.
"You got it, PB," Finn called back. He jumped on the Ice King's head and pulled his crown down over his eyes, causing him to lose concentration and begin a descent to land. He dropped he princess, who ended up landing on Jake's back. Finn used the Ice King's head as a launching point and flew onto Jake behind the Princess. The dog began bounding off towards the Candy Kingdom when—'
"Finn? Honey, it's time for dinner!" a voice called.
Finn sighed and put down his pencil.
"I'm coming, mom," he answered. The boy glanced at his journal before closing and tossing it onto his desk with another sigh. He walked down the stairs to join his parents and sister at the dinner table.
"We're having peas and chicken, Finny," his older sister, Fionna, announced cheerily as he slid into his chair. His mother heaped his plate with food before sitting down to enjoy her own meal.
"Oh, yum," Finn said absent-mindedly as he pushed his food around on his plate. He stabbed a piece of chicken with his fork and lifted it to his mouth. It was a little dry. He heard a whimpering to his right and looked to see his dog, Jake, giving him his classic puppy-eyes. With an amused smile, Finn grabbed the biggest chunk of chicken off of his plate and handed it to Jake, who wolfed it down gratefully with a wag of his stubby tail.
The boy turned his attention back to the table in time to see his father giving him a stern glance.
"Finn, don't feed the dog at the table. Give him scraps afterwards."
"Okay."
A period of silence ensued, broken by Fionna.
"So, are you excited about starting Sophomore year tomorrow, Finny?"
Her question was met with the clanking of forks on plates.
"Finn, dear, are you all right?" his mother asked.
"Yes, ma'am."
His mother and father exchanged a glance. His father frowned and turned his attention back to his dinner, while his mother looked sadly at the boy.
"May I be excused?" Finn asked. His mother nodded and he left the table.
He headed up to his room, followed by Jake. The boy plopped down on his bed with a discontented groan. His dog lied at his feet, nuzzling his legs. The blonde boy sat up to scratch his dog behind the ears.
"I don't wanna go back to school, Jake," the boy mumbled. "It's so awful there, you don't even know. Everyone picks on me and I—," he stopped as a hard lump formed in his throat, followed by the prickling of tears in his eyes. He sniffed and wiped at his eyes. He swallowed hard in an unsuccessful attempt to rid himself of the lump and, defeated, let the tears fall. The sobs shook him violently and he buried his face into his dog's side. Jake whimpered and rested his head on his paws, understanding his master's grief.
"I have no friends, Jakey. Everyone makes fun of me and I'm so s-sick of it. I just wish that i could r-really live in—," his voice trailed off.
Finn glanced at his precious journal through bleary eyes. He had created the perfect world; he was the only human alive. His dog could talk, and the two went on adventures together. Finn was everyone's hero, loved by everyone... If only that could be his reality. The fact that his dream world was so impossibly distant sent another wave of sobs to shake his thin body. Jake turned on his back so that Finn was crying into his belly, and turned to a fit of dog-like laughter. He knew it would cheer his master up.
Finn gave his dog a small smile through a tear-streaked face. He wiped his tears, pulled his beloved dog towards him, and fell asleep stroking Jake's head.
A/N: What do you guys think?