Author's Note: All right I am back again with my customary first new story of the month. Back in 2006 I wrote a story called X High School, which was very well recieved by readers. The reason for this, was because back then I read alot of high school fics. And the one thing I noticed that was consistent throughout all Titan High School fics was that they were all basically the same. Dont get me wrong I liked alot of these fics, but the biggest problem I had was the cookie cutter plotlines they all had. Same premise (granted), same pairings, same predictable outcomes. Now I decided to do something about that (its ironic cuz at the time I said I'd never do a high school fic). After reading all these fics, I decided to go in the opposite direction. I'm the kind of writing that likes doing what's never been done before. I made Rich a motocross racer who wanted to compete in the X Games. And went with pairings that werent exactly conventional, but that's what made it intrestring.
It was also intrestring to see that readers actually stayed with the story even when they're favorite pairings werent the main focus. But I'd have to say my proudest achievement was rewriting Slade as Rich's teenage best friend (which personally I thought was funny as hell.) Which worked suprisingly well, and quickly became a favorite among fans. Anyway I completed that story well over a year ago. And lately I've been feeling really nostalgic. Aside from what usually went on in the story, one of the things I loved doing was showing them doing everyday things. And I think that's what made it endearing to me as a writer. So after much planning, I decided to go ahead and launch an origin series for X High School. Your more than welcome to read that as well so you can have a better idea what to expect. But at the same time, I'm almost deconstructing it and showing how they turned into the guys my X High fans know and love. Hope you enjoy it!
X High School: Secret Origins
Daybreak broke on the city of San Antholas, a sleepy suburb of 100K north of San Francisco. San Antholas was a nice place to live, away from the chaos of the larger Bay Area cities. As the sun rose over the mountains and poured its morning rays onto the city below. A majority of its citizens were still dead asleep while others sought to ignore the rays that peeked through the blinds of some people's bedrooms. In the distance a lone red SUV made its way down the empty neighborhood street with headlights beaming. A larger than life father sat behind the wheel as his family drove into their new hometown. The man as stated was very large and bald with a long full red beard and equally long hair that draped down the back of his neck. In the passenger's seat was his wife who appeared to be in her 30s with long dark hair and was sleeping soundly. Behind them was a pair of teenage daughters that looked alike. But these were not twins despite their similarities. One sat behind her mother and had black hair, while the other sat behind her dad with long auburn hair who was also asleep along with their little redheaded brother who slept in the back seat. The father looked upon the road tiredly as he searched for the place that would soon become their new home. Rubbing the sleep from his bleary eyes, he finally came upon the two-story home they would soon call their own. A smile came upon his face as the house came into view, and with new life quickly turned the wheel into their driveway.
Galfore leaned back into his seat tempted to fall asleep. After traveling several hundred miles they finally made it to San Antholas. He looked back at his family that was still sleeping and the trailer they brought with them. San Antholas First Church was in need of a new pastor, for several years now he'd been in the ministry at a church in Gainesville, Florida and had accepted the position after the old pastor died. Naturally his family objected to the move at first, especially the girls who had made plenty of friends at Gainesville Central. He knew it wouldn't go over well with any of them, while they're mother tried to balance out both sides. While she herself was against the move, she knew that the new church needed a leader and tried to see it from his perspective. In the past few years' attendance had dropped at Gainesville First and several of them left because of disagreements with him and his philosophy. While others were tired of putting up with his oldest daughter Cami, some of which weren't very subtle in the least. Though he tried to reason with them, he knew it was a losing battle. Until finally Galfore had no other choice than to leave the church he had invested 10 years of his life in.
Galfore rubbed his eyes and tried to forget and felt himself drifting off to sleep. He was starting to wish he slept longer at that hotel like his wife suggested, the pastor settled back in his seat and decided to catch a few winks before doing anything further.
In another part of town, the sunlight continued to filter through Tara's bedroom blinds as she continued sleeping. The young girl groaned and put a pillow over her head and tried to block out the morning rays and threw it to the ground frustrated as she sat up. Tara growled as she kicked off the covers and went over to the blind closing them as tightly as she could and went back to bed grabbing her pillow on the way back. The young girl settled into her bed and blocked out the thoughts of starting today. After lying there for a while she thrashed back and forth turning over several times before groaning once again.
"Damn sun." she muttered.
Tara roughed her blonde locks in annoyance with her eyes half open. Finally she sat up putting her feet on the ground and rubbed her eyes muttering to herself. She looked over at the clock that read 6:20 AM. Slapping her hands against the bed she got up and decided to take a shower. A few blocks down Galfore sighed as he opened the door and got out. Kori and Cami groaned a bit as the dome light came on. Cami's eyes fluttered open, and rubbed them a bit before realizing where they were.
"Are we here?" she asked.
"We're here." her father answered.
The young girl stretched and opened her car door unbuckling her seatbelt in the process and shut the door as gently as she could. And stepped onto the wet morning California grass for the first time and shivered a bit because she was still wearing shorts.
"So this is it huh?" she asked her dad.
"Yeah, hope you guys like it. We're going to be here a while." Galfore said.
A few miles outside of town behind a large black mansion, the crisp roar of a dirt bike engine sliced through the silence as a young rider vaulted over a dirt hill. The rider came back down to earth a second later and continued onward. The rider was clad in a yellow and white motocross uniform and lay down the throttle as he went into a turn and skidded with a plume of dust following him. He reved the engine once more as he flew over another hill and went out for several feet before touching down again. An elderly butler stepped out the back door and stood on the patio watching the young racer.
"I see he's at it again." the butler said.
"Well what would you expect from him Alfred?" Bruce asked.
"I would expect you to still be in bed Master Bruce. That boy lives, eats and sleeps motocross. From the moment he gets up to the moment he goes to sleep it's all he ever concentrates on." Alfred said.
"He'll come around once school starts." Bruce told him.
"Which is today if I remember correctly." the butler replied.
"Let him get his last run in. I'll talk to him afterwards." said Bruce.
"Very well Master Bruce, I shall prepair breakfast then." he said bowing to him and went inside.
Bruce smiled as he left and looked on at Rich as he continued riding.
An hour later students across the city were waking up and getting ready for school. Inside the manor Alfred poured Bruce a cup of coffee as he sat at the breakfast table.
"Richard."
"Yeah Bruce?" he asked.
"I realize that you've been doing motocross races for a long time now." he told him.
"Since I was 7." replied his charge.
"But now that summer's winding down, I want you to try and focus on schoolwork now. You know how important it is to keep your grades up. Your 14 years old now, I expect you to take a little more responsibility from now on." he said.
"What are you getting at?" he asked with a cocked eyebrow.
"In order to make sure you do well in school, I'm going to have to lay down some rules. If your grades fall below a C you will not ride for a week." he told him.
"What? But Bruce!" he yelled.
"Look I know it sounds tough, but if you want to move up in motorsports your going to have to show the same dedication to school. I'm only doing this because I care about you and want you to succeed." he said softly.
"Yeah that's a helluva way to show it." muttered Rich.
"And if you fail any class your out of the next race." Bruce said.
"What?! Your kidding me right! You know how much this series means to me?!" he yelled clapping his hand over his chest.
"We all do Dick. But you cant let it rule your entire life, there's alot more to it than just motocross. And one day you will realize that." said Bruce.
"Yeah your one to talk." sulked Rich. Bruce narrowed his eyes at the boy as his voice dropped into a more serious tone.
"Listen you know that it takes time, practice and determination to make it up the rank in competition that same rule applies in school. The less time you give the more likely you are to remain in the same place while others pass you by. If your not willing to give 100 percent to your schooling then maybe you dont deserve to be in racing." he said standing up. Rich glared back at him as he stood up.
"I dont need this. I'm going to be late for school." he said leaving Bruce at the table.
Richard stormed up the stairway to his room before slamming the door. The teen sighed and leaned against a doorpost with his arms and leg crossed over muttering to himself. A second later there was a knock at the door as he looked over his shoulder.
"Master Dick.." Alfred said. The boy sighed.
"Come in Alfred." he said and the door opened.
"Why does he have to be so harsh?" he asked his butler.
"Master Bruce only wants what's best for you."
"He wants me out of motocross is what he wants." said Rich.
"No Master Dick, its not that he wants you out of motocross. Perish the thought. Its because he doesn't want you to fail in school." said Alfred.
"Then why is he being so heavy handed on the whole motocross issue?" asked Dick.
"If I may be so bold Master, you do spend alot of time out there on that track. One might say an unhealthy amount of time. What about your friends? Have you spent any time with them this summer?" he asked.
"Well yeah we hung out once or...twice. I guess I have been hitting the circuit a little hard." he realized. His tone mellowed as he looked back at the butler.
"We are both very proud of you and your level of commitment as a racer. But at the same time there must also be a balance between racing and your other responsibilities especially those involving your friends." he smiled.
"Don't let them take a backseat to racing." Rich said.
"Perciesely." he said.
"Yeah I understand what you mean." Rich said.
"Then you also understand that he expects the same of you in school." Alfred told him.
"I now, thanks Alfred." he smiled.
"Happy to be of service sir." he bowed.
"I guess I better go apologise to Bruce then." he said before leaving the room.
"Very good sir." replied Alfred as he watched him off.
"If not for me those two would have killed each other before now." he said rolling his eyes.
On the other side of town Galfore walked up the stairs onto the covered porch of his new home. Digging in his pocket he unlocked the door and creaked open as he did. The pastor stuck his head in the door and quirked an eyebrow at what he saw. While the rooms were spacious, the choice of color was less than desireable. The walls much like the outside of the house were painted yellow with gray carpeting. As Galfore stepped in his eldest daughter followed closely behind him.
"Well this is...something." she said. Her father shrugged.
"We can paint it over to something a little more bearable." he said.
"Ugh, I'm voting for blue." she muttered.
"We can do that. I bet once we fix this place up, you wont even recognize it." he said.
"Whatever, I'm going to check out the rooms." she said as she went upstairs.
"Sure you do that honey." he said weakly.
The pastor sighed as he went into the living room and sat down on a recliner that was left behind.
"She'll get over it. They always do." his wife said.
Galfore looked up and saw her standing in the entranceway to the living room.
"I'm starting to wonder if I made the right choice. I had no right dragging us out here." he said.
"You did what you thought was right. They needed a new pastor. It'll work out." she said.
"I hope so dear." he said.
A while later Kori journeyed upstairs to pick out her room, before coming across the middle bedroom. After seeing it she stuck her head into the bedroom at the end of the hallway and saw her sister standing there.
"Already called it." she said. Kori sighed and went back to the one before.
"I guess this one will do then." she said softly.
"You found the one you wanted yet Kori?" her father called from downstairs. The fourteen-year-old sighed again.
Awhile later Kori stepped outside the door with a backpack loaded with school supplies before heading back out to the family's cobalt blue Jeep Cherokee and got in. And her father took her to school. A few miles down the road Kori looked out the passenger's side window. Galfore's eyes shifted onto his daughter as he tried to figure out what to say to in a time like this.
"Look Kori..."
"It's all right Dad you dont have to say anything." she said without looking at him.
"I know it's not easy moving to a new town but...you will make friends. Just give it some time." he said trying to assure her.
"I guess we'll see what happens." she said solumly. His frown deepened as he looked at his daughter and returned his eyes to the road.
"Looks like we're here." he said softly.
"Yay." she said defeated.
"Just try and have a good day." he said with a hint of remorse.
Kori didnt say anything and got out of the car, her father sighed after she closed the door and watched her off as she slung the pink backpack over her shoulder and made her way across the schoolyard. The car behind him honked and he drove off a second later. Inside the school Kori never looked up drifting aimlessly through the crowds of X High School. Though she was unaware of it, she gained the attention of several students as she made her way through the hallway. At one locker off to the side stood Rich who was wearing a red hoodie and black pants. He looked up and saw Kori wearing a burgandy long sleeved shirt with a string tied under her bust and wearing tight fitting jeans with her hair tied back. The young girl looked down at the floor as she continued forward. At another locker stood a large black teen with a bald head and wore a white shirt and blue jacket and jeans who saw her at the same time, while a blonde haired boy with green eyes looked up at the downcast teen. Another girl with violet hair wearing a olive green army jacket with patches looked up at Kori from the corner of her eye.
"Hey." Rich said she looked up.
"You all right?" he asked Kori.
"Yeah you look like someone died." said Gar before being elbowed in the chest by Rich.
"No sorry. I just moved here. Like literally this morning." she said brushing back a lock of hair.
"You know where your classroom is?" asked Rich.
"Yeah its room 237." she said pulling out a card.
"You want us to walk you there?" he smiled. A faint smile formed as she looked up at him.
"Sure." she said.
"Come on." he said putting his arm around her and the rest of the crew joined her.
Author's Note: Not quite love at first sight as you can see. Bear with me it's been a year since i've done anything high school related. So that turned out to be rather lengthy but I figured it was important to set up Kori's situation instead of just going straight into them meeting up or racing cars like they did in the X High opener. For those of you that have read it, this is going to be quite different from X High School in a few areas. But let me know what you think guys and if you have any suggestions.
Please review,
Green Gallant.
