Chapter 1: 8 years later…

John ran. He was late for the bus, and had been chasing it since they crossed the bridge to downtown Citadel.

"Hey! Hey stop!" He yelled to the bus driver. The driver laughed and kept driving.

"Hey, tell him to stop!" John yelled yet again, except this time to a student sitting at the window. The kid laughed and closed the bus window. The bus sped up and left John trying to catch up. He stopped and started catching his breath. A car pulled up next to him. The window rolled down, and John's friend Alyx was smiling at him.

"Miss the bus again?" She asked him.

"More like it left me." John replied laughing a little bit.

"Haha, get in." Alyx replied opening the car door. John got in and and closed the door.

"How come you don't ride your scooter to school?" Alyx asked.

"Mom won't let me. She says its too dangerous." John replied.

"Oh, well thats stupid. After all, your cousin bought it for you for your last birthday right?" Alyx asked another question.

"Yeah. Actually, I'm pretty sure Jack is gonna be coming over to my house sometime this week...remind me later to find out." John replied as they pulled up to the school. They got out of the car and walked up to the school and merged with the rest of the students. After getting to their lockers, which happened to be two lockers away from each other, Alyx asked John, " Whats your plans after school?" John pulled some books and his binder out of his locker, then replied

"I don't know...I might, like, take some pictures of the city, and birds, and stuff."

"John look, " Alyx said taking John's camera, "you spend everyday either taking pictures, doing homework, playing video games, and taking machinery and shit apart. You need to get out every once in a while, do something fun, make a name for yourself." John stared at her and grabbed his camera.

"Like what? What should I do?" He asked.

"I don't know...why don't you come over to my place, around sevenish?" Alyx replied writing something down on a piece of paper. She handed it to him.

"That's my apartment number, 243." She said, blushing a bit.

John smiled, then put the paper in his pocket.

"Smile." He replied as he raised his camera and took a picture of Alyx.

John's POV

The day went by fast. It was going good for me. Then lunch came.

I sat down and started eating. I thought to myself, Mom's meatloaf is better than this, and her meatloaf sucks.

"Hey, Cross!" I heard someone yell.

Fuck.

"What do you want, Hesh?" I asked, already knowing what he was going to say.

"I need some extra cash. Give me some." Hesh demanded.

"No." I replied. I hate to say it, but Hesh hits hard.

He hit me twice in the stomach, and once in the face. Then I heard my best friend, James, yell at Hesh.

"Hesh, stop!"

James ran over and pulled Hesh away from me. Hesh knew better than to mess with James. His dad is the CEO of Orion Industries, a major competitor to OsCorp, Stark Industries, and Trask Industries. Hesh brought his hand down and walked past James and left the cafeteria. James came over and helped me up.

"Thanks." I said.

"No problem, man." James replied as we walked over to a table.

"He took my sweet roll." I said angrily. I love sweet rolls. They're one of the most amazing sugary foods out there. James just laughed at me.

"Hahaha, come on, buddy, I'm getting picked up by my dad. Come with us." James said. I followed, after eating, and we arrived in the office. After talking to the secretary, James and I signed out and walked outside. Ben's (James' father) limo was waiting outside for us. We got in and Ben smiled.

"Long time no see, John. How've you been?" Ben asked.

"I've been okay." I replied.

"What about your mother? Is she still okay?" Ben asked me.

"She is alright. Could be worse." I replied.

"Things will get better..they always have." Ben said looking out the window. My phone went off. I checked it, and Alyx had texted me.

What happened at lunch?

I replied, Hesh.

Oh...well, we still on for tonight?

I smiled, then sent as text back.

Yeah :D

"On for what?" James asked me, looking over my shoulder at my phone.

"She invited me over for dinner." I replied.

"Nice. You tell your mom yet?" James asked.

"Not yet. speaking of which, do you mind dropping me off at my house?" I asked Ben.

"Sure." Ben replied.