This Chapter has been edited slightly and updated, I'm going through all of the chapters and fixing little things so it reads smoother.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Underland Chronicles or any of the characters, save the ones that I will be adding. Both the Underland Chronicles and the characters within belong to Suzanne Collins.
-Ssi
Gregor was sitting on the front steps of the school as the tall and lanky blond haired boy walked up to him. "can't help but notice you weren't on the bus again?"
Gregor grunted to acknowledge Kyle's remark.
Freshman year of high school a couple of jocks were trying to push Kyle around when Gregor had stepped in. since then Kyle and him had been- well not really friends, Gregor no longer had any of those, but he was as close to Gregor as Gregor would let anyone get.
"Your dad give you a ride in again?" Kyle inquired; this was what Gregor would tell people when he jogged to school. After all who would believe he would willingly run to school?
Gregor nodded but said nothing more.
"So it's going to be one of those days?" Kyle sighed and reached down to help Gregor up, "let's get to band."
Band was the first class of the day for Gregor and Kyle so they'd always walk in together to home room. Music didn't really bring any joy to Gregor like it used to. However music was still his dad's passion so Gregor played to keep him happy.
Class went by quickly as they practiced for the next month's concert, which was to be in a concert hall at NYU. The band was going to drive there in a couple of busses and stay in hotel rooms the nights before and after the concert. At first Gregor's mother had hesitated at the idea of Gregor going to New York but after his dad had convinced her he would be with Kyle and the band group the whole time she finally had accepted it.
His next class was physics which his father taught, so Gregor made his way to the back corner of the room to avoid being called on. Gregor wasn't embarrassed that he was in a class taught by his father, in fact he enjoyed it. He didn't care what the other students thought; Gregor just wasn't too keen on getting called on by any teacher.
After the lecture on mechanical collisions the bell rang and class was dismissed. Gregor's father motioned him over as the rest of the students escaped into the hallway.
"George wanted to ask if you could get Keela out for a run later? She's been getting a little anxious in the barn for so long," Gregor's father asked. Gregor nodded to his father's request.
"Everything okay Gregor?" his father worried. "If you have different plans I can always get her out and running after the girl's dentist appointments?" Though he would never admit it Gregor was nearly positive that his father wished Gregor had plans, just to get himself out of his own self-isolation.
"No, I can do it Dad," Gregor responded as his father just sighed. Gathering that the conversation was over Gregor navigated the hallways to his locker to grab his math textbook when he heard a kid, Seth, speak up a few yards behind him.
"Hey there, haven't seen you around. You new here?" Seth said.
Gregor glanced around to see the boy and three of his friends greeting a brown haired girl with jeans and a blue tank top on. Seth was a scumbag senior jock at the school, he was always trying to give Gregor and Kyle a hard time.
"Yeah," the girl smiled innocently while picking up the last of the books from her locker. "Just finished moving in from Cali."
"Really, I would've thought you fell straight out of heaven," the senior winked at her.
"Hah, nice try," she'd seen straight through his act. She started to step away as Seth's friends blocked her way. "Move," she motioned with her hands at the older boys.
Seth smiled "but we were just getting to know each other."
"I don't care to know you," the girl said bluntly.
Seth scowled, "you clearly don't know what you're missing then."
"Leave her alone," Gregor said as he gently pushed his way between two of Seth's buddies so the girl had room to leave.
"It speaks?" Seth cracked up, "who's this, your girlfriend? What're you going to do about it?"
Gregor said nothing as he motioned for the girl to pass him.
"I was speaking to you shrimp!" Seth yelled as he spun Gregor around before he could walk away.
The world around him slowed as Gregor saw Seth's fist fly towards his face. Gregor's blood heated as his brain started to target his best strategies. Gregor could easily block the bully's attack, using his own mass to pull Seth into the wall to his left. Likewise he could duck and dodge under the attack and follow with a couple of quick jabs to Seth's side and neck or barrel into him with the advantage of his lower center of gravity. Gregor knew within an instant he could render the bully either dead or unconscious. After that taking out Seth's friends would be a cakewalk. Gregor just needed to pick his plan…
Which he did… Nothing. Gregor heard the girl shriek as the bully's fist made contact with his cheekbone, followed by a sharp blow to the chest by Seth's other fist. Gregor faked the stumble backwards as the crowd started.
Kids in the hallway had made a ring around them to watch. However a teacher had already began to intervene.
"Knock it off!" the teacher raise his voice above the students cheers. "Come on, clear out," he addressed the crowd. The teacher scanned the area for the victim, but Gregor had already slipped away blending in with the crowd.
"Hey!" Gregor heard the girl calling out behind him. "Hey!" she repeated. Using echolocation he could tell she was about 15 feet behind him struggling to move through the crowd. By the time she had reached the spot Gregor was moments before he was long gone.
He was sitting in the back corner of his math class as Gregor watched the girl walk by the door continuing to look for him.
Gregor let the rest of school fly by without much thought. When classes had ended Gregor boarded his bus and found a seat next to Kyle as they headed home.
"Anything exciting about your day?" Kyle asked.
Gregor hesitated, "not really."
"Yeah, me neither," he added. Neither of them spoke for the rest of the trip.
When Gregor got back to the farm he dropped his backpack off next to the barn and opened the first stable. Gregor led Keela out into the open and knelt down to tighten the laces on his boots. Stroking the tall, dark brown horse's side, Gregor didn't stop to worry about her saddle. He leapt up swinging his right leg over Keela's back.
Gregor, riding bareback, leaned forward and calmly spoke to the horse, "run like the river, Keela." With that Keela broke into a sprint while Gregor pressed his legs and hands against the rippling muscles of the lean horse as the wind blew through his hair.
For nearly an hour Gregor rode up and down the fields around the farm until he could tell that Keela had gotten more than an adequate exercise. He dismounted the horse and began to lead her back to the stable when he realized he was being watched. The girl from school was leaning against the fence surrounding the farm near the stable.
She waved to him as he and Keela headed towards the barn by her.
"Hey there, I never got to thank you for earlier." The girl said shyly. "I just moved in next door, small world, right?"
Gregor didn't respond as he led Keela back into her stable and locked back up the barn.
"I'm Zoey, that's a beautiful horse you have there," Zoey said trying to keep the one sided conversation going.
Gregor hesitated, and then responded. "She's not mine, she's my uncle's," he said as he leaned over to pick up his backpack.
"Really?" Zoey seemed shocked "you ride her like you have a real bond with her! What's her name?"
Gregor froze for a second, stunned by the phrasing, "Keela," Gregor responded a moment later as he walked towards the house.
"What about you, you got a name?" she called out hoping he could still hear him.
"Yeah, suppose I do." Gregor spoke over his shoulder as he walked through the front door and closed it behind him.
Please rate and review. Any and all feedback is welcomed.
-Ssi
