1979:

"Dude, you've been working on that report for over an hour!" 12-year-old Jack protested. "It's time to take a break from it! Besides, we're about ready to go."

"Just be grateful my parents allowed you to do this at all." 13 year old Vlad replied. He wasn't especially interested in the Packers, but he did enjoy being around his friends. Just wish I knew what was up with Maddie; she's been real weird for a long time. He thought. His birthday was just a couple of weeks ago.

"Oh, I can't wait to see the Packers play in person, V-man!" Jack laughed. "It's totally awesome that my dad was able to get these tickets. What are you writing your report about anyway?"

"You remember all those murders that took place in Springwood about 6 years ago?" Vlad asked his friend.

"Yeah, I remember my dad being real frightened about it." Jack responded. "I've asked him about it a couple times, but he doesn't really want to talk about it."

"Well, this guy killed about 20 kids before they finally caught him." Vlad explained. He seemed to have a bit of a fascination with dark things. "However, he was freed for some dumb reason and disappeared shortly after that. I've asked people about him for my report, but nobody gives me any answers!" It was even more than that. His teacher attempted to get him to choose a different topic, but Vlad stayed adamant.

"Scary; I don't get what you're into this kind of thing, V-man." Jack shook his head. "You always seem to be weird. Oh, well, just wait until you see the packers play!"

"Jack, Vlad, it's time to go!" Jack's father called them from the living room.

"Yes; really looking forward to this!" Jack beamed, dragging out a bag that was nearly as big as he was. "Let's see; giant foam finger, drink cup, spare clothes, spare money…"

"I thought your dad was paying for all this." Vlad wondered. He had 40 dollars in his pocket that his parents insisted on giving him. He found it odd that they didn't seem to mind screaming at him whenever he did something wrong, even hit him at times, but they were still overprotective.

"He is, but I got a few bucks for moving Ms. Thompson's yard the other day!" Jack exclaimed. "You should have seen the look on my dad's face. He gave me some extra money and said he was proud of me for earning my own keep!" Vlad had to admit, he envied that. His parents only rarely said they were proud of him, which is why he preferred being at Jack's house and went there whenever he could. He used to go to Maddie's house as well, but she never let him inside anymore. And her older sister… she's just creepy. Vlad thought.

"Isn't she an alcoholic?" Vlad wondered. That was what he heard his parents say, anyway. Her husband worked for the police, and they had a daughter, although he couldn't remember her name off the top of his head.

"I don't know." Jack admitted. "Even if she is, who cares? She gave me 5 bucks!"

They walked out of Jack's room, which was decorated with Packers memorabilia, including a poster of Don Hutson. Vlad had no idea who he was, but from the sounds of it, a great player in the history of the packers. They climbed into the back of the car and drove off. It didn't take long for Vlad to keep looking at his history report, although it was nearly impossible to write in a moving car for him.

"Jeez, Vladdie, you're still looking at that dumb report?" Jack asked. "Don't worry about it! You'll do great!"

"Yeah, but I ended up forgetting my report last time and got a zero." Vlad explained. "I don't want that happening again."

"Hey, Vlad, I spy with my little eye… something red." Jack smiled.

"The inside of the car?" Vlad sarcastically asked. Really, Jack had never been any good at that game.

"Just keep your seat belts on, ok?" Jack's father informed them. "The way it's going, it's going to be the law soon. Besides, remember what happened to old man McGregor."

"Yes, Dad/Mr. Fenton." Jack and Vlad groaned. Both of them rarely forgot to wear seat belts since they were installed, but he gave the same lecture to them every time they were in the car.

"Hey, Jack, earlier I heard my dad talking about a cell phone." Vlad informed him.

"What's a cell phone?" Jack asked.

"It's supposed to be a phone you carry around but without a cord." Vlad responded. "He was talking about them when we went to Japan last year."

"What was it like over there?" Jack wondered.

"Really crowded," Vlad admitted. He wasn't used to so many people around at once and it frightened him. He stayed close to his parents, not wanting to get lost.

"That sounds cool to have!" Jack exclaimed. "Hey, dad, can we get a cell phone?"

"Son, I didn't know what a cell phone was until your friend mentioned them." His dad replied. "Besides, we've got a perfectly good phone at home."

"And I think it just works in Tokyo or something." Vlad added.

The rest of the drive continued uneventfully. After a couple of hours, Jack and Vlad were feeling hungry and thirsty, so they decided to stop and get something for lunch. Except for occasional outings with Jack, Vlad had never been inside a fast food building. They always went to much fancier places; he grew up with that, so he was used to it, but all the same, it wasn't an especially pleasant experience for him.

All three of them order a burger, fries, and coke. The minute their food was ready, Vlad immediately turned his head to the side. He had seen Jack eat before, and the sight of it made him sick. He wasn't going to make the mistake of looking at it again.

"Jack, how many times do I have to tell you: please chew with your mouth closed," Mr. Fenton told him. He handed his son a napkin.

Vlad munched on his own food, eating more slowly than his larger friend. The food may have been cheap, but it still tasted good to him. He cautiously looked over towards Jack, ready to avert his face instantly if it looked like he was still eating, but no, he seemed to have mostly finished, although ketchup was still smeared over his face.

"So boys, what's with Maddie?" Mr. Fenton asked. "I haven't seen her hanging around you lately."

"We don't know." Vlad admitted. "She doesn't seem to spend a lot of time with us anymore." Over the past couple of years, he had gotten closer to Jack but more distant from Maddie. He tried to figure out why she was acting like this, but made no leeway.

"She still hangs around with us once in a while, but… she's changed." Jack sighed. "Whenever someone used to make fun, she'd fight back, sometimes even hit them. Now… she doesn't say anything. Bullies in that school seem to like making fun of her."

"Bullying can get to you at times." Mr. Fenton admitted. "Sounds pretty vicious, so maybe it's gotten to her; Look, son, if you want to get a bully to leave you alone, just punch him in the face. I know the school say to just ignore them and it'll stop. They also say 'sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me' but that's a load of crud. Don't use it as a first resort, but if there's no other way, do it. Just never, ever tell the school I gave you that advice."

"I won't, Dad." Jack laughed. "Besides, they never seem to bother me very much. It's Vlad they like to go after."

"Yeah, he's too big for them." Vlad appreciated the fact that Jack protected him, but at times, he also resented it. Why wasn't he able to protect himself? Why was he weak? I won't be weak forever. Vlad promised. One day, they will regret their actions. I will make sure of it.

"Don't worry, V-man; I can kick their asses!" Jack laughed, putting an arm around Vlad's shoulders.

"Jack, watch your language." Mr. Fenton reprimanded.

After they were done eating, they drove the rest of the way to Soldier Field in Indiana. (Not sure if this is accurate, but please bear with me) They waited close to an hour in line to get to their seats. Mr. Fenton handed them the money and got the three tickets.

"Wow, this place is big." Vlad observed, looking all around him. It was difficult to see the field where they were and they players looked like glimpses to him.

"You bet it is, Vladdie!" Jack exclaimed, taking out his giant foam finger. His father was off getting various refreshments for himself and the duo. "Tons and tons of people come here to watch the great game of football! The Packers are going to kick the Bears' butts!"

"Couldn't we have just watched it on TV?" Vlad wondered.

"Come on, Vlad, there's nothing like being here in person!" Jack laughed. His father returned with the snacks, holding both boys a bag of popcorn. "First game of the season!"

We can't even see them from here! Vlad complained. Wait, what do I care? I don't like football anyway! Jack took out a pair of binoculars and smiled, cheering whenever it seemed like the Packers are going to score. Vlad just sighed, eating his popcorn. He couldn't see anything that was going on, at least not very well.

"Come on, how could you screw that up!" He heard Jack yell. "You had the opportunity to get a touchdown!"

"What was it?" Vlad wondered, more out of something to say than real curiosity.

"Oh, he just got tackled; can't believe he didn't make it!" Jack complained. (sorry, I don't know who the Quarterback was at the time)

"Mind if I use those?" Vlad asked, holding out his hands.

"Sure, buddy." Jack handed the binoculars over. He was kind of disappointed, but his friends deserved to watch the game too.

Now that Vlad was actually able to see something, he started to get more interested in the game. He didn't stand up and cheer or boo as Jack and his father had, but he was rapidly developing an interest. He hadn't grown up around sports, so they were difficult to understand for him, though Mr. Fenton was happy to answer any questions he had.

Ultimately, the packers lost the game 6-3. Jack was disappointed, but soon regained his boisterous spirit. "Well, that was fun!" Jack laughed. "Thanks for coming along, Vladdie!"

"You're welcome, Jack." Vlad responded. It was now almost completely dark outside as they walked to the car. They got into, buckled their seat belts, and drove out of the parking lot. However, it was not a quick getaway as thousands of others were trying to do the same thing they were.

As they drove home in the dark, Vlad grinned and looked at his friend. "He's coming for you, Jack." Vlad grinned.

"What are you talking about?" Jack asked in confusion.

"Oh, a rhyme I've heard girls say before." Vlad responded. "Supposedly, if you sing it, the ghost will appear and kill you."

"Please, V-man, ghosts don't exist." Jack chuckled.

"Are you sure?" Vlad grinned. "You just better not say the rhyme or you might disappear."

"Come on, I'm not a kid anymore." Jack dismissed. "You can't scare me with a ghost story."

"Well, it was worth a shot." Vlad shrugged.

"No problem, V-man." Jack laughed, throwing a punch at Vlad. To Jack, it was a friendly tap; to Vlad, it was bordering on assault. He was always much stronger than Vlad.

Both of them began to fall asleep, exhausted but happy.

X X X X X X X X X X

For the purposes of this chapter, I looked up the 1979 season of the Green Bay Packers. Any mistakes I made about the first game of the season are purely my own. For the record, Vlad's birthday is August 14.