I am writing Fanfiction for the first time. I don't have any previous experience, I am not confident, but I feel passionate to write this. Rome wasn't built in a day, and as cliche as that sounds, neither will this story. Thank you.
"Nate… do you believe America is the land of opportunity?"
Nate: … "Yes"
"Zack does… And he is going to prove it to the whole world by giving an unknown, a shot at the title."
"... He picked you, Nate."
"... It's the chance of a lifetime… You can't pass it by."
"... What do you say?"
One month ago…
"Rackleff, Maine, here we come!" Marty sang as they exited New Jersey. He was excited about the new beginning and the adventures that awaited them in Maine. "What's wrong? Don't you like my singing?" he asked playfully.
"I don't like the song, dad," Nate replied with a hint of annoyance. He was feeling upset about leaving his old life behind and starting fresh in a new place.
"Oh come on, Nate! You're going to love Maine! You get up in the morning… roll out of bed… plop in the pool," Marty said cheerfully.
"Yeah, sure," Nate said, rolling his eyes.
"You'll see, Nate. This isn't exactly a dump we're moving to," Marty told him, smiling and driving across the highway.
As Nate and his dad journeyed across the country, they encountered vast stretches of empty land. The landscape unfolded like an expansive canvas, painted with muted tones of earthy browns and dusty yellows. The emptiness around them felt both intriguing and intimidating.
Sparse vegetation clung to the arid soil, with hardy shrubs and dry grasses dotting the terrain. The occasional cluster of cacti stood tall, their prickly arms reaching for the relentless sun.
The road before them cut through the desolate landscape like a lifeline, a thin strip of asphalt providing a pathway through the emptiness. The horizon seemed to stretch on forever, blurring the line between earth and sky. Fluffy white clouds drifted lazily above, casting fleeting shadows on the land below. As they drove across the vastness of the empty land.
The ever-changing light played upon the land, casting long shadows in the early morning and painting the terrain in golden hues during sunset. At night, the stars emerged in a breathtaking display, free from the light pollution of urban areas, illuminating the dark expanse like diamonds scattered across black velvet.
Despite the lack of typical landmarks or human structures, the landscape held a certain allure. Its simplicity and untouched beauty.
After driving for what seemed like eternity, nightfall came, and Nate and Marty decided to spend the night at a motel located in the middle of the desert. The next morning, they had breakfast at a small shop nearby and prepared to continue their journey.
By the time it was afternoon, their car rolled onto the driveway of their new home. Marty stopped and looked out the window, admiring their new house. It was a very modest house, appearing in need of some renovations soon. Outside, there was a nice garden with tall grass and neatly organized palm trees along the sidewalk. Marty felt a sense of pride and accomplishment as he looked at their new home, ready to make it their own.
Marty smiled as he shook Nate's shoulder gently to wake him up. "Nate, wake up. Look off the starboard bow! Paradise at last! We made it!" he said eagerly.
"This is it! This is the end of the line!" Marty continued with excitement, getting out of his car.
"You're telling me," Nate replied with a hint of sarcasm.
"Look at those palm trees! Do you know what that means?" Marty asked.
"Yeah, watch out for falling coconuts," Nate responded.
"Wise guy," Marty chuckled, playfully hitting Nate's arm.
"It means no more year-long winters," Marty said.
"I like winters, Dad," Nate said.
"Oh so you like sore throats? You like frozen toes? You like frostbite?" Marty teased.
"I don't like smog," Nate retorted.
"Did I tell you about the pool here?" Marty asked.
"About a hundred times, Dad," Nate replied.
"Okay, so make it a hundred and one times! Open your eyes, my darling children. This is the Garden of Eden," Marty said with enthusiasm.
"And try to cheer up, Nate. At least your friend Francis is here," he added.
Francis was one of Nate's old friends. They had known each other since the first day of kindergarten when Francis started snoring during nap time. Nate quickly hit Francis on the head with his Thomas the Tank Engine lunchbox, and they had known each other ever since. Nate liked Francis for his vast knowledge and dedication to education, even though he is kind of a geek. Although Nate wasn't thrilled about having to move and leaving all his old friends behind, he was very glad that Francis's dad got a job offer in this neighborhood as well, and that Francis would move right next door to him. Nate and Francis were inseparable.
Nate groaned while exiting his car and started unstrapping his bike from the car roof. After removing the straps, Nate started walking towards the front porch of their new house. Once he reached the porch, he kicked the front gate open with a sidekick, not realizing that someone was on the other side of the door, who got his face slammed.
"Ahh, ouch ow ouch," the guy groaned, falling onto the ground, clutching his nose.
"Oh man, man, I'm sorry," Nate said quickly, gasping, feeling guilty for the accident.
"It's alright, I'm fine, don't worry about it," the guy said, starting to get up, reassuring Nate.
"I'm sorry, man, that was stupid, let me help you up," Nate said, reaching out his hand, trying to make amends.
The guy smiled and took Nate's hand, getting up. He seemed to be around Nate's age.
"Thanks," the guy said, taking Nate's hand, feeling grateful for the help.
"You guys must be the new people in the house over there, right?" the guy said, pointing at Nate's new house, curious about the new arrivals in the neighborhood.
"Yeah, I guess so," Nate replied, feeling a bit self-conscious about being the new kid in town.
"I'm Freddy Mason, we live across the street. I live with my mother and father, and my little brother Peter, he's kind of a weird child prodigy, try not to make eye contact," Freddy said, chuckling.
"I'm Nate Wright, I live with my dad and my sister Ellen," Nate said, shaking Freddy's hand.
"How you doing? Let me help you with your bags," Freddy offered, noticing the luggage Nate had just unloaded.
"No, it's fine. It's heavy, man," Nate replied.
"I got it," Freddy said.
"Where are you from?" Freddy asked.
"New Jersey," Nate replied.
"Yeah? What are you doing all the way out here?" Georgie inquired.
"My Dad got a job with some company out here. Enormocorp, some type of stock exchange company, Flight of the Future. I don't know," Nate explained.
"Never heard of it," Freddy said.
"It's up and coming," Nate said, looking at the filthy empty pool in front of his house.
The pool was completely empty and there seemed to be bacteria and fungi living in it.
"Is that the only pool this house has?" Nate asked.
"Yeah, that's the one," Freddy admitted, chuckling.
"Hey anyway, that kick you did, what was that? Karate?" Freddy asked.
Nate looked away from the pool. "Um no, I'm a soccer player," he explained, pausing for a moment.
"Yeah? Have you been doing it long?" Freddy asked.
"A couple of years," Nate replied.
"Cool! Hey, are you going to go to the school PS. 38 as well?" Freddy asked.
"Yeah," Nate replied, feeling a mix of nervousness about starting a new school.
"You should try out for the football team!" Freddy suggested.
"Yeah, I'll give it a go," Nate said, considering the idea.
As they entered Nate's garden, Freddy guided him to his front door, making sure he felt welcomed in the neighborhood.
"Alright, this is your house," Freddy said, as they reached Nate's door.
"Yeah, thanks for the help," Nate said, appreciating Freddy's friendly gesture.
"Oh yeah, tomorrow, the school is having a party for the new middle schoolers, so if you want to come, get to the school by 6:40. The parties are usually a good place to get to know everyone. It's a small school, though, so it shouldn't take long," Freddy said.
"Yeah, that sounds cool," Nate said.
"Alright, I'll see you!" Freddy said, heading back to his own house.
"Bye!" Nate said, entering his new house.
"Please don't ask about the pool, I'll call first thing in the morning," Marty said as Nate closed the door.