Chapter 20

Four weeks, three days before the fight.

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Kit's heart sank like a burning coal atop the tallest snow drift, burning and melting and burying itself deep into the lightless icy depths of the crystalline abyss where no one would see, no one would search, and no one would care. He stood there looking at and through Oscar for a moment, speechless as the first school bell rang signaling the release of students from their morning waiting areas to proceed to their classrooms and for those yet outside that they had but a few more minutes until they would be counted late. Oscar, slightly confused as to Kit's reaction, turned and ran off lest he miss his merciful chance to escape Kit's wrath, or worse, be counted among the late and risk a tardy mark against his current immaculate record. He left Kit standing silent and alone with that folded paper in his still hand.

There were no telling signs on the outside, but on the inside, something snapped within Kit. "So that's how it is then? That is how they're gonna be? FINE! I don't need them! I didn't need them before and I won't need them after!" Kit chastised himself for not seeing the signs, for not predicting this earlier; the boys had offered no retaliation at the clubhouse, but then again, they had drawn first blood, why did he think they would have stopped? Their vote to kick him out of the club was reprisal for his attack on Ernie. But his attack on Ernie was simply just a reprisal from Ernie's cloak-and-dagger move against him via Ms. Cunningham, which in turn was reprisal for his alleged aggressive attitude and general distasteful behavior, at least, so was stated by Ms. Cunningham during their talk. Bottom line, this was just another betrayal, another stab in the back, from another coward's attack! They even sent the youngest member of the club to tell him of their vote which the yellow hypocrites were too afraid to convey to him themselves; some friends they were. He would get back at them, but he would be patient, wait for them to get comfortable, but right now all he wanted was to hurt someone or break something.

Kit's mind swirled in its thoughts, emotions, and its desires and conclusions as he looked at the folded paper he held in his hand for a moment, deciding whether he wanted to open it or not when suddenly he was overtaken in such a surge of frustration and anger that he did not even see his hands as he tore the paper to shreds; the defenseless white leaf falling victim to his acute need for destruction. He couldn't even remember the moment, all he could recall was that the paper was there and then in an instant, the confetti of its remains were released from his fingers and scattered to the early spring wind; tattered and torn asunder like the various scraps of his reality that made up so short a "normal" kid's life. He watched as its remains made its way across the courtyard and school playground traveling to unknown destinations.

He wondered as he started walking toward the school entrance how his life had become so monotone and predictable and even more so why he had wanted it that way. Wake up, get dressed, go to school, come home, start work, shower, go to bed, wake up, and start all over again all while answering to some boss-lady. Was this really what comprised a normal kid's life?

Kit considered his life before the Iron Vulture when the majority of things were within his control, when he was his own boss. When he would go where he wanted and do what he wanted. Sure, there were risks and dangers and adult-appetites to beware of, but overall, he had the freedom to pick up work where he wanted and when he wanted and make money that was his without any of it being stolen from him to pay something called "taxes" or pay into a "retirement plan". He was twelve! Why did he need to think about retirement anyways?!

Kit then thought about his life now and all the endless problems, vexations, and tragedies he seemed to encounter ever since he had taken Don Karnage up on his offer. "Come join my crew" he said, "Adventure and glory wait for you!" Kit, having been swayed and tempted and tantalized by the promises of wealth and foreign lands, took his words as gold and set sail in the skies for quests untold; little did he know at the time that he had been sold a sack of lies.

Kit neared the corner of the sidewalk that surrounded the outside of the building to turn to enter the school when he had realized where he had made his mistake; he could pinpoint it to the exact second in time when it had all gone horribly wrong. Ever since he took Don Karnage's hand he had been subservient to someone, subjugated to the rules of another against his will. He had traded his freedom for the promise wealth, the potential for multiple avenues of progress in his life for the imprisonment of a single solidified near irreversible choice, sold the ability to carve his own path through life for the lazy option of having his adventures provided for by another; be that person Don Karnage, Baloo, Daring Dan, or Ms. Cunningham.

Kit had had full intention of going to class. He had had the thought in his mind to turn to enter the doors. He was going to school, but his feet were walking on autopilot and were taking him to an as of yet unknown destination. He had continued straight. He walked past the bike racks, past the cafeteria service entrance, and past the line of trees that lined the school property. Today he would begin to leave everything behind. He had been placed on this path by fate. Baloo was more or less out of his life and – be it because of the natural way of things or because Ms. Cunningham had put the idea in his head – he was finding less and less of a reason to hang on to him and the hope that he would awaken, his friends had followed suit and made their exodus as well, Ms. Cunningham was becoming more and more disenchanted by him with each passing day, and his teachers kept sending one letter of bad news home after the other. "At this point, what do I have to lose?!" He took the first steps to reverse the decision he made two years ago when he had made that deal with the red devil in disguise who took him to the heavens but had trapped him in Hell. There was more to life than grammar lessons and long division, more to life than tedious rules, routines, and walking in single file lines. And more to life than pointless club meetings with a shallow group of false-friends; even if Oscar somehow still stood apart from them. He would not turn back. He had the skills to make it on his own, to survive, to thrive and meet success! For the first time since Baloo's accident Kit smiled with joy. Like a kid leaving class on the last day of school and embracing the first afternoon of summer vacation, he was mentally casting off one burden and responsibility after another as he marched on indomitably until one thought entered his mind that gave him pause and made him reconsider his entire position on the security of his newfound cause. The smile fell from his face as his eyes widened and his heart skipped a beat with the heavy memory of what he had sworn.

"MOLLY!"

-END CHAPTER 20-