PROLOGUE
"Get Out!! GET OUT!!" The boy scurried outside at the sound of the screech, the screen door slamming behind him as he shivered on the porch. His parents, such as they were, were spending the night as they usually did: doing drugs, fighting with each other, and causing general mayhem--normally cast in the direction of the small boy, currently hiding on the porch.
"August!! Psst!! PSSST!" Another boy hissed from the front of the steps, and August grinned, the shivering slowing momentarily. "Porter! Whatcha' doin, man?" The two kids high fived, and Porter shook his blond shaggy hair from his eyes. "The rest of the gang is waiting for you, dude...wait, you okay?" Porter's eyes slitted, anger passing over his young face. August had a red slap mark on his cheek, from where his mother had slapped him when he asked for pocket money to pay for lunch at school. "yeah, I'm fine. It's no biggie. But look what I got!" August showed Porter the change in his hand, and forced a toothy smile to his face. You see, August only asked out of desperation--the rest he lifted from his dad's wallet, usually carelessly thrown on an end table, after a long day of lounging around bars and losing money. "Cool!! Billy's got some change from...well, from wherever he g--" "Forget it. I know he sells," August interrupted, a combination of disappointment and disgust on his face. "Let's just go meet the gang--maybe we have a enough money to play some games in the arcade, and stay the night."
They met Billy and the rest of the gang at the Arcade; trading coins and high fives, they figured out they'd be able to crash in the back for a couple of nights. Unbeknownst to the adults in the area, the street kids were frequent flyers at the Arcade, as the old man who ran it allowed some of the boys to stay there--for a fee. He'd accept anything--coin, drugs, even the occasional slave labor from teens on the run--and allow them to sleep in the back. Rumor had it, he'd probably allow them to sleep back there regardless, but the kids wouldn't take "no charity", though, so he was forced to take payment.
The little gang had just enough money to pay the old man, and a little more to play some games, so they all went inside the warm store. Bright lights flashed in their faces, and August grabbed Porter by the arm, and dragged him to their favorite zombie hunting game. The Old Man, watching from his perch, noticed August and Porter, and saw their followers tagging along--he gave a forlorn sigh, and meandered over to where they stood, watching August and Porter blast Zombies away like they didn't have a care in the world. "Lookin' to stay, boys? I got the room." One of the gang, probably Max, nodded and handed their payment--a little over four dollars, and all the had in the world. Billy was trustworthy, and handled the money with care--which is why they let Billy gather it, before entering their little haven.
The Old Man sighed--he would, somehow, be giving it back to these boys before the night was over, but he had the supreme responsibility to do it without anyone noticing--they were full of pride, these boys. He nodded at Max, and pointed to the small room in the back. Max shot August a look, and, as soon as August was finished with his game, they all traipsed into the room. Cots and food filled the "small room", and while there were no windows and only a small light to navigate by, there was a bathroom right off the room, with a small tub/shower and a toilet. "It's not a palace, boys, but it'll do for the next couple of nights. Billy, I'd like to talk to you for a minute. Boys, get settled in," August announced, dragging Billy by the arm to the corner of the room. August was the Defacto leader of their little group, and disliked having anything to do with drugs.
"Billy, how've you been?? I've been noticin' you having quite a bit of money lately," August implied, raising his eyebrow and staring Billy down. Billy squirmed. Despite being a few inches shorter than Billy (Billy was going to be a tall man, and as a boy, already reached at least 5, ') August was intimidating, with his sharp grey eyes missing nothing, and his keen mind picking up on things no 10 year old boy should. "August, ya know I don't have much money, and--" "We don't deal, Billy. You know this. I don't wanna kick you outta the group, but I will if I have to. Who's got you on the hook?" "Nobody! I swear. Listen, I already told Big Nick I was done, and...well, I mentioned you. He believed me, and let me off the hook. Told me to tell you hi, and asked..well, he asked me if you needed anything. Do you?" Billy peered down at August, the question hanging in the air between them. "No." August's answer was short and sweet. --DEVELOP OR KILL THIS PLOT LINE, BUT DON'T LEAVE IT HERE.
Later, when the rest of the boys' were in their cots for the night, Porter looked over at August, and asked, "When you grow up, what do you want to be?" August looked at Porter, and said, almost as an afterthought, "I want to be successful. And once I am, I'm gonna take all of you with me."
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
-------------------------------------------------6 YEARS LATER--------------------------------------------
CATHERINE
Catherine Inghram held back a frustrated sigh, pausing in front of her locker to paw through her bookbag. "Dammit, where is it?? I can't BELIEVE I forgot it..." she muttered to herself. She had forgotten an important paper she had finished last night, the first of many assignments given in the beginning of the semester in her AP English course. "Hey, girl!! Finish that essay for Mccullogh?? It was such a bitch to finish it in a short amount of time...hey, what's wrong??" Ava, Catherine's best friend, stood in front of her, concern written across her face. Catherine stood up, and with both hands in fists on her hips, exclaimed, "I forgot the darn thing at home. What am I supposed to do now?? I spent all NIGHT working on it, and I just don't know what to do!" "Ap English isn't until 6th period, right??" Ava soothed, "you can get it from your house before you need it. Is there anyone you know that can give you a ride?? My older brother has the car, so don't ask me," she finished hastily, waving her hands around, looking apologetic. Catherine drooped, her eyes falling to the floor as she thought. Ava was the only one she knew in her expansive friend group that had access to a car, and--
"Maybe I can help?" A deep voice broke through her haze of thoughts, and her head snapped up to stare at the boy leaning on a set of lockers across the hall. Tall and lean, his long black hair contrasted with the green eyes set in a handsome, angular face. She gulped--Catherine had little to no interaction with the opposite sex, barring her older brother and father, and they certainly did NOT count--this was a little out of her experience. "Um, no August, she doesn't want your help," Ava butted in, turning her shocked gaze onto Catherine, "she's fine. Really, we--" "Sure, yeah. Whatever's good for you," she said flippantly. Catherine tried to be cool about the offer, but that ended as soon as she tripped over a binder she left on the floor, and fell against Ava.
"Hey, you okay?? Don't break your neck, geez!" August chuckled, white teeth flashing against a tan face. “Hey, maybe I can get you lunch, on the way to..whatever it is you need doing?” Catherine blinked, staring at August. She barely knew him, only speaking to him to ask him to pass a pencil in class, or to whisper, "excuse me", as she hustled past him. He'd always been quiet, but girls flocked to him like piranhas on the kill. She'd never thought she was close to his league, or anyones, for that matter, and hardly reacted to his presence. "No, I--I can't, I'm sorry. Maybe I can buy you a--" she stammered, shock flushing her face a bright red, to her utter embarrassment. "Look, I was kidding, it's fine. So, after lunch, I bring you to your house, or wherever? I need to stop by somewhere else, anyway, so it works out." "Yeah, thanks, of course," she stated, her gaze trained on the floor, waves of utter mortification flying through her. Of COURSE he didn't want to date her, she scolded herself. Don’t worry, she thought, he’s just being nice. He didn’t notice you anyway. How could he?
She was wrong, however. He'd noticed her.
AUGUST
He watched as she ambled down the hallway, practically being herded away by her friend, who kept shooting him venomous looks. August knew who he was, and wasn't ashamed of it--and he thought of the gorgeous brunette who needed his help. And then remembered with sudden clarity that he hadn't told her where to meet him. Shit, he thought, going to follow. "Yo, August! Whattup??" A loud voice broke through the haze of heat that was thrumming down his body, and he turned around to see the boy that matched it. The blonde hair was longer now, and covered a face that was constantly covered by a grin. "Porter, hey. Look, I need--" "OOhhh girls, huh?? who are they, what're their names, where are we going to--" Porter interrupted August with a wink and a nudge, and August rolled his eyes. "Yeah, actually, I was going to help this girl out, so...I can't meet you at Mac's today to help with that engine. I need to drop something off on the way to her house before we have sixth period, and--" "Dude, that's not cool!! We told each other we would try again, and you keep bailing!" Porter whinded, making a pouty face, which made August shake his head with a chuckle. Porter sighed, knowing his best friend wasn't telling him everything--something that wasn't altogether surprising. August didn't tell Porter everything when it came to his slight...obsession, that was currently walking down the hallway. Porter tilted his head at the fading forms, and said, "Catherinee, huh?? Still got that--wait, she's the one you're helping?? DUDE!! Dude." Porter started bouncing, and August rolled his eyes again--Porter was ridiculous. "Yes, yes, I know. She needs help. That's all...unfortunately," he muttered. Porter looked at August, aghast. “But things could change between y’all, right? I mean, that’s the point, isn’t it?” Porter wagged his eyebrows up and down, and August rolled his eyes. Then, without a word, he took off to find her.
Catherie Inghram. She was quiet, naive, and had a certain air about her that drew him towards her. Sure, normally he liked his girls a little...tougher, angier. Something like him. But ever since he saw her in the library the other day, he couldn’t really think about anything else.