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Chapter 1

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“Where am I” ….. “Why does my head hurt?”..... Three young men hunched over the bench their faces though stained with blood each held a grin.

“Hey he’s awake!!!” One of them yelled turning to the others in excitement. More faces started to appear, all of their faces were bruised and bloody as well.

“Josh dude you gave that number 16 a good punch in the face knocked his wimpy a** right out.”

“Yea I saw him as they took him off the ice his face was real messed up”

Josh sat up from the locker room bench his green eyes closely examining his surroundings. “How the hell did I end up here?” he asked with a grunt.

“When you knocked that guy out one of his team mates came up behind you and hit you in the back of the head with his stick.”

“So naturally we whooped their asses”

“Yea it wasn’t very pretty either there was blood everywhere.” From behind Josh a door suddenly swung open letting a faint chill into the already cold locker room.

“What the hell do you think you were doing out their” yelled the familiar angry voice of Coach Jackson. “Do you know how much trouble we are in right now!?! They’re threatening to remove the team from the league!”

“But coach –“began one of the other boys.

“No buts Jacob! It’s partially your fault we’re in this predicament. If you hadn’t gone and provoked Josh he might not have taken his anger out on that boy!” The coach’s eye’s turned to Josh “And you, I’m sick of all the fight’s you’ve caused on the ice I’m benching you for the rest of the season.”

Josh tried to reply but words didn’t seem to want to form at the moment. “I can see we have an understanding then.” Josh nodded and bit his lip “crap” he thought to himself “how am I going to earn a scholarship if im benched.”

The coach turned his back and headed into a door leading to his office. “Hit the showers lady’s.” Slowly Josh sat up and rubbed his neck.

“You comin Josh?” Jacob asked with a slight grin.

“Ohh umm yeah I’ll be there in a minute man I just gotta do something first k?” Jacob nodded and went into the showers leaving Josh alone. He sat for a moment staring at the back of his bruised hands. “Maybe coach is right maybe I have been taking to many liberties with this whole Hockey thing.”

Instead of heading off to the shower’s Josh decided to leave so that he may avoid any conflicts that could result from the coach’s less then supportful speech. So he went to his locker and quickly took off his pads and jersey. Rustling his longish messy black hair out of his eyes he retrieved his things from the bottom of his locker and put them on. Though most would classify hockey players as Jocks Josh was far from it having several piercings along his ear and one on his nose he looked rather like an emo, not to mention the pair of combat boots that he regularly wore to school.

The walk from the locker room to the parking lot was a hassle having to go up the escalator then down the long hall way just to reach the entrance it was ridiculous! But it was a sacrifice that he was happy to make so that he could play, though now he was having trouble seeing how he would be able to tolerate anything now that he had been benched” He smiled to himself and pulled out his I-Pod from his back pants pocket. “What should I listen to??” He asked himself as he emerged into the large empty parking lot. A sudden vibration in his front right pocket made him jump, but realized it was just his cell phone.

“Hello” he answered in a serious tone.

“Hey Joshy I just wanted to know what you wanted for dinner.”

“Ohh umm Mom I’m just going to pick something up on my way home is that cool?” He kicked a stone on the ground out of boredom.

“But Josh you never eat the food I make anymore can’t you please just have dinner at home today?”

“Ok mom ok just make me a cheese burger or something k. See you when I get home” He sighed

“I love you honey.”

“Yea me to mom.” He hung up the phone with a snap and reached for his keys in his backpack.

Though she supported him playing hockey his mother rarely ever showed up to cheer him on at his games. But what should he expect from a woman who worked two jobs just to support him and his brother? You see Josh was only a junior in high school and barely was able to afford his car how was he going to help out with the bills and everything; he did have to have money for spur of the moment things he couldn’t just give her his whole pay check.

He clicked the car alarm disarmer and opened the passenger door to throw his crap into the seat. “So Josh how was the game? Heard we lost because you decided to get into another fight”

Josh spun on the spot a small knife sat snuggly in his closed hand. “What do you want Derrick? I told you im not going to take anymore of your s**t!” The other boy chuckled and ran his hand through his blond hair.

“And I told you that I didn’t care I was still going to kick your a** no matter what you said.” Derrick took a step forward his white Nike’s were covered in dirt and grass stains obviously he had just finished soccer practice.

“Dude why the hell do you drive all the way over here just to ******** with me? Do you not have a life or something?”

Derrick stared at Josh with a mixture of Anger and Joy. “No I just wanted to tell you that I’m going out with the new girl, you know the one I’m talking about right?”

Josh shrugged “Yes I know the one you’re talking about but why should I care?”

“Because I noticed you staring at her for the past few days and now that she’s taken I just wanted to tell you to stay away.”

Again Josh shrugged “Dude whatever I’m out, have fun with umm what’s her name again??”

“It’s Sara…” Derrick said in an angry voice “And you better stay away!”

Josh grinned and went around to the driver side door “Whatever douche bag.” He got in the car and started the engine. Why should he care anyways? She was a Preppy chick from England and he was well from Michigan there’s nothing to be said.

The drive home was boring to say the least no car accidents, no cops, nothing fun. The only semi interesting thing he saw was two dogs humping and honestly come on who enjoys watching that?!? As he pulled onto his empty street he caught a glimpse of the window into his kitchen, it was dark. “I thought mom said she was going to make dinner.”

He parked along the side walk and stepped out of the car, all the lights in the house were off. “Crap hope everything’s ok.” He walked around the car and up the driveway without a word; his mind ran wildly with ideas of murder, burglary, and other terrifying situations. As he approached the front door he fumbled in his pocket for his house keys, but when he went to put the key in the door handle he discovered it was unlocked.

Those two seconds when he walked through the door where the most terrifying of his life, besides maybe that time when-. The light’s suddenly flicked on in a blinding spectacle of yellow. “SURPISE!!!!!” what seemed like ten thousand voices yelled at the same time.

“What????... What’s going on??” he asked with hesitation. A woman he recognized as his mother drifted happily through the crowd.

“Josh!! You did it! You got into M.S.U!!!” she screamed in delight. Josh’s eyes suddenly flew open in shock.

“I GOT IN??? HAHAHA I GOT IN” he yelled happily into the crowd. “So this is why you wanted me home.” He said to his mother as he placed a kiss on her cheek.

“Yep, besides having a surprise party would allow me to be able to invite the new neighbors; you know the one’s im talking about honey don’t you?” She pointed to three people sitting in the farthest corner of the room.

Josh glanced at the three of them and quickly snapped his attention to the youngest, which was obviously their daughter. “Yea umm her name is Sara she goes to my school mom.” He looked at her again; her face was a soft white color that closely resembled vanilla with hair as yellow as the sun.

“Well why you don’t go talk to her, invite her to hang out with your group… Ohh and that reminds me Will and Susan are all up stairs on the balcony, take her up with you.” Josh nodded and walked to where the three sat.

“Umm hey umm Sara right?” She turned her head in his direction.

“Yes” she said simply.

“Umm do you want to come hang out with me and my friends upstairs?” He waited for her to respond.

“Uhh yea sure.” She said with some slight hesitation. He jerked his head in the direction of the stairs.

“My friends are upstairs I’m sure they will be happy to meet you.” Though he wasn’t really sure how they would respond to him bringing an outsider with him. See his group was one of those exclusive groups that only allow people that everyone wants to join.

Step by step they proceeded up the stairs, until they came to the upstairs sitting room which to Josh’s surprise was filled with people to! “Man my mom did invite a lot of people over don’t you think?” He asked her in surprise.

“Yes it seems kind of odd to invite so many people over just to celebrate you getting into umm what college was it again?”

“It’s Michigan State University and well for me it’s a pretty big achievement.” He stopped for a moment examining the people carefully. “Nobody I know. Come on lets go they’ll be waiting.” He walked through the sitting room and into the hallway; where at the end of the hall sat a set of draped glass doors. “Through here” He said simply, as he opened the door.

Outside the air was crisp and breezy with not a hint of cloud in the black sky. A group of chairs sat at the far end of the balcony, each filled with the dark figure of a person. “Hey guys what’s up?” Josh asked as he approached the back of one of the chairs. All at once the figure’s sprang up and surrounded him.

“Dude we heard the good news congrats!” Josh’s brother Will shouted with delight, Will was more on the nerdy side though he didn’t dress the part he would usually talk about science and other stupid things like that but all in all he was still part of the group.

“Why would you want to go to college anyways, in the end we’re just going die so what’s the point.” Spoke up an Emo looking girl to Josh’s left. She was Jacob’s sister Susan, she was also his brother’s girlfriend but he wasn’t really sure how that came about.

Josh grinned “I know you’re only saying that to cover up your jealousy.” She couldn’t help but smile,

“Yea right…” She glanced at Sara with a frown. “Who is she?”

Will nodded agreeingly “Who is she Josh your girlfriend? Ahh Joshy got a girlfriend!” Will leaned closer so that Susan couldn’t hear “If I don’t say so myself she’s pretty hot man good job.”

Josh and Sara both flushed pink and for a second their eye’s met. “We aren’t going out!” they yelled at the same time

“Right…” Will said sarcastically “Like I’m really going to believe that crap.”

Josh opened his mouth to speak but Sara quickly cut him off. “I’m going out with Derrick Masterson he’s a Junior at –“

Susan stepped forward so that she was right in front of Sara “Him you’re going out with him!!!”

Sara started to speak “What’s so wrong with-“

“Just leave now!!!”

“But what….”

“Leave now I’m warning you, leave now before I...” Susan didn’t even have to finish her sentence before a tear ridden Sara ran into the house and disappeared down the hallway.

“What the hell Susan why did you do that!?!” Josh roared at the top of his voice.

Susan glanced at Will then at him “Josh I was just-“

“You know what, whatever I’m off to bed.” Before the other two could get another word in Josh left the balcony, grumbling curse words under his breath.