Random short stories

Story Number One

"Ding. Ding. Ding"

Finally, that day was over. I can go home and make a cup of tea and sit on the couch doing nothing but read. I have to quickly run to my locker to grab my books. On the way there I hear a voice.

"Hey, Jesse! What are you doing? I thought you were going to let me beat you up after school. After all, it's Friday!" Drake. I despise him. Since grade school, he's been picking on me for being a geek, and liking books and movies more than people. For wearing glasses. For just about anything really. Today, I guess, isn't going to be much different. But I just keep walking, wishing, praying, for him to just leave me alone. When I get to my locker I open it as fast as I can and grab my textbooks. English? Check. Math? Check. Science? Che- wait a second, it's not in my locker. Oh crap, I must have left it in the library when I had study hall.

"Ugh! why me? I just want to go home!" I say accidentally out loud. Just great, now everybody is looking at me thinking I'm a lunatic. I quickly gather my books in my arms and slam my locker shut to turn to go back to the library to find my book when I'm met with a face. A nasty, smirking, freckled, face that belongs to Drake.

"Hiya Jesse, where you off to?" He says in his annoying voice that makes me want to throw up. I can't imagine he has anything better to do than harass me.

"The library," I answer standing tall. I was sick of his crap and wanted it to end. Soon.

"Why? So you can go and read more of those silly books and hide away in your little world where dragons rule the world and everything can happen?" He says trying to intimidate me. Well, guess what buddy. It ain't working today.

"Actually, I have to go and get my science textbook and study for the final so I can pass. Unlike you who will most likely be repeating the grade. Again." I say pushing past him.

"Whatever. Dorkzilla." He said swiveling around on his heel.

"I'll meet you outside! Then the fun begins." He yelled after me. But by this time I was already down the hall.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Peace. Peace and quiet. That's why I love libraries so much. And the smell of books. I go up to the librarian and she immediately notices me.

"Hey Jesse, looking for a new book?" She says looking up from her stack of books she's looking over for damage before she puts them back on the shelves.

"No Miss, I was wondering if you by any chance had found a science book where I usually sit," I say gesturing to the now closed doors that separate the non-fiction from the fiction books.

"hmm, can't say that I have, but we can take a look if you'd like," she says standing up and walking around the desk.

"yes, please. Thank you, miss." I say as I follow her to the doors and she unlocks one. you see, the library is usually closed after school on Fridays but she lets me stay for a bit and help out or study if needed. I don't have many friends, well friends that live anywhere close, and I spend most of my spare time at the public library or this one so all the library staff knows who I am and trusts me enough to help out. We walk through the doors and I walk directly to the table by the big window that I sit at everyday and spot my book on the floor.

"There it is" I say picking it up and examining it.

"Good. I'm glad it wasn't stolen." the librarian says and starts to walk out. I follow her, thank her for letting me get it, and leave.

As I walk to the west door by the choir room I think about taking another way home. But I eventually decide against it. I continue to walk and think about the new season of Sherlock and what will happen during it. It will probably end in an entire fandom crying and in the fetal position on the floor, but at least we finally get a new season!

I'm almost there and I slow down, regretting not taking a different path. But I need to face my fears and stand up to Drake. I continue walking in the almost empty hallway and head for the door. As I push it open I expect Drake to be waiting for me right outside the door, but he isn't. 'maybe he got tired of waiting, or found someone else to bug' I think, but I don't believe it one bit. I start walking home when I hear footsteps along the path.

"Hey Jesse, leaving so soon?" Drake. Why does he have to torment me? I continue to walk trying to ignore the feet running after me but I am interrupted when someone pushes me onto the concrete, scattering my books all over and scraping my palms and knees.

"Why you running, dork?" Drake says leaning over me with a sly grin on his face.

"What do we have here?" he says picking up one of my books, which I recognize as The Two Towers, by J. R. R. Tolkien. I've read it god knows how many times, but I am reading it again because he writes amazing books and The Two Towers is my favourite.

"Another one of your dragon books, eh?" he says flipping through the pages not paying attention to any of it.

"Actually," I say standing up "It is a book about middle earth and all the beings in it. Including, Elves. They are all very wise and intelligent, amongst them an elf prince. Legolas, son of Thranduil, who is an even more intelligent elf than his son. But of course, you would not know anything of intelligence, since, in order to know it, you must have it." I say standing tall, ready for a blow to my face or stomach. And to no surprise, it comes. I once again fall over on my hand and knees feeling the pain in my gut from the impact. I cough up a bit of blood. He may just be a bully, but man, the guy can hit. I open my eyes after coughing and see a book next to me on the ground. It's my science book.

"Get up you pathetic, little, dork" Drake yells at me. "You don't have any friends, you can't even get any so you surround yourself in these books!" He continues to yell.

"You are just a worthless piece of filth that nobody cares about. You don't even have a dad!"

That was the last straw. My father died of lung cancer two years ago and I have never gotten over it. He was noble, he had fought in a war. Drake was standing over me with a smug look on his face. I couldn't see it, but I knew it was there. Before I realized what was happening I picked up my science textbook and swung it as hard as I could at Drake, knocking him out and giving him a bloody nose. I then quickly gathered my books, including The Two Towers and my science book and ran home leaving Drake on the ground in the cold November air.