A Lion's Roar

Chapter 6: Friend!?

Chapter 6: Friend!?

Hey, friends! Nick here. Alright, so Arya thinks I should tell you more about my home life and all, I know it's terribly dull, but what do you want me to do? Decline? UNTHINKABLE. XP Nah, just kidding, but as always, apparently, girls know better. So what better way to continue than to pick up where I left off? Here we gooooooooo- *Phone ringtone starts playing* Oh, I'm sorry, would you mind if I got that? Thanks. *murmured yelling*

Okay, I'm back! But I might have to go to Italy soon.

"So? How were the lessons?" Dad glanced up from the stove, grinning. I shrugged, slinging my bag onto the table. Apparently, all was forgiven since I'd gone. "They were fine, I guess." His face lit up and I smiled shakily before going upstairs to my room. Stopping, I glanced about my room. I had an attic room, not that spacious but very cosy with a sloped ceiling and two large glass windows. My bouncy mattress bed was parked opposite the windows, beside the door. Across from it sat my desk, complete with orange lava lamp, chair and laptop. Beside it stood a small cupboard containing my clothes and a bookshelf. After all this large furniture, there wasn't much space left, and the rest of the visible floor was covered in various cushions and beanbag chairs of all sizes.

I collapsed on the floor, which was less painful than you might think, given the afore said cushions. Groaning, I stretched and stood shakily, my back protesting from the many falls I had had earlier on. Inching over to my bag, I grabbed my file and plopped down at my desk, starting on my homework.

Half an hour later, at around 8:30 pm, the doorbell rang. A few seconds later, I heard the heavy slam of the door and the murmur of my father's voice. "Nick! Alex's here!" I pushed my chair back and ran over to my door, yanking it open just in time to see a blurred shape barrel into my room and land on the one spot on my floor without cushions. It got up and groaned, gasping as it held its chest. "I swear you always seem to clear my landing spot of cushions! Ow..." I grinned wryly. "Nice to see you too, Al."

Alex, or Al, as I liked to call him, had been my only friend here at this deserted town. I usually didn't bother making friends because I'd be moving away and would have to leave them in less than 2 months. It always caused more pain than it was worth, or so I thought. But Alex was different. Dad had promised that we wouldn't move for at least 6 months to a full year, so I branched out a bit more, did more to get a real friend.

I had met Alex at a fair in a city near the town. We had just moved in during late autumn and as a "treat", my father was taking me to the fair in the nearest city. Most of the residents went to the city during the weekend to have fun as the town was so small it could barely fit a supermarket, let alone an entertainment centre.

~Recount~

I grinned, running down the lane towards the loud and musical fair. As I reached the entrance, a burly attendant crossed his arms and blocked the doorway, wrinkling his nose and glaring down at me. But eventually, my father arrived and soothed the man with the entrance fee.

I raced into the wonderfully lit, loud fair, in a whirlwind of delight. After eating some cotton candy and going on some rides, I spotted a row of games and sprinted over to the rifle one, ignoring the kiddy fishing games.

"Aha!" I glanced up at my father, who smirked at me. Grinning at him, I turned back to the rifle game. The wizened owner gave me a toothless smile and murmured unintelligible words, holding out a toy rifle. Grabbing it, I pointed it at the target. The initially heavy and clunky rifle seemed to lighten and and mould into my hand. Aiming carefully, I took a quick glance over at the wizened old man. Then I shot twice and each one landed near to the bullseye. Frowning, I hefted the rifle and in my mind's eye shot the bullseye. BLAM. I grinned from ear to ear as the old man gaped and then growled at me, gesturing to the top row of prizes.

"Where to next, Nick?" My father glanced down at me, smiling. I smiled and shrugged. Looking up, I grinned. That was the one good thing about the bad weather in England. Snow!!

I spun about and stumbled, staring into the white-speckled gray and blue sky. Chuckling, my father rolled his eyes, clapping a hand on my shoulder. "Hey Nick, it's getting cold, I'm gonna get one of those warm wine drink things." I nodded and continued wandering around the fair, enraptured by the snow, which made everything seem magical. Suddenly, I heard voices coming from an alley between two tents. Curious, I walked over and peered in.

Two hulking boys were standing over a much smaller, scrawny boy. They grabbed his coat, ripped it off, tossed it into the snow and stamped on it. As I watched, they kicked him several times and then pulled him up, smashing his head against the brick wall of the alley and sucker-punching him in the gut. When they let go, he slid to the ground like a crumpled ragdoll and lay there, groaning in pain.

Sighing, I weighed my options. I could walk away unscathed and unnoticed, or I could try to intervene, fail and get beaten up. Meh.

Call me a sucker for "heroics", but I decided to go for it. Picking up a handful of snow, I packed it into a snowball.

Hey guys,

Hoped you liked it. I just want to apologise, my phone was stolen (this is true) and all the 'recordings' and stuff I've already written was all on it. I didn't back it up on the computer so it's all gone and I'll have to re-write it... Sorry... :'0( This chapter is only half of the original, it was way too long and I haven't finished the ending yet.

Also, I'll be posting random songs on the side per Nicholas's request so look out for them, they're his favourite songs. They may not be related to the chapter (in fact most of them won't be) but you should listen to them...Your choice.

~R