I sigh.

I'm in the back of the church, while the rest of my family is sitting in the front pews. They want me to join them, but I refuse. I need time to think. I'm a little shaken. After all, it was quite sudden.

You see, my parents were found, cut to pieces, in a filing cabinet. That may sound weird, but it gets weirder. On the filing cabinet was a little slip that read, "We Killed These Guys For No Reason". Crazy, right?

Now, I know what you're thinking, I should be sad. Honestly, I'm not really. My parents never had time for me. They hired a nanny to watch me most of the time. And even the nanny paid no attention to me. She was too busy sleeping and snoring.

So I had to fend for myself.

That didn't go so well for me, though.

I had to learn how to talk, and walk at school. Oh. And I was potty trained there. So it was pretty horrible. My childhood was definitely not the "Golden Age" of my life.

Anyway, now I'm sitting in the back of the church, wishing that life with my parents had been different. I just wish that they had let me have a little more fun in my life. I was always home, and I wasn't allowed to leave unless I asked three weeks in advance. Unfortunately, no parties are planned three weeks ahead.

So I was always at home. I just hung out at the shooting range and the gym day after day. I got ripped, but still my life was terrible. I never even really had a girlfriend. No girl wants to date a guy who isn't allowed to use his license.

There was that one girl, I guess, but we weren't dating. She just snuck in through the window that one night. She did me hard, left me really sore, then left. I haven't seen much of her since then. But man, I am never ever going to pull that again.

I'm in love with someone else, anyway. Ashtyn. Ashtyn Kale. The most beautiful, sexy, wonderful, stunning---well, you get the picture. I love her with all my heart, but we can---could never be. I mean, my parents were always standing in my way. But now that they're gone, maybe I have a chance.

Oh who am I kidding?

Anyway, my life is so boring. And now I have billions of dollars to do whatever I want with. Did I forget to mention that my parents were rich? Ohhh yes. Very rich. 

Blech. But what am I going to do with all that money? Bathe?

Probably. But what am I going to do after that?

I shift my gaze over to my left to see Ashtyn approaching me.

"Hey," I say casually as she plops beside me.

"Are you okay?"

"I am, I think," I say quietly.

She smiles. "You want to talk about it?"

"Outside."

__________________________________________________________

"I haven't done anything fun my entire life!"

"What about that one time when you snuck out of the house and went to that party?"

I look at her. "Oh yeah. That wasn't a good day for me."

"Why not?"

"Remember the cheese cake?"

"Oh yeah," Ashtyn says with a horrified look on her face. "That was all over the papers."

"Yeah, in more ways than one."

Ashtyn shakes it off. "But seriously, you've had some good times in your life."

"Maybe a few, but my life has never had any adrenaline pumping moments. I need to get out there and do something. I want to feel challenged."

Ashtyn shrugs. "Well, I wouldn't know anything about that."

"I just need to make a name for myself. I need to go out into the world and say, 'I'm Kevin White. And I kick ass!'"

Ashtyn frowns. "Everyone already knows your name."

"I don't want to be known as 'Kevin White, the cheesecake man.'"

"Then what do you want to be known for?"

I smile. "Kevin White, the guy who saved the city."

"From what?!" Ashtyn asked incredulously.

"Crime," I say, suddenly getting an idea.

Ashtyn laughs. "You? You're going to join the police?"

"No, no, too much work. Too many rules. Not enough action."

"What are you going to do then?"

I look at her. "Meet me tomorrow at my house."

"Why?"

"Just do it. I gotta go."

I stand and start to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"I have to find someone."

"Who?"

I sigh. "I need to find Matthew Geller."

"That one freak with one eye?!"

"Yeah, that one."

"Why?"

"I'll explain tomorrow."

I start to sprint away. I stop. I turn to her. "Oh, and could you go see an old friend of mine for me? They could be useful."

"Who?"

"Sierra Rodriguez."

"Didn't she do you or something?"

I gulped. "Yeah...she...hurt me..."

Ashtyn smirked. 

"Go find her, and tell her to meet us at my house tomorrow too, alright?"

She nodded. "I don't understand though."

"You will!"

I ran away, knowing that my entire life was about to change.

And it did.

RATE THIS CHAPTER!

Author guidance for This exercise