Chapter 1

                For me, this all started where most doomed relationships start, high school. Nolan and I had been acquaintances for most of our sentence, but to say we were actual friends would be a stretch. That is how I lived my life in its earlier years, everything and everyone was so close, but separate. High school was like a visit to the aquarium, in my eyes. It wasn’t until Adam came along that I finally decided to hop in the water. That was Adam’s nature, to draw you in. He had that effect on everyone, and yet I’d never met anyone more truly alone. Life is funny like that.

                I’ll never forget the first-time Adam saved my life. Kids do dumb s**t in high school, and I was no different. One afternoon when we were left unattended in class I decided to do some ceiling exploration, and by that I mean shoving classroom items above the foam tiles. 

You know I just realized those foam tiles have been following me my whole life. No matter how many pencils I rocketed into them, they kept quiet, waiting for the perfect time for revenge. Years later, every day at in my office I could feel them closing in on me, just waiting for the right moment to collapse. Now that I think about it, maybe they were the cause of my fall that day in school. 

Just as I was throwing the last textbook in and about to close the tile, my chair gave way and sent me on a headfirst collision to the ground. Adam’s hands caught my hand just before I ate it. He looked at me with that sideways grin and said, “you lucky b*****d.”  In hindsight, I’d probably been better off eating the floor right then.

                

The two of us became more than friends from that day on, we were brothers. Brothers forged in the field of battle.

               

Nolan came from a different background than us both, we used to joke and say he came from the Upper-west side of our tiny little town, though he never acted the part. He had such a chilling vibe about him, so calm that it was unsettling for the rest of us. Anyway, it didn’t take long for Adam to bring us all together, and just in the nick of time. Soon it would prove to be the greatest test we would ever face, it would shape us to our very core. We were graduating.

                

Adam used to say to me, “you think we’ll look back and wish we were still here?” To which I usually replied, “If that ever happens, kill me.” We were all ready to break free from our 12 year restraints. Though, I know it was unsettling for Adam. Change always was. G-day finally came, and all I can remember to this day and running full sprint down the halls of that blissful arena. I could hear the celebration of the entire school following behind me. And that’s where I wanted it to stay.

Author's Note

What do you think of the first chapter?