I Am Orthrus

Chapter 5: An Unexpected Meeting

I opened my eyes up and stared at the clock. 6:50 AM. Fuck! I sprang out of bed got dressed as I brushed my teeth then ran downstairs to eat some form of breakfast. My mom was sitting on the couch in the living room.
"Morning sweetie I'm doing laundry today so get your hamper ready."
"Sure thing mom." I said as I gourged down an unheated Poptart. When I was finished eating I went upstairs to go bring my hamper down. I almost was a complete idiot. I took out the shirt and cloak and threw them in my backpack for me to wash myself later. I put on my backpack and brought my hamper down into the living room.
I gave my mother a kiss on the cheek.
"Bye mom love you."
"Love you too have a good day."
I went out the door of the complex we live in and then sprinted to school. I sat down for first period right as the bell rang.
"Not late!" I shouted as I slammed both hands onto the desk.
Our homeroom teacher Mr. Huntsingers looked up from his desk and pushed up his glasses.
"No Mr. Lewis I guess your not late today. Now can you please quiet down so that I can take attendance?"
"Sorry Mister H no problem."
I drew a bit while he went through the list of names then when he got to me made a wise remark that we were just talking before so I guess I'm here. Everybody started to laugh and giggle. I could never tell if they were laughing from me or at me. The announcements sprung on.
"Good morning Mapple Middle School! How are we all doing today? Please rise for the pledge of allegiance." We all stood up placed our hand on our hearts and did the pledge then we all sat down and listened to see if there was anything good.
"There will be an assembly second period in the gymnasium, we have a fundraiser to try and raise money for some new bleachers for our students. We are having an indoor lunch today and as always school will dismiss at 2:31, that is all for today thank you."
The announcements clicked off. Ooo an assembly. I wonder what its about?  The bell rang and History Class began.
Mr. H began lecturing on the importance of the American Revolutionary War. I was able to nap through it because we had already learned this last year and I still had the notes. I began thinking of more important matters like the elephant in the room from yesterday. I got stabbed. More importantly I got stabbed through a material thats supposed to be invincible. I looked left then right. No one seems to be looking. I put my backpack onto my lap and unzipped the front zipper. I gazed into the bag. The shirt was totaled. The tear had to be at least a foot wide. The one wing on the back somehow was untouched though. I reached my hand into the bag to feel the shirt when a gentle hand tapped me on the shoulder.
I quickly zipped up the bag and turned around.
I looked them in the eye. Its just Gaby that's a relief.
"Dude what are you doing with your head down in your bag people are going to think your doing hard drugs in there."
"Yeah sorry. We'll talk later.
"Now can anyone tell me what the British Army was called during the Revolutionary War?"
His eyes grazed around the room he stopped on a girl with wavy blondeish hair and glasses.
"Kat." He pointed to her.
"Um, I think they were called Redcoats."
"Yes they were! Nice work Kat." Mr H went on with his lesson.
Why does she get called by her first name? I don't know why but man I hate that girl. Next question I got my moment of glory.
"Correct Mr. Lewis."
Do you see what I mean? How hard is it to call me Kain? It's way less syllables I mean come on! At this point your doing it just to piss me off! The bell rang. Well I guess it's assembly time. I got up from my desk and we all walked as a class to the gym to the left of me was Gaby. To the right of me was the kid from Rite Aid, Jovonni and next to him was Kat from before. Kat is also friends with Jovonni huh? Well Kat did Jovonni inspire you to use your powers for good? No he didn't! Well he didn't directly tell me to either but hey I have powers so.....what! Sorry I have an inferiority complex.
The principal Mr. Bard walked up to the podium as everyone around clapped until he got there. He tapped the microphone twice.
"Check one, check two. Hello? Is this thing on? Hello MMS welcome! Now I'm sure your all wondering why your all here today. Is it going to be entertaining? Are the police coming to speak with you guys about drugs? Is the father of a sucide victim going to come up here and talk to you guys? Well not today, today is about spirit. Togetherness and pride. You are all exceptional students and we've loved having you these past two years." He paused and coughed.
"Sorry, I have a bit of a cold. Where was I?"
I don't like where this is going.
"Though today we are here to celebrate those of you who are above exceptional. I am speaking of course of the ten students who will be representing our school during the next Excellency Exam!"
Everyone stood up and clapped I got up and did the same to avoid drawing attention. Even though on the inside I was absolutely terrified of where this might go.
"Settle down, settle down contain yourselves. Now to introduce our students who will be taking the exam."
He lifted up a small stack of cue cards from the podium and cleared his throat.
"First up we have.....Ms. Rebecca Taylors!"
Rebecca Taylors classic perfectionist. Gymnast, Class President, Cheer Captain, and Debate Team Champion. Not surprised she would be into this sort of thing. The crowds reaction was obvious.
"Whooooooo! RT, RT, RT!"
The crowd was going nuts. She gave a fake embarrassed smile and walked down the bleachers waving to people as she descended. She jogged flamboyantly until she was beside the podium. Mr. Bard shook her hand and she stood where the line would start to form.
"Alright outstanding now I think it's only right that we bring these two up here at the same time don't you? I'm talking of course about Tim and Tom Dakota!"
The two black haired boys stood up and took a bow. The responce from the audience was even louder. Tim and Tom Dakota theater nerds they sing, dance, and win the talent show every year. They even beat me when I did a magic show. With real magic!
They each took one hand when it was time to shake Mr. Bard's hand and then completely in sync lined up to the side of Rebecca.
"Outstanding! Love the enthusiasm next we have a young woman with a very similar name Miss Dakota Valentine!"
Even I clapped for this one that girl is that cool. She's Gaby s best friend and is one of Gabys only friends that says hanging out with me isn't social suicide. She even gave me a ride home once. She shook his hand with both of hers then walked with an actual nervous smile next to Tim.
"Who doesn't love this girl? Now we have the proclaimed coolest kid in town it's Mister Kristen Bark!" All the guys in the room stood up and began barking. Great we have a stoner to represent perfection great message for the kids. He stumbled up and raised up his arm to do the symbol of the panther. He walked up next to Dakota and started flirting with her. She rolled her eyes and Gaby mouthed the words sorry. Dakota then made a gun with her hand and pretended to shoot herself.
"Halfway there halfway there so Samantha Violet come on up here." Samantha just got up and smiled shes a jerk but at least she doesn't show off. Her applause was small but audible.
"Now that one was a bit to quite but I'm sure this one will change the mood Crystal Moone you are number six!"
The room exploded like dynamite with applause my ears were ringing from all the noise I felt like a soldier that had just got back from Nam. She was the what people call the pretty and popular one but Gab and I just call her a bitch. She is such an asshole to everyone it's not even funny. She thinks just because she looks good shes better than everyone else. She walked up and kissed Mr. Bard on the cheek. He blushed as she skipped until she was next to Samantha. The two high fived then attention was drawn back to Mr. Bard.
"Of course he was going to be on here our MMS quarterback and boxing 2 year boxing champion Bobby Dawson!"
Everyone went crazy another stick of dynamite had just went off in the crowd girls go crazy for him and most guys want to be him. He's also the textbook definition of a jock. Except for his 110 IQ.
He chest bumped Mr. Bard.
"For MMS!" He shouted the crowd uproared with excitement.
"Now I'm happy that I'm not the one who picks our student representatives for the competition because otherwise one of your the most deserving students wouldn't have the chance to show you what he can do. Ladies and gentlemen my son and your current national boxing champion. Zack Powers Bard!"
A nuke had just went off in my ear I didn't even realize this level of noise was even apart of the sound spectrum. Lewis went over and hugged his dad.
"Thanks pop." With tears in his eyes he stood next to Bobby.
"Now unfortunately that's all we have....."
Oh no I said quiet.
"Until yesterday......"
Damn you Ms. Wilson!
"Joining as our final member is a young man with little to show for but it turns out he wasn't showing us at all what he can do. Looking at things outside of school."
They can legally do that?
"He has an IQ of 135, he once repaired the whole town's computer grid."
Only the cops know about that! I told them I'd cut the price in half if they kept quiet! I am so charging them the extra 200!
"Our diamond in the rough the boy Kain Ambrosias Lewis!" I thought that Zack's was bad? Mine must of been at least ten little boys going off right next to my ear. I held my head down in shame with my hands on my ears.
"Come on Kain don't be shy get down here!" He said enthusiastically.
The first time the school uses my real name and I want to kill myself. I'd rather be stabbed again. I slowly stood up then trotted down the bleachers with my head down. Everyone was looking at over 300 people's attention was only on me. I'd rather get stabbed again. Social Anxiety is not my friend right now.
I finally got to the podium, Mr. Bard held out his hand for me to shake it. I grabbed it tightly and looked up at him with a hint of orange in my eyes.
"That's quite a grip you got there sport mind loosening the cuffs."
I blinked a bit and let go.
"Yeah sorry."
I nervously with my head dangling downward with my hands in my pockets. I stood next to Lewis.
"Hey man congrats I didn't know you had it in you."
Lewis whispered to me.
I whispered back.
"Yeah believe me neither did I."
He bro punched me in the shoulder.
"We'll talk later."
"Ladies and gentlemen your Excellency Exam Representatives!"
We all joined hands and took a bow.
I stood next to Bard who stood next to Bobby who stood Crystal who stood next to Sam who stood next to Kristen who stood next to Dakota who stood next to the twins who stood next to Rebecca. Oh great now I'm going to be forced to be friends with these people.
We all got dismissed back to class it was fourth period and for the rest of the day I had a whole pity army following me around. Congratulating me. Their were guys smacking my ass there were girls grabbing my arms. Lunch was the worst they tried to yank me from my loner table. Then eventually they just all sat down at my loner table! They invaded the loner table! Gaby was just across the room laughing and I don't think Jovonni is in my lunch because if he was I'm sure he would have bailed me out by now. Finally when I heard that sweet applause like sound that is the bell at 2:31 I never ran out of a place so fast. As I slammed open the doors Dakota was waiting for me on the steps. She had earbuds plugged into a laptop but when she saw me she took the earbuds out.
"Hey." She said.
God dammit human interaction? Okay Kain you got this.
"Hey Dakota whats up?"
She put her laptop into her bookbag and stood up.
"Oh nothing much, just excited to follow in my sister's footsteps and you know maybe even beat her."
I let out a bit of an awkward laugh.
"Yeah I know what you mean."
"Oh you have siblings?" She asked.
"No"
"Then how do you know what I mean?"
I pushed up my glasses.
"I uh, once had a 3 day marathon of Malcolm In The Middle."
"Oh well then that explains everything."
"Yeah."
I have about maybe six minutes of proper speech left before social anxiety takes over and I start acting like even more of a fool.
"Hey so since I'm going to have to dedicate the next five years to a diet I'm going to go get some pizza want to come?"
Now this is the moment where the nerdy guy runs off with the cool girl and have a really akward date but not really a date. This however is my story so I did the Kain thing.
"No thanks, bye!" I sprinted off to the laundry mat sowed up my uniform then through it in the public washing machine. You know whats terrifying? Washing your super hero costume in public. One old lady even looked up from her paper and looked at my load.
"Whats with the getup?"
I had to think quick.
"Its uh, steampunk cosplay."
"It fucking sucks."
"Thanks for the advice." It beeped I through it in the dryer then once it was done changed into my suit on the roof. Today has been a very stressful day I heard someone painted a wing on the sidewalk where I took down Sam Damian that will bring my spirits up. I went to the jewerly store and when I got to the jewelry store the rumors were true! Someone had drawn my exact logo on the sidewalk.
This means something. Orthrus means something to people. I mean something to people.
Then I took an arrow to the knee. Good thing I was already kneeling.
I saw a small blur of red duck behind a car. A few seconds later he crawled up onto the top of the car.
"Stop right there!" Squealed a high pitched voice that was trying way to hard to be intimidating.
I recognized him when I looked up in front of was Killer X Maples local vigilante.
"Its a pleasure to finally meet you."
"Don't compliment me!"
"Um okay, so uh what's up?"
"You need to stopppppp!"
I looked at him how I do everyone confused as hell.
"Stop what?"
"You've got to stop doing this. I've got this under control and theres only room for one hero in Maple!"
"Um, I actually don't work around Maple anymore I'm actually currently keeping demons from entering back into the real world."
"Oh...."
He began to tear up.
"Well uh... fuck you then."
Then some kid with black hair and sunglasses pedaled up on a bike.
"Lets go Mel!"
Then he rode off into the sunset.
Man this has been a weird day.