Hero

ADRIAN

               It had been four years since I was adopted, and I knew most English that a fifteen-year-old guy must know to understand what people are talking about, thanks to my new guardians, Samantha and Rodriguez, but mostly Samantha. I could go to school and be in the ninth grade.

               I loved Sam more than I loved Rodriguez. In fact, it was safe to say that I hated him. Rodriguez was annoying. He always tried to be nice to me, but it was only to get on my good side, which was why I hated everything about him. He didn't deserve the title of "Dad."

               I was getting ready for school when Rodriguez walked in. I scoffed.

               "Hasn't anyone ever taught you how to knock, old man?" I asked him rudely.

               "Hasn't anyone ever taught you manners?" he asked.

               "Huh?" I said, "Isn't that your job?" I put my headphones around my neck. "Look, if you came here to walk me to school, keep dreaming." He looked like he was about to get angry, but he calmed himself again and tried to smile. His smile made me cringe.

               "I only came to ask you if you can walk Antonio to school," he said.

               Antonio was five and had just gotten into kindergarten. I shouldered my bookbag and scoffed as I put my headphones onto my ears and shoved past him. As I exited the door, someone took off my headphones. I looked beside me and saw Sam and Antonio. Sam stared at me with a devilish smirk on her face. It was then that I realized that this was all a setup. Since Rodriguez and I didn't get along, they made him come into my room to ask me because if Sam had gone in, I would've said yes.

               "If you don't do it for him, then do it for me." She pat Antonio. "And your brother."

               "Fine," I said miserably, then hugged her goodbye. As I was leaving, Rodriguez stopped me. "What is it, old man?" He took something from the cabinet and tossed it to me.

               "You need to eat breakfast. You never do," he said.

               "Breakfast makes me nauseous," I told him as I stared at the front cover of the food wrapper. "What is it?" he looked at me weirdly.

               "Just read the front cover," he replied. I stared at the letters on the covering. They looked similar to the letters used in Russian, but in English, they only spelled out gibberish to me, and some of the letters were backward. I threw it on the kitchen table and opened the front door.

               "Thanks, but no thanks," I said and walked out the door. That was a close one.

               Antonio's school was next to mine, so walking him there shouldn't have been that hard. However, the last time I took him to school, the bullies made fun of me. Yet again, they always made fun of my stutter and pushed me around anyway, so this wasn't any different. Sam said never to fight anyone at school, even if they started it. I didn't even need to consider her words of warning because I promised myself four years ago that I would never fight anyone again, so I had never gotten in trouble for any fighting ever since I moved here. For fighting, that is.

               Antonio and I walked down the sidewalk in awkward silence when he looked up at me.

               "Where did you come from?" he asked.

               "Russia," I answered, still walking so he had to run a little.

               "Why don't you go back?" he asked, "This is America–"

               "Shh!" I hissed. I quickly grabbed his hand and turned around, looking behind us. I thought I heard voices.

               There it is again. I did hear voices. Those of bullies.

               "Hey, Tony..." I looked at him seriously. "We're going to take an illegal shortcut."