Starving

While walking causually and built around the assumption that he was in for a mediocre day did he then spot him. Far away enough so that the guy wouldn't see him but enough so that Zac could get a really good look at him and see him as the now well built man that had so many years before been a skrawny and unexplainably strong kid. A kid so it seemed that got his kicks out of bullying other kids because they showed some skill in life that meant in later life they wouldn't be offering fries to customers or being fired from every job for 'not being what we're looking for'. Yes it seemed Nathan was against all forms of talent; a revolutionary for the dim-witted and slow-minded who had no ideas of their own on how to solve that 'brain' problem. Nathan knew his calling: he had to destroy them all.
Now Zac wasn't exaclty the most popular of kids when he was younger; being that he was always accused of hanging out with his older brother's friends or just not striking up enough conversation to be a team-player. He was good with his friends though and none of them had any problem with his weird tendencies to actually like music and try to get them all to explore the haunted barns only to chicken out himself and hear them all scream from inside with a smile on his face. He was a nice guy and a good friend.
This did not stop Nathan from any of his schemes to destroy childhood happiness of those who ticked him off and so Zac was one of the kids who found himself creeping away whenever he saw Nathan coming. It would have been easy to tell his family what was going on; but it seemed strange to draw so much attention to such a small problem as getting fresh bruises and being taunted all the time. His friends thought he was tough because he didn't fight back much. Truth was; he didn't want to. He was the calm Budda in a battle against the cold fury due to fear and basic ideas that fighting doesn't solve much.
Nathan had moved on though and as he entered Junior High School had forgotten that he was supposed to make Zac's life a misery. Which was fine for both of them. Zac seemed to stop playing so rough with the other kids and was suddenly a lot smarter and Nathan beat up people playing American Football while relying on his position to go up in grades. It was like a great white flag had been raised both sides and as Zac started touring, performing and writing, he had almost forgot that he used to cover up his bruises and cuts so casually it was a daily routine for him.
Now, as he looked at his bully ten years later, all that rage he had bottled up came back so harshly he could almost feel the fists pounding him against the wall near the kiddie park. Regaining reality he watched Nathan light up a cigarette in the alleyway and proceed through it with a bottle in his hand. Zac knew that the guy wouldn't care how successful he had become. Heck Zac was certain had they met outside the Grammys he'd still go on stage with a black eye and a sense that he was worthless. No, he was certain the guy would only remember him through fear.
Taylor gave Zac an odd look as he moved towards the alley way, catching up with the guy he had been staring at. Zac seemed calm though; he looked like he just wanted to talk to the guy like he was an old friend. Taylor didn't follow though and waited for the meeting to happen. It didn't seem to be his place to know what they were going to reminisce about anyway; he liked to know he wasn't butting in on something that was between them.
Nathan didn't even know what hit him. In one move he had lost the bottle of vodka in his hand and it had been smashed over his head. Without a word the broken neck was shoved into his side and dropping to his knees Nathan groaned in agony. He tried to look up but the glass was pulled out again with such force he fell down like a dead weight. Breathing harshly and clutching his wound, he tried to focus but his old friend was already gone before he could blink away the tears in his eyes. He laid there, taking two hours to die in that alleyway and yet nobody saw him.
Zac crouched down next to the shaking body covered in blood. Taking the plastic bag off of his hand he dropped the bottle and put the bag in his pocket. He tried to feel something other than how silly he had felt being able to take somebody's life that simply. It should be hard with huge consequences and a big case that would lead to his execution. His mind didn't scream that though and the dead bum in the alleyway would case little media shock. If anything some might say he did it to himself in a moment of madness. It felt good to stand up again and Zac walked into the sunlight to see his brother was reading the local newspaper outside the convenience store.
"Hungry?" Taylor asked.
Zac pondered the question. "Starving."

<

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1