***
Over the next couple of days, Sarah observed Jake Lonestar. She found it extremely strange how most of the school populace avoided Jake like the plague and when they were around him they completely ignored him as if he weren’t there.
She could see hate and even fear in some of their gazes. How strange. She thought. Jake Lonestar seemed pretty harmless to her…and he was also very good looking.
The strangest was Jake’s funny interaction with girls. Anytime he spotted a couple of cute girls walking past him in the hall he’d call out to them: “Howdy ladies!” Then he’d spout off a pickup line, ask them out on a date, compliment, wink at them, or ask them for their telephone numbers.
The girls had different reactions to Jake’s strange behavior. Some looked scared…others wary. A few laughed at Jake’s antics despite themselves but looked guilty afterwards as if it were forbidden to be nice to Jake Lonestar.
During lunch at the cafeteria, Sarah got a tray of food and looked around for Jake curiously, but she didn’t see him seated at any of the tables. She kept an eye out for him during the following lunch break and then the next, but he still never showed up at the cafeteria.
Sarah wisely realized that he must eat lunch alone somewhere and decided to follow him after class and find out where he ate lunch.
This was how Sarah discovered Jake asleep on the school’s roof during one lunch break. He was lying on his back with his hands behind his head. It looked as though he had been cloud gazing but had fallen asleep. His lunch bag sat next to him and appeared to be untouched.
Sarah walked over to Jake and sat down next to him. She watched Jake sleep for a few minutes - gazing at his handsome sleeping face that seemed so boyish and pure and innocent while he was sleeping.
Jake groaned and a leer spread across his face. “Galaxy Girl…mmmm…oh yea…”
“Galaxy Girl? The singer?” Sarah wondered aloud, thinking of the famous pop star and blushing when she figured out what kind of dream Jake Lonestar must have been having.
Sarah’s voice woke Jake up. He blinked and sat up suddenly. He turned to see Sarah sitting next to him while eating her lunch in a blasé manner. Jake’s jaw dropped. A girl was sitting next to him and eating lunch? No, no, no, this must be a dream! Jake pinched his cheek. “Ow…”
“It’s nice up here. Is this where you always eat lunch?” Sarah asked, breaking the awkward silence.
“Er…I…sometimes I eat under a tree…” Jake found himself saying.
“You don’t like the cafeteria?”
“Not really.”
“Neither do I. Do you think I could start eating lunch with you, Jake?”
Jake looked at Sarah in shock. “I…er…I guess…”
“I wanted to thank you for the other day, Jake. You were my hero.” Sarah giggled with hearts floating in the air around her.
Jake knew he must have been seeing things and shook his head like a dog. “H-h-hero? Me?” Jake choked out.
“I really don’t get why everyone treats you so badly. Either they treat you like you’re not even there or they glare daggers at you. But you seem nice enough to me and you’re very handsome…it doesn’t make any sense.” Sarah replied, tapping her chin in thought. “I’ve been trying to figure it out but I can’t.” Sarah shrugged.
Jake’s spirits fell and he let out a heavy sigh. Sarah thought he suddenly looked like a dejected puppy-dog. “It’s because of that incident…”
Sarah’s ears perked up. “Incident?”
Jake let out another heavy sigh. As soon as he told Sarah about what happened she would probably run for the hills! “When I was 10-years-old…there was a murder. Three kids were found dead on the banks of Canadian River and next to them I was found lying unconscious. I don’t remember what happened. But I remember being scared and telling the police who killed them and then they shipped me off to an insane asylum for some reason…it’s all kinda foggy now…they didn’t make me stay there for very long however and then I returned home.”
Sarah gasped and bit her lip. “Do you remember who the murderer was?”
Jake shook his head sadly. “No…I buried that memory so deeply in my mind I can no longer remember…but I didn’t kill them. I swear. I know that that’s the truth. Deep in my gut, I know that I didn’t kill them, Sarah…”
Sarah smiled and put a hand on Jake’s shoulder and squeezed it. Jake looked at her in shock and disbelief. “I believe you. I’ve been watching you…you may be a total pervert and a bit of a weirdo but you’re no murderer! That’s just ridiculous!”
“You…believe me?” Appreciative tears filled Jake’s eyes.
Sarah nodded.
“Oh Sarah!” Jake cried before he threw his arms around Sarah and hugged her close…burying his face in Sarah’s breasts…
Sarah was about to hug Jake back when she realized that Jake was nuzzling her breasts with his nose and smelling her!
Sarah shoved Jake off of her with a ‘Kyahhh! Pervert!’ and slapped him across the face more out of reflex than out of anger.
“Totally worth it.” Jake said holding a hand to his red, throbbing cheek.
This was how Sarah and Jake became friends.
During their lunch breaks, Sarah would join Jake for lunch…usually up on the roof. They would eat lunch, chat and watch the clouds float across the sky together. Jake thought it was great and was having a total blast. He was happier than he’d been in a very long time.
This must be what it’s like to have a friend. He thought as he looked at Sarah out of the corner of his eye. Or maybe even a girlfriend. A leer formed on Jake’s face as he checked Sarah out.
Sarah was really cute - her geeky glasses hid her dark eyes and long lashes and her baggy sweaters hid her large breasts and slim waist. Yep, Sarah was a total babe. Jake knew - he had Grade A Babe Radar.
Girlfriend. Jake sighed wistfully and hung his head dejectedly. Like that could ever happen. Sarah only saw Jake as a friend. Jake had tried to put his arm around Sarah a few times and she had totally avoided it.
Sarah was definitely ‘doable’ in Jake’s book. But even if Sarah turned out to be a slut and would sleep with Jake - in all honesty Jake realized that he probably wouldn’t sleep with her. He was still really worried about his uncontrollable superhuman strength, and about the potential danger he could pose to Sarah if she got too close.
Superman I feel your pain! Jake moaned in his head. Thinking of how the original Superman was unable to sleep with Lois Lane as long as he had his powers.
But…that didn’t stop Jake from imagining what sex would be like with Sarah. After school, once Jake was alone up in his room, he would picture Sarah in his head as he jerked off.
Since Sarah was a real girl, the experience became more intense. He could imagine things like her laugh, her smile, even her touch. It made his fantasies seem that much more real.
He had the most intense orgasm yet while jerking off and thinking about his new friend Sarah. Oh Sarah baby you’re just so hot. His rosy high school life had begun. Or so Jake had thought.
Jake didn’t want to screw things up no matter what and so was extra careful not to use his full strength while doing anything. He treated everything delicately as if it were made of glass - especially his desk and chair and locker (it was already his twentieth locker).
Jake didn’t want Sarah to witness one of his random displays of superhuman strength going out of control because he knew that he’d probably scare her.
Sarah had delicate sensibilities. And Jake understood this.
Jake was especially careful not to get too close to any electronic devices…which meant of course that he was failing C++ programming but he didn’t care…
As long as he had his one friend, Sarah - nothing else mattered. He could fail all his classes and even have to repeat the grade.
His friendship with Sarah was very precious to him.
This was why he treated her
preciously, and delicately.
He successfully protected his friendship with Sarah for several months…until one day…
Jake was eating a grilled cheese sandwich on the roof to kill time while he waited for Sarah to arrive. He was really looking forward to seeing her since people had been extra cold to him that day…more so than usual.
So when Sarah didn’t show up at her usual time, Jake got worried. Surely, no one would do anything to Sarah because she was hanging out with him, right?
Jake had a sinking feeling in his gut. The hair on the back of his neck prickled in warning.
My spidey sense is tingling. I’m going to go and find Sarah! Jake decided adamantly and tossed the rest of his sandwich to the rooftop as he bolted for the door to the roof. He ran down the stairs and began to search the school for Sarah. Students that saw Jake go by only saw a red blur streak past since Jake was wearing a red hoodie that day.
Jake checked the library first since it was another popular hangout for Sarah, but she wasn’t there. As Jake was exiting, however, he caught sight of Sarah in the computer lab, which was directly across from the library.
Sarah’s straight raven black hair was unmistakable.
Jake peeked in the doorway and saw that Sarah was hard at work in front of one of the computers. Her fingers flying over the keys in an impressive manner. “Mmm!” Sarah made a noise as she stretched her arms over her head with her hands clasped together.
Jake was about to go when Sarah looked over her shoulder while she was stretching and caught sight of Jake.
Her dark eyes lit up. “Jake! Come over here.” Sarah called him over.
“Ah…” Jake hesitated.
The computer lab was like the number one most forbidden place in Jake’s mind. No one knew this but Jake avoided this one room as if it harbored the plague.
One false move, one slight touch and chaos would ensue.
It was probably the most dangerous place Jake Lonestar could enter in the entire school! There were more than ten computers and people’s CD players and iPhones and iPods were scattered all over the computer tables. Electronic devices galore.
“I really shouldn’t. I’ll just…go.” Jake tried to say but then Sarah gave him this hurt look making Jake cave immediately. “Or not. Heh…” Jake crossed his arms self-consciously over his chest as he entered the computer lab.
What the hell am I doing?! Jake moaned in his mind. I really shouldn’t be doing this! I’m crazy! This is so risky!
Sarah’s expression changed once Jake began to approach her and she smiled at him. “I’m glad you’re here, Jake. I’ve been working on this PowerPoint presentation for my C++ Programming class and I’d like to get a second opinion on it. If you have the time?” Sarah gave Jake a hopeful look.
Jake couldn’t resist Sarah. Jake shrugged while trying to appear nonchalant, but to Sarah Jake looked like a puppy-dog with his tail wagging rapidly behind him. “Sure. I’ll take a look at it.”
“Great!” Sarah declared and turned her attention back to the computer in front of her. “The theme of the presentation is ‘family’ so this is a collage of pictures taken of me and my family. I hope you like it.” Sarah said as she tapped her mouse to start playing the presentation.
Jake kept his arms wrapped around his chest with his hands tucked under his armpits as he leaned forward slightly to look over Sarah’s shoulder at the presentation.
The presentation began to show pictures of Sarah and her family and her little brother with added digital graphics and special effects.
Family photos…
A picture of Sarah’s dad teaching her to ice skate and holding her hands while she tried to skate.
A picture of her mother and Sarah in the kitchen baking a cake together, and making an absolute mess. Flour was everywhere and all over them. But the smiles on their faces showed just how happy they were.
A picture of Sarah and her little brother, Sam, playing outside in the garden. Sarah was attacking Sam with the garden hose and spraying him with water while the little boy grinned from ear to ear.
A picture of Sarah and Sam making snow angels in the snow that had gathered in their front yard.
A picture of the entire family putting up Christmas decorations and decorating a Christmas tree…
Before the bloody massacre, Jake’s family life had been similar to Sarah’s. It had been warm and loving too.
He had been loved.
E.D. Past tense.
Jake’s eyes burned as he watched the end of Sarah’s PowerPoint presentation. The final photo - the Christmas one had digital graphic enhancements so that the lights on the tree were swirling around the tree and the star at the very top of the tree twinkled.
“It’s beautiful.” Jake said, his voice husky and raw with emotion.
Sarah looked back at Jake, saw his emotional expression, and smiled at him. Jake grinned back and the two friends just smiled innocently at each other for a moment, until-
They were rudely interrupted.
“Well, what do we have here?” Came a snarky voice.
Sarah and Jake’s attention shifted to the doorway of the computer lab where a group of three teenaged boys were standing. The three boys entered the lab and made their way towards Sarah and Jake.
Jake inwardly moaned. Oh no, not here. Please don’t start trouble here! Anywhere but here!
“You two have been spending a lot of time together, Sarah. So, what? Are you two a couple now? You were both looking very lovey-dovey just now…” Once of the boys asked. Jake recognized him as being Ben the captain of the Wrestling Team. He was tall, muscular and dark haired. Ben’s two friends were also pretty muscular and Jake figured they were also members of the Wrestling Club. Great, just great. Jake inwardly groaned.
Sarah and Jake both blushed and both were quick to deny Ben’s claims.
“No, it’s not what it looks like.” Sarah said quickly.
“You’re wrong.” Jake added, nodding his head vigorously.
The boys looked at each other and did not appear to be convinced by their denials. “Well, you both act like a couple. Even eating your lunch together alone on the roof…” Ben continued slyly.
Sarah’s eyes widened. “How do you know about that?”
“I’ve been watching you, Sarah.” Ben began and Sarah’s expression quickly shifted to worry causing Ben to notice. “Don’t get me wrong. I’ve been watching you for your own good, Sarah. Jake Lonestar is dangerous. He’s a crazy freak. You could get hurt. But don’t worry, Sarah. I’ll protect you. I happen to think you’re rather cute.” Ben reached out and took a strand of Sarah’s hair between his fingers and fondled it.
Sarah slapped his hand away. “Don’t touch me. I don’t even know who you are…” Her voice quivered.
“I’m Ben. I’m captain of the wrestling team. These are my friends Mark and Rob - they’re also on the team.” Ben explained with a wave of his hand towards his friends.
“Jocks….” Jake muttered to himself.
“Come with us, Sarah. It’s for your own safety.” Ben said as he offered his hand out towards Sarah, who flinched back.
Something inside of Jake snapped and his guard dog mode was activated. Jake smoothly stepped in front of Sarah and blocked Ben’s path to her. It all looked pretty slick on the outside - on the inside Jake was an absolute mess. Oh my God! What the hell am I doing? I’m going to get punched! But…I have to protect Sarah. But…oh my God, I’m in the computer lab. Oh noooo!
“Leave us alone.” Jake said, his body trembling.
Only Sarah realized Jake was trembling out of fear and not rage.
Ben’s eyes narrowed at Jake dangerously. “You’re in my way, crazy freak. Get lost.”
“No.” Jake said.
“Have it your way!” Ben said before punching Jake hard across the face. Jake stumbled backwards, shielding Sarah and crashing into her. His hand landed on top of the keyboard that was in f
ront of the computer monitor that still displayed the Christmas photo of Sarah’s family.
Uh oh.
Jake looked down at his hand in shock. He watched as an electric zap of green light traveled from his fingertips into the keyboard that lit up and sparked. The green light traveled on through the wire into the monitor and to the hard drive.
Jake’s eyes widened in knowing horror. “Oh no…” Jake quickly removed his hand from the keyboard and took a step back. He pulled Sarah out of her chair roughly and turned to look at the others with an urgent look on his face.
“Everyone…RUN! Go on, get out of here! Run!” Jake yelled at Ben, Mark and Rob.
The three guys from the wrestling club didn’t take Jake’s warning as a warning but as a threat.
“What the hell, freak? Make me!” Ben snapped irritated, as he approached Jake.
Jake saw the computer begin to spark and wig out. “I said: GET OUT OF HERE! NOW! HURRY!” Jake insisted as he let go of Sarah so that he could give Ben a helpful little shove in the direction of the door.
However, Jake’s ‘little shove’ sent Ben flying back into his two friends - sending all three boys crashing to the floor in a groaning heap. Jake’s strength had been so intense all three had gone skidding backwards several feet across the floor.
The three boys all looked at Jake wide-eyed and with fear. No normal person could have done something like that.
“It’s just like I thought…he really is a freak!” Ben pointed an accusing finger at Jake.
“RUN!” Jake bellowed at them.
“Ahhh!” The three boys screamed as they scrambled backwards and got to their feet before taking off out of the computer lab.
“Jake, what the hell is going on? What’s wrong?” Sarah asked Jake, worriedly.
Frantic, Jake spun to Sarah and looked at her beseechingly. “Sarah, you need to get out of here, before-”
But it was already too late.
The computer began to morph and transform into a 6-foot-tall robot with a radio antenna on the top of its monitor-shaped head. The hard drive had become a part of its torso, and wires made up the limbs of its arms and legs.
The computer monitor flickered to life and two glowing red eyes appeared. The digitized face frowned at Jake and Sarah.
An alien killer robot was standing before them!
It was unlike anything Sarah had ever seen and she was absolutely terrified. “What the hell is that?”
“Must kill…must kill all the humans…kill…” The robot spoke in a synthesized voice and it reached its hand out towards Sarah. Wires flew through the air towards Sarah and began to wrap around her arms to restrain her. As Sarah began to scream it wrapped its wires around her mouth to silence her.
“Sarah!” Jake cried and lunged at the robot. He grabbed the wires and ripped them off of Sarah using his superhuman strength. The wires easily snapped in two.
Sarah stumbled backwards once she had been freed.
“Go on, Sarah! Get out of here!” Jake insisted and didn’t see the robot lunge at him.
The robot shoved Jake backwards into the computers that were sitting on the desks against the back wall. Jake was slammed into the computers and his hands touched the keyboards and also an assortment of electronic devices that students had carelessly left behind - smart phones, MP3 players and iPods.
Sarah watched in shock and fear as Jake touched the electronic devices, and how a strange green light seemed to shoot out of Jake’s fingertips and enter the devices which began to spark, wig out, morph and transform into small alien robots!
Two more six-foot-tall robots were formed out of the two computers - their heads were monitors, their torsos made up of hard drives, antenna sat on the tops of their heads and their limbs were made up of wires. Their screens turned on and digital faces with glowing red eyes appeared.
The smart phones and iPods began to vibrate and fell off the computer desks. As they hit the floor they transformed into tiny, killer alien robots with glowing red eyes and sharp looking arms and legs.
“Must kill…must kill all humans…kill…kill…kill…” The robots chanted in their synthesized voices as they approached Sarah.
Jake was still grappling and wrestling against the first robot when Sarah started screaming.
The tiny killer robots had leapt onto Sarah and were pinching and stabbing her with their tiny, needle-like limbs. The two larger robots approached her next and began to restrain her arms and legs with more wires.
“Sarah!” Jake cried out as he caught sight of her predicament and punched the robot he was dealing with hard across its monitor face with such force that the robot’s head came right off its shoulders.
“Yeehaw!” Jake cried as he launched himself at the two robots. “Get away from Sarah!” Jake rammed into the two robots that were flung sideways.
Jake quickly went to Sarah’s aid. She was on the floor trying to take the tiny killer robots off of herself and screaming as they continued to bite, prick, and scratch her.
“Sarah!” Jake quickly knelt by her side and reached out to grab one of the vicious, tiny robots in his hand and clenched his fist - destroying the robot instantly. Jake began to do the same thing with the other tiny robots - grabbing at them with his bare hands and crumbling them to tiny pieces.
Sarah watched what was happening with wide, fearful eyes. Jake was some kind of monster. Everyone was right.
Jake wiped his hands off and turned to see if Sarah was alright. She was an absolute mess - her hair was tousled and in disarray, her glasses were eschew on her face, her clothing torn and there were visible scratches all over her body.
“Sarah,” Jake said sadly, “Are you okay?” He offered her his hand.
“Ahhh! Stay away! Don’t touch me! Freak!” Sarah screamed and batted Jake’s hand away. She struggled to her feet and began backing away from Jake.
Jake’s expression fell, and his eyes filled with sadness and visible pain. “Run.” He reiterated.
Sarah turned around and did just that - screaming all the way.
The two remaining robots had gotten their bearings again and had stood back up. They were approaching Jake from behind. “Kill…must kill all the humans…”
The robots raised their arms and wires shot out at Jake and wrapped around his arms. Jake watched Sarah run away screaming and didn’t fight back, until-
The robots sent electricity coursing through Jake in an electric attack. Jake cried out in pain and tears sprung to his eyes. He looked at the wires wrapped around his arms and legs and began to rip them off fiercely. Could this day get any worse? Dammit! Jake screamed in his mind. Jake then turned around to face the robots.
“It’s all your fault. I lost my only friend.” Jake said before he launched himself at one of the robots. It crashed to the floor with Jake on top of it. Jake began to hammer the robot with punches and the robot began to disintegrate and fall to pieces.
The final and remaining robot moved to get behind Jake to grab the cowboy’s arms as he attempted to pull Jake off of his companion.
Jake looked down at the unmoving pile of scrap metal before letting the robot pull him to his feet. Then Jake turned around and punched the computer monitor, breaking the glass - his fist exited out the other side and the glass cut into his skin deeply but Jake didn’t care.
Jake removed his hand from the robot’s head and the robot fell to the floor. Jake looked at his bleeding hand and began to tremble…blood…so much blood…
Jake’s legs gave out and he sunk to the floor. He ended up sitting on his butt, surrounded by metal debris, and he brought his knees to his chest. He wrapped his arms around his legs and began to rock back and forth as sobs wracked his body.
It was all over. His friendship with Sarah. Everything was broken.
Blood…it was everywhere…
Just like back then…on the muddy ground of the riverbank…
Jake fell into unconsciousness and d
reamed of an incident that he would have rather never remembered.