Dragon Wars: A Dragon Novella
Written By: Rich Scribes
Copyright© by Rich Scribes
Second Edition
-1-
I inhaled deeply and savored the crisp air. I knew this had to be some sort of dream. Mostly because I was on a mountain peak, and I was wearing shorts, a t-shirt and flip-flops. I just felt right. I couldn’t explain why nor did I really care. I felt the mountain tremble a little, and then…
“Bryce Walop…hello…thank you for joining the class. What is the answer to the question on the board?”
“X=52,” I responded to the teacher. I heard the class chuckle.
“That would be right, I suppose, if we weren’t in English class,” Professor Wilson replied. I started to turn red. I really didn’t need to review this. I was exempt from this final this year. I turned my head and saw her…Ziora, the most beautiful girl in the world. A knot formed in my stomach.
“Mr. Walop, we all know that you don’t have to be here. I did excuse you for the remainder of the year.” Mr. Wilson pointed out.
“Yes, I know, and I’m going to reconsider it,” I mumbled.
“Excuse me?” Apparently I’d mumbled louder than I thought.
“I said…I would like to reconsider my answer to the question.” I smiled lopsidedly. A few of my classmates tittered as it was obvious what I’d meant.
“Too. Late. Ziora, you had your hand up. Answer the question please.” I looked again in her direction.
“The author of that line is William Shakespeare.” She replied hesitantly. She bit her bottom lip for a moment before continuing. “The play it’s from is the ‘Tempest’, and the character that says it is Prospero.”
“I see that you are doing your homework.” Mr. Wilson commented. Ziora smiled, and I couldn’t look away. Then a big ass head with brown hair shoved his way into my view. He lipped ‘turn around’ and so I did. That was Ziora’s boyfriend. The bell rang which made me jump a little because of the stare down I was still receiving. I took my time so that I could walk behind her, hoping that her boyfriend wouldn’t notice, until…
“Mr. Walop. I need a word please,” Mr. Wilson called over the random chatter that was leaving the room.
“Mr. Wilson, listen I’m sorry.”
“Bryce, I know that you being exempt from the final doesn’t challenge you. Honestly I don’t think I can challenge you…”
“How about we keep that between you and me sir,” I smiled. Mr. Wilson smiled in return.
“We only have around a week and a half of school, so I will make you a deal, okay? You help one of my students with their final project and you don’t have to endure anymore of my lectures this year.”
“Wow, let’s make a deal, huh?” I smiled. I was going to take this deal. I wanted to go to the computer lab, because that is where I spent most of my free time. You guessed it, I’m a geek, but I prefer to think of myself as a hybrid geek. I know a lot about computers, yet I wasn’t picked last to play kickball. My mind is that of a young teen male: homework, eat, sleep, study, hangout, think about the cheerleading squad, and then repeat. “Okay, you have a deal. Who is the student?”
“Ziora…” Mr. Wilson replied. My mouth dropped open. I didn’t know if I was excited or scared shitless about this. Mr. Wilson who was quite perceptive for a man who wore that much tweed, chuckled at me.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you…” I sputtered.
“Ziora, third row by the door. She is having trouble with the final essay and her speech, which, of course, is Shakespeare.” Mr. Wilson replied. I didn’t even think this was possible: me helping the hottest girl in school.
“Uh sure I guess. You sure there isn’t anyone else that could help her? I mean I barely got an A + in your class.” I think I was going to hyperventilate.
“Good, I expect to hear good things from you about helping her. I will let her know that you will tutor her, and we will go from there.” He said. I was clearly dismissed. He handed me a scribbled note that would act as a hall pass, and I floated out the door. Then reality brought me back to the floor. What the hell had I just agreed to?
The day went by in a blur. Any other day I would have willed the clock to buzz the dismissal bell, but today I didn’t want that to happen. I was so nervous about this study date…did I just say date? With Ziora. I just needed to act like Ricco Swave and everything would be okay. I stepped off the bus without even knowing what I was doing. My whole day had been a big fog. The girl that I had a crush on actually needed my help. Probably more out of habit than coherence I stood the proper distance in front of the bus before the bus driver allowed me to cross. The weather was always warm. I love living in Florida. The idea of snow was cool. The idea of shoveling and parkas? Not as cool. My mother was outside planting more trees, and my dad, was of course, at work. That was it for the Walop family. I was an only child.
“Uh, hello, Bryce. I know you weren’t going to pass me without saying hello,” my mom said playfully.
“I didn’t want to interrupt your tree hugging.” She grinned and tilted her ugly floppy farmer hat that hid her fair skin from UV rays and burns, and smiled at me. She had the best smile. It made me feel safe.
“Hi, mom,” I said with extreme exaggeration. Ziora flitted through my thoughts, I hope I didn’t make a complete geeky fool of myself.
“What’s the matter, sweetie? Someone bothered my baby at school today? On the bus?” She stood up wiped dirt from her knees and made her way towards me.
“Mom, I think those trees need more attention than I do.” All I really wanted to do was go inside.
“Valiant effort, sweetie, but I’m your mother. That means your business is my business.”
“Yeah, I know you are the CIA when it comes to infiltrating my life, but I’m just a little tired. I was up studying for an algebra exam,” I attempted as an explanation. The statement was only half true. I didn’t need to study, though I did sometimes. English wasn’t the only final that I was exempt from, I was exempt from all of my finals. I was actually watching late night TV.
“Oh, fine, I’ll let you go. There is a snack in the fridge.” She said as she went back to planting.
I walked inside but only grabbed a soda out of the fridge then went to my room to lay down. I stared at my ceiling again hoping I didn’t blow this study thing with Ziora: thinking being that if I helped her get a decent final grade this could be my shot. Then I heard a car pull up and screech the brakes to stop. Awesome. Life wanted to taunt me. I should mention another thing, Ziora lived across the street from me. The most amazing person that I ever laid eyes on was my neighbor. Yes, I know I sounded nerdy, but cruelty knows no bounds. I got up from bed and looked out the window to watch life happen. Her boyfriend dropped her off today. I watched her as she spoke to him. She had long black hair, and beautiful green eyes. Perfect skin. Perfect teeth. All the guys at school had tried to hook up with her before she hooked up with her boyfriend, who was the quarterback of the varsity football team. She had fallen victim of the head cheerleader dating the quarterback scenario. One time she smiled at me, but not really. Her smile had been geared towards her boyfriend who was walking right behind me in the hallway. Still I had gotten really close.
She was saying something to her boyfriend as she got out of the car then glanced towards my window. I froze in shock much like a deer in headlights. Then I ducked hitting my head against my wall. Damn thing was always in the way. I tried to calm down telling myself that it wasn’t like she was going to come to my house…then wait, she could come to my house: because I was her study partner. Great.
My first conversation was going to be about stalking. I heard the car drive away then heard Ziora say hello to my mother. My mother exchanged a few words with her that I could hear. Well she was in the right place at the right time. Maybe our orange grove needed my attention. I stood up to see if she went into her house because I couldn’t hear her anymore. It seemed like she had. Whew, everything was safe now. The doorbell rang and that got me all nervous again. Maybe she had walked up to my door, and rang the doorbell. Oh man, what was I going to do? The only thing I could do, duh: answer it. I walked downstairs like I was trying to avoid something, and when I opened the door I heaved a sigh of relief. It was only my friend, Nelson.
“You suck!” he blurted as he walked into my house.
“Well, nice to see you too.” I closed the door to my house and joined Nelson.
“Two things I