Philemon

This is the first chapter. It introduces the main characters.

"Are you awake, Ricky?" Diana called.

Ricky rubbed his eyes, "I am now!" he called back as he arose from his bedside.

I shook my head in amusement. Ricky was such a card. I loved him and each of the one hundred thousand seven hundred and fifty six blonde hairs on his head.

Ricky got out of bed and passed me as if I wasn't there. Truth is, he had no idea I was.

I followed him to his closet, where he pulled out his favorite green shirt, that he seemed to wear everyday. Ricky slipped it on then immediately grabbed a pair of baggy cargo pants.

He slammed the closet shut than ran over to his calendar that was up on his paint scratched, black wall. Ricky's eyes got wide as he realized what day it was, "Only three more days of school!" he thought to himself as he reached over for his backpack.

I smiled as he struggled to stick both his helmet and his skateboard into his backpack.

Ricky finally succeeded and zipped up his backpack, "Time for school..." Ricky grunted as he threw his backpack over his back and hustled out of his room.

Ricky ran down the stairs. Suddenly, Ricky lost his balance and fell forward. Thinking quickly, I reached out my hand and grabbed his backpack, preventing him from falling.

Ricky, assuming that he caught himself, took a deep breath of relief and continued down the stairs, this time much slower.

He walked into the kitchen with a spring in his step, "Hey mom!" He sat in the wooden chair that was placed in front of a dusty old table, "What's for breakfast?"

Diana tried her best to smile, "No breakfast today, honey. We don't have the money right now."

Ricky looked at the ground, a bit disappointed, but kept a smile on his face, "Okay mom. Do you want me to clean anything before I leave for school?"

Diana shook her head, "No thank you sweetie. I don't want you to be late for school."

Ricky nodded, "Okay." he ran for the door and swung it open, "I love you mom!" he yelled as he slammed the door shut, shaking the pictures on the wall beside it.

Before following Ricky, I took a glance at the pictures on the wall. In the first frame was a picture of a handsome gentleman with dusty brown hair. The next picture was of Ricky, who was up in a tree with the same man.

It was his dad.

I couldn't imagine life without a father. I always had God as a heavenly father. I could only imagine the pain Ricky had right then.

I rushed through the door and continued to follow Ricky.

-------------------------------------------------An Hour Later---------------------------------------------------------

I looked around the room nervously, Ricky may have felt safe at school, but it's when I felt the most uncomfortable. There were many temptations that could befall upon him. Drugs, fights, you name it.

Ricky looked up at the teacher, keeping a smile on his face.

I loved Ricky. He was so compassionate and loving...

---------------------------------------------About Two Hours Later----------------------------------------------------

It was time for Physical Education, and the coach, Mr. Albert Grundsee, was cracking his knuckles, ready to yell, "Today we're going to be playing some serious dodgeball."

As Grundsee picked teams, Ricky and his friend Danny talked, "Think we'll be on the same team as Loris? That'd be sweet!" Danny said excitedly.

Ricky nodded, "Yeah! And if she gets knocked unconscious, I'll give her mouth to mouth resuscitation!"

I smiled as the two boys laughed together.

Ricky had loved Loris ever since he was ten years old. Ricky would stare as her curly blonde hair waved in the wind. He loved her, but not for good reasons. Humans never really took time to look on the inward appearance of others. 

Finally, Grundsee told Ricky and Danny to go on the red team. Loris was on the blue team, to the boys' disappointment.

Grundsee set the balls across the line and told both teams to stand against seperate walls. They were to run once he blew the whistle, grab the balls and chuck them at the other team. Simple as that. I never understood how they got enjoyment out of such a game.

Ricky and Danny stood against the wall, ready. I was ready too, to bandage Ricky's wounds. I looked around at all the Guardians that seemed to line up against the wall too, ready to serve any protection needed.

As Grundsee blew the whistle the kids, and all the Guardians charged at the other team. Ricky was one to get to a ball first. He picked up the ball and chucked it, not really caring where it went. Immediately, he jumped back to see if his ball hit someone.

His eyes widened as he watched the school bully, Ray Barnum, fall to the ground from the impact of the ball. I covered my face, knowing this fight wouldn't end here.

Ricky shook it off, "Ray won't know who hit him..." he thought as he swiftly dove to the left, dodging an incoming ball. Little did he know that right then, Ray was planning his revenge.

Danny, who had been running cowardly until then, grabbed a ball and threw it across the line. It hit it's target, the girl fell onto the ground. Danny yelped victoriously, till he saw who he had hit, "LORIS?! I'M SO SORRY!" he yelled as she walked to the out box.

Loris didn't even care, while Danny was on his knees begging for mercy.

Ricky leaped out of the way of an incoming ball, "OH GOD!" he screamed as the ball zoomed by his head.

I shook my head, "Oh God what? If he wants to talk to God he can pray."

Ricky picked up a ball and tossed it at one of the opponents. He groaned as the ball missed.

Danny laughed, "Nice throw. Time to have some fun." Danny whispered into Ricky's ear.

Slowly a grin appeared on Ricky's face, "Okay. Let's do it!" Ricky said with a nod.

Danny looked at Greggory and Tyler, twins, who were also opponents, "Hey Gregg, Ty, I'll make a bet. If you both can't hit neither Ricky or me in the next thirty seconds, you owe us each thirty bucks. If you do hit one of us, we'll give each of you thirty."

Greggory and Tyler agreed almost immediately. Danny and Ricky prepared themselves as the two twins simultaneously picked up balls.

Greggory and Tyler hurled the balls at the exact same time, each going about the same speed, but both were heading for different targets.

As the ball reached Ricky he quickly spun to the left, dodging it. Danny did the same with Tyler's ball.

Gregg picked up another ball and tossed it at Danny's legs. Nonchalantly, Danny jumped over the ball and landed on his hands and feet and began to do push-ups.

Ricky laughed, "Show off."

Tyler picked up two more and hurled them at Ricky.

Almost immediately, Ricky ducked under the first ball as it zoomed by his head. Then, almost as quickly, came back up in time to catch the second ball.

Tyler moaned as he walked to the outbox.

Suddenly, Gregg swept a ball up from the ground and threw it towards Danny.

Thinking quickly, Danny grabbed Katie, a girl on the red team, and pulled her in front of him. The ball hit her in the stomach.

"Katie you're out!" Grundsee yelled.

Katie gave Danny a furious glare then quickly slapped him across the face, and stormed off towards the out box.

Danny rubbed his sore cheek, "Well, it's been thirty seconds so you owe each of us thirty bucks."

Gregg folded his arms, "Yeah, yeah whatever."

Danny and Ricky looked at each other and chuckled.

--------------------------------------------Twenty Minutes Later-------------------------------------------

Ricky walked to his locker happily. He hummed as he walked, with not a care in the world.

"Hey Robinson!" a cruel voice yelled. Ricky turned around to come face to face with Ray, the tallest, meanest, bully that Ricky had ever heard of. He heard that one time, Ray beat a kid so bad, that the kid had to go to the hospital for weeks.

Ricky, remembering the dodge ball incident, stuttered, "Uhh...he-hey uhh Ray. Wh-what's up?"

Without warning, Ray grabbed Ricky by the neck and held him high in the air.

Ricky struggled to loosen Ray's grip, "We-can work things..." he began.

Ray quickly threw Ricky against the lockers. Ricky slid down the lockers and fell to the ground.

Ricky, to my surprise, whispered an almost silent prayer, "God, if you're listening, help me!"

I looked at Ray's guardian angel in worry. He returned the look.

A demon circled Ray, "Show him who's boss, or he'll never learn to respect you!"

Ray brought up his fist and readied to hit Ricky again. Quickly his guardian angel said these words, "What will your mom say if she hears about this?"

Ray's hand lowered.

"YOUR MOTHER DOESN'T HAVE TO KNOW! Finish him!"

Ray swung his fist at Ricky.

I quickly threw out my hand and pushed his shoulder back with two fingers, causing Ray to miss.

Ray brought up his other fist and swung at Ricky. I grabbed his elbow, so his arm could not extend fully.

After a couple of more attempts and fails from Ray, everyone in the hallway began to laugh at him. Ray, boiling in anger, brought up his leg and readied to kick Ricky. I gave him a light push, causing him to loose balance and fall to the ground.

The kids in the hallway laughed harder still. And Ray fled the hallway, in shame.

Ricky sat on the ground, staring after him in awe, "What the heck?" he whispered.

Danny ran up to Ricky, "THAT WAS AMAZING! I can't believe you survived."

"Me neither..." Ricky said quietly.

Author's Note

Tell me what's good and bad.