(art by Irene Lee)
Suggested Reading: 12+
This fanfiction is about two of my close friends. By nature of the “fanfiction” genre, none of this actually happened, but the main characters are real people.
It was a cold day in Irvine, and the wind ruffled Heather’s hair as she walked home from her first day at AP classes in high school. As the sun began to dip below the horizon, casting an orange glow across the city, she stuffed her freezing hands into her hoodie. It was getting colder by the minute.
Heather turned the corner, only to stop. A gang of five street thugs that she recognized from school was advancing on her. They carried baseball bats, golf clubs, and wore soccer cleats. Each thug scared the daylights out of Heather and collectively, she began to panic.
“You owe us money, Heather White,” announced the gang leader.
She replied, “I don’t have money, so back off!”
Hearing this, the gang charged, bellowing. Heather turned around and ran for her life. Being on the varsity swim team at school, she had fast feet, but the gang members were faster. They chased her around until she was finally cornered in an alley. There was no escape. The gang knew this, too, and began closing in around her. Just as all felt lost, a sleek silver Ferrari zoomed into the alley and rammed into the thugs.
The mysterious driver yelled, “Hop in!” Heather tore open the car door and dove into the seat.
Not wanting to admit that she was panicking inside, Heather said nonchalantly, “I had this covered. Who are you, anyway?”
The mystery man’s knuckles were white on the steering wheel. His black hair glinted in the mist. When he spoke, he didn’t answer Heather’s question. “Take the wheel for me, will you?” As Heather slid over into the driver’s seat, the guy gracefully executed a no-hands cartwheel over the hood of the slick Ferrari. As he jumped, Heather caught a glimpse of his face. She let out a gasp. He was GORGEOUS.
He leapt around the walls of the alley like a ninja, wall-running and flipping over the heads of the gangsters. Before long, he sent the thugs running for their lives.
The mystery man returned. As Heather gaped at him, he introduced himself.
“My name is Michael Henderson. I figured these thugs were trying to mug you, so I stepped in. I’ll give you my number just in case you run into them again,” he said, bowing courteously. Heather moved into the passenger’s seat as Michael pulled open the car door and took the wheel. He reached over and opened up the glove compartment. In a small leather pocket was a stack of business cards. “Take one,” he suggested.
Heather tucked one into her pocket and thanked him.
“I’ll take you to your house,” Michael said as he backed out of the alley. “Where do you live?”
“Do you want to stay for dinner?” Heather blurted out. “My brother has a swim meet so we have an empty chair at our table.”
“Is this the start of something new?” Michael grinned as they zoomed off.
Heather rolled her eyes. “Yeah, maybe.”
