Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Better You Than Me ❯ Chapter 1

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

The sun was hanging low in the evening sky as we walked to the Caprice Theater. Leaves were falling all around us, their gold, brown, and red hues signalling the end of summer. We had spent an hour in the park, my friends and I, just walking around, and now we wanted to catch the eight thirty picture at the theater. It was the fall of '56, the end of October to be exact. It was our senior year of highschool, and nothing could stop us. We were just normal teenagers, and all we were doing was joking around, not trying to create a mind filled with hate and contempt.

As we strolled to the small building, we talked about the Shakespeare test our teacher had sprung on us only a few days before, and how Mac had gotten the highest mark in the class. I guess you could say that Mac was an admirer of Shakespeare...no, that's a weak word. Mac was a Shakespeare addict, a fanatic, and he was forever quoting the writer. He had even adopted a style of speech that was similar to the works of the great playwright. Lots of people thought he was crazy, literally, but he really wasn't. A little eccentric perhaps, but nothing more.

"I hope this show's good," Dennis said. Dennis was the naturally chosen leader of our group of five, since he had a good head on his shoulders and a quick mind. Granted, he could be cocky sometimes, since he was tough and the kind of guy that made girls swoon. A real Casanova, and damn good at it too. For the most part he was fine though. George and Anthony were also part of the group.

Mac looked at Dennis when he spoke. "Why, pray tell, do you hope this show is good?"

Dennis grinned. "For I stand here upon the law, and I don't want to be forced to demand my pound of flesh, as compensation, if the show isn't good." All of us burst out laughing at Dennis' referral to Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice." Mac laughed too, but a red tint crossed his cheeks since he knew he was being teased.

George held up his hand. "Ok, ok, let's be serious." He paused and pointed to the box office window where the light had just been turned on inside. "Hold on, but soft, what light through yonder window breaks!" He had a hard time keeping a strait face as he said this, and the rest of us started to crack up again. "I suppose that means the theater is opening," George finished with a shrug of his shoulders, a grin plastered to his face. Mac only smiled, but I could tell that he was embarrassed.

I came over so I could walk next to him, and spoke quietly. "There's no art to find the mind's construction in the face, " I said softly, "but even I can tell you're upset. Don't feel bad, they're just jealous of you since they do so bad when it comes to Shakespeare."

Mac looked at me. "Then why do you yourself keep your own soul from the ridicule, not telling them how you admire the man as well? They jest at me, and they may do the same to you. Is that your fear?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I wouldn't care either way, but hey, better you than me."

A faint glimmer passed through Mac's eyes, but he said nothing.

At this point we reached the box office, so the conversation was dropped as we paid for our tickets. The girl selling the tickets had a patch over her eye and her ragged clothes and cloth over her head made us chuckle. It was Halloween after all, and all the employees of varios establishments around town dressed up for the night. She smiled sweetly as she handed us our tickets, and even put in a cheerful "Yarr!" as we walked into the teater.

The movie was good, although nothing spectacular. We exited the theater in good moods. Well, all of us except for Mac, since the guys were still giving him a hard time, especially Dennis. It actually surprised me how much Dennis was teasing Mac. He must have done really bad on that test. I shrugged it all off though and focused on the evening. When I fell into bed that night, I was asleep almost instantly.

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The next day it was back to school again. Everything was going fine. I managed to slip into chemistry late without the teacher noticing, that cute chick in math promised to go with me to that new flick on Friday night...ahh, life was good.

The only odd part about the day was that Mac wasn't talking to me. Well, it wasn't just that he wasn't talking to me, it was more that he was avoiding me and the guys. I had no idea why, since I figured he had already gotten over the teasing from the night before, I mean, he always did.

As I was sitting on the grass in our usual spot at lunch, listening to Anthony and George and chewing thoughtfully on my sandwich, I heard shouting from behind me. I swivelled my torso to see what was going on, and halfway across the field I saw Mac and Dennis arguing. Whatever they were fighting about must have been serious, since both of them were throwing their arms around wildly in the air and yelling.

Not knowing what else to do, I picked myself up and jogged over to them. George and Anthony were so engrossed in the magazine they were looking at that they didn't even notice me leave. By the time I reached the spot where Mac and Dennis had been fighting, Dennis was already walking away in a huff. "What the hell happened here?" I asked. "Why were you two arguing?"

Mac looked at me as he picked up his bag. "Nothing. I'm just sick and tired of him always mocking me for liking something that he does not. He is a fool, a fool whom I have no need for."

I stopped dead in my tracks. "Was this all about the whole Shakespeare thing again? Look, I'm sure he didn't mean-" Mac cut me off.

"Of course it was about the Shakespeare thing again. Don't even try to defend him as though you were his guard. We are going to settle the issue tonight with a battle."

"What? You two can't fight," I cried out. "You're friends!"

"A misconception now," Mac replied cooly.

Dennis and Mac fight? Dennis would slaughter Mac in a second. "Mac," I warned, "you can't fight him."

Mac looked me strait in the eye. "And why not? Do you think, just as the others, that I am weak? Do you think so, just as Dennis does?"

"No, it's not that..." Yes, it was that.

Mac flung his bag over his shoulder. "The Old Lot will be deserted by nine, and I will not be defeated. Don't try to stop us, Gary. Don't even show up, for you shall be the one to pay the consequences if you do." Mac's voice was edged in ice, and he had an almost crazed look in his eyes. Was he mad? Before I could say anything else, Mac turned on his heel and then walked away, holding his head up strait. I couldn't believe what I had heard. I just stood there, speechless.

The rest of the day seemed to drag by so slowly. When I went back to our lunch spot, both Anthony and George were already gone. I wanted to talk to them before the end of the day, but Anthony had gone home early, sick, and George had football practice right after classes, so I had no chance to talk to him either. Therefore, I knew I had to stop Mac and Dennis myself.

Ever since that day, I have cursed myself over and over again for not having come sooner.
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I was so frustrated. I hadn't told my mom anything about what was going on since she would have gotten way too worried and would have probably kept me from going, one way or another. Since she was in the dark, she insisted that I clean out the garage before I could go anywhere. When I was finally done, it was about ten minutes to nine. I flew out the door and sprinted down the street. The old lot was sixteen blocks from my house, so I have no idea how I managed to run the entire way. I reached it though, and as soon as I looked at the scene a chill crept up my spine. It was nine o'clock sharp, and the two opponents were standing face to face under the only lamp on the whole lot. Out of breath I could say nothing, and all I could do was watch as the two lunged at each other.

"Stop!" I finally managed to cry out, and summoning the last remnants of my energy. I ran across the lot. The two moved out of the light into the shadows, so I could not see what was going on. Just before I reached them, I heard an odd, soft click, after which a hand shot out of the shadows into the light. The eerie gleam of a blade hit my eyes. "No!" I screamed, but my plea fell on deaf ears.

I reached them just then, and after lunging I managed to knock the person with the blade off balance, but at the same time I myself was thrown to the ground. Both of the combatants fell on top of me, and I heard a sickening grunt as something hit my head. My head slammed against the pavement hard. Stunned, I couldn't move, think, or feel. I felt something being put into my hand, but what....I had no clue. The lack of oxygen from running and the force of my head hitting the pavement was still causing my head to reel and I had no clue what was going on around me.

I must have passed out or something, because the next thing I knew the air was filled with the sound of sirens and shouting. I rolled away from the weight on top of me and slowly started to stumble to my feet. The flashing red and blue lights were blinding me as I tried to gain some measure of balance.

"I tried to stop the, I really did..." the whining voice reached my ears and caused my eyes to snap open. I glanced down at myself and noticed an unusual dark stain on my clothes, as though I had been soaked by some water. And why was I holding a knife?

I looked up in time to see an officer grab me and knock the knife out of my grip, which wasn't really difficult to do. My hands were then pushed behind my back and cold steel was clamped around my wrists. I looked up and saw Mac crying to a police officer while holding his snapped glasses. He looked genuinely scared. I was led to one of the squad cars What was going on?

I was pushed roughly onto the car as the police officer said a few choice words I can't recall now. I honestly felt like I was in a dream, in a deep haze. As I stood there pressed against the car, my back to the whole scene behind me, and trying to gather my thoughts, I heard a new set of footsteps behind me. I remained where I was, trying to stop the incessant buzzing in my head.

“I am settled,” a voice whispered into my ear, “and bend up, each corporal agent to this terrible feat. Away and mock the time with the fairest show; False face must hide what false heart doth know.” As soon as the words were spoken, I heard another voice from a few feet away on the lot.

“He’s dead,” called the officer.

Suddenly, my mind snapped back into place and everything became clear. I spun around and found myself staring at Mac, a sinister smile playing on his lips,. his eyes glittering the same way they had at the Caprice the night before. Mac shrugged his shoulders and started to walk away.

Everything was coming together now, how he had lured me to the lot, killed Dennis, and framed me for the entire occurrence. Only one question remained unanswered for me. “Why,” I called out. “Why make it look like I did it?”

Mac stopped mid-step and turned to look at me again. His face had an expression that was scary, almost inhuman. I felt like I was watching a ghost.

“Because Gary,” he said smoothly, “oh beloved guard of our great King, I wanted revenge, and I desired payment for the insults you and the others have given me. Besides,” a small chuckle escaped his lips, “better you than me.”