Chapter 1

The young woman plunged her fingers in between the juicy swollen lips of her slit for the umpteenth time, biting down on her pillow to muffle her moans of pleasure. She was lying in bed, the sun approaching the eastern horizon as the minutes ticked by on her alarm clock. The hour was early, earlier than the time her parents woke up, but this was how she liked it. The girl liked to pleasure herself each morning, again after she got home, and a final time before falling asleep. You could say that this was the breakfast rub-out, also known as the most important rub-out of the day.

With each ticklish prod of her fingers, the adolescent girl could feel waves of vibrating warmth shivering along her insides, making her legs squirm as if she were having her reflexes tested during a physical. Her soft voice cooed in her arousal as the predawn light shined in through her window and illuminated the juices on her hand. Her pussy was so warm and soft, she could keep her fingers in it all day and never grow tired of her own touch and the feeling of her wetness.

But contrary to her sexual appetite and her almost obsessive need to pleasure herself each day, there was no specific image in her mind. She was not thinking of anyone, dreaming of some fantasy, or even remembering any erotic events in her life. Quite simply, she didn’t really have anyone that aroused her, she was too shy and unsure of herself to even imagine a fantasy, and the fact that she had gone this long without having her first kiss or losing her virginity explained why she didn’t have a cache of sensual memories to draw on for inspiration. Anyone who knew her outside of this bedroom wouldn’t even recognize the writhing scarlet-haired beauty, knuckle deep with her index and middle finger between her legs, mouth open and gasping for air like a dog in the shade, face blushing from sexual excitement, and free hand tracing her naked body.

Regardless of these hindrances, she was mostly content and didn’t really need anything more. She already had her large c-cup breasts, jiggling and bouncing with each movement of her slender body with her nipples erect and at their most sensitive in the cool early morning; she had her virgin slit, softer than the interior of the ripest fruit and dripping with nectar so delicious that she would gluttonously lick her fingers clean after each orgasm; and she had the self-knowledge of how reach that threshold. Struggling to suppress her moan with her face buried in her pillow, the young woman worked her fingers between her legs as euphoria consumed her and waves of vibrating heat coursed through her young tight body. Trembling from head to toe, she licked her fingers clean as her parent’s alarm began ringing down the hall. It was time to get up and start the new day.

In his very Spartan bedroom, a young man sitting on the floor opened his eyes. The bedroom couldn’t really be called that, as there wasn’t a bed. The only pieces of furniture were a bureau full of clothes, a chair and desk for homework, and a shelf with a stereo and wide collection of CDs. With the sun rising and lighting his room, the teenager stood up and stretched, letting his muscles release the strain from the night of meditation. It was the start of a new day, one of the last.

“Liam Harper?”

“Here.”

“Sydney Hess?”

“Here.”

“Lisa Jacobs?”

“Present.”

“Victoria Ellie?”

“Here.”

“Jack Owen?”

“He doesn’t come to this school anymore.” A student answered out of sync, prompting the substitute teacher to raise his glasses and look out over the US History classroom and count the juniors.

“Really?” the old man grumbled.

“Yeah, he was transferred to another school back in seventh grade, I don’t know why he’s still on the attendance list.”

“Very well then.”

“Actually, I’m here,” a voice announced, prompting everyone to turn around and look at the young man standing in the door.

Built with a tall lean build, Jack had messy blond hair, a pale-tan complexion, bright grey eyes, and a permanent small smile like that of someone walking out of school on a Friday afternoon. His smile was also mixed with strong confidence, as if he could get into a heated debate with someone and crush any argument without even having to hesitate and think, or be challenged to a fistfight and dodge every attack as if his opponent were moving in slow motion. It had been years since anyone had seen him, and he was exactly as everyone remembered.

Staring at him most intently was the girl who had last been called for attendance. Victoria Ellie was a beauty by anyone’s standards with sun-kissed skin, eyes like sapphires, and long scarlet hair that was tied into a ponytail that went almost all the way to her waist with two long locks framing her angelic face. As well as beautiful, she had a figure that would drive any man insane: C-cup breasts, a narrow waist with a flat stomach, and an ass taut enough to bounce a quarter across a room at the end of her hourglass figure. Her outfit consisted of a pair of tight jeans, a slim-fitting red sweater, and a pair of boots.

She was a very kind and sweet girl, not being afraid to voice her opinions and reach out to others. But regardless of her energetic personality, physical beauty, and recently indulged sexual appetite, she was normally timid and quiet with guys, always being too nervous to go out on dates. She was terrified of being judged and rejected and remained quiet around boys, telling herself that she would date when she was ready. Sometimes though, she wondered if the reason why she was so nervous around guys but was always so horny was because she was actually a lesbian and had just not realized it.

However, there was one boy that she had always adored and who managed to bring out her talkative and confident side when no other guy could, and he was the student she thought she would never see again. The reason for her infatuation was simple; Jack was the friendliest guy in school and was never sad or upset. No matter what happened, he would shake it off, look on the bright side, and keep smiling, and everything he said was enlightening. But it was more than just an overjoyed attitude, an attempt to win the approval of others, or even an overly zealous religious belief. It was like he truly had a reason to be happy, like he had just heard good news and nothing could ruin his mood. He was also brilliant with an optimistic personal philosophy and approach to life, like the Dalai Lama but much more joyful. In fact, the reason why he hadn’t been seen in years was because he had been attending a school for the gifted, having possessed a natural talent for everything he tried.

The teacher put down the attendance clipboard next to the small calendar on the desk, which read the 1st of December, 2012. “All right, take a seat at any of the open desks and we’ll begin today’s lesson.”

Jack began maneuvering through the cramped classroom as cheerful as ever, bending back and forth as he moved between the cramped desks and the bored students. With their proximity growing each second, Victoria began to shiver with nervousness. Would he sit near her, would they be able to talk? It had been years since they spoken, and they were more acquaintances than friends. Was he the same as before? Was he here to stay? Should she try to make a move during or after class? Would he date her? It was questions like this, a vast torrent of confusion and excitement swirling in her mind, that distracted her so much that she didn’t even notice Jack coming up to her.

“Victoria Ellie, it is nice to see you again. May I sit here?” he asked, motioning to the empty desk next to her. At the sound of her name, Victoria nearly jumped out of her chair.

“Oh, of course! Uh, go ahead! And it’s really great to see you too; I missed you! I mean—” she yelped, blushing in embarrassment.

“Thank you very much.”

The class went on as it normally would, with the substitute teacher continuing on the lecture from where the normal teacher had left off, occasionally asking questions of the students. Always the first to raise his hand was Jack, though this was no surprise, as he had always been—not so much “eager” or “excited”—but happy to answer them. Throughout the class, Victoria watched him with interest and adoration, comparing him to how she remembered and failing to see even the slightest change.

“Jack, would you like me to show you around the school? I’m not sure if you’ve been told where your classes are, but I would be happy to help you,” Victoria offered, running up to Jack as he walked down the hall from the first period of the day.

Walking past rows of maroon lockers with scores of students shuffling past them like salmon at spawning season, the two adolescents had to speak with slightly-raced voices to be heard. Victoria didn’t know why she had made that offer, normally she would be too hesitant to talk to Jack, but after seeing him again after so many years, she felt like her chances were slim and she had to make the most of them.

“Oh, no thank you. I know where to go.”

Victoria winced from the rejection, but felt the need to take the initiative revitalize her.

“Well do you mind if I walk with you? It’s been ages since we last talked.” She knew that she risked coming off as desperate but was willing to take the risk.

“I would enjoy that very much. Though unfortunately, I don’t know much about you, would you care to enlighten me as to what lies in the past of the pretty red-headed girl beside me?” A loud thump echoed through the hall, triggering the scared mutterings and calls of fellow students. Jack looked back to see the unconscious Victoria, laying on the floor after fainting from the compliment with a smile on her blushing face. “Hmm, something tells me that you are an interesting girl,” Jack chuckled.

The small cot was cold and not very soft, but it was more comfy than the floor she had passed out on. Victoria looked around the dark room, recognizing the nearby sink and cabinets as those of the school nurse, with the posters about colds and human body being the largest clue. Hearing the sound of humming, Victoria raised her head and looked to the corner, where Jack was sitting with his eyes closed and his usual smile.

“Ah, I’m glad you’re awake,” the young man said, opening his eyes as she stirred.

“How long have I been asleep?”

“About twenty minutes, the nurse was certainly worried when I came into her office with you in my arms.”

“You ... carried me?” she asked with a blush.

“I’m sorry, I hope you don’t mind. I had no thoughts other than getting you here if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Oh, no! I’m just grateful, that was a really sweet thing to do. Wait, twenty minutes? Aren’t you late for class?”

“Oh, I have a study hall right now. But even if it was something else, to me, making sure you’re safe is more important than any class.”

Victoria was unsure of what to say next, after all, Jack was even kinder than she remembered, but was he being so nice because maybe he liked her? “That tune you were humming, what was it?”

“Pachelbel’s Canon in D-Major, a melody of the ages. I believe music is probably the greatest achievement of mankind, as it is the almost divine manipulation of sound waves and atomic vibrations into a lullaby for the senses, even to animals.” Victoria smiled, having finally gotten something out of him. “Now please, I would like to continue our conversation in the hall. Tell me about yourself, please. I’d like to know more about you.”

Victoria’s smile widened into an ecstatic grin; she never believed she would get this far, but it was as if her dreams were coming true before her eyes. The nurse was in the next room in her office, but if they talked quietly, she wouldn’t hear them.

“Why are you interested in me?” she asked, trying to gauge his perception of her.

“Because I find you interesting. Besides, I love to learn as much as I can about other people, as they are probably the greatest sources of the most intriguing information. Through your words, I can peer into your soul and try to understand what makes you who you are.”

Victoria’s chest warmed at his words. That philosophical tendency of his, it hadn’t changed a bit. “Well, I’m sixteen, I grew up here in Maine, my parents are divorced, I’m pretty shy, I love to draw in my free time, and I’m hoping to do a lot of traveling after college. What about you?”

“Like you, I was born and raised in this state, my parents are together, and I love everything. For hobbies, I guess you could say that just admiring the world and taking in knowledge is my main form of entertainment. I’m not quite sure what I want to do after I graduate.”

“How can you love everything?” Victoria asked, turning around on the cot so that she was lying on her stomach with her chin resting on her hands.

“Half of reality is what happens, the other half is how you perceive it. Depending on how you look at something, you can be lucky enough to see the true beauty in it, or at least look past the bad aspects.”

“Well do you love me?”

“Yes, in a manner of speaking. I am grateful to be able to talk to you like this, I am glad that I get to look into your past and see who you truly are, I admire your beauty, and I want to get to know you.”

At the first word of his reply, Victoria began to tremble. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined it would be like this, was this really happening? Did she truly have a chance with him?

“Jack, do you feel about me differently than you feel about others?”

“Only in that I know more about you now than I do most of the students here.”

Victoria smiled. ‘That’s a good start.’

Throughout the day, Victoria carried a smile that stretched from ear to ear as she walked down the halls. She had already been barraged with questions from her friends about why she had fainted and if she was sick, but she would always answer with a cheerful denial of any problems. Why wouldn’t she be happy? She had her foot in the door, an edge on any other women with their eyes on Jack. Jack himself was always seen on his own, never walking with friends or talking to anyone. This was not unusual being it his first day back to school, but whether he was alone or not, he was always smiling and humming, as if he knew something good that everyone else was unaware of.

“Gentlemen, please, there is no need for violence,” Jack said, facing a towering Senior who had his fingers clamped around the collar of a terrified Sophomore who was being held off his feet against a row of lockers. People walked by without a second glance, not wanting to get involved and ignorant as to how they were fueling the Senior’s sadistic attitude. As mentioned, the man towered over Jack and was heavily built, fitting his star position on the school football team.

“This doesn’t concern you fag, piss off,” the high school gorilla threatened.

“There is no reason for violence, no reason to harm others, so why do you do it? Has this boy done something to trigger your anger, or are you using him as a way to release the strain from the troubles in your life? Tyler Deck, what is your reason to inflict pain?”

“It’s none of your fucking business!” Tyler growled, dropping his victim and turning to the fearless challenger.

“You’re harming and intimidating this young man here, is it his business? There is no need to make someone the victim of the problems in your life, so what is the purpose of these harmful acts?”

Tyler bit his lip, trying to come up with a response. In truth, he had never asked himself why he did the things he did, but now this stranger before him, this smiling punk, was standing up to him in a way he had never before seen. Even more, Jack was saying everything with a cheerful disposition, but there was a certain force to it, like he wasn’t going to allow Tyler to weasel his way out of explaining himself. There was nothing personal in this, it was like he was a mirror showing Tyler his true self and turning him on himself. Now, people were starting to stop and watch.

“Because I can.”

“Oh, now that’s not really an answer. We are all capable of an almost unlimited number of things, but we don’t go through with them. Everyone here is capable of violence just as you are, but what matters is the reason. What is your reason?” Tyler clenched his hands into fists and looked down at Jack almost fearfully. “Do you get enjoyment out of harming others? Does it help you deal with issues in your own life?”

“Yeah, it does,” Tyler barked out of spite.

“Then punch me. Punch me as hard and as many times as you want,” Jack said without any worry in his voice.

All of the spectators gasped and began muttering amongst themselves and all the blood drained from Tyler’s face. “Wait ... what?”

“If you need someone to act as your punching bag so that you can resolve your issues, then I would be happy to play that role. Feel free to break my nose, it will heal. Knock out some teeth if it will help you, I have plenty. Snap some bones if you want, the hospital isn’t a long drive from here. If it means helping someone deal with their problems and heal from traumas in their lives, then any pain that I must endure is an easy price.”

“Jack, what are you doing?!” Victoria exclaimed, having arrived and now forcing her way through the crowd of spectators.

“Ah Victoria. I must ask that you please stand back and no one interfere. Tyler Deck, do whatever you need to.”

Trembling very uncharacteristically, Tyler threw a punch, striking Jack on the left side of his face and knocking him to the ground. But regardless of how it had looked to everyone watching, the punch had barely been a fraction of its true potential.

“Jack!” Victoria cried out, rushing over to him.

“Thank you, Victoria, I greatly appreciate your care. But please, stay back,” Jack said before standing up.

“Didn’t that hurt?” Tyler asked, surprised that Jack was able to maintain his smile, even with his cheek already turning dark from the forming bruise.

“Yes, it did. The key is not minding that it hurt. Now, did that help? Did throwing that punch make you feel better?”

“No...”

“Really? If it didn’t work, you can punch me again,” said Jack without any pity, sarcasm, condescension, or contempt. When Tyler didn’t respond, Jack took a deep breath. “The reason you said “because I can” held a meaning that you didn’t understand. You said it because it meant that you had power over others, that you had freedom. You hurt others because it means it is something you have control over. However, when I offered to serve as your punching bag, there was nothing for you to get out of it. There was nothing for you to take, nothing to seize, nothing for you claim as an expression of control. In truth, you hated punching me, because you finally felt the guilt of inflicting harm on another person. There was no reward for you, only a pure look at what you’ve been doing all this time.

I won’t ask you what it was that made your need for control so great, but I will ask that you reflect on this and take a good look at yourself. The reason for your need for violence goes deeper than what I explained. In order to end this meaningless cycle, you must look deep inside and discover the Self.”

“The Self?”

“The point from which all personality, actions, and thoughts originate. It is the true form of you, no less and no more than itself. It is the answer to all questions within you, all your confusions, and all your irrationalities. Through discovering the Self, you can understand who you are, what shapes the person known as Tyler Deck, and why he does the things that he does. You must do this so that you will come to terms with why you act violent towards the people around you.

There is no reason to cause harm to others. If someone says something mean, the only harm comes from you giving their words value. If someone takes something from you, your pain comes from the needless obsession with that object. If someone hurts you, it will mean nothing as long as you are wise enough to accept the damage you receive, know that your body will heal, and ignore the delusion that it has any affect on your mind.

Thank you very much for allowing me to be of help.”

Jack gave a grateful nod of his head and walked away.

“I certainly didn’t expect to arrive at the school nurse’ office twice on my first day back, both times with you,” Jack chuckled.

Sitting next to him on the cot, Victoria smiled and pressed an ice pack against his cheek, making him twitch. “Well you took care of me after I fainted, the least I can do is take care of you after being a hero.”

“Thank you, but I wasn’t a hero. I was just trying to help remove some violence.”

“Well you were a hero by our standards. I swear, you’re just as I remember you; the nicest guy in the world. You’d do anything to make others happy but without expecting anything in return. I’m surprised you haven’t already donated all of your organs.”