Chapter 1: OPENING IMAGE & CATALYST

The transition to secondary school felt akin to navigating a hostile alien planet, but Leo knew the universal currency of survival: effortless swagger. Leaning against the cafeteria's cinderblock wall, he casually adjusted his backward navy blue Nike baseball cap. His warm brown eyes, framed by expressive eyebrows, scanned the dismal lunchroom. "Look at this slop, Benny," Leo quipped, his quick, easy smile flashing. "I wouldn't feed this to a stray dog." Benny pushed his thick glasses up his nose, his voice a rapid-fire staccato. "I-I-I don't know, Leo. The nutritional value is technically adequate." Leo chuckled, clapping his friend on the shoulder to ease the boy's trembling shoulders. "Adequate is boring, man." He glanced down at his pristine white Nike Air Force 1s, ensuring no mystery liquid threatened the immaculate laces. His older cousin, Marcus—the architect of Leo's curated suburban street style—had gifted him more than just sneaker-drop alerts. Marcus had slipped Leo a prototype anti-gravity disc, a metallic marvel designed to elevate any mundane situation. Literally. The analog clock on the wall ticked toward 12:00. Tension coiled in Leo's lean, athletic frame. He couldn't let his crew succumb to the first-week gloom. With a mischievous glint in his eye, Leo retrieved the silver disc from his red drawstring Nike backpack. He jammed the device deep into the center of his soggy tuna sandwich. He twisted the embedded dial. BRRRRIIING! The lunch bell shrieked. Simultaneously, a hum vibrated through the table. The sandwich levitated, vibrating violently before erupting outward, sending weightless chunks of tuna and bread floating toward the fluorescent lights in a suspension of absolute chaos.

3 chapters left.Log in to unlock the rest

Did you like it?