Changing Me

Facing my new mom since one year ago and a half ago, I struggle to take up the courage to tell them the story that changed my life not so long ago. My best friend next to me nods encouraging me . Taking one last look at her kind face I finally take a deep breath and start.

2 years ago

Vincent

The day was finally here, so much planning and thinking all for today. Ever since I found out the real reason my parents were on the road that day. Today was the annual school fair. Normally no one would go to a school fair, but it was The Academy of the Overly Gifted. One of the most famous school, even more than Harvard, well except for kids. Don’t be fooled by the title, most parents of the kids there bribed the director into accept their kids. One more reason to hate that school. Not that I would be there much longer, ever since the “accident” my grades didn’t matter to me anymore. I would probably lose my scholarship by the end of the month. Good thing I would be done with my plan today.

Micheal

Woke up in the morning with a smile on my face. Didn’t even realize that was possible though that only happened in the movies. The school fair today is going to be epic. Waiting all year for it. Why? Well, because at the school fair every year they would pick one student, who would then represent the school in everything. You would basically become a celebrity. Not to mention a school the size of the Academy Of The Overly Gifted picking you as the person to represent them, was something that was bound to make your parents proud. Matter of fact that was the headline, “Make Your Parents Proud As The Representative Of The Academy Of The Overly Gifted”.

What made it even better is that I knew I would be picked, made sure of that. Sucking up to the teacher, making friends with everyone, and getting straight A’s. Everyone also knew I would be picked, ask them. Still smiling I throw off the sheets, I wonder what to wear for my victory. 

Vincent

After getting off the bus, I check my phone again. It’s all I need for my plan. An expert in hacking I already set everything up, so I only need to press one button on my phone. For a school for supposedly intelligent people, they have very little security. Just a bit of amateur skills to break into the school system and I had all of what I needed. All the bribes and blackmailings of every single dirty parent. Of course, not everyone at school had corrupt parents, only barely under one third did. But that was enough to get many people fired, imprisoned, and expelled. Though I only cared to see one family go through that. Now I only had to make sure that a certain boy would be near me before I pushed the button. I wanted to make sure he knew I was the one ruining his life, just like he did mine. Of course, I am not evil, if he says the one thing I’m looking for I’ll destroy the phone. Too bad he has never in his life said it.

Micheal

I was hoping my parents would have ridden the limo with me to school for a change, but no matter at least they had to be at this certain event. Before leaving the limo I check my hair in the mirror.

“Yo, John, how I look? Like a winner right,” I ask my driver. John looked back.

“Like a champ. Though I must say, are you sure you should have your hopes up?”

I frown, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing sir, I’m sure you’ll win, but just in case I recommend you calm down,”

Starting to laugh I say, “Yeah, sure John. I won’t need you to pick me up later, I’ll be riding with my parents, ”. Still laughing I get out of the car, only faltering a little after hearing John mumble,” I’ll be here at 4,”

Vincent

I feel the bile of hatred ride up my throat, as I watch him get out of his rich boy limo smirking. Thinking that he would become the face of the school. I can’t wait to see his face when he realizes that he won’t just not be the face of the school, but he won’t be a part of it. But still about an hour till. Swallowing my hatred down I walk towards the food starving and while I am eating there I thank God that it is free. The man at the boy’s home I attended has a jar of spare money on the counter, but the kids weren’t allowed to touch it. Last kid, they caught stealing some, they grounded him two weeks without dinner. He had been grabbing money to ride the bus to his sister's foster house, one that the bastard hadn’t let him visit in months. A couple times a week I am able to grab some money from the jar, but only as much that won't go noticed. Once I have enough I give a share to every kid I can. I barely keep any for myself, not that I need it I have everything I need in my laptop. After today I won’t have to stick around the home either. I check my watch, thirty more minutes.

Micheal

Man, am I excited. I saw my parents, didn’t get to talk to them, but it’s fine because now I know for sure that they will see me get this award. Only seven minutes left until they award me. Don’t know if I’m nervous, which is crazy, but I got the sudden urge to pee. I check the clock, six minutes left, I can make it. Jogging away, I notice almost everyone is already in the theatre, well better hurry I guess. When I get to the bathroom it’s empty, I quickly do my business and wash my hands. Just as I’m leaving someone walks in. It’s janitor kid, I nod at him and try to step around him, but he pushes me back with one hand and locks the door. What tha?

Vincent

Not believing my luck, I followed him to the bathroom. I waited till he was done to come in, not wanting to seem like a creep. Now I just look at him. We haven’t spoken to each other in years, but we used to be best friends. I doubt he even remembers, he must have blocked from his mind every time he mocked me. 

“Dude, what the heck, I’m about to get an award!” he exclaims. I grin and hold up my phone.

“No, your not,” Micheal just smirks, looking me in the eye.

“C'mon Janitor Boy. Go get the trash and let me go,” 

“Janitor Boy, huh, like you don’t remember me. Is that what you tell yourself. That you don’t know me, so you shouldn't care about what you did to me,” I say feeling the anger in me starting to boil.

“I don’t know what you talking about man,” Micheal says, his eyes flinching to the floor. 

“YES, YOU DO! Stop pretending Micheal,” I shout. He takes a step back. 

“Man, get away from you weirdo,” he mumbles. I bitterly laugh. 

“You really trying to forget, aren’t you. Let me remind you. I’m Vincent, an old friend of yours. Though you just now know me as Janitor Boy,” I spit.

Micheal

Well, this really damaged my mood. Of course, I remember “Perfect Vincent”. That was his first nickname, but that particular nickname I kept for myself. He was always getting his way. I stopped being his friend as soon, as I noticed my parents were asking more about him then they were asking about me. I started calling him Janitor Boy since his all so loving dad was the school janitor. Which is the only reason he gets to go here. 

“Okay, fine wha you want? Money? I’ll give you some if you let me go, awards start any minute,” I say. 

“No, they won’t matter a fact, I don’t think anyone will be receiving that award today. You see I have everything on you, your parents, and every other corrupt person here. I have it all to be released with a single push of a button. After today you won’t be attending this school,” he says. I open my mouth in shock. He has to be joking. Except...he was always good with computers. Except...there are parents that buy their kids away in and not only that buy their test scores on important exams.

“Why are you doing this? I never did anything to you,” 

“Yes, you did. You took everything from me!” Vince yells.

“What? I don’t know what you talking about!” I yell back.

Vincent  

“YOU KILLED MY PARENTS,” I shout blinking back tears. Hating him more the second, hating the fact I’m close to breaking down in front of the cause of my parents. Micheal just looks at me in shock.

“What?” he whispers.

“They were leaving school together. My mom had come to pick dad up. I had a club so I stayed back. They were already on the road when they got a call from the school. A bratty kid refused to leave the school until his stupid locker was cleaned properly. They said that since the kids' parents were one of the school's biggest sponsors, the locker needed to be cleaned immediately. My parents turned back towards school and were on the a way when a truck hit them right to the front of the car, they died immediately, because of you,” my voice cracks. Micheal looks at me with confused eyes.

“How do you know it was me,”

“I’m a hacker, Micheal. But you, you are a murderer,” I bite out,” But it’s fine, cause now I will get my revenge,” 

“No please, c’mon. I didn’t know,” Micheal pleads. I turn on my phone, playing the scene in which I hacked the school system and found out why they really died. 

“Vincent, please. It’s my fault, don’t make the other kids suffer,” 

“So now I’m Vincent?”

“You were always Vincent. I was jealous of you, your parents gave you attention. Mine don’t,” 

“Yeah, well now you have yours and I don’t,” I say. Micheal looks at me, tears falling down his face, makes me hesitate.

“Please, don’t,” he blubbers. I pull up the button.

“No! Please!” he yells. I flinch but move my finger towards it.

“ I’M SORRY, I’m sorry. I didn’t know about your parents. I didn’t mean for that to happen. I’m sorry it did and I get it okay, I get why your mad, but I don’t take it out on other people. Those are families that you will separate and for what? It won’t make your pain any better, I mean my parents aren't dead, but to me it's like they never were alive. They have barely even been around me all year, they have spoken to me only about five times. It is nothing compared to you, and what you have been through, for that I..am..sorry,”

Micheal

As soon as I said the words his expression changed. I feel guilty of the way he is feeling, despite me knowing that logically it wasn’t entirely my fault. I haven’t said sorry to anyone in years. Never had to, but as soon as I told him, I realized I want to have a reason to say it more. His parents died because I was a spoiled brat. That guilt I will carry for the rest of my life, but I can change. A loud crash makes me jump back. Vincent had thrown down his phone and slammed his foot down with tears streaming down his face. He looks at me expressionlessly.

“That was all you had to say,” he says sliding to his knees. In the background, I hear clapping and I realize that they already must have awarded someone else. But I feel nothing, funny how just this morning that was all I wanted and now all I want is to leave this school as fast as I could. 

“I miss them so much,” says Vincent looking up to me, “You can still see your parents and try to fix your relationship. Micheal, you never know when they will leave, don't wait,” I look at him unsure what to say. Before I realize what I am doing, I’m kneeling down next to him and wrapping my arms around him. To anyone else, we were just two eleven-year-olds crying on the floor, but to us, we were mending what was broken.

Two Month Later

Micheal

“C’mon, C’mon I'm going to be late!” I yell at John. He chuckles and gets in the car. Secretly I’m happy about the reason he was late to get to the car. My parents had been making plans with him about me going with them to an arcade. Ever since I took Vincent's advice they have been more aware of me and what I feel. 

“Sir, Micheal I promise you we'll make it in time,”

Vincent

Shifting from one foot to the other I anxiously wait. I’m leaving soon with my new foster mom. I already got to meet her and she seems really nice. The problem was she lived four towns over, so I would not see Micheal for a while. After my meltdown. I apologized to him. I don't know what I was was thinking, I was just so mad and he seemed the easiest person to blame. He was cool about it and said I was right to be angry at him. He went along with me to the school director with the evidence. After I made sure to tell him I had unerasable backup, the color drained from his face. Already the test score rate went down, since all the students have started to take test without cheating. Micheal and I are friends now, he somehow seems to be the only one that understands me nowadays. During the last couple of weeks at my attending the academy, Micheal made sure to tell everyone that made fun of me to shove off. Unwillingly a huge grin explodes on my face when I see Micheals coming around the corner. He rides a normal car now, after begging John to stop driving the limo. Micheal jumps out of the car and comes up to me.

“Whew, I told him to hurry, thought I would be late,” he says, thumping my shoulder. 

“Nah, you're fine,”

“So this is it, huh,” 

“No, this isn’t a goodbye, it's a see you later,” I say. Micheal rolls his eyes, despite his smile.

“Sure, here got you something,” he says pulling out a new phone, “Since you smashed your old one, got you a new one, with high-speed internet and lots of data for your crime-solving activities,”

“SHH, you let everyone know my secret identity,” I whispers. Micheal laughs.

“I think for that you need a hidden one in the first place,” he whispers back. Grinning I look up, to see my foster mom, Milly, coming up to us. 

“I have to leave, thank you for helping me out,” I tell him. Micheal shakes his head.

“No, thank you. You helped me more than I did you,”

Epilogue

Milly looks at me smiling.

“Thank you for sharing that with us,” she says. I nod it was a sad and happy story, but one that Micheal and I know we will remember forever. At 13 Micheal and I were starting a new app. It will take people that are going through hard stuff and connect them to another person in the app that is going through the same thing. For us to promote it we decided to tell people our story. So we told Milly first. Milly stands up.

“Alright Michael I’ll give you a ride back, I have to go pick up a little girl,” Micheal thumps my shoulder.

“See ya man,”

“K' man see you, don't forget to think of a name for the app,” I say. He looks back at me.

“Already did. What do you think of “Changing Me?”