Slightly Insane condition worsening....

Fred

Hey and welcome to my life. Yes as everyone knows I'm insane. *jumps around with tongue stuck out* Yes and who ever said that being insane was bad? I mean Edger Allen Poe was insane right? And he was a great horror writer. And then there's Michael Jackson...um never mind....maybe it should be Michelle Jackson, but hey he's nuts and how much money did he make?

They say all artists are crazy and I guess I follow that pattern pretty well. People tell me I'm really good at art, but I don't know maybe I am maybe I'm not. It all depends on what you consider to be art. I draw, and paint my sister dances and sings. We're both involved in art. She however is the most popular person in her grade, I'm well...not. I'm more of a sit in the back of class and glide person. Erica, my twin sister is a sit in the back of the class because you can stare at hot guys with out being noticed kind of person.

They say all artists are insane. I'm here to prove them right.

Math class is incredibly boring. It's so boring not even the nerds can stay awake. Not even Jane, little miss-goodie-too-shoes A+ Jane can keep her eyes open when Mrs. Beasley (m.c.n.a- 'ye old bat') strolls in. she's 4'9, with her sparkly purple high heels on and has brown curly hair that she pulls back so tight it looks as if her face just might come off. She has green rimmed glasses that take up at least a third of her face and tiny squinty eyes that are always staring somewhere else. Sometimes we think she's just as happy as use to be locked up in school, or skull as we call it, all day. Anyway today it was a particularly boring 3rd period math class, something about finding the area of a pinecone. Woo! Like you'd really ever use that in real life..

"Will someone please come to the board and do the problem?" Mrs. Beasley's squeaky voice called out, interrupting my day-dreams and doodling. I looked down at my notebook where I should have been taking notes but instead, I had drawn a picture of me asleep dreaming of an evil math-book running after Mrs. Beasley. He chuckled silently to myself and carefully ripped the paper out and stuck it in my binder in the folder labeled 'gallery'. (a.k.a.- if any teacher finds out about these I'm dead) but why throw away such beautiful works of art?)

"Fred how about you?" She said staring at me from over her plastic emerald glasses with her ever searching eyes. I swallowed wonderful pick on Fred because he sits in the back seat.

I forced a smile and got up, and walked past Erica who looked like she was about to crack up, she knew I sat in the back because I never paid attention. When I reached the black board I knew all was lost, I had no clue what Beasley had been rambling on about for 20 minutes. I reached my hand down an picked up the piece of white chalk that lay on the dusty sliver rim where teacher placed lost books, old magazines and chalk. Ah well I have drama next mind as well practice...

I reached my hand up to the black-green chalkboard and scrawled as big as I could: 2+2=4. I calmly walked back to my seat and sat down listening to people struggling to hold in their laughs. It wasn't that funny but you don't get much excitement in math class anyway. I think the most exciting thing that had ever happened was the time that some kid, I think they called him Andrew had fallen asleep (big surprise) and started snoring so loud that the teacher form next door came into our classroom. Mrs. Beasley was still rambling on about some property of multiplication (this was the being of the year and we where reviewing middle skull.)

"Ha ha. The world always loves a good joke." Mrs. Beasley said in her dull monotone voice. "Fred see me after class, we can discuss your rather inappropriate behavior. Now if I can get someone to work the problem at hand...?" Dead silence. Wait I think I hear a cricket somewhere off in the distance. "How about you Mr. Flanagan?" Beasley said signaling out a very scrawny very nerdy boy, Jonathon Flanagan.

He looked up form under his also thick ugly plastic glasses nodded solemnly and walked to the board. He picked up the chalk, scribbled a few things that seemed so foreign to me that I almost thought I was reading Chinese, walked back to his seat and sat down. "Very good John now-"

Thank god for the bell, now only to deal with ye old bat. I gathered my math book and 20 pound binder from the sliver binder-holder underneath the desk and walked up to her itching to go to drama, my favorite subject. And today was a big day for me, and I had practiced all night for it. "Detention Mr. Meyer. After school. Today. I except better out of such a ....bright young mind." She handed me a white slip with my bad behavior written in red ink on the front of it, I faked another smile and shot out the door, pocketing the paper. Mom and Dad wouldn't care, I only had to deal with Erica. Mom publishes her own magazine, given three 'Best Zine of the Year' awards in 1999, 2000 and 2001, they're shooting for it again this year. She's so busy that I think sometimes she sleeps at work. Dad's a lawyer. Need I say more? So most of the time me and Erica eat microwave meals and play video games. Sometimes if we're lucky we hook up with friends and go to the mall. Except on Sundays, mom and dad think Sundays are family days so they eat dinner with us, wow real family-ish.

"Fred anytime your ready..." Mrs. Brown drama teacher-extraordinaire said gesturing to me form in front of the curtain at our school's small auditorium the big one was reserved for basketball games and such. Today was the drama class' first stand up day, that meant it was sort of like a talent day. I had sat through 2 magicians, 3 guitar players and 1 very bad opera singer. Now it was my turn. I nodded and watched her turn away to go back and sit among the rest of the drama class. I tried desperately to straiten out my messy black hair, I don't know why I even bother, it hates me, I'm sure of that.

I took a deep breath and walked through the rusty rose colored curtain onto the stage. I sighed, this was it no turning back. I looked out on the crowd of bored people and realized that they'd probably appreciate something a little more interesting the plastic-pig juggling people. I smiled and strode towards the microphone. "Hey all of you." They looked up at me dully.

"Your probably bored out of your minds huh?" a few yeas and lots of nods. "Well let me tell you a story about my friend. I don't think the teachers would quite appreciate it if I told you that's he's an underage drinker but oh well. He is. Well anyway this friend I have will get drunk, so drunk that I swear this guy starts to loose his mind. One time we where playing some kind of Nintendo game and he's like:" I crossed my eyes and titled my chin down doing an impression of this drunkee. "Dude...you wanna wrestle?" I pulled my face back up and pretended to look shocked. "We were like what? Dude your scaring us. Then's he's duuude! I'm the rock! I'm the rock!" I smiled and looked out at the audience. "I was like John, your 5 foot four and Japanese your like the pebble." The audience burst into laughter and the pained bored looks where instantly lifted form their faces.

I had the floor wonderful. "Hey have you guys heard about the lip-prints in the girls bathrooms? Well let me tell you the principal you know? He decided to take care of it by showing all the girls why it was so hard to get the lipstick off the mirrors. So he brought in the custodian and had her show them why. The custodian, Emmet dipped his rag into one of the toilets and scrubbed at the mirrors uselessly. Haven't had a problem since.." I said watching the people howl with more laughter. This was good, it's all good.

I glanced over at Mrs. Brown who looked up at the clock and shrugged. I cringed, I had the floor and was doing good then ha, they cut me off so horribly typical....

****

I sat in the second row desk next to the window so I could get some air, it was horribly hot in the detention room and even worse because there was only 3 windows. And if you thought math was bad, detention is hell. Literally, the teacher is a ex-marine who still thinks he's commanding ranks out on sea. Everyone has to be extremely quiet other wise he'll make you do, you guessed it push-ups. I learned my lessons and others after me have to.

This dude is so unbelievably rude that he won't even let us do our homework so we sit their in silence scribbling uselessly on a sheet of paper. Today was different. I was there. I scribbled on my paper in big dark letters: check your fly, and held it up for teach to see. He turned red and glared at a few of the snickers that arose. He looked down and realized that me, being the smarty pants as just making a joke. He glared and was about to say something when I held up my hand and pulled from my pocket a game boy color. I turned it on and cranked up the volume so annoying Mario music filled everyone's ears. "Fredrick! Drop and give me 10!" He yelled turning even brighter red.

I grinned innocently and walked towards him. I pulled form my other pocket a ten dollar bill and handed it to him. Sweat was dripping down his face and I could tell I was in for it, why do I have to be such an idiot? Why why why? "That's it out in the hallway with you!" he snapped grabbing me by the scruff of the neck and throwing me into the hallway. I ducked as he threw the rest of the books intentionally at my head.

I sighed and sat down outside the door fiddling with my pencil. "Well that accomplished a lot.." I said smugly rubbing my fingers on my maroon colored sweater they way they do in the movies. When I looked up a saw a very odd man, dressed in entirely black with odd boots that looked like he was about to go riding. He glared at me with his strange green-yellow eyes. One had a scar running down form it's corner to his cheek. "May I help you?" I asked studying the man further.

"Are you Fred?" He asked in a raspy dangerous voice that I didn't like one bit. I nodded unable to speak this was the scariest thing that'd ever happened in a school. "Here." He shoved a small gold-white object into my hands and then walked down the hall way and out the door...

"Well then..." I said raising an eyebrow at him as he left. That was the oddest person I'd ever seen. Looked like he was going to ride a horse but cloaked? I'd never been riding before but I figured that a cloak would get in the way. I looked down at the egg and found that it was shaking. I watched it intently my green-blue eyes fixed on the small cracking line that appeared in the shell. Slowly a red-black smooth paw appeared followed by a shiny red-black nose. "what the..?" I said watching as the egg shell snapped and slide a red-black mini-dragon into my hands.

"well you’re an odd little fellow..." I said stroking the little dragon. He whined and pawed at my jeans pocket where I kept extra snickers bars, just in case. "you hungry little fellow?" I asked pulling out the candy-bar and pulling off the wrapper with one hand. The other was holding the strange little dragon, he was very pretty, black and red with a little crest on the top of his head, but this had to be a dream .Dragons weren't real. I handed him a chunk of the snickers bar and watched as he gobbled it down. At least I thought it was a he, was their really a way to be certain? I handed him chunk after chunk until the snickers bar was completely gone. He curled up in my hand yawned and when to sleep. Somewhere to my left the door from the detention room creaked open and I shoved the little guy into my pocket, just as the ex-marine stepped out. "Detention tomorrow be here or die." He narrowed his eyes and stepped out of the way as the class filled out. I nodded walked to the building's exit waiting for the rest of the kids to leave before pulling the dragon back out. "I think I shall call you Jackson.." I muttered to the little dragon-like thing and perched it on my shoulder.

****

"boy that's an odd little thing." Erica remarked as we walked down to lunch together the next day. I had Jackson in my hands and I was keeping him temporarily in the boys' locker room right above the bathroom stalls. "Is he a dragon?"

"I honestly don't have a clue. All I know is that I'm going to keep him, no one will notice if we put him in the fourth bedroom at the end of the hall." Erica nodded, it was known to our family and friends that no one used the fourth bedroom, it was the place our grandma had died last year. "He ate a whole snickers bar.." I said in awe, the thing was growing there was no doubt about it, but geez no one eats snickers that fast.

Erica smiled. "Well I guess that's because he was hungry." He mocked turning a bit pink as a senior walked by obviously checking her out. I glared angrily at him and stuffed a feisty Jackson into my back pocket.

"Hey buddy lay off." I snarled, my eyes narrowing. No one messed with my sister, not even seniors. It looked pretty sad, me being a sophomore and he being a senior. I barely came up to his chin. I jabbed him with my finger and started up at his cruel blue-brown eyes. "Lay off or I'll punch you so hard that you'll meet your dead relatives.."

He grinned at me and grabbed the front of my shirt. "thanks but no thanks I'll check out who I want." He let go and I fell to the floor with a thud, careful not to land on Jackson.

"Jerk.." Erica snarled rushing over and helping me up. "Id' like to give him a piece of my mind." She said her green-blue eyes that looked identical to mine where a lit with a fire. She may be delicate looking but she was one hell of a fighter.

"Over my dead body. Where something a little higher necked next time..?" I said gesturing to her low-cut shirt. She smiled and pulled me to my feet. "Thanks. I'm going to go put Jackson back in the locker room. I'll see you after lunch." Erica nodded and trod off to talk to her friends (a.k.a.- the popular people). I looked over my shoulder and walked down the steps leading to the gym. I walked into the boys' locker room, which was closet to the door and made a left and walked past the rows of lockers to the stalls. I blinked my eyes unbelieving what stood before them.

"Da-Daron?!?" I asked looking at my old time friend. He looked so much different, he as tanner and taller (it had been 3 years since I'd seen him) and his blue hair was beginning to turn light-blue the dye was fading away. But the scary thing was that standing behind him was a fifteen foot long replica of Jackson. Only he was light-bluish and not red black. This as a dragon, Jackson was a mini-dragon? They both had the same crest and they same looking face but they where so different in size. Jackson who had been cramped in my pocket chirped and started fluttering about. I pried him out and he hopped onto my shoulder.

Daron turned and smiled. "Heya Freddie. Nice flitter you got there." He said eye-balling the little black-red thing that had slipped down my sleeve and was now sniffing my pocket intently.

"Flitter? You have a dragon standing behind you and all you can talk about is Jackson?" I said my voice sounding squeakier than it already was. I couldn't help it, evil puberty...

Daron laughed. "Yrotorith?" He asked smiling up at the big blue. "He's my bond. And you Freddie have been chosen by me, to be a candidate at Ryslen, where I first meet this big guy." He patted the dragon on the shoulder and I watched intently as the dragon lowered it's massive neck for Daron to hop on. "C'mon he doesn't bite."

"Yro- what it?" I said sill standing stone cold. I was half-scared half amused. "Well I guess I'll try...couldn’t hurt could it?" I said wondering where on earth Ryslen was. Figures, I've never been very good at geology. I walked cautiously over to the dragon and grabbed Daron's hand as he pulled me up. "How's Courtney?" I asked remembering all to clearly the day Daron and Courtney had gone missing, and my had their parents been worried. It had been a wreck, Daron had been a sophomore and I was only a 6th grader.

Yrotorith. Courtney's fine. And so is her pretty little Rasith..A strong voice echoed into my head starling me but not taking me by surprise things just keep getting weirder. You know Fred Daron has told me about your jokes and pranks, I think you'd do well with Keriteraith. She's one of Xio's clutch. That means that she didn't choose a bond at birth. If you successfully bond to her then you'll have a very special bond. I know this is hard for earthians to understand but please try..?

The dragon said calmly. I shrugged. "Um sure...I'll try.." I said trying to figure out what he was talking about. I wouldn't mind whoever Keriteraith was.

"Fred Keriteraith's a dragon." Daron said watching my face light up like a light-bulb.

"You mean you want me to bond to a dragon?" I asked practically leaping of Yro's back. This was all to cool. I could have a mini dragon and a big dragon. "Will I get to come back?" I asked thinking of Erica and my parents, even though I hardly ever seen them I still loved them.

"Of course who do you think I keep my hair blue?" Daron laughed. "Ok Yro off to Ryslen." The dragon nodded it's massive head. I didn't know what to expect, maybe just flying out of the building to Ryslen but no we had to do it the hard way. I gasp as I felt the icy cold sensation of between for the first time. Wonderful off to Ryslen to impress a dragon. What's next unicorns?

Thsi part of the story was written by Tiyanni

Daron took Fred right to Xiorayith's brood - what was left of them, anyway - and it wasn't long at all before the dragons were taking a peek at the newest offering.

"So which of these little beauts is Keri?" Fred asked, smiling at the dragons. "She's..."

She? HA! One of the dragons scoffed. Where'd you get that insane idea? The speaking dragon stepped forward, forcing Fred and Daron to step out into the hallway. The Light Blue ushered them out.