What is really necessary in the world? There are three real big things: oxygen, water, and sustenance.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiFExAaBRyH
Right now, I didn't have much of all three.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGhI8NUnKa
My heart was pounding. I didn't have the time to wipe the sweat that was running in rivulets down my face. I had been running for the past hour with no let up. I risk the quick glance over my shoulder to check on my pursuers. They were trying, but I was too far ahead. With the last vestiges of strength left in my burning calves, I pushed myself over the finish line.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTiUu6CVNvR
"Time!" roared the instructor. "Hurry up, you pansies! Finish up this lap!"522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyS4aQ47Pw9
I felt my legs slowly giving out. I managed to stumble over to the water cooler where I collapsed under the spigot. As the water poured over my head, I heard someone shambling over to my final resting place.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVCiNoibyam
"Damn, dude. You probably set a new track record."522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRh9ey2TcYf
Alex, our school's top athlete and my personal best friend, came over and fell down besides me.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPAJ5EbN0V
"What, a record on how close someone's been to entering the light?"
He gave a laugh, and sat up.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdbLHjn5BR7
"But still, how did you piss him off so much? He never makes us run for an hour." Alex's smile turned into a clouded frown.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0KIhuKhrRS
"Oh, you know," came a sing-song voice from the shade, "Max is always getting into trouble."522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwowZ7R3QSa
"Just shut up, Melissa." I groaned.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNHNOJGTZhw
Melissa Achinson. The premier bitch of the school. Everybody hates her. Except for the gym teacher. Everybody knows he sides with the girls about everything, the sexist bastard, but it's pretty funny to hear the rumours of somethin-somethin going on between him and some girl in the locker room.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmrosaPkDv
"Naughty. Are you being mean to me? I could go tell Mr. Rodriguez." Her grin was wider than the Cheshire Cat's.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5CMnmE8TI
Alex slowly got up and headed towards her, but the class bell halted his progress. I knew that he was the only one who would take the wrath of Mr. Rodriguez, but punching his favorite student probably would be going over the top.
"Back off, Alex," I warned. "We don't need another reason to get extra laps."522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxqvUDOUYPJ
He reluctantly came back to the water cooler where the other runners were. I pulled myself to my feet and the class started walking back towards the locker room.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKisJjy18y
"She needs to get hit by a bus," Alex quipped as we walked further away from the track.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5xl0NlY1Q
I smiled at the thought. "Or at least break an ankle. That would shut her up."522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbOo2slqPmA
I looked back at her posse of lemmings, and just as I did that, my heart felt like it was being crushed. My vision blurred and I grabbed my chest.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9FFL1Abzyl
"Yo, you alright?" Alex had his worry face on.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBS0bMHftm
"I told you, I'm seeing the light."522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3JuCXjT3qp
He smiled and helped me steady myself. The pain was immense, and I thought I was actually having a heart attack. Then, suddenly, I could see fine. The pain disappeared, and I was back to staring at the bitch patrol.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUPMo0CSym
I was about to say something when I saw Melissa step wrong. Her foot was suddenly upside down, and a brutal crack echoed around the students, followed by a scream.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Ntu1XWJyr
Mr. Rodriguez was instantly by her side, asking if she was ok, and checking on her foot. It was quite obvious that is was broken, as we could clearly see bone through the broken skin, but Mr. Rodriguez took his time before admitting that is was, in fact, a pretty nasty fracture.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwoIPYIFLCO
Alex had a look of pure glee on his face. "Oh, man. You called it," he kept saying. "You called it. Did you see that? That was friggin' awesome!"522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCbKUaTy4T
"Dude, calm down. She just stepped wrong."522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡStOLwerVZf
"Uh-uh. No. There is no way that an ankle can just turn like that. You had to have done that. You are my hero." He turned towards me and started bowing down.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVzMUBeQ0P
I put my elbow into his ribs. "Just shut up. I had nothing to do with that. Let's just go, we still have class.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBzJJzLnEjy
It must've been a complete coincidence. There's no other way to explain it.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3CIWkc4Zk
While walking home from school, I reflect on the day. I always do this, mainly to remember what homework I have to do. Today, there's one thing that stands out in my mind.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT3DC8Oa85z
"How did she do it?" I asked myself.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLSgO1nbsyy
It wasn't everyday when someone turns their ankle upside down, so this was pretty spectacular. Everyone at school knew by lunch, and someone was even able to snap a picture of the gruesome event. I know because it popped up on Twitter. Multiple times.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7CMeKCb1Np
I reached the door of my house. I unlocked it and went in.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrtT7K9ws2P
"K, I'm home!"522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABdkCGuLdO
Kaylee, or for me, K, is my little sister. She's a couple of years younger than me, so she goes to middle school. She looks almost exactly like me, but, mentally, we are completely different. I have a few hobbies I'm into. She has more than I care to count.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbVL9O4EgdG
"I hear you broke someone's ankle."522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1K7G4UMP2B
"For God's sake, that wasn't me." It was frustrating having everyone congratulate me for doing something that can't be done by a human.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxAMPRUeSwS
"Well, anyway, good job on that," she congratulated me.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4nC0gimb0
I found her lying in front of the tv, watching some foreign cartoon.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqe53Wbe6X
"Can you not watch that weird stuff when I'm around?"522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjaOKFF8YNr
"Please," she begged, "just let me finish this episode. It's the newest episode of Henneko. It just came out." She looked up at me with pleading eyes.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVumRoQatCE
"Fine," I sighed. "Did they bring something for dinner?"522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIy4jq8gG81
K had already turned back to the tv. "Yeah, it looks like chicken."522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCCf2hOUPol
"They" was out parents. They were almost never home. They usually just restocked the fridge and brought dinner for when we got home. We've gotten used to living mostly on our own.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMMJbmLhxCg
"I'll be in my room if you need me." I called as I headed up the stairs.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgUtfDGaKw
I reached my room and immediately went to my computer. My computer was my life away from school. After all the work I had put into getting it, it should be my main priority. I logged on and was watching some youtube, checking in with my friends, when I saw an email pop up. It was Alex.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Hthhbohc5
Dude, you're famous. Everyone at track was talking about you. You're gonna have a parade when you get back to school.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWiKSmNISjr
I rolled my eyes as I clicked the delete button. I didn't want to deal with the fact that I was now the magical ankle breaker.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAlfwkxPIdt
I stayed up in my room for an hour while I watched my cult following grow, then I walked down to the kitchen to get dinner ready. All that I had to do was microwave the chicken, so I decided to start with our side, which, by a random selection, turned out to be broccoli.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTnhTiuiYn
"Seriously, are we really going to have broccoli?" K complained as I told her the menu.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSoyYJppFWi
"This is the last of the broccoli. Once we finish it, they won't bring any for a while."522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0p8OGXJ81p
K's frown lessened as she saw the logic in my plan, and finally, after a good minute, nodded her head.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOuozC2Sh8O
"Good," I said gently, as if I was talking to my own child, "I'm glad we could agree on this."522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW4Smk1gB8h
She rolled her eyes and flipped me off before heading back to the tv.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpTeHEWyXVV
I smiled and went back to the kitchen as I finished preparing our dinner.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrx3WIHOkHN
While I was putting everything on plates, K came back in to help me. She got out the utensils and grabbed her plate of food. I grabbed my plate and followed her out to the couch. We sat in silence as we munched on our food.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4gJ2xhUDt
"Hey, what really happened at the school?"522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeYst2qd1Xp
I looked up from my plate. K had set her plate down and was looking at me with an intent look on her face.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJQLm5eYiS
"Honestly," I admitted, "I don't know. I was walking with Alex and we were joking about what terrible things could happen to Melissa. I turn around and suddenly she's got a broken ankle."522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7tvg9s5QPd
"I don't think that's all of it." She was looking like a scholar trying to figure out an especially hard problem. "It's just not possible for her to completely flip her ankle. I mean, the foot can't do that. It's not made that way."522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ68C2IdrKS9
"Well, there has to be some explanation for it. Is not like I had a heart attack and that caused her to break it."522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo1R5Gst5rA
"Wait," she sat up, "you had a heart attack?"522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT3kujpoA1A
"I don't know. It sure as hell felt like one, though."522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxvt1mYS7M
She stood up and grabbed her plate. "It might just be me, but I think you have magic powers, bro."522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEcTGUic4ql
I made a face. "I've told you a billion times. Don't call me "bro". It feels weird."522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZtHAi24eGs
"I know," she smiled, "but I'll do it anyway. I got the dishes tonight."522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC59WjpDPbY
She picked up my plate and skipped into the kitchen. I sat down and looked through what was playing on tv. The only things that were playing were news, so I switched to our Netflix account. I pulled up a movie and waited for K to finish putting the dishes in the dishwasher. She finished up and came out to the living room, she saw the movie and a smile appeared on her face. It was one that we always used to watch when we were little.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡip5Y1wvLEk
She crawled onto the the couch and snuggled up against me. I hit the remote and the the familiar credits started appearing on the screen. Even though we had seen it more times than we cared to count, the acting seemed just as fresh.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrmnPJARd6
We were silent throughout the movie. It was a pleasant flick, and it brought back memories for both of us. When the movie was finally over, we both got up and stretched. I quickly checked the time. It was almost 11.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBcWW2cqahW
"Hey, we still have school tomorrow," I said. "Get ready for bed. I'm going to quickly put the dishes away."522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0T7eB1qvk2
K just nodded as she sleepily rubbed her eyes. I patted her on the head and she went off to her room. I grabbed our plates from the dishwasher and set them back in the cabinet. I could hear K splashing around in the shower, and I thought about how hard it is to function without parents all the time.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsoRtWWZMSs
I walked over to my room, where I took off my shirt and threw it in the laundry. I could feel my muscles tightening up as I walked to my own bathroom, where I got in the shower. The hot water pouring over my body did wonders to my worn out calves.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDS2Qfhtqhj
When I finished with the shower, I brushed my teeth, and walked over to my bed. I got in it and just stared at the ceiling before reaching over and turning off the light. The room plunged into darkness, and all I could do was let sleep overtake my weary body.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfHnkG3EgSW
