Enter the Centauri

Insei was pushed and knocked around as he tried to maneuver the way to his locker. Tokugawa High's downstairs locker area for the sophomores was packed. He had seen some of the more foolish students crowd surf in this undersized region of the school. This part was made, what, 10, 20 years ago? Today's teenagers were much bigger than those walking the halls 15 years back. He had every right to go up to the school board and complain.

But Insei thought twice. One voice wouldn't make all that much of a difference, and especially his, at that. Anyone who was asked if they knew him normally replied the same way, ‘quiet kid, shy. Those blue eyes of his are freaky’. He had heard that same comment over and over again. ‘Freaky’. Was that all he was bound to be? The `freaky' computer animist, the ‘freaky’ Olympic swimmer? Might as well be his nickname, they used it so often.

His hands danced over the lock as he turned the dial around- 13 right, 29 left, 3 right. The bolt clacked as he whipped the lock off and opened the rusty door. Grabbing the books he needed and throwing the ones he didn't back into the formerly red colored locker, he slammed the door shut and looked for a way out of the horrendous crowd. A small path opened, and he darted through the shrinking opening, like that Moses dude had done at the Red Sea. At least he was out now.

Free from the confines of the school. Pushing the heavy doors open, he walked over to the bike rack and lifted his helmet out of his backpack, pushing the two clasps together under his chin. That was his way home, since his dad's job conflicted with any sort of transportation home. He had lived in Tokyo before, when he was eight, but his dad had accepted a promotion to a job on America's western coast, in the vicinity of Los Angeles, after Insei's mom had died from cancer just a few months before. However, another offer came up back in Tokyo just five years later and again his father, brother, and he had moved again, back home. Home. He had to get back home quickly because his second-grade brother was most likely home alone right now… unless… unless hopefully he had gone over to a friend's house after school.

Rummaging through his pocket, he brought out his cellular phone and punched in the house's number. The phone rang several times until the answering machine picked up. So, Kantan's not home after all, Insei thought, Maybe I can go to Manga House after all. After leaving a message telling where he was going, he swung his bike around and began to pedal towards the area's anime and Manga hangout. Insei wanted to catch the newest release of Valor Five. That Manga rocked! Giant robots, battles, huge explosions! It was awesome.

He was in such a rush as he biked down the sidewalk that he didn't notice the Mitsubishi zooming out of the alley until it struck him, knocking him off his bike and onto the cement ground. Everything went dark…