The Shadow Boys
Chapter 01
Ever since Zachary Baker was a young boy, he'd always loved family vacations. It was the one thing he looked forward to every summer. His parents weren't exactly pleasant, and he was always pushed around by his older siblings, but nothing that they said or did could extinguish the happiness he drew from visiting new places. This year Zachary Baker was turning 13 years old, he would officially become a teenager. He felt tall and powerful, like the entire world was within his reach. As he watched his parents load up the car he smiled to himself, absent mindedly kicking at the gravel beneath his brand new Nike SB's. Yeah, his parets may have treated him like shit but in order to cover it up, they always bought him the finest clothes money could buy. Zacky knew that his parents didn't love him; he was determined to be the bad seed of the family at an early age. You see in all meanings of the word, Zachary Baker was a mistake. His parents had always hoped for one boy and one girl, they didn't want three children but it happened anyway.
Zacky continued to play footsies with the rocks beneath his spotlessly clean shoes, anxiously waiting for the family station wagon to pull out of the drive way. This year the Bakers were taking a trip to California. When Zacky had heard the news, he was completely thrilled, he couldn't believe that for once in his life, his parents had actually picked the destination he wished to go to. Ever since he could remember he'd always wanted to visit California; he loved its sunny disposition, how close it was in proximity to the ocean and just everything he'd seen in the movies. The Bakers wouldn't be vacationing in the Hollywood Hills, however, this small detail greatly dissapointed Zacky. His parents had chosen to stay at a hotel in some stupid little town, Zacky had never hard of Huntington Beach before and he didn't much care to learn about it; he hoped that once his family drove through the Hills, they'd realize their true destination was a mistake and opt for staying there instead. Zacky knew it was a fleeting dream but he chose to hang onto it anyway.
Zacky looked up from the ground when he heard the sound of the trunk being closed. He glanced around him and noticed that everyone was ready to make the trip to California. It was only 5:30 in the morning so Zacky yawned as he let himself fall into the backseat of the car. He propped his head up against the window and removed his iPod from his pocket, switching the device on he was slowly lulled to sleep by the sounds of The Misfits. The next time Zacky opened his eyes the sun was shining brightly through the window, warming his pale skin, a feeling of comfort engulfed him as he smiled to himself. Zacky removed the headphoned from his head and gaved around him. His father was driving, of course, while his mother sat up front, trying to read the map she'd brought. Beside him, his older sister and brother were watching a movie on their father's laptop. Zacky sat up in his seat and adjusted his slightly rumpled clothes.
"Where are we?" The question came out heeding a very scratchy tone.
His mother turned to look at him, sighing as she did so. "Zachary, look what you did to your new clothes. They're all wrinkled!"
Zacky looked down at himself, "I'm sorry, Mama."
"Sorry isn't going to help make you look like any less of a bum, son." Zacky's father interjected, establishing eye contact with his youngest son through the rearview mirror.
Rather than arguing with his parents, Zacky decided to put his headphones back on. When he returned his attention to gazing out the window, the car drove past a sign that read Welcome to California. Zacky grinned before looking at his watch, had he been sleeping for that long? The boy shrugged, not really caring about anything other than the fact that they'd made it to California state. Only a few hours to go before they were in Huntington Beach. Zacky continued to look out the window beside him for the next three hours, growing more and more excited when he read the sign that said Huntington Beach Exit: 1 mile. When the hotel finally came into sight, Zacky couldn't contain himself any longer. He bounced up and down in his seat.
"We're here! We're here!"
Zacky's mother held a hand up to the bridge of her nose, "how many times must I ask you not to yell before you actually get it right?"
"Sorry Mama".
"Sorry, you're always sorry".
"But-"
"No but's, just get out of the car and grab your bags."
Zacky sighed, "yes, Mama."
Zacky hopped out of the car and headed around back, meeting his father at the trunk. His father handed him the two small bags with his things in them. Zacky held the first bag securely in his arms but the second bag rolled out of his grasp falling face first onto the pavement. Zacky cringed as his father slapped him upside the head.
"Watch what you're doing, you'e embarrassing everyone. Must you always make a scene?"
"Sorry Dad."
"Whatever, here's your room key. Just go inside and try not to kill yourself or someone else on the way in."
Zacky grabbed the room key from his father's outstretched hand and left quickly. As he walked into the grand entrance of the hotel, he hoisted his bags over his shoulder. He gave the room a once over, then made his way toward the elevator. He impatiently waited for the large metallic doors to open, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet. When he heard the quiet ding signalling that the lift had returned to the bottom floor, he stood in front of the doors, pausing his movements as they slid open, revealing a boy about his age, maybe a year or two older. He had dark brown hair that was spiked up in a messy fashion. A single stud in his left nostril glinted as it caught the light. The boy locked eyes with Zacky for a single second, Zacky was in awe; this guy had to be important. The boy smirked at Zacky, exiting the elevator in a smooth fashion. Zacky walked onto the lift, hearing the desk clerk call the boy Mr. Haner, before the doors were firmly sealed shut.
Zacky continued to play footsies with the rocks beneath his spotlessly clean shoes, anxiously waiting for the family station wagon to pull out of the drive way. This year the Bakers were taking a trip to California. When Zacky had heard the news, he was completely thrilled, he couldn't believe that for once in his life, his parents had actually picked the destination he wished to go to. Ever since he could remember he'd always wanted to visit California; he loved its sunny disposition, how close it was in proximity to the ocean and just everything he'd seen in the movies. The Bakers wouldn't be vacationing in the Hollywood Hills, however, this small detail greatly dissapointed Zacky. His parents had chosen to stay at a hotel in some stupid little town, Zacky had never hard of Huntington Beach before and he didn't much care to learn about it; he hoped that once his family drove through the Hills, they'd realize their true destination was a mistake and opt for staying there instead. Zacky knew it was a fleeting dream but he chose to hang onto it anyway.
Zacky looked up from the ground when he heard the sound of the trunk being closed. He glanced around him and noticed that everyone was ready to make the trip to California. It was only 5:30 in the morning so Zacky yawned as he let himself fall into the backseat of the car. He propped his head up against the window and removed his iPod from his pocket, switching the device on he was slowly lulled to sleep by the sounds of The Misfits. The next time Zacky opened his eyes the sun was shining brightly through the window, warming his pale skin, a feeling of comfort engulfed him as he smiled to himself. Zacky removed the headphoned from his head and gaved around him. His father was driving, of course, while his mother sat up front, trying to read the map she'd brought. Beside him, his older sister and brother were watching a movie on their father's laptop. Zacky sat up in his seat and adjusted his slightly rumpled clothes.
"Where are we?" The question came out heeding a very scratchy tone.
His mother turned to look at him, sighing as she did so. "Zachary, look what you did to your new clothes. They're all wrinkled!"
Zacky looked down at himself, "I'm sorry, Mama."
"Sorry isn't going to help make you look like any less of a bum, son." Zacky's father interjected, establishing eye contact with his youngest son through the rearview mirror.
Rather than arguing with his parents, Zacky decided to put his headphones back on. When he returned his attention to gazing out the window, the car drove past a sign that read Welcome to California. Zacky grinned before looking at his watch, had he been sleeping for that long? The boy shrugged, not really caring about anything other than the fact that they'd made it to California state. Only a few hours to go before they were in Huntington Beach. Zacky continued to look out the window beside him for the next three hours, growing more and more excited when he read the sign that said Huntington Beach Exit: 1 mile. When the hotel finally came into sight, Zacky couldn't contain himself any longer. He bounced up and down in his seat.
"We're here! We're here!"
Zacky's mother held a hand up to the bridge of her nose, "how many times must I ask you not to yell before you actually get it right?"
"Sorry Mama".
"Sorry, you're always sorry".
"But-"
"No but's, just get out of the car and grab your bags."
Zacky sighed, "yes, Mama."
Zacky hopped out of the car and headed around back, meeting his father at the trunk. His father handed him the two small bags with his things in them. Zacky held the first bag securely in his arms but the second bag rolled out of his grasp falling face first onto the pavement. Zacky cringed as his father slapped him upside the head.
"Watch what you're doing, you'e embarrassing everyone. Must you always make a scene?"
"Sorry Dad."
"Whatever, here's your room key. Just go inside and try not to kill yourself or someone else on the way in."
Zacky grabbed the room key from his father's outstretched hand and left quickly. As he walked into the grand entrance of the hotel, he hoisted his bags over his shoulder. He gave the room a once over, then made his way toward the elevator. He impatiently waited for the large metallic doors to open, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet. When he heard the quiet ding signalling that the lift had returned to the bottom floor, he stood in front of the doors, pausing his movements as they slid open, revealing a boy about his age, maybe a year or two older. He had dark brown hair that was spiked up in a messy fashion. A single stud in his left nostril glinted as it caught the light. The boy locked eyes with Zacky for a single second, Zacky was in awe; this guy had to be important. The boy smirked at Zacky, exiting the elevator in a smooth fashion. Zacky walked onto the lift, hearing the desk clerk call the boy Mr. Haner, before the doors were firmly sealed shut.